Let's Talk Biology and Biography eBook - Waldorf Inspired Lessons

We are very excited about our new eBook!  Often, teachers, parents and homeschooling families ask about how to teach children about reproduction.  Rick has been developing this eBook for the past three years, and it is now available for pre-order through our Etsy shop!
The eBook is currently featured in the Global Waldorf Expo at The Waldorf Connection June 13-15, 2014. Click here to register!


Some information about the book....
You might remember when you were a teenager and your parents gave you “the talk.” You sat down on the family room sofa and they started lecturing about birds and bees. You were slightly baffled about the reference to flying garden creatures! Mostly, you were feeling squirmy and awkward. You realized, as they lectured on, that they were equally uncomfortable. 

Fast forward. Somehow, you became the proud parent of a teenager. Well, it is not really somehow. You know how you became a parent. It is the most natural thing we humans do. And yet, you are sitting with your teenager and finding yourself in the same position as your parents a few years before. This time, however, you decide not to use the birds and bees metaphor. This time, you are so ready. You have read Let’s Talk Biology and Biography, an eBook about facing your adolescent child with compassion and courage. 

Let’s Talk Biology and Biography gives a positive and healthy message about human sexuality. It contains a unique and beautiful diagram that connects reproduction with relationship, an illustration that compares male and female reproductive organs, and of the female fertility cycle. With simple descriptions that accompany the illustrations, this eBook can serve you as a parent through “the talk” or, as an educator and homeschooling parent, offer you an introductory set of lessons you can do with your students.

More than ever, in this tech age of casual (mis)information, we owe it to our children to be the ones to offer heartfelt words that affirm the celebration of a healthy sense of self and relationships. 

Beautifully written and illustrated eBook by Waldorf Teacher Rick Tan, MD of Syrendell, based on his own teaching in the middle grades, his medical degree background, and homeschooling his own children. All contents are copyrighted. This eBook is for your own personal use, only. Please contact us if you are interested in utilizing this in a school setting and need permission to reproduce information/artwork.

Birth Photos and Art

Pregnancy and birth are a journey to remember.  This pregnancy, we are taking a lot of pictures and forming a baby book from 5 weeks pregnancy, on. 

5 Weeks

18 Weeks

Part of the baby book will feature artwork.  What do we think of when we say, "pregnant", "baby", "birth"?  Each person in the family has a different outlook -- a personal interpretation of what this special time means for us.


39-40 Weeks

Each of us created a piece of artwork by drawing over the past couple of months.  Once the baby is born, we will do this again.  It is fascinating to see the differences in the styles, medium choices and content. 

We look forward to including these beautiful pieces of artwork in the baby's book after she is born!

Wilson's Birth Art - Colored Pencils

Joey's Birth Art - Colored Pencils

Ricky's Birth Art - Pencil

Jennifer's Birth Art - Block Crayons

Rick's Birth Art - Oil Pastels

Circle of Life

Our family has experienced an abundance of life and loss over the past few weeks.  Such a deep, emotional learning experience for us as a family.

Exquisite joy and profound loss....

Pregnancy #4

Family ceremony to say "good-bye" to the baby after a miscarriage.  Guitar, playing the glockenspiel, rose, candle and words....

A cat came to us, pregnant with kittens.  Welcome, Sammy!

Family memorial for our pet rabbit of 5 years, "Rabbie".  Guitar, poem, digging a grave, making a wood sign.

Although this was not an easy post to create, writing it helps to bring closure to emotional endings, while rejoicing at new beginnings.  Experiencing loss and new life are a part of who we are as human beings.  Celebrating and remembering together in ceremony brings us closer as a family....

Recreating the Human Vessel - Handcrafts...and a Baby!

Jennifer had the great fortune of attending a handcrafts conference at Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA this past week called "Recreating the Human Vessel: Educating through Rhythm and Craft."  The conference featured staff from Ruskin Mill Educational Trust in England (please take a moment to see what their amazing colleges offer).  Woodworking, iron forging, soap making and felting all occured throughout the week, along with in-depth lectures by Dennis Klocek, William Bento and Aongus Gordon, and a vibrant Movement class!

The felting group started off the week by observing sheep on campus.  We teased apart fresh (unclean!) wool and made felted balls.

A trek through Raphael Garden revealed lovely flowers for dyeing.  Using weld, indigo, cochineal, chamomile from England and coreopsis, we dyed up a rainbow of colors with our wool.

Felting pictures was an experiment in color and design, layering bits of brown or white wool on the bottom, and continuing with layers of color to form an image.

Then, it was time to do feltwork in 3-D!  Wool slippers were created by tracing feet for a template, cutting a piece of plastic, laying wool on both sides of the plastic, wet-felting, cutting open...then, voila!  Slippers were turned right-side out, and the design that was created in the first layer was revealed.

Wet, soapy slippers were massaged onto feet.  What a treat!  Molding and shaping continued with hands, and then fine details were needlefelted.

Here are some pictures of woodworking, iron forging and soap making....

The felting group had a little extra time and wool left, so each person felted a handprint, and then felted the hands into a large vessel (thus the theme of the conference!), complete with a lid.  The vessel was presented to the wonderful felting teacher, Marianne van der Tas, on the last day for her birthday.

The final plenum was filled with sharing projects and insight about reflection topics of the week: challenge, effort, rhythm, gift and gold nuggets...the words were profound and the projects absolutely beautiful!

Jennifer then found out that she truly had become "the human vessel" at the end of the week...pregnant with baby #4, due in March, 2011!

Holistic Therapies at Syrendell

Daddy graduated from medical school (but became a stay-at-home-dad...yay!), and Mommy is a retired elementary school principal (and now a stay-at-home mom...hooray!). Besides these conventional educational backgrounds, they love to infuse their holistic therapies throughout Syrendell. Daddy is a Feng Shui consultant and plays harp for pregnant mommies and premature babies. Mommy is certified in Leclaire Hypnobirthing, Wholebirth Prenatal Yoga, Infant Massage, Aromatherapy and Bach Flower Essences.

Two of the children were born at home, unassisted, and the last one was a pleasurable waterbirth, utilizing flower essences, essential oils, yoga and hypnobirthing techniques. The children enjoyed receiving massages from Mommy and Daddy! Harp, aromatherapy and Feng Shui continues to be a natural part of our daily rhythms at Syrendell.

In case other parents are interested in holistic trainings, we highly recommend the following:
1. Leclaire Hypnobirthing: http://www.leclairemethod.com/ She does 3-day trainings in beautiful Pacific Palisades, CA, near Malibu.
2. Wholebirth Prenatal Yoga: http://www.wholebirth.com/ Robin's approach to teacher training is amazing, and you leave with a renewed sense of yourself as a person! 5-day trainings in the Santa Cruz, CA area, although she'll travel other places if you get a group together.
3. Infant Massage: http://www.infantmassageusa.org/ These wonderful trainings are held all over the US. Teaching couples (some before the baby is born, but most of them after the baby is born) how to massage their babies is one of the most rewarding experiences. Be sure to go to a training by this organization, as they are the founders of IM.
4. Aromatherapy: http://www.theida.com Jade is a gifted aromatherapist and a wonderful person. She teaches in Washington state, but also offers a distance learning option. Info. on pregnancy is included.
5. Flower Essences: http://www.bachremedies.com/Training_Bach-International-Education-Program_pg24.aspx Bach is the most well-known and purchasing their products is fairly easy, world-wide. Trainings are all over the world. I also recommend Flower Essence Society, located in N. California: http://www.flowersociety.org/, Masters Essences (home study option, too): http://www.mastersessences.com/, and Star Essences (trainings annually in Santa Barbara, CA) http://www.mastersessences.com/.
6. Feng Shui: http://www.westernschooloffengshui.com/ Trainings in San Diego, CA.

7. Harp Therapy: http://www.harprealm.com/ Trainings in San Diego, UK, Netherlands, Japan.

Mommy created a holistic childbirth preparation course, Meditative Mama, that incorporates the above therapies into a 2.5 hr. workshop for pregnant mommies and their partners/families. She also trains others on how to teach this class.