Waldorf in the Home Conference - Fair Oaks, CA

This year's conference was titled: "Mothering and Spirituality: Resourcing Feminine Wisdom."  What an empowering, nurturing and inspiring weekend!

The conference was held at the lovely Sacramento Waldorf School in Fair Oaks, CA.  Because we live just around the corner from the school, we were fortunate to house the amazing Kristie Burns from Earthschooling and her daughter Sofi with us!  They came on a train all of the way from Iowa.  Kristie's workshops went very well and she had her new book on the temperaments available for sale.

I enjoyed meeting vendors that had everything that I love -- Barefoot books, naturally dyed yarns, aromatherapy, artistic clothing, Waldorf dolls, puppets, wood gnome homes, wood play kitchen items and cooperative games.  Steiner College Bookstore was on hand to tempt us with their many books related to Waldorf education.

http://www.monangedolls.com/

Our speakers this year were Nancy Jewel Poer, Regina Sara Ryan, Carol Lee Flinders and Cynthia Aldinger.  There were many wonderful workshops to select from...what a hard choice!  I ended up attending "Picturing your Child" with Lee Sturgeon Day, "Clay, Color, and Word" with Ellen Springwind, "Beeswax Painting" with Joya Birns, and "Soul Development through Changing Your Handwriting" with Jennifer Crebbin.  I could write pages about the inspiration that I received as a result of learning from these goddeses!

I look forward to going again next year!

 

Count on Nature

At Syrendell, we are surrounded by the artistry of nature. The bounty of the garden vegetables glisten in the sun like jewels, the beauty of flowers smile like ballerinas on a stage, and even the humble ivy twist about like Celtic knots in the shade of trees. With the branches of felled trees, among abandoned heaps of clippings, in a quiet corner of the yard, one may think the artistry of nature had run its course. But no!

Revived by Syrendell, the tree branch is awakened and revitalized as homelearning counting and imagination blocks!



Daddy cut the branches, sanded their edges and rough parts of the bark, and some sets he finished with beeswax, others without (he seems to prefer to leave them unfinished to see the natural patina of the wood). In sets of twelve, with diameters averaging one and a half inches, with lengths between one inch to about three inches, they make excellent counting blocks, just the perfect number to learn basic operations. Mommy dyed a circle-shaped muslin fabric with onion skins, Joey sewed the edges, and Ricky and Wilson did a simple single crochet as a tie, and voila! A handy pouch to carry the wood blocks in. And with some imagination, both the fabric and the tie can serve so many other uses.

Nature continues to inspire us, feed us, protect us. We honor it by sustaining its vital force through the appreciation of all it can offer us and teach us.

Waldorf in the Home Conference

Mommy attended the Educating our Children -- Changing the Future conference, put on by Rahima Baldwin Dancy at www.waldorfinthehome.com. The conference was at the Sacramento Waldorf School in Fair Oaks, CA this past weekend. Wilson came along on Sunday and had a wonderful time with other K children, playing on the beautiful K playground.

Some highlights:

Shea Darian is an amazing keynote speaker! She also did a wonderful presentation on the importance of rhythm and ritual at home. Her books are such a wonderful resource for homeschooling families: Living Passages for the Whole Family, Sanctuaries of Childhood, and Seven Times the Sun.

Deanna L'am spoke of the importance of honoring children's rites of passage as they grow older, especially girls. Fascinating subject! We got a signed copy of her wonderful book, Becoming Peers: Mentoring Girls into Womanhood.

Ellen Springwind presented on watercoloring. What a lovely and useful presentation!



Melisa Nielssen from www.alittlegardenflower.com did a wonderful presentation on 1st grade at home. We bought her 1st grade book and a CD full of songs that we will start incorporating in our circle times this next year. (If you purchase from her, please tell her that Syrendell sent you!)

We bought a lovely, biodynamic lavender essential oil from Napa Valley Apothecary. We used this for inhalation before going to bed and topically to heal a scrape. Wilson and Mommy added a few drops in our homemade lemonade today since we enjoyed the lavender lemonade at the conference so much!

Jan Schubert had her handmade, beeswax candles for sale, as well as her beautiful book, The Sun Seed. We couldn't resist getting candles and her book!

Marin Lipowitz presented on how to teach math to grades 1-4 using manipulatives from her upcoming math kits. A former Waldorf teacher, she showed how the kits incorporated Waldorf philosophy, CA state standards, and national standards. She gave us a few pieces of the kits to take home. Wilson enjoyed making numbers out of pipe cleaners today.

Many other wonderful vendors were on hand, including the Steiner College bookstore.

We enjoyed eating fresh, organic, biodynamic food and drinks for lunch and breaks, while enjoying the beauty of the campus. Singing each morning was the best way to start each of the two days of the conference. Overall, the conference was informative, enjoyable and inspirational!

Waldorf in the Home Conference

Don't forget to come to the Waldorf in the Home Conference this weekend in Fair Oaks, CA! This year is called: Educating Our Children - Changing the Future

One of my favorite blogs details the conference beautifully:
http://thelittletravelers.typepad.com/the_little_travelers/2009/04/a-plug.html

Here's a link for more information and registration: http://www.waldorfinthehome.com/waldorf_conference_info_ca.html

I live just 10 minutes from the conference, so I'll definitely be there both days! If anyone else out there in homeschooling blogland is going, let's try and find each other. Maybe we can sit together for lunch. Come find me....Jennifer Tan. Hope to see some of you this weekend!