Montessori & Waldorf & Sewing

So I have spent much time in the past couple of weeks researching these two types of education. I know it's early, b/c N is only 2, but when I called the Montessori school to inquire about maybe sending her there when she is 3, I found out they have a waiting list for Fall 09!! I always considered myself a Type A overachiever, but I guess I was slacking in this area. :)

We went and observed the Montessori school, and while it was better than I expected (I had done some research and a couple of things didn't resonate with me), it still didn't feel 100% right to me. N loved playing with the different toys, and sat very focused while doing each activity. She enjoyed running around and checking everything out. The director was very nice, and not at all super-rigid with the Montessori curriculum, which fits nicely with my outlook. However, the price was too high, and the kids all seemed a bit... too quiet. They sat and ate their snacks without much of a peep. It was a little creepy to me. (This was the 18 month to 3 year old room.) I left feeling like "Hmm that was nice..." but not super excited. I did like the concept of having purposeful toys around, so I am going to work on that for our house a bit more.

We then went to a Waldorf school to look around, and WOW what a difference. I am in love. I already had good feelings about Waldorf, so I guess I went in a bit biased. Everything I have read really goes with my beliefs and my feelings about education, and as I posted awhile back, I used Little Acorn Learning last year with Natalie, which is Waldorf-based. During our visit, there was a small summer program going on, and the kids were cleaning, but were boisterous and happy while doing so. That felt WAY more normal to me. The layout had a much better vibe, and I really felt great about all the teachers I met.

So we are going to sign up for the Parent-Child classes they are holding this year. It's 2 hours, once a week, and it's to get a feel for the Waldorf school. I'm really excited about getting involved in this, and it feels better to me to be doing a parent-child group at this point, instead of sending N off by herself. It's a good way to dip my toes in, so to speak, and get a feel for the place. I have a couple of years to figure this out, but it will be nice to get involved with a group like this and see what's what.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia page about Waldorf Education in case anyone out there is interested in more about this type of program. :)

So that has been my major project this month so far. I have also been working on some sewing. Here is my first home project - it's a skirt to cover up underneath a desk in our kitchen. It has become a storage spot, so it's nice to have something cute covering it up. Next up -- a skirt to cover under the craft table in my office/project room.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Television...

So, I love TV. I'm a TV junkie. The list of shows I enjoy is embarrassingly long.

But, it's amazing how much having a child changes you. The main reason my list of TV shows has shrunk is because of how valuable my time has become. When I have downtime, I want it to be filled with things that I REALLY enjoy. The bar has been raised on my entertainment. The only movie I have gone to see in the past 2 years is Sex and the City (SO GOOD!). I just don't have a burning desire to see as many movies as I used to see. Same goes for TV. I want something different, something that truly entertains me. I am no longer just sitting there, checking out, and watching TV for 3 hours a night. The other reason for this is because having a daughter has made me re-evaluate who I am. What do I put into my brain, how do I spend my time, what do I eat, what purpose do I have? It's almost like a revamp of the early 20s -- when you figure out "who you are" or "find yourself". It's a more grown-up version of that.

Anyway -- I have to say that I may need to retire my title of "TV Junkie" when the new season comes around this fall. And I'm not all that sad about it. :)

Along that same vein, I have been letting Natalie watch WAY too much TV this summer. It starts out with a show in the morning and a show in the evening. And then when we get up into the triple digits and can't do much outside, unless we drive to a water park or pool, it becomes a few shows in the morning and a few in the evening, until it feels like the TV is on ALL DAY LONG. So I have started limiting the TV. Especially since my daughter's favorite show right now is "Yo Gabba Gabba". This isn't as obnoxious of a show as I thought it would be, but let me tell you, after hearing the same episode on 5 times in a row, it gets old! :) So right now I'm trying to do some work while keeping Natalie entertained with other things besides the TV. Every so often, I have to stop and draw a choo-choo train or a smiley face for her, and we have "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" playing really loudly on repeat in my office, but it feels way more satisfying than having a little zombie sitting in the other room watching TV.

That's all for today... I have to go draw another train, so no time to review/edit this post! :)

Oh and Happy 4th!