Breaking Ground on a Monday, and a meal plan

Woke up this morning-- and faced the day, tired with little sleep.
Beau spent a lot of time late yesterday afternoon and before bedtime talking to the boys about being a spear fisherman and what that was like to catch fish in the ocean... It ended our day very peacefully leading the boys into a great Sunday night slumber.

It also set me up for tonight's supper really well-- wild caught tuna and salmon with sweet potatoes.

I have for about the past year been working on a meal plan that works for our family.  The subject of the meal never changes but the recipe will.  For example along with our daily rhythm pursuit, I always know what we are having for dinner-- it never changes but the recipes do.  It's never boring and I have found that it builds well into our family culture.  Drawing the boys to the table for what I believe is teaching them to be nutritionally thoughtful people.
They also love the expectation of it, Sunday's are pancake nights, and it has become really special to every one.  We've been having "pancake Sunday" for close to year now and it is now very celebrated in our home.

Here is our weekly Dinner time meal plan:

Mondays- A Protein and visible veggies
Tuesday- Tacos
Wednesday- Pasta inspired
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- homemade pizza party night
Saturday- Greek crockpot
Sunday- PANCAKE SUNDAY!

So it's really simple and within the category there is so much freedom.  If any of you have ever eaten at our table you know that I am catering to a vegan gluten free eater, a major meat eater, and toddlers who well like what they like;)
I would say that our table ebbs and flows from Paleo meat principles to naturally gluten free grains as well as heavy coconut flours and almond flours... and fruit... we always have a fruit.  So within all these food preference demands I'm able to satisfy just about every one.  We get a lot of raw veggies in with green smoothies as well.

Every meal we start at our table, begins with a candle being lit and a prayer... I have found that this signals to even the smallest child that the atmosphere is changing and we are now sharing in a meal.  The candle works... it really works!!! I have done this with my children even when our youngest was a newborn and had no clue what food even was...
Everyone now knows that we stay at the table together until the candle is blown out.  The boys love to blow the candle out together, so it works really well to get even the shortest attention span through a peaceful dinner. Mr. E not even age 2 yet, now finishes his meal by saying "done- blow candle".

It's been really rewarding to see it all start to take shape.  Children love the flicker of the candle and honestly even if every thing around me is out of sorts and a mess-- it seems to ground me as well.

Mr. K and I marinated the fish early this morning before Mr. E woke up. He told me of all the things his dad had told him the night before as we worked together.

Today's rhythm has been flawless... I honestly can't always say that-- but today it was.

The boys had some extra play time outside while I was preparing lunch this afternoon, and the most spectacular thing occurred.  I keep the window open in the kitchen and the back door open so that I can see and hear every thing. I noticed today they are quietly running back and forth from the grass to their designated dig/ mud hole, working together and taking turns handing each other little pieces of grass.  Lunch was ready and I walked to the door... "time for lunch guys!" Mr. K (3 years old) immediately replied - "Mom we have a surprise for you, come see!"  I slipped on my shoes and walked to the mud hole.  I was shocked, they had planted a pretend garden. And it was amazing.  My heart sank because I realized I had turned a corner and broken ground on some things I was wanting so badly to see.  They planned it and made it happen... and there is a little hole in the ground was an imaginary garden filled with grass and uprooted weeds.  They stood on each side so proud to show me there accomplishment.  Mr. K said I'm growing carrots in there and this piece came from the acorn tree!  I sat down and was so thankful-- such breakthrough on building into them things that matter.

We do not watch hardly any TV at all in our home... we are flexible and have grace and of course there is some TV on a lazy night after the kids go to sleep.  But over all, Our children watch very little to none at the moment.  We aren't doing this to be legalistic or primitive, but we just really really value their sacred minds and want to foster them the opportunity to be bored.  I will talk more about boredom later... why its a terrible thing in the later adolescent and teenage years and a really powerful healthy thing for small children.  
So we wait for creativity to happen many days, because we aren't filling in all the gaps for our kids... We don't cram every second filled with something or a noise to keep them busy. We let it go and watch them do amazing things with imagination.
So that's why I'm totally celebrating my kids dumping a bunch of weeds into a mud hole today- this means more than what meets the eye!
With love from our Monday to yours!

One small step, towards giant PEACE.

One of the first things I will be addressing as I begin implementing new things into our home journey is the subject of Rhythm. -- and a raw honest approach to creating a daily Rhythm and weekly Rhythm.
There's so much to say about this subject and it can get overwhelming... I think the natural tendency is to say that children need a "schedule" and that it's helpful to keep one in order to keep peace.

HOWEVER, the methodology of Rhtytm is about the natural flow of the day not a checklist schedule.

It's like a heartbeat, a song, filled with inhale's and exhales giving space for breathing... grace and mistakes.
Where a schedule might act as a check list to get you to bedtime with your sanity slightly still in one piece, a rhythm is the flow of your family culture.
Like rushing water ebbing and flowing, always making time to slow and  move gently around a rock---finding a resting place in a small pool... then moved again by a gentle wind. 

In later blog post I will talk about family culture and how to do that create a tight grace filled "container" to hold the values and gifting of your family. But for now, lets talk about  RHYTHM!

I always chose to wear my children while they were infants up until about the age of two.  For a toddler, it seems it can get you in and out of the grocery store more effectively.
However, in the very early stages of  infancy it was about illustrating the very breath of life and my hearts Rhythm.
My babies were constantly strapped to my chest in a soft comfortable wrap, because I was teaching them about my heart and how it beats... it was here I believe  they learned the "sound of life".

There is no other sound more comforting to a young baby than the sound of it's mother's heartbeat.

I can still remember the sound of my aunt Caroline's heartbeat when she would pull me out of the swimming pool in the summer, wrap me in a warm towel and lay me on her chest... i remember the sound of her voice while listening to her conversate with my sweet mother sitting nearby.  That is powerful for a little mind.

 I was the only one in our family to wear my children in the very very stages of life- not grandmothers not grandfathers but just me... because of the resposibitly I felt to pull them in and keep them close to their own mother's heart.
It may sound silly and over the top...but I believe just as learning to crawl is a pattern needed for reading and writing development later in life-- the pattern of a mother's heartbeat is the first most important rhythm a child should learn in developing a sense of belonging and love-- long before they read or write.

The birth of our first son was an incredibly peaceful water birth, and I experienced the need of a few wonderful nurses after he was born to help with some clotting issues that were very painful.  My arms were empty for a few moments after the birth, and my husband wrapped our son in a blanket with him laying on his bare chest.
If he could not hear my heartbeat, then he was going to hear my husbands.  This was so important to us and we shared in the privilege when a need arose.

Now years later with 2 very active toddlers, I go back to the notion of this beautiful rhythmic sound I offered them faithfully for so many months... and although our oldest still ask to listen to my heart beat-- I have found that there is yet another need to fill:  Rhythm and the heartbeat of our home. 

It's where the mother's heart beats outside her chest... Rhythm is breath for your family.

Now for the practical application on how this can work.

I have found that if I start small I can actually make strong moves forward that last and are most effective for the culture of my home.

The following 4 principles are where we begin with setting Rhythm, and each day has four simple goals:

1. eating
2. sleeping
3. free play
4. fresh air

I find that if I get lost somehow in the mix of the day these four guiding principles re-ground me.

I then take those 4 principles and watch how the normal flow and needs of my children are displayed.  When are they hungry when do they play best? When do they need to rest? When do the toddler meltdowns start?  When do I need to rest?

When I began evaluating the patterns I began noticing the "inhale and exhales" of my children's day.  I have learned that in every "inhale" which represents a dedicated "pulling in" where I give our children my undivided attention, there is a need for an "exhale" directly after.

An "Inhale" or "drawing in" is a time of drawing, painting, crafting together, sitting down as a family to eat together- it is an intentional moment or action where I am actively engaged with my children face to face.  Inhales are the priceless moments in the Rhythm of our day that offer us the incredible moment of "Exhale".

Exhales are when you step back and let them go... breathing out.
Free play, running, fresh air... and indoor play.
For toddlers and young preschool children they will need to be in a visual eyeshot of you, but they will play independently.  This is your exhale as well, you may take a moment to put the soup in the pot or sip a cup of tea but it's a free moment for you to just be.
The Inhale moments of rhythm show our children "i am here for you" I love you-- we are in this thing together... 

The exhale moments are earned in every inhale.  When your children are pulled in constantly to you all day-- they are not able to breathe out effectively.
This was my rookie mistake in being a first time mom.  I felt like my son had to have all of my attention, all of the time. and this just isn't so.
It was 'Inhale inhale inhale inhale inhale..." all day long.  He really just needed an "exhale" and so did I!

From this knowledge, along with the help of many many wise Waldorf methods in priceless books, I began to map out my family's daily rhythm.

The following is what we "breathe" to... I have added some time frames in here in case you are a recovering schedule addict to help establish how it works!



We are still working out the dynamic of our weekly Rhythm for spring with the warm weather on and off again each day, but here is a constant snap shot of our day's.

DAILY RHYTHM

• waking up-- I usually wake up before any one else to have me time... pray, yoga, a warm cup of coffee or tea. Throw a load of laundry in the wash, map out dinner... I get a head of every one and am grounded.
•   A beautiful goal is 5:45 am  to make it across the street to yoga or barre at 6 am.  Most of the time I arrive home by 7 and everyone is still asleep!! It's wonderful! 
• 7:15 ish breakfast, we sit down together and eat ;) (inhale)
• 8 am clean up and dish washing. 
• dish washing always leads to free play! 
• 9:30 outdoor play is ideal (exhale)
• 10:30 transition inside for snack time, tea, and a story (inhale)
• 11:00 free play indoors (exhale)
• 11:45 lunch and dishes (inhale)
• 12:45 Nap and quiet time (exhale)
• 2:30 ish snack and lots of hugs, back rubs for the babes to gently re-enter play time (inhale)
• 3:00 ish Walk or outdoor free play! (exhale)
• 4:00 dinner prep with toddler helpers (inhale)
• 5:00 ish we eat! We sit together say a blessing, light a candle and eat! (inhale)
• 5:30 clean up and free play in the den (exhale)
• 6:30 a sleepy time snack (inhale)
• 7:00 bath, brush teeth, 
• 7:45 prayers/ book reading and lights out! (exhale)

I will elaborate more on Rhythm in detail in the following post:

• What does a weekly Rhythm look like?
• What does breakfast look like?
• Why snacks? and what Snacks?
• Do you ever leave your house?!! are you crazy?!!
• A candle and a blessing at dinner?
• How to integrate clean up time with even the youngest toddler?
• A simple dinner plan that works for every week... NO Guessing.
• What's the point of all the wooden toys?
• What about TV during the day?

I pray that this has been super helpful and not overwhelming or frustrating!! Remember just take one step at a time and I promise a more peaceful home!

here goes-

Well, This I hope will serve as a place to hideout. A place to celebrate the triumphant journey of our home becoming a waldorf inspired holistic haven.  A place to help guide the failures of a mothering path that is less chosen at times.  I pray the failures are few and that the triumphs of our home can encourage you too to keep going... expand your brain and stretch yourself to choose a peaceful parenting style.

A little about me-- I'm a professional artist...
I am the mother of 2 amazing boys, I'll be referring to my babes here as K-man and E-man.  They are the best two things that have ever happened to me.  It has been an interesting season learning to mother them best.  I am the wife to Beau of 11 years;) we do life well together and we have chosen a journey that we hope is filled with the peace we are promised.

I hope to inspire someone to begin thinking of mothering differently and maybe even birthing differently... It's here I will discuss being a birth advocate for women. Maybe even a voice in the dark at times.  I believe in advocacy that gives women the opportunity to be informed about their birth choices and to say "no" to fear and anxiety at every turn.  I have very strong opinions on birth and the rights we have to empowerment-- no matter what birth journey we choose to walk down.  You will hear those here.

However, the most important part of this blog for me at the moment is to provide an honest voice for every day mom life.  It's hard to feel alone in a world we were designed to not be alone in... Maybe this blog can help each of us create a tribe of our own.  Maybe this is your only tribe like mine at the moment... just words on a page, but so powerful--- because I know they will be kindred with a mother somewhere.

Enjoy the writings.  they will be humble and honest.