T's Montessori Room - Color Updates

When we first moved in, this is what we started with in here.

Note the uneven temporary curtains, furniture that didn't work (but was perfect for his old room), and the mattress on the floor (oops - ended up getting mold underneath).



Mama couldn't stand the uneven curtains, so they just came down. We bought a new bed, built a low frame, and moved out the furniture that didn't work.



Finally, the front facing bookshelves (spice racks) were hung.



I found some orange curtains at Cost Plus (or what you call "world market"), hung his chinese checkers board, and got him a down comforter (and let him use our westelm organic white duvet cover - another oops).


I am LOVING the way his room is looking now. Not quite as calm and serene, but much more complete.

The curtains are finally hemmed (well, hemmed using iron on hem tape). The west elm duvet cover went away (after a botched dye job), and T is now using our chevron striped one.



We have some photos of his cousins that need to be hung (leaning up against the wall).

See the balls on top of the cabinet? From our Christmas tree :)

Montessori vs. Waldorf vs. Reggio Emilia

T's going back to "school" or his home based daycare.

This is the perfect setting for him in his babyhood, but like all San Francisco mamas I'm starting to research preschools since some require an application a year in advance.

As I know from the nanny disaster, his personality and needs could change and develop a TON between now and when he's two or three (when he enters pre-school).

First, he is going to preschool. Even if I could stay home he would go. Pre-school is very important to life long success - so that's a given.

But, when I started looking at choices I got confused and anxious.

Montessori.

For one, I thought I wanted a Montessori school. There are several in our neighborhood that seem fantastic (based on reading only - I haven't done any visits yet). I've really liked our room setup and it seems to be intuitive, respectful to T's learning, and spot on when it came to a safe room for our baby (from 8 months - 18 months, so far).

I'm concerned about discipline. We are fairly strict followers of the unconditional parenting model (children are naturally kind and well intentioned) and don't really "discipline" but teach and try to help T communicate when he can't (and we're finding it works for us).

I've read quite a bit from parents of Montessori programs that there are time-outs in the program and it is quite "strict." This article actually addresses both those issues, but I still don't quite trust that Montessori is right for my boy.

I've also read a lot of real accounts of Montessori with flash cards and working on academics - which I don't think is appropriate for Pre-school.

I would have loved Montessori. I am very "rule based" loved to "pretend" to clean house and wanted to be a grown up so bad. I'm not sure my husband would have thrived. When I talk to my mom about my brother's experience in Montessori, she said she wouldn't do it over again. She thought he was bored. As an adult he is a technological genius (coming up with amazing inventions and actually creating them), he is an incredible artist, and super duper creative. I'm not sure the the Montessori program helped him foster this and I actually think (and so does my mom) that he might have had some creativity stifled there.

With a musician husband and a child who isn't as interested at mimicking our behavior as his friends (he likes to sweep and clean the sink - that's about it), I'm not sure the program is right for us.

Granted, I'm signed up for the local Montessori tours this spring. Maybe the programs will be right once we get there. But my gut is saying no.

Waldorf.

I never ever in a million years thought I'd be right for Waldorf. It seems a little hippy dippy alternate reality for me.

But, I also felt the same way about homebirth, so clearly I have some inner hippy (or maybe these things aren't so hippy after all).

To be totally honest, I stopped exploring Waldorf when I saw how cost prohibitive the elementary and high school were. We pay A LOT for daycare and can continue paying it for T's education. We pay the equivalent of tuition at a lot of the top high schools in San Francisco right now. Waldorf is double this. Unless I can be convinced otherwise, I'm not even looking at it.

Some of the coolest kids we know are Waldorf kids. And they don't seem strange - and have really cool views on technology. I do think we can get a great education for him in a more "traditional" setting and still foster his creativity and let him be successful.

Reggio Emilia.

I am so enamored with Reggio Emilia that when I talk about it I get excited. Sort of high actually.

There are a lot of preschools around town that say they are "based" on Reggio Emilia, but I think they mean that they are play based and creative. From what I've read a true Reggio Emilia program incorporates parents and family into the school (unlike Montessori - from what I've read) and believes in a true community. It is child led and really focuses on the importance of children exploring what they want to learn. There is such an emphasis on mutual respect of parents, teachers, and children as a team that makes me extremely comfortable.

I could go on and on, but essentially, Reggio Emilia seems like Attachment Parenting, Unconditional Parenting, and Nurture Shock, and my gut feelings all in one. Like pure magic. Makes my soul feel good about giving my son over to education.

Anyway, the problem is, the two Reggio Emilia schools I've found are way the hell across town. And serious prep schools. And one is an Italian school. So, would Turner enter school and not understand anything? Would he totally freak out? We'd be required to learn Italian too, and would I fail? I took several years of Spanish in school and can't speak a bit.

There IS a public Reggio Emilia preschool, but I think it might only be for family that could be subsidized. I've called and not gotten an answer yet. Which isn't a great sign for a school.

That's my take.

Again, I'm not positive on any of this, but I'll keep searching.

Turning Flash Cards into Wall Art

T's child care provider gave him this amazing box of curious george magic for Christmas. It had a puzzle, two posters, and alphabet flash cards. T loved it all, but the mess was INSANE from all the pieces.

I loved the little vignettes and pictures in the posters, but they got trashed quickly, since T like to wear them rolled up in his shirt.



At our most recent trip to Ikea, I found the perfect frames. Without knowing how many I would need or what sizes, I bought a ton.

We hung them like these ones, with double sided velcro tape so he can't pull them down (or they can't fall down in an earthquake). The cards are posted with scotch tape on white paper.





His favorite are "O" "P" and "T". Probably because those are the ones he knows.

We now rock out to the a b c song.



Problem is, this is SO not Montessori style.*

Not calm.

Not limited stimulation.

And you know what?

It is making bed time miserable.

These cute, educational, and entertaining little frames are WAY too stimulating.

I'm giving it a week more and then they sadly come down. Unless he learns to ignore them right before bed.

Not likely.

*speaking of Montessori style, in looking at preschools, I'm not so sure it is for us. Though the decorating style sure does work so far. I'm more of a Reggio Emilia girl myself. Which appears to be hard to come by. Even here.

Our Sink has Shipped

Three things:

1) When you say "Our sink has shipped" out of context, It can make your husband's head spin on his shoulders.

No, honey, our ship didn't sink, our SINK shipped!

This one:

Source: amazon.com via Mama on Pinterest

2) Twice today, T has come up to us, said, "poo poo" and actually followed through on the toilet! I have not had a more proud moment as a mama. Seriously.

3) We've been having a HORRIBLE time getting him to sleep. Hours of fussing and bottles and wanting to play. Tonight, he was rolling around in bed and having one heck of a time settling down. At 9pm (two hours after normal bedtime), he said "bye bye."

I left.

He fell asleep.

Seriously?

My Baby's Got Soul

I can't believe at one point I was worried that T didn't dance.

He only started barely dancing at 11 months (and this was a rare occasion).

This last week he's been a dancing maniac.

Sweet Toddler Moments

It is 2am and I'm up. I think I went to sleep at like 7pm with T.

Whether it is food poisoning or a stomach virus, yesterday I felt horrible. Stomach cramps, my back hurt, and apparently, I walked hunched over (since T kept following me hunched over taking tiny little steps).

I just woke up, hungry and dehydrated.

T was rolling around and making some noise, so I kept my eyes shut to let him work it out himself. When he finally settled, I opened my eyes to find his big beautiful sparkly eyes looking at me - two inches away.

We sat there just gazing at each other for a moment, and then I smiled. He broke out into a smile too and we both stayed there until we simultaneously shut our eyes and he went back to sleep.

The beauty of that moment and how much I felt like a "mama" then was pretty magical.

When T was born I was not instantly in love. And, I didn't have post-partum. I just didn't really know who he was yet.

The first thing I said after he was on my chest in our birth pool, covered in vernix was, "who are you?"

I truly felt that way for the first couple of days. I was taking care of him, doing everything to bond, and I felt "bonded, but how can you love someone if you haven't figure out who they are yet?

It may have even taken months before I truly loved who he was as a person.

When he was 9 months old and going to daycare I had a meltdown and said (in a fit of tears one night), "He is my SOUL!" I couldn't imagine anyone else understanding what he wanted or knowing when to be soft or when to play rough. I couldn't imagine how he would feel when mama wasn't there to translate his emotions to the world or put him to sleep when he needed it. I wasn't there to protect him.

I still feel this way.

We just know each other.

I dread the day he tells me to leave him alone (though I think I said that to him yesterday - this clingy mama thing has GOT to go).

And the day he goes off to college.

Anyway.

We had a sweet moment, my boy and I.

Back to bed for a few more hours of rest.

Making Jams for the Whole Family

I have this idea that for Christmas, T will get a few things each year.

1) a book
2) a toy or fun gift
3) a new pair of pajamas to open on Christmas Eve

Starting this year.

I made pajamas for the whole family.

I'll start this off by saying I have MINIMAL sewing skills. I don't really care about details.

This project takes about 30 minutes.

The fabric I chose was from the scrap bin from the discount fabric store around the corner. I should have ordered some cute stuff online, but didn't and ran out of time.

So this is what we got.

The legs don't match because the scraps were too small :)

Take a pair of pants that fit well. Fold them in half.

Fold your fabric in half with the "bad" side facing out (the side without the pattern on it).

Place the pants on the fabric and cut around the pants leaving a 3" border. Repeat.

You should now have four panels that look like this:



Take two of the panels, put them together so they match up ("bad" side out).

1) Sew the short (curvy) ends together first (labeled "A" and "B" in the above picture). This will create two pieces - the front of the pants and the back.

2)Put those two pieces together with the "bad" sides facing out. Sew the outside of the pants together

3) Folding the middle seams down flat, sew the inside of the legs together.

4) Fold up the bottom of the legs (about two inches) and making sure not to sew them closed, sew the hem on both feet.

5) Fold the waist down (about three inches) and making sure not to sew it closed, sew the hem on the top stopping with about an inch still open.



Don't forget to fold down the seams or it will be really bumpy.


Fold the pants right side out!



Measure your waist or where you want the pants to sit. Cut a piece of elastic about 3-4 inches shorter than your measurement.

Attach a safety pin to one end and feed the safety pin through the 1" hole you left in the top hem. push the safety pin in as far as it will go, bunching up the fabric, then pulling the fabric back...move it forward again, until you have it all the way through.



Remove the safety pin and do a BUNCH of stitches through the ends to make it a complete circle.

Sew up that last 1" of the waist that you left un-sewed before.

VOILA!



Things you can do differently to have WAY better results:

1) Buy enough fabric

2) Use thread that either matches or contrasts in a cute way

3) Take your time so your stitches aren't totally crooked

4) Order your fabric in advance so you aren't stuck looking like your kid is from the 80's.

But - I think they are cute, and next year I'll learn from my mistakes.

Overall this took about 40 minutes and $5.00.

Xmas day you'll get photos of them on the boy!

Sanibel Island with a Toddler

There's been silence here. Because I've been in paradise with my family. And. My kid has been A-Mama (ing) (like with an italian accent) me like no body's business.

A few thoughts on our trip:
The Go Go Babyz wheely travel thing was AMAZING. I don't think we could have gotten through our trip without it. Hints: leave it ON when you install the seat on the plane and ask for a seatbelt extender the minute you get on.

Bringing a cooler with food was also fantastic. We had T's soymilk with us along with cheese and other goodies which saved us when things got crazy.

Airlines and Aiports for Toddlers:
San Francisco (SFO) and Southwest were amazingly easy child-friendly experiences. Continental and Ft. Meyer's airport was not. At all. I guess I missed the memo when Continental and United merged, but I specifically bought Continental tickets because I have vowed I will NEVER buy United again after multiple horrible experiences AND bad customer service (or NO customer service) - and then we get to the airport and we're getting on a United plane. LAME.

The way there he was an angel. It was exhausting for us, but he was great as long as he had one of our undivided attention.

The way back coincided with his bedtime and went about three hours past it. So he was horrible. He was tired and couldn't get comfy and then vomited all over everything - including the Ergo, so I had no way to hold him without my arms DYING. Plus, we had a really scary bathroom experience where I had to grip my kid and the walls to ensure we didn't go flying across the plane when major turbulence hit. I have never been more scared in my life. And guilty. NEVER get up - even with a major diarrhea explosion diaper - if the fasten seatbelt sign is on.

Anyway, back to paradise:



We were in Sanibel Island, Florida with my in-laws. We rented the Zyreep (like syrup with a Z) beach house at the Island Inn.

The entire place was fantastic. The roads are flat with separate bike lanes so you can cycle anywhere you need to go. We rented a bike with a baby seat for the week and T LOVED to ride.

It is lush and clean.

And it was 80 degrees. Even when it was a little cloudy or overcast, or those days it sprinkled, it was totally fine.

Thank goodness we got a house, though. I'm not sure T could have handled a hotel room at this point. The kitchen was stocked really poorly (no can opener or salad bowl), but overall good decision.

Amazingly they had all of our favorite grass fed, organic stuff at the local grocery store. Even un-sweeteened organic soy milk (which can be hard to find even in San Francisco). I was able to call ahead and have groceries delivered INTO our house - next time I'll order even more stuff.

Some strange things about Florida:
A lot of people are super bossy. Old ladies telling me what to do with my son. Telling me that I'm playing with him wrong or right. Telling us what bags we have to check. Just generally all up in our business!

I had to let it go and thank GOODNESS they were old or I might have actually put some in their place.

The worst was on the plane after he threw up and we were both still covered in barf. One women comes up with a plastic alligator and says that she thinks maybe he just needs to play with something. The darts of evil must have come out of my head. Like I didn't bring toys for my kid?

Apparently, hippy San Francisco parenting is not appreciated. At one point, I let T go wading in a little water when we were waiting for the touch tank aquarium tour to start (which by the way he was way too young for since he just wanted to splash in it).



I took off his pants and the looks we got were pretty telling that that was taboo. When we were getting out and I was going to re-dress him - a very nervous fast talking man made it VERY clear that we were to use the bathroom to change his diaper (even before any diaper changing started). He must have thought we were all going to get naked or something.

There appeared to be a lot of judgement there, and when I finally talked about this with my in-laws (and bubbs) they explained that much of the South is that way.

I was sure to be aware of other people's feelings and tried to keep him dressed when we were out of our little rental house. Plus, I realize that we probably judge here too, just not over the same things.

Getting to the point: my son would prefer to be naked over dressed. All the time. Floridians would prefer he be fully dressed, socks, shoes, even in 80 degree weather.

Isn't his beach hair amazing?


We slept family style on the very comfy king sized bed...


Bringing the monitor was key and we sat in the yard, eating cheese and drinking Riesling while reading the Times while the baby slept. Which we NEVER get to do.


The amazing skies from our front yard (we had a house within an inn with a few different types of accommodations).


Dude regressed a bit when it came to a bottle - he was kinda obsessed with his bottle and we let him be, since we figured he was in a strange place with new people. He drank it in the sun by the pool.


Why is this picture hilarious to me?


These colors, turquoise and magenta, are all over Sanibel. They are also the colors we're going for in our backyard. Meant to be?


The nature that just washes up on shore was interesting even to me. And usually, I kinda could care less about shells.






Grandma taught T about picking up shells and throwing them in the water on day one. But he would get sad when they would go away and want US to go find them again.


Despite the fact that he hadn't seen her since he was a year old (and such a different baby), upon seeing his Grandma, T ran to her and pretty much didn't let her go the entire time. He would call her name from bed when he woke up in the morning. Well, he would call, "AANNNNMA!"


We made Cioppino - which is a treat in itself - but then my brother in law made home made garlic bread - which was EVEN more amazing. We had homemade bread the entire trip.





Pizza dough from scratch.




I am seriously in mourning for the sunshine and beaches...it was so easy to just bring the boy outside and let him run when he got whiny.


Bubbs rented a paddleboard for an afternoon and T hated when he would go out, but loved to carry the paddle.


How amazing are these beaches?


I was totally floored that bromeliads grow wild here (you know, plants that don't need soil) - in SF they only grow in these cool hangers and at plant shows, but in this "hiding place" they were covering the trees.






Fashion Police: I swear I used to think these hats were child abuse. I know it is horrifying. But my kid wears it and it protects him from the sun.







The pool was his obsession. The best game was blowing bubbles and stealing mama's sunglasses and throwing them into the water. We were all perma-prunes by the end of the vacation.