Birthday Rings

We have always wanted a birthday ring that we could also use on our nature table for festival celebrations, including Advent.  One of our local Waldorf dads handcrafts these beautiful rings and sells them in his Etsy shop.  We asked for one unfinished so that we could paint it ourselves!

The wood is sycamore which is already so beautiful on its own.  We tested out how it would look on our kitchen table and in our nature table area.

Wilson and Mommy decided to paint rainbow colors using our Stockmar watercolors.  Then, we polished them with natural beeswax polish. 

Now, the birthday ring is ready!  It's so beautiful, we have it out in the kitchen right now.  When the new baby is born around October, we will use it to celebrate the birth with a candle.

Spring and Summer Swaps & Exchanges

We love participating in swaps and exchanges!  They are wonderful ways of meeting the nicest families, while giving and receiving beautiful handcrafted items for our home and nature table.  Much of what we give and receive is Waldorf-inspired.

Items that we created for the Gnomes, Hedgehogs, Mushroom Swap


This year, we have continued to enjoy being a part of Bits of Goodness swaps, including the "gnomes, mushrooms and hedgehogs" theme!  We send out 5 items to be swapped, and 1 item for the hostess.  Then, we receive 5 different items back.  Coming up is a "summer play" swap and we eagerly sent out our handcrafted streamer sticks.  Can't wait to see what we get back!

Items that we received in the Gnomes, Hedgehogs, Mushrooms Swap

We have also participated in the 4 Seasons Exchange which is a one-on-one exchange each season.  Here is Spring:

Items that we received in the Spring Exchange

Items that we gave in the Spring Exchange

And, here is Summer!

Items that we received in the Summer Exchange

Items that we gave in the Summer Exchange

Both groups have flickr.com groups where you can see pictures posted.  Bits of Goodness runs a yahoogroup where you can sign up for swaps and see more information.  4 Seasons Exchange is on Facebook.  What I love about the 1-1 exchanges is that we write a letter to the family, telling them what we made and why.  It is such a joy to see handcrafted items from different parts of the world come to us for our nature table.

Summer Ideas!

Looking for summer ideas for your family?  The Little Acorn Learning July Enrichment Guide is here!

Week One, July

The Mermaid, Independence
~Sing Songs of Mermaids!
~Take Time for Yourself with Our Caregiver Meditation
~Create a Beautiful Felted Mermaid
~Make a Mermaid Aquarium for Summer Play
~Read Poems to Your Children
~Make a Mermaid Costume with Wrist Ribbons!


Week Two, July
Stargazing, Reverence
~Spend Time this Week Considering What Reverence Means in Your Life
~Making a Felted Big Dipper
~Draw Down the Stars to Your Soul with Our Star Singing Activity
~Read Stories from a Summer Night Sky and Learn About Constellations
~Read Books All About the Stars and Sky


Week Three, July
The Great Outdoors, Solitude
~Celebrate The Great Outdoors with Your Children this Week!
~Read Books on the Woods, Forests, Trees, Meadows and Brooks
~Can You Find Peace in Being Alone?
Meditate on the Beauty of Solitude This Week.
~Take a Listening Walk with Your Children
~Create an Outdoor Nature Table
~Learn to Play 'The Great Smoky Mountains'
On Your Flute or Pennywhistle
~Enjoy the MP3 of the Song As Well
~Listen to the Gifts of Solitude
~Cook Up a Delicious Batch of Caldron Chicken for Your Next Outdoor Adventure

Week Four, July
The Ocean, Inner Balance
~Read Stories of Waves, Sand and Sea
~Sing to the Ocean
~Find Inner Balance in Your Life
~Learn 'The Mighty Ocean' Song on Your Pennywhistle or Flute
~Listen to the MP3 Version of the Song with Sweet Children's Voices
~Make a Labyrinth in Your Own Backyard!
~Create Beautiful Seashell Candles
~Make a Seashell Sun to Hang for Summer

How to Make Stuffed Animals eBook

Our eBook on making stuffed animals is available through Earthschooling at the BEarth Institute! 

Crochet eCourse Trailer

Here's a quick clip from the middle of our first lesson on crocheting!  You are welcome to register for the eCourse any time over the next 5 weeks.  Work at your own pace and enjoy learning the basics of crocheting and Tunisian crocheting! 

Peace Flags on Flag Day

Flag Day in the US is a special day for us to honor the American flag.  We usually talk about what the red/white/blue, stars & stripes mean in the flag, and enjoy looking at pictures of old American flags.  We also like to take time looking at flags from around the world. The colors! The shapes! So beautiful.  This year, Ricky showed us his own drawing of the American flag from his 8th grade Main Lesson Book.

Recently, we went through a nice pile of old clothes where the material was still good, but quite not in shape to give away.  Joey & Wilson went through the pile and selected colors that they liked.  Joey cut out triangles and squares.  Mommy cut strips from old white jeans and sewed them together, then sewed the little flags on. 

With embroidery thread, we sewed little stars at the top of each flag.

Today, we will hang up our peace flags in our new meditation are in the back yard and talk about ways that we can encourage peace on Earth.  Over time, we might embroider symbols and shapes on each flag.

Global Waldorf Expo!

Come and join the Global Waldorf Expo online through The Waldorf Connection.  You must be registered in order to attend: Click here.  A wealth of information and inspiration!

Workshop Schedule



Friday, June 10
Kick-0ff Preview: “The Importance of Waldorf Education”
With Rainbow Rosenbloom: 4:00pm Eastern


Saturday, June 11
Session one: “ It’s All Relative; Helping Your Child Meet the ‘Real’ World”
With Eugene Schwartz: 9:30 am Eastern


Session Two: “Cooking & Snacks with Children”
With Anne Marie Fryer: 11am


Session Three: “Practical Ways to Teach Multiple grades”
With Barbara Dewey: 1pm


Session Four: “Getting Dad on Board”
With Melisa & Eric Nielsen: 2:30 pm


Session Five: “Spinning a Yarn: Intuitive Storytelling”
With David Sewell McCann: 4pm


Session Six: “Music Through the Grades”
With Anne Cleveland: 5:30 pm


Sunday, June 12
Session one: “Kindergarten Days”
With Sharifa Oppenheimer: 9:30am


Session Two: “Mothers and Sons: The Dance of Attachment & Separation”
With Janet Allison: 10:30am

Session Three: “Weaving Math into Main Lesson”
With Marin Lipowitz: 12:00am


Session Four: “Festivals through the Year”
With Jennifer Tan: 1pm eastern

Session Five: Scheduling Middle & High School Lessons
With Kristie Burns: 2:30pm


Session Six: The Sense of Life in the Young Child”
with Danielle Epifani 4:00pm


Session Seven: “Teaching music to your child: You can do it!”
With Jodie Mesler: 5:30pm

Session Eight: “The Soul of Discipline”
With Kim John Payne TBA

BONUS:
Eugene Schwartz: “Homeschool Planning”
Donna Ashton: “Daily Rhythms & Boundaries”
Anne Cleveland: “Main Lesson Topics- grade by grade”

Crochet eCourse!

Learn the basics of crochet and Tunisian crochet through a 5-week eCourse at Little Acorn Learning!  Jennifer will be teaching this course online through written directions, pictures and videos each week. 

Save $ when you register early!  $65 by June 12, or $80 after June 12.  Course starts June 27th.  Work at your own pace from home!  Supplies available in our Etsy shop. More info. and to register:  http://littleacornlearning.com/CrochetECourse.html

Week 1 - Basics of crochet, history, supplies, start a washcloth

Week 2 - Learn 3 new stitches and start an afghan
Week 3 - Learn 3 new stitches and start a hat
Week 4 - Basics of Tunisian crochet, history, supplies, start a scarf

Week 5 - Learn new stitches and start a ball

Growing and Growing....

Syrendell is growing!  Our family and our business are blossoming this year, and we feel very fortunate. 

Baby #4 is due early October.  With each baby, Jennifer's belly seems to pop out earlier! 

Joey is ending her Grade 6 year with Medieval Games (variety of Waldorf schools participate) and camping at Cache Creek.  She's almost as tall as Mommy!

Wilson is finishing up Grade 1, reading, writing and loving math.  He grew out of his indoor shoes, so he and Mommy made a new pair by wetfelting wool.  He's excited about the baby!

The baby kittens are almost full grown.  They still love to hang out with their mom. 

Ricky has grown this year in grade 8 at Davis Waldorf School.  He did a 20-minute presentation on the clarinet, including performing his own composition.  To end the year, his class went to Kroka wilderness camp in New Hampshire and visited colonial sites in Boston, MA.

Our summer garden is planted, and growing!  Corn, peas, beans, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, various squash, tomatoes, onions, beets, radishes, daikon, rutabaga, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatillos, strawberries, cucumbers, and a variety of herbs. 

Our consulting services, workshops, and private lessons are expanding at Syrendell!  We thoroughly enjoy our adventures with homeschoolers, Waldorf schoolers, and others who want to learn more about fiber arts, art, aromatherapy and music.  eCourses in crocheting and Anthroposophy coming soon through Little Acorn Learning!

New patterns, eBooks, handwork supplies and handspun yarns are in the making for the Etsy shop.  The baby is inspiring Jennifer to create some Tunisian baby clothes and patterns, as well as publish the 6-years-in-the-making mothering meditations eBook.  The family is also busy crochetng, knitting and sewing baby toys and clothes!  Grandma knitted the white hats, and Wilson knitted the bear and cat.

Growth and change are all a part of life...and we are enjoying it!  Thank you for reading our blog and joining us on Facebook.

June Enrichment Guide is Here!

Come and take a peek at the Little Acorn Learning June Enrichment Guide!  Full of songs, recipes, verses, stories and creative projects.  A wonderful resource for home, homeschooling, Waldorf schools, and co-ops.

Week One:  Pirates & Treasures, Discovery

Week Two:  Fireflies, Optimism

Week Three:  Summer Solstice, Letting Go


Week Four:  Reptiles, Adaptability