Three Happy Birds

Why You Are Important Mama & Why You Should Feel Empowered

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 23:41:00 +0000

You are an infant who was just born. All you know is what you feel, and there is no boundary between who you are and what you experience. What comes next begins to shape your understanding of who you are, everything is like a mirror reflecting your developing self back to you.

If your mother gazes at you with loving eyes and provides deep connection and a feeling of comfort, you feel good. If instead your mother is unable to provide deep connection and intimacy, you do not feel good. These positive or negative reflections begin to shape your brain, your emotions, and set the foundation for how you will be affected by your life experience. Positive mirroring fosters growth, nurtures creativity, and provides a space for the soul to expand. Negative mirroring hinders soul embodiment, squashes potential, and creates fear.

As Mothers we are the mediators of our child's experience. How we mediate influences the quality of life for our children. Ask any therapist and they will agree the Mother Complex has a strong influence on the outcome of an adults life. Mothering is a BIG job, and our culture is one that does not fully value nor support the importance of this vital relationship.

When we recognize our own importance, mothering becomes deeply meaningful and we feel inspired to keep our focus on what is most vital: our sense of wholeness as women and the depth of our connection with our children. This promotes the positive mirroring that is essential to our children's ability to thrive. When we feel empowered we empower our children to do the same.

Let us support each other to create an evolutionary shift about how we FEEL as mothers, and inspire our children to create a life that thrives.

We create life, we carry life within us, and we nurture all life from without. Let us feel as powerful and as beautiful as we are!

So, I want to know what is the embodied feeling you hold as a woman and mother right now ?

Bring Back Your Mama Mojo With This Technique VIDEO

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 23:01:00 +0000

OMG, I have slept through the night AND woke up without having to be for someone else! It's just ME, this morning. How glorious! The littles have spent the night with my parents, so Nate and I could have a date night. It was a lovely evening with my love, but I have to admit it does not compare to this fabulous morning of sleepfulness and inspiration.

It got me thinking about all those little pockets of Alone that I create for myself while also being available for my babies. It immediately brought me to the space of meditation. Do you meditate? I have to say without it, I am a disaster.

I remember several years ago, when I first sat down to meditate, it was awful. My mind buzzed and huffed and puffed and resisted every minute of it. As I continued to practice, it truly became a special sanctuary of me. It's like slipping into a steamy warm and private bath (another favorite Alone time ritual). The best thing about it is as you become more familiar with the space that is both expansive and specific , you can call upon it throughout your day.

In this video I share an easy way to get started with a meditation practice. It's a simple technique of following the breath and staying within the body. Again, as you become more comfortable with it, you will enjoy finding moments throughout your day for a mini session.

Don't forget I'm available for you, so leave questions or comments below!

A Return

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:11:00 +0000

Back to the blog after a long hiatus! Zosia is now almost 4 years old and we have another child Sebastian who is 15 months. Welcome Sebastian to the blogosphere!

I have gone on quite a trip myself. Becoming a mother of two really challenged me in many ways. I felt overwhelmed by the huge responsibility of juggling the many needs of two children and also my husband, oh and of course myself. Now that Seb is walking on his own and communicating somewhat, it has gotten easier. Zosia has also started preschool two days a week and my husband and I have carved out a somewhat regular schedule. I'm beginning to see myself again.

Any clear sense of who I was, all the things that I identified as me, even my very body, had been rearranged, turned upside down, and inside out. And yet, I am still me.

How can that be? How can I be me and yet feel completely altered? What exactly changed?

My understanding of who I am.

I am not a finite definition. I am infinite. I am not only this and that, but I am more expansive than I realized. And it feels like love and awareness at the being level, not an intellectual idea.

It did not come easy.

This all takes place within the heart-space. Where the human grows to become more divine.

And so, the question remains... How EXPANSIVE can I become?

Sponge Painting

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

"Jumping Frogs in Lily Pond"

Hello Spring.... Welcome Painting!

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Now that the weather has shifted, Z and I are exploring Toddler Painting. I have been really looking forward to sharing this with Zosia. We used Melissa & Doug non-toxic, washable poster paint and set up a few colors in lids of my old Illy (espresso) tins.

She knew just what to do...

It was a great way to start talking about color... she kept asking for blue. It of course turned into a more tactile experience... hands feeling brush, feeling wet paint...

Using all tools to paint...

My little Picasso...... armed and dangerously creative!!

Zosia's first brushed painting: "Welcome Spring"

Fishies!!! A joyful trip to the aquarium...

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

5 Ways to Make Peace with a Tantrum

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:09:00 +0000

Sometimes I think of myself as a guardian angel, subtly guiding my daughter towards staying a confident, self-reliant, creative, and compassionate individual. I do this by letting go. I'm not concerned with controlling her behavior, but with seeing her intentions/motivation behind her actions. This requires a lot of patience.

When Zosia challenges me, I have to make space between she and I and really look at what's happening without prejudgement. When I let go, instead of react, I have the opportunity to listen to my intuition. Sometimes I choose not to interfere with a choice she's made. (Is it really that important to me that she stop splashing in the dog's water? Or is it because it upsets my adult sensibilities?) Sometimes I need to step in to address a situation. When I do this, I try to connect first with her and then watch for clues she understands what I am trying to communicate. My relationship with her is most important. Gone are the days of spankings and withholding love as punishment.

5 Ways to Make Peace with a Tantrum ~

1. Label the Emotion: When Z throws her head back, stiffens her body, and wails with fiesty squeals, I say to her calmly "Oh, I see you are frustrated. " Then I suggest she say "Oh I'm frustrated, Mama." I'll even mimic a little frustration so she begins to associate the word with the emotion. It helps her know I see her, I hear her, I care about what she is feeling, and I understand.

2. Take a Deep Breath: This is good for both she and I. I take a nice long inhalation and exhalation and ask her to do the same. Sometimes this works, most of the time it doesn't . But, I keep trying! Someday I know she will enjoy her breath as much as mama.

3. Do Nothing: Making space around the situation is key to acting out of love and intuition, over reaction and frustration. I'm not suggesting passivity in the sense of insecurity, but a relaxation into beingness that brings clarity and patience.

4. Match her Intensity: Sometimes I'll playfully mirror what I see her doing. Sometimes this will crack an immediate smile on her face. I'll make frustrated sounds and stiffen a bit, making sure not to 'make fun' of her but instead communicate to her that I see her, hear her, and I understand.

5. Maintain Deep Connection: The most important thing to me when I'm guiding her is to feel deeply connected. Gone are the days of issuing out orders or treating children like play toys with no regard to their beingness. Nourishing my relationship with her, limits the need for discipline. When you are in communion, life moves in harmony.

Toddler Art Project - Sticky Board

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:17:00 +0000

This was an easy activity to put together for Zosia. Taping the non-sticky side of a sheet of contact paper to a foam board created our stickyboard. I gathered random craft project objects for Z to create a collage of fun. Learning about sticky vs. non-sticky materials while making art!

She really enjoyed using glitter for the first time!

She let me know she was finished when she picked up her artwork to bring to her room!

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Love's wings, my heart

Weightless water, my body

Outstretched, I dare not make a sound...
it is to great to whisper

via

When Mothering Gets Hard - 5 Ways to Bring Back My Mama Mojo

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I am blessed to say I have a simple life. I take full responsibility for this choice. Several years ago, after attending a weekend long musicfest with Nate, I quit my corporate job never to return. When I was there camping in a tent, brushing my teeth with a water bottle, and 'bathing' with a wet towel and soap, I realized I felt truly alive and happy. I was contented to be with my love, and saw how life could be easier than chasing the dollar and stressing about climbing the corporate ladder. My husband soon followed, leaving his corporate job to pursue his music career full time, his true talent.

Let me be clear, I am not a hippie, a crunchy, a granola or whatever labels get placed on those who choose a more 'natural' lifestyle. I enjoy a little luxury in my life. I want to be healthy and happy, this is my goal.

Currently we have an income that leaves us comfortable... some months are better than others. But, here's what we have plenty of... Time. We are together a lot. This affords us plenty of space for moments of true enjoyment. To be honest, it took me awhile to become comfortable with such an easy life. I still felt the need to 'go fast'. It's funny how you can get so used to stress that you begin to feel uncomfortable without it.

Now, I find myself practicing letting go with all my might. It feels good, really good. How much can I relax into being? This has helped me realign myself with the best of intentions for my life. It helps me stay focused on mothering my daughter with intuition and grace. Nate describes my mothering as "a warm embrace that flows instead of holds", such a sweet description!

When mothering challenges me it usually means I'm out of alignment and stuck in the doingness of life. I'm wanting personal freedom to be selfish and do what I want. When I'm in this space everyone around me reflects that same feeling. Zosia becomes needy and whiny, and Nate becomes irritated and frustrated.

Here are 5 Ways I Bring Back My Mothering Mojo ~

1. Ask For Help: When I'm lost in the momentum of life and carried way off balance, I get desperate. A sudden urge comes over me and begs for instant gratification of alone time. Nate will see this frantic look on my face and I will demand a 'tap in' exchange of parenting. When Nate's not available, I will ask my own mother. Thankful I have such loving helpers!

2. Nourish Myself: Eating well is a must! When my nutrition suffers, my brain suffers. When my brain suffers, my family suffers. It all starts with a healthy gut. Keeping my intestinal wellbeing intact is vital to receiving the nourishment I need to keep on keepin on.

3. Nurture Myself: When I do have alone time, it's important that I nurture my soul, femininity, and love. I live for hot baths! Facials, massage, and acupuncture are part of my personal wellness routine. Date nights and Girls Night Out also fall under this category!

4. Get Organized: I have learned the value of routine and discipline. Having a generalized schedule for my week has made things so much easier. I can map out my 'me time', so I can skip dramatic moments of desperation.

5. Simplify: This to me is key to a happy life. Life is easy if you allow it to be. I'm learning to choose wisely what I bring into my life and into my family's life. It's so empowering to be selective, only choosing that which we find beautiful, enriching, or nourishing!

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:52:00 +0000

Let me be as a Child

a small adventurer of this World

Always Open to the Newness of this moment..

and this one, and that one,

and again this One Moment.

via

Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit...

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:09:00 +0000

Zosia and I enjoyed a great Montessori sensory experience with beans.This was a great easy activity to occupy her investigative mind and practice focus.

We attempted practice pouring beans from a large bowl into a smaller one.

As you can see, some beans didn't make the bowl! She is always interested in what Papa and I are doing, so she was eager to copy me in bean pouring.

She loved exploring the beans with her hands as well. She did make a few attempts at eating them... but I was quick with removing them from her tiny mouth. It's definitely not a solo activity.

I love sharing new experiences with her. She is a smart one and I have to keep up with her inquisitive mind. We will definitely play with beans again. We stopped after 30minutes (mom was hungry). She would've played another 30minutes I bet.

Mama's little bean counter. :)

Bleeding Heart Love

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Living in the Heart can be so scary. The world isn't always delicate with our soft spots. More recently than not, I was afraid to be seen. You know, deeply seen. My insides would flutter and flip and my body would react with jittery scampered movements. I was a fish caught on a line desperately trying to wriggle free of what, to my nervous system, felt like a moment of life or death.

I am a sensitive person. I don't mean overly emotional (although I've had my moments), but I mean I have high sense perception. I feel the situation from the inside out. Colors, moods, emotions, sound, quality... this is the stuff I rest in. Subtle shifts are monumental in my mind.

In order to avoid this sometimes painful sensitivity, I had become hard... armored with steely intellectual sword and shield. I would judge, avoid, blame, manipulate...all disguised protection. My heart would rebel with dramatic outbursts. Leaving me confused and stuck in personal purgatory. I unconsciously struggled with the dichotomy of living in the head and living in the heart.

Now I am aware of what it means to live without shell. My insides served out, juicy with liquid butter. Oh yes, it is a tender heart....even more sensitive now that I consciously choose to be open. My mistakes are giant to me and leave my heart bruised and achy. But, I would not have it any other way. To be truly happy is to look deeply at life, find truth.... and love it fearlessly.

via

5 Thoughts on How I Mother

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

1. Honor Her as Her Own Being - I read in Unconditional Parenting, by Alfie Kohn, this idea that we treat adults better than children. If an adult friend was occupied with something, we would not demand they immediately drop what they are doing for us. Why then would we not respect our children's attention?

2. Show Her Love with Close Contact - Touch is such an important part of feeling connected and establishes a sense of belonging. It also has a calming effect on the nervous system which results in better functioning of all our body processes. Being snugly and affectionate is good for the whole family.

3. Allow Her to Explore ( & Get Messy) - Trying to control or coordinate her every move would not only be exhausting, but would weaken her self confidence. I do not want my daughter to be afraid to try new things. I try not to prejudge the situation, rather I watch carefully to see how she is handling herself with new things or situations. If I truly see her challenging her safety, I step in. Otherwise, I trust her natural intelligence.

4. Recognize My Parenting as the Greatest Responsibility - I can see how this mothering thing could be a disaster. It's easy to slip into selfish ways and choose my moment over her needs. Right now, she needs to be close to mama. This time together sets the foundation of her life. Will she live in a world of love, or a world where we have to harden our hearts?

5. Be the Role Model - Zosia is the greatest reason to live to higher expectations of myself. She shines a light on all my flaws. Her brightness and innocence shows me where I have room to improve. For I know that she is a direct reflection of me.

INFANT ART PROJECT #3 - Swirls & Goop

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Z and I had great fun experimenting with another infant art project. This idea we borrowed from a book I discovered listed on several mama blogs, 'First Art' by MaryAnn Kohl. She calls this project 'Feelie Goop'. It's soooo simple, and so much fun. You begin by pouring 2 cups of cornstarch into a baking or deep dish.

Zosia really enjoyed feeling the texture of the powdered starch.

That alone probably would have sustained her attention for 20 minutes or so. But the excitement was just beginning...

I added 1 cup of water to the cornstarch to make it officially goop. I let Z play a few minutes with the goop before... we added COLOR.

Using food coloring I dropped in some BLUE...

...and she Swirled color...

I added RED...

And then.. GREEN.... and... YELLOW...

My little Picasso was hard at work.

She enjoyed every second of it, as did I!

We stopped when our goop went to... poop.

...and then Off to the bath.

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

As a bird, I perch my love on high

recognizing all things as beauty.
Everlasting light of mine,

I embrace the recognition of my sorrow
and Fly Free towards the Sun

Blazing Hot the awakened seed of my potential

i soar

OH Love i soar on high!

ever-bright

ever-new

my Love,

i fly to you!

Chalk Art - INFANT ART PROJECT 2

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Such a challenge to find good art projects for the wee little ones. We just happened to have had crayola chalk in the house + watercolor paper. So viola, art project #2.

Zosia enjoyed herself for about 15min. It didn't seem to hold her attention as much as the paint project. I did keep it out for her, and she returned a few times to explore again.

I loved watching her draw lines of color. It's so fun to share these moments with her. Really everything is exciting to a child. They are so new... everything is fresh! It's a great reminder to see the world from this prospective.

Ever-new I rest in this moment with no judgements, just total acceptance.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like Infant Art Project 1

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:28:00 +0000

I am the Space
that absorbs your cries
and Opens for Joy.

Teach me what I do not know about myself.
Blind, I feel my way from the Inside out

expanding always into ever-deepening LOVE.

It's Not Voodoo, Woo-Woo, or Wackadoo - What does it mean to LIVE CONSCIOUSLY?

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Creativity is the foundation of LIFE. We make an act of creation during every choice we make, in every thought. Shall I have an espresso this morning? Yes. There it is! I've created a new moment for myself. I'm not waiting for something to happen to me, I'm choosing my Way. We are all ARTISTS of our life. When we begin to awaken to this understanding, life becomes simple yet extraordinary. We begin to desire the brightest colors, the best possible materials, and to refine our technique for living. This is what it means to LIVE CONSCIOUSLY.

To be CONSCIOUS in life, is to have a heightened sense of awareness of the present moment, and to continue to refine our approach to living in order to actualize our fullest potential as a human being. We are ALL on a journey towards true happiness and peace. It might feel unattainable at times, especially when we are knee deep in the struggle. But this discomfort is an important part of the journey. The discomfort is the opportunity for growth. There's a Buddhist saying 'That which is the greatest challenge, holds the seed for the greatest potential'. When we recognize these seeds of potential, the pathway ILLUMINATES and we can make the choice to follow it towards true happiness.

A way to look at it, is as a Pac-Man game. As we are moving about in our 'everydayness' or grazing on the path of white dots, we sometimes are met with challenges - the ghosts. When we overcome these challenges we receive the cherry and advance to the next level of being! When you look at life as an ever-new adventure, you feel truly ALIVE!

When instead we let the waves of the world WHIRL us around or let our past habits blind us, we are not awake to this pathway. We go about our days with low-grade depression and an undercurrent of anxiety. This anxiety is the inner conflict of not attuning to our AUTHENTIC SELF which always knows its direction towards peace. This loss of connection to Self creates confusion and a sense of being lost, which then leads to low-grade depression or worse.

How do we stay in HARMONY with our Authentic Self?

Become Aware of Internal Sensations Within the Body – Imagine a time when you had felt the most disconnected to your Authentic Self. While you are reliving the experience, begin to take notice of what is happening within your body. Examine what sensations you are feeling. Tension, jitteriness, cold, numb, etc. Now start to notice where you most feel this sensation – in your stomach, arms, throat, etc. Get as specific as you can. Now imagine a time when you felt most connected to Self. What does that feel like within your body? Calm, peaceful, light, spacious? Really take notice of the difference between the two experiences. When you fine tune your awareness of your internal body sensations, you begin to develop a radar system to stay on track towards happiness.

Invest in Purifying Habits – Just as a marathon runner needs to train for the big event, it would be helpful to us to make healthy choices for our body, mind, spirit. Everything we think, do, and see effects our consciousness. We absorb our environment AND our environment is a reflection of who we are. What we think contributes to our actions. In order to make our Authentic Self more available to us, we must let go of habits that no longer serve our best interest for being. The great thing is, as we grow more into our true Self we become more sensitive in general. It’s harder to watch Televison shows/movies about violence, anguish, and despair for our personal entertainment. Poor diet choices make us sick. We even pick up negative energy from other people and become uncomfortable. This sensitivity is a part of the refinement process towards unbelievable JOY.

Make Friends with Your Imperfections – As we begin to recognize life as a ‘personal journey of never-ending growth’, we begin to see the difference between where we’ve been and where we have yet to go. This confirms our life as ADVENTURE! In order to remove more layers of old habits that no longer serve our Authentic Self, we first have to make peace with where we are at right now. This means LOVING yourself with the most sincere COMPASSION.

We are on a mountain, climbing, climbing day after day. We are now conscious of this mountain, conscious of our climbing, and fully engaged with our whole being to our adventure and goal in reaching the highest peak. As we climb we become painfully aware of the seeming struggle of each foot placement and of how much further we have yet to travel. When we finally reach a plateau, we rest. We rest in our accomplishment thus far. We know we have more work ahead of us, but at this moment we accept this new space as it is.

Finger Paint.. er...Body Paint... er... Mess = INFANT ART PROJECT 1

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:19:00 +0000

Zosia had her first experience with COLOR and ART! I honestly couldn't wait to share a moment of creativity with her. It's a challenge to come up with infant art projects that are safe and interesting for little ones. Finger-painting with colored flour and water was our first experiment.

It's pretty simple... all you need to do is:

get paper/posterboard as a 'canvas'
mix equal parts flour and water in a medium bowl
divide flour mix into three separate containers ( I used baking ramekins)
add food-coloring or fruit/veggie dyes to the mix ( I used red, yellow, blue)
setup a large 'mess' blanket or work in an area where it's okay to get messy
have a towel ready for immediate delivery to bath after project

At first I was trying to teach her to dip one finger in at a time to color on the canvas. It surprised me how 'neat' I was trying to be. After a few minutes of teaching her, I surrendered to her own exploration of the experience. Immediately she went to paint herself. It instantly brought me back to memories of painting myself for hours as a kid. I used to love making intricate details on my body with paint. It is so cool to have those moments of personal reflection while parenting your own child.

By the end Zosia was covered in paint! She really enjoyed spreading the paint all over the place. Flipping over the ramekins was a big event for her and me. I had to totally surrender to the mess and she rolled with joy in and out of the puddles.

It is a great sensorial experience for her... feeling the texture of the paint, watching the affect she has on the canvas, seeing the difference between the three colors. She really enjoyed herself, and after about 45 minutes, she was finished. It was tricky getting her from the porch to the bath without getting paint everywhere.

All in all it was great fun! I learned to surrender my will for the sake of the moment and reconnected to past memories of pure concentrated joy!

Zosia's First Work of Art

How to Stop Blaming Others - 5 Ways to Bring More JOY into Your Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:47:00 +0000

1. Take Responsibility for your own MIND THOUGHTS ~ Your perception is everything. No one can control how you feel about a situation but yourself. Make your centeredness your primary choice for being.

2. Recognize we are all on a JOURNEY of Self Discovery ~ When you know that we are all working towards a higher goal of becoming truly happy, you begin to respect the process for others. Allowing space for the unfoldment brings joy.

3. See Your REFLECTION ~ That which bothers you about others may be a direct reflection of that which you are not ready/willing to accept about yourself. Example: "My neighbors are overweight, rude to each other, and are neglectful towards their pet" = "I have a tendency to be lazy and can make poor choices for my diet, I sometimes speak to my husband disrespectfully, and sometimes choose not to take my dog for a walk"

4. Grow Your SELF AWARENESS ~The better you become at being the observer of your own thoughts, words, and actions, the easier it will be to make higher choices. To know your limitations is a powerful key to unlocking your potential.

5. LOVE thy Neighbor ~ There is no room for judgment when you Love.

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:22:00 +0000

i am the bird inside

listen deeply, you will hear the message

buried beneath my heart ~

Let Go My Love, i sing

Feel Joy My Love, i sing

begin anew

How I Use Montessori to Raise a Confident, Focused Child

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:31:00 +0000

While I was pregnant I would often peruse the child rearing section at BN to get some ideas on parenting approaches. I happened to stumble upon the book 'Montessori from the Start: The child at home, from Birth to Age Three" by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jesson. To be honest, it was the cover that intrigued me…2 wooden toys, simple.

I opened it and immediately felt connected to the ideas that were printed. Ideas like honoring the infant as a human being in development, creating an environment of simple beauty, protecting the child's concentration, and allowing the child to develop their independence and assist themselves. There are only a few photos inside, but they amazed me. Seeing a 9 month old drinking from a small glass and another playing independently with one toy, made me curious on what I could learn from this book. I am so grateful to have purchased it that night.

The concepts are based on discoveries made by Maria Montessori, a medical doctor in Rome during the early 1900's. She held several observational studies, watching and discovering how a child naturally develops. She then based the development of her educational approach on these findings. Her goal for education was for assisting "the development of a complete human being, oriented to the environment (that is aware of his place in the natural creation of the universe) and adapted to his time, place and culture (prepared to meet the challenges of a specific historical period). " Explained by the authors, "The only reason that each of us is here on earth is our ability as human beings to meet these needs of the human spirit: needs of art, music, religion, and all other areas of self-expression and love for creation and humanity. It is by these means that we contribute to our particular culture and social group, and can change them for the better." Ding! Ding! Ding! (went the imaginary bell I have in my head) sounds like truth to me! So, Nate and I committed to trying on a Montessori approach to parenting Zosia.

It began with the decision to skip the crib and instead use a child-bed (essentially a futon on the floor). Boy, did we get the crazy-eye from people when we mentioned this! But, I tell you, we are soooo happy we made this choice. Now that Zosia is crawling, she is able to get up in the morning independently at 9 months and go to her toy shelf to play and explore. It was such an amazing mama/papa moment to wake up and peek at Z playing alone, confident in her own abilities. (Because of this freedom, the room is designed and organized with safety in mind and we do have a gate at her door).

Another fantastic idea we used was to create sensory exploration with a 'treasure box', which is filled with different objects from around the house. The idea is to choose objects that vary in size, shape, weight, texture, and so on. My little scientist would sit for 30 min – 1 hr investigating her box. It's really fun getting everything together. I love challenging her with new objects. It's awesome to watch her explore. She really is like a little scientist… picking things up, dropping them, comparing two objects in each hand, tasting it, unraveling it, etc. It is a great tool to engage little ones and develop their concentration and focus.

One of the Montessori mantras is 'teach me to do it myself ' . This takes a lot of patience and commitment by the parent. For me, it truly is a spiritual practice... can I be still for my child? can I breathe into this moment? can I honor her as she discovers her sense of self? It is well worth the sacrifice of selfishness. This is how Zosia teaches me. And, I am so grateful for the lessons. :)

I will continue to share with you our Montessori adventures as Zosia continues to grow.

~ MamaBird

Our Family Purpose Statement

noreply@blogger.com (MamaBird) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:02:00 +0000

So grateful to have found the book 'Organized Simplicity' by Tsh Oxenreider (another mama blogger) . Not only did it inspire Nate and I to sell things we no longer use or find beautiful, but it gave us the idea of a family purpose statement. The idea is to create a mission statement of sorts as an alignment guide for family decisions. It was fun to sit down with Nate and really think about what is truly important to us as people, parents, and members of the world. So here it is:

We, The Donnis Family, believe our purpose as a family is to Live in Harmony with Nature and to Nourish the Creative Spirit. We will do this by:

Living Simply ~ leaving space for creative play
Recognizing Life as Creative Unfoldment
Creating a Supportive Nest of Love, Close to Nature, as our Home
Loving One Another Deeply and Wholly
Making Clean, Healthy Choices for our Body.Mind.Spirit
Spending Time in Nature
Cultivating Authentic Relationships with Others
Allowing Space for One Another to Explore Personal Creativity

Well there it is. It sounds so beautiful and inspiring to me. I hope that it inspires you and encourages you to sit down and jot down a few ideas : )