Peace Birds Project

Peace Birds for Japan

Recently I saw this http://youtu.be/eeQewQj43o4 video on You Tube, called Give Aloha to Japan. I was impressed and decided to show it to my preschool class. We talked about the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan and soon had a plan of how we could do something to help the children of Japan. My cute students came up with lots of creative ideas. We had recently been learning about different bird species, so they decided they would make some water color bird paintings that they could sell, and then we would donate the money to The Red Cross. They wanted to call them "Peace birds for Japan" since we have a lot of lessons about peace in Montessori. I loved seeing them so excited about this project, they were so concerned and sincere in their efforts to "help." We were able to raise about 150.00 dollars. The parents at the school were so supportive, and even my sweet little Elle raided her tooth fairy money to buy a few birds. I loved doing this project and I was so inspired by these sweet little pumpkins, their caring hearts and little helping hands. It made me want to look around and see what else I can do to make the world a better place.

Finding my.....passion?

Its the catch phrase offered up by every life coach and O magazine cover..... find your passion! Follow your passion. I admit, I have been sucked in more than once. It sounds so exciting and so pleasant. What could be better than a career, a part-time job, a hobby or life centered around what you are most passionate about. Delicious as it seems at first, it is one of those concepts that sours quickly in your mouth. My biggest problem, I am not really sure what mine is. I like to think that I am in tune with myself, so why does posing this question make my stomach a little queasy. Can I choose only one? Am really passionate about anything. Soon I find my self in the clutches of despair and self-doubt. That nasty little bad jill on my shoulder ever so sweetly whispers "you are not really good at anything"...."You will never find your passion." Just when my world starts to spin out, a little girl missing two front teeth comes prancing in the room asking me to do a project with her. Then I get a phone call from my sister and laugh so hard I wet my pants a little. Later I make the best Thai basil curry anyone has ever tasted. Before I fall asleep I read a few pages of one of my favorite poetry books ever, words so beautiful I cry every time. The next morning my shiny new magazine with alluring catch phrase goes straight into the garbage can along with several self-help books. This is my honest and somewhat painful conclusion, passionate is not a word that fits anywhere in my life. I am okay with that though, I have a few loves, plenty of laughs, lots of happy. From now on my plan is to catch myself in the act of being happy, and then keep on doing that.

Montessori Monday

"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry." -Maria Montessori

For the last five years I have worked as a preschool teacher, but for the last 18 months I've had the opportunity of working at a Montessori preschool. To be honest it has taken a while for the montessori philosophy to find its way into my heart, but I can finally announce that I am officially in love. I think that Maria Montessori's ideas can be implemented by any teacher and all you moms out there are the most important teacher your child will ever have. I love this quote because it embodies all that I want to give to my students. I want them to find the beauty in the world, in the experience of learning, and most importantly in themselves. I want them to know that life is poetry, a song in motion.

"Butt-tops"

Yesterday, after swimming lessons, Ella didn't want the lady behind us to see her getting changed because she would see her "Butt-tops." She thinks that is the techincal word for butt, which she is confusing with buttocks. Her teacher sometimes tells the class to sit on their buttocks, but ella cannot be convinced that it is not "butt-tops." I think she has the cutest little but-tops on the face of the planet!

Canadian Christmas and montana mistetoe.

I love Christmas time, but I never seem to get any blogs in about it because December is always the busiest month of the year. Mother Nature has decided to help me out a little with my time crunch problem however, because as I write this I am stuck in a motel in tiny Dillon, Mt. A nasty storm has blown in and the highway is closed, we spent last night in a hotel in Greatfalls, drove another four hours today and are stuck again. Its okay because me honey is keeping me nice and cozy and I even have a little mistletoe packed away in my suitcase I can break out later....

Meantime, let me tell you about our Canadian Christmas. We try to make it home every other year, and this year all my sibling got it together and were there. It was so nice to be home at my parents house. We had so much fun playing with ellas cute cute cousins Anna and Wheeler. She even liked them enough that she didn't mind sharing her Nana. My cute mom made sure everything was perfect, and she does so much to make all her chickens happy. There is no place like home for the holidays.

I was a little sad at school here today, thinking about remembrance day in Canada, and how we were taught to respect the sacrifices made by those serving in the armed forces. There was no moment of silence at our school, no reciting In Fladers Fields. Every time I hear this beautiful poem I think of my grandpa Leavitt who fought in WWII. I have always felt very proud of him, and also a little bit sad, when I imagine the things he must of seen.....

My heart breaks a little when I look at old pictures of his from the war. All these handsome young men looking sharp in their uniforms, smiling for a picture home to their wives and girlfriends. How young they were to make such a commitment to serve their country, and how so many of them made the ultimate sacrifice.......loved and were loved and now we lie in Fladers Fields.

Jessie's the best in all the west.

Halloween is great for teaching me important life lessons. One I have learned repeatedly is that I am not much of a sewer... but I sure am handy with fusible webbing and a glue gun! Another is fifteen mini candy bars does not a meal make, but two in the hand is better than one in the bush.....or something like that. I loved ella's costume choice this year, Jessie has been one of her favorites for a long time. I loved making her costume, and I think it turned out much better than those crappy nylon store bought ones that looked like cheap pajamas. We had a lot of fun having a visit from my mom and dad, elle thought it was pretty awsome to have nana and papa here to go trick or treating with her.

Dear Ella

Dear Ella,

Just a couple of days ago you were only this big, but you had a lot of personality even back when you were six months old!

. Now you have gone and started kindergarten and I just can't

believe how grown up you are. I am the proudest mom in the world, and I can't think of a single thing I would rather be doing than being your mom! I hope someday you will have the whole world in your pocket, but for now, could you please stay my little girl a little while longer. I don't think I am quite ready to have you all grown up just yet. I hope some things about you never change. I hope you will always be brave like you are now. I hope you will never be afraid to do your own thing (just remember your pixie cut.) I hope you will always be kind hearted, and love animals, and think your daddy is the most handsome boy in the world, and I hope you will always know you mommy loves you more than anything.