Everybody could benefit from a good walk...

Taking the Christchild for a stroll.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Moments Add Up

One of the benefits of living on the west coast is that we get to see my family more. Perhaps they're over excited but they came for 3 weeks of the first month of our stay. One moment I'd like to remember is when we went on a horse drawn carriage ride and mom initiated singing Christmas songs. She cried afterward and said she had wanted to sing on a carriage ride for a long time.
We chose to go to FairHaven even though it was a stretch with nap approaching--which we really never compromise naps. Olivia was so excited about the horses. I had a moment where I thought that we must seek the experiences that make our hearts glow. My mom was glowing after the singing and ride--like her spirit and body reconnected again. Seeking more moments like those & being grateful for those experienced lately.
Watching my daughter interact and play with my parents is one of those sacred moments for me.
It's a new delight that we're all reveling in.





Loved this...I'm waving to Olivia and she says in a bossy way " Come get in, Mommy!"





Waking up and seeing these two looking outside:

Location:WA

What...?!

Listen to this: Lenara (my TWO-year-old) and I were sitting at the dinner table just recently.

Lenara: Mommy....
Mommy: What is it, honey?
Lenara: Mommy, I think, you have a weight problem.
Mommy: What????!???

So 4 people within 3 weeks either asked, if I'm pregnant or I'd be having weight problems. Something's going real wrong here... (and honestly, I think that's why Lenara mentioned it, bc she had heard me angrily quote the earlier stories.). My...

Merry Christmas everyone!

And some I really REALLY want (books)

Olles Reise zu König Winter von Elsa Beskow und Diethild Plattner (I just ordered this one for Xmas)
Pelles neue Kleider von Elsa Beskow
Die Wichtelkinder von Elsa Beskow
Etwas von den Wurzelkindern von Sibylle von Olfers
Christof und die Tiere von Christiane Lesch

Our absolute Favorites (books)

Meine ersten Geschichten von Anne Steinwart und Dagmar Geisler von Oetinger

Das große Gähnen: Eine Zoo- und Gutenacht-Geschichte von Monika Spang und Sonja Bougaeva von Atlantis, Orell Füssli

Die Krickelkrakels. Das bewegte Buch von Die Krickelkrakels von Oetinger

Henriette Bimmelbahn von James Krüss und Lisl Stich

Klumpedump und Schnickelschnack von Bettina Stietencron und Hedwig Diestel

Bobo reist aufs Land
von Hakon Mielche

The little star (continued)

Both Lenara and I really enjoy our new little tradition. She wants to read the book about the little star about every night. We light up the room only with candles and I read it to her. A magical atmosphere. Last night Lenara surprised me. After I had read the book one time, she asked to look through it again. She recited every (EVERY!) line of the book - correctly. And it's not an easy language - but rhymes. Children remember rhymes so quickly. Amazing!!! It was so fascinating to watch her. And she was proud of herself indeed.

This is what our scene looks like right now:

1st Sunday in Advent = Scenery
2nd Sunday in Advent = Stars, Sheep & Cock
3rd Sunday in Advent = Ox & Donkey






to come:

4th Sunday in Advent = Flower (Christmas Rose)
Christmas Eve = Baby Jesus with Maria & Joseph

An easy Origami Star for candles

Video instructions here: Kirigami mit Christian . Easy to follow and quickly made. Lenara was very fascinated while watching me do this...

How to knit a Farm OR our own little Christmas Story

Our day nanny encouraged us parents to think about our own Christmas and Advent traditions. Once again I realized that so far most traditions stem from my own parents. I'm really willing to find some own and implement something meaningful into our own little family (it's really interesting, now that we have a male part added to our mini-family, I start feeling more like a separate family - seperate from my parents' family and aware of our own unit).

One idea was to realise a little story into a Waldorf season's table kind of scene. I bought this book for Advent. It tells about two stars leading a cock, a sheep, a donkey and a cow to the house of baby jesus. It's very simple and perfect for 2-3 year olds.



So for the first advent Sunday I set up a natural scene. Lenara is so proud of her own little christmas tree. ;) We don't have room for a real christmas tree, so I thought this was a really cute idea.



I will make a star and we'll add it to the scene tonight (I meant to do that yesterday, but I only got the book from Amazon today). The following Sundays until Christmas I'm planning to add the animals and eventually the scene with baby Jesus. And I'm hoping we'll read the book every once in a while, so the scene becomes meaningful.

The only problem: I don't have any of the animals/figures... except for a sheep and baby Jesus (in a nutshell). So I looked up how to make them. I don't have a lot of time, so I'm happy this story just includes 4 animals. And I just found some really awesome free instructions for knitting a farm in Waldorf style.

I'm not sure, if it's easy enough for me and the little time I have. But I really want to do it. Besides it's an awesome idea to make more animals at one point.

I'm really excited about this new TRADITION becoming alive. Fingers crossed...

Mickey Mouse in da House

Fröhliche Adventszeit!

Thomas Gordon: PET (Familienkonferenz)

I have a book recommendation for you. My friend had a copy of this book with her when we recenly spent a long weekend at Center Parcs Moselle (Alsace, France) - review yet to follow. I read a few pages and couldn't stop myself from reading on and on. Back home I immediately ordered my own (used and very cheap) copy. It's a classic. My Mom said, she had read it, when I was little. But she also said: It didn't work for us kids. How come I already know...

From Amazon.com:

P.E.T., or Parent Effectiveness Training, began almost forty years ago as the first national parent-training program to teach parents how to communicate more effectively with kids and offer step-by-step advice to resolving family conflicts so everybody wins. This beloved classic is the most studied, highly praised, and proven parenting program in the world -- and it will work for you. Now revised for the first time since its initial publication, this groundbreaking guide will show you:
How to avoid being a permissive parent
How to listen so kids will talk to you and talk so kids will listen to you
How to teach your children to "own" their problems and to solve them
How to use the "No-Lose" method to resolve conflicts

Using the timeless methods of P.E.T. will have immediate results: less fighting, fewer tantrums and lies, no need for punishment. Whether you have a toddler striking out for independence or a teenager who has already started rebelling, you'll find P.E.T. a compassionate, effective way to instill responsibility and create a nurturing family environment in which your child will thrive.

It is really inspiring to me. I keep reading it and try out what works for us. A lot of learning and improving to be done by parents. But to me it's a goal. A philosophy that I want for my own family life. Even if it doesn't work right away nor always and for every situation (I don't know yet). But I'm determined to find out...

Quiet time vs. nap time

A couple of weeks ago I installed "quiet time" instead of "nap time". Lenara seemed to take forever again for falling asleep in the evenings. So I figured, maybe she needs less sleep and we should stop napping. On some days it works for her without napping. On some days she just falls asleep on the couch next to me. Which is ok as well.

So what does our quiet time look like? After lunch and cleaning up the kitchen, we relax on the couch. I turn up relaxing music (usually meditation, taichi etc.) and I read, surf online, do some knitting or make fairies. Basically something quiet that means quality time for me. And since I haven't found time for those kind of things lately (bc usually I work at night or spend time with my man), it feels sooo good to be doing those things. Lenara loves watching me. Sometimes she starts looking at a book or playing with her dolls. Sometimes - like right now - she followed what I was doing online and suddenly fell asleep all curled up like a puppy. I'll let her sleep for like half an hour, not much longer. Because my goal is for her to be really tired in the evenings - meaning dinner by 6:30pm, bed time at 7pm, sleeping by 7:30pm.

If she naps for an hour she's usually in bed by 8pm and asleep by 8:30-9ish. Which is way too late, if I need to get things done. Plus, the later it gets, the more tired I am myself.

I also have a new rule, in case she doesn't fall asleep in the evenings and I need to get work done. Instead of lying next to her for hours and getting upset, I take her with me on the couch and let her fall asleep there. I dim the lights or only have candles on, turn on the above mentioned meditation music and work. My computer is right next to the couch. So she can see me and feel comfortable without any pressure to fall asleep. When I first did this, I felt really bad. What kind of mother am I to make my baby sleep on the couch?! But I realized, she is relaxed and has a chance to fall asleep in her own way & I am relaxed and don't feel torn between two important "things". I watched her sleep on the couch and it's just like in bed - very peaceful. No reason to feel guilty. What a good solution!

More fairies

Some new baby arrivals. Some more fairies. May they watch the newborns well.





p.s. Kaya and Mirja are twins. Hope they'll like their fairies. ;)

Jumping Jack

New Shirt

Wow, I made something! With my sewing machine! Just the little application - but still. It's been forever. Just a little project about 45 mins... with Lenara watching. Fun.

Necklace - finally

This project has been in process for a couple of month. My grandma really liked it, so she got it for her 88th birthday last weekend. ;)

Creative Day

Today I spent all morning (regardless of any other to-dos on my list... and let me tell you, it felt sooooo good being creative and not keeping the watch in mind every second) -- making a garage for Lenara's bigger vehicle toys. And we recently bought another little IKEA expedit shelve for her stuff. With lots of baskets. I made little tags for them today. What a fun morning. I miss being creative so much. It's good for my soul. I need to take better care of my soul these days... (on the list).

I miss you international Mommy.