The Fun Theory

I love the idea behind this project – of injecting fun into ordinary mundane moments of our life. Curiosity and laughter are necessary for mental and emotional health!

 

Letter to Christian at 17 Months

Dear Baby,

I swore that after you turned a year, I wasn’t going to count your age in months, because it has always seemed like a silly over-specific practice to me, but here I am – You just change so much month to month that it would be unfair to give you a less precise age.

Communication is exploding for you. Not only are you eager to repeat any word you hear us say (today, you said “LAME” after you heard your dad say it – we are having to be every more vigilant about the words we use), but last week you heard me mumbling numbers under my breath. I was trying to figure out the time in Bangkok and I was quietly counting, “seven, eight, nine…” I paused to refigure my calculations.

You leaned forward, put your face in my face and said very clearly, “Ten?”

And ironically, you are even more into the sign language that we taught you so that you communicate before you could talk. For instance, when I read you sign language book to you, you mimic every single sign I show you – and sometimes you babble in sign language too – making silly gestures with your hands to pretend “talk.”

The boyness in you is starting to assert itself more strongly. I don’t remember Bella ever being so cut up and bruised, but you seem to have a nonstop violent relationship with the floor and corners of things. Nowadays when I ask Chad what he wants to do on the weekend, he says, “Whatever it takes to exhaust the little guy.” This usually means small adventures to the beach, or to the local Santa Ana Zoo (I’m sticking to the San Diego one from now on though), or up in a hot air balloon at the Great Park.

I am delighted to have an excuse to plan more outdoor events though. I have somehow managed to plan at least one camping trip every month for the last several months, through to the end of the year. You ADORE camping. And the six other people who slept in the tent with us in Joshua Tree know its true. You woke up each morning with a huge grin on your face and hugs and kisses for all your friends.

I love you Baby!

Love,

Mama

 

A Martinmas Puppet Show

My friend Darlene wrote this puppet show twenty years ago and it’s a hit every single year when she performs it for all the children at her annual Martinmas celebration.

[a selection of related highly recommended Darlene links: Apple Days, a Tea Party, the playroom at Darlene's house,  a description of a summertime puppet show, some video footage of aforementioned events.]

Since St. Martin is the patron saint of the poor, Darlene celebrates by hosting a potluck of soup and bread only. Later in the evening there is the puppet show, and then children and adults alike sing Martinmas songs and swing lanterns in a long procession up a dirt road by their house.

This year I will hosting my own first Martinmas with my attachment parenting group. I’ll tell the same puppet show that I’ve heard Darlene perform for so many years!

MARTINMAS PUPPET SHOW

(Two characters, a child and the sun)

Boy: “Oh I just love the summertime! I love to smell the flowers, and play with the butterflies, and sing with the birds! But, I’m sad because summer is over and all my summertime friends are going away. The flowers are going away, the butterflies are going away, and even the birds are going away! What am I going to do? It’s going to be so lonely without my summertime friends! And the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, and it’s getting cold! Brrr”
(the sun comes out from behind a cloud)
“Oh Hello Mr Sun! Mr. Sun, I don’t know what to do because my summertime friends are all going away and the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer and it’s getting cold outside! It’s so lonely without my summertime friends.”
Sun: “Yes, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer and it’s getting colder because Autumn has come and I am not around as much, and soon it will be cold, dark Winter. But, if you will make a little house for it, I will give you one of my sparks to keep you company until I start coming back again at the end of December.”
Boy: “Oh thank you Mr Sun! But, how shall I…. Oh, he’s gone behind a cloud again. I guess I will have to figure it out for myself. I’ll go home and see what I can do.”
Narrator: “So the little boy went home, wondering what to do. What could he make a house out of?”
Boy (in front of a table): ” Well, I found this piece of paper. I wonder if I could make a house out of this.”
Narrator: “So the boy went to work fashioning a house out of paper. He worked on it all afternoon.”
Boy (showing paper lantern with tissue paper windows) : “Well, here it is! I like it. I wonder if Mr Sun will like it. I think I’ll go find out right now.”
(he moves outdoors) Mr. Sun, Mr Sun! (sun comes out from behind a cloud) Oh, there you are, Mr. Sun. I made a little house for one of your sparks. Do you like it?”
Sun: “Oh, that is a beautiful little house! I like it very much!”
Boy: “Then may I have one of your sparks please?”
Sun: “Yes you may!”
(an assistant lights birthday candle in lantern)
Boy: “Oh look how the spark dances in its new house! It must be very happy! Oh thank you Mr. Sun! Thank you!!!”
(Boy sings) “The sunlight now is dwindling, my little lamp needs kindling. It’s beam shines far in  darkest night. Dear lantern guide me with your light!”

 

More Fall Waldorf Songs

We’re going into winter halfway through our second cycle of our Waldorf in the Woods playgroup – so I’m trying to make the transition with apple “stars.” (Winter will have more star songs…)

Some of the songs are repeated (and will always be repeated) from cycle 1. I will add video clips as I create them. Note: I don’t have a piano or keyboard at home so some of the videos are random views at Target or Costco while I plunk out the melody.

Follow, follow me

To the ring of the fairies

Follow, follow  me,

Where the fairies dance and sing.

Gather with now

All the magic you can carry,

As we circle ‘round the dancing fairy ring.

Now look around

We’ve made a ring

By holding hands you see.

Yes, here I am,

And there you are,

Together we are we.

Lanterne, Lanterne, Sonne, Monde und Sterne,

Brenne auf mein Licht

Brenne auf mein Licht

Aber nur meine liebe Lanterne nicht.

This is my trunk, I’m a tall tall tree

In the winter, the snowflakes fall on me.

They glisten. They glisten.

This is my trunk, I’m a tall tall tree

In the spring, the blossoms bloom on me.

They bloom. They bloom.

This is my trunk, I’m a tall tall tree

In the summer, the breezes blow through me.

I bend. I bend.

This is my trunk, I’m a tall tall tree

In the autumn, the apples drop from me.

They drop. They drop.

Down with darkness, up with light

Up with sunshine down with night

Each of us is one small light

But together we shine bright

Go away darkest, blackest night

Go away, give way to light!

The leaves are floating gently down, (Wave silks up and down)

They make a soft bed on the ground

Then WHOOOO!

The wind comes whistling by, (Waves arms wildly)

And sends them dancing back to the sky (Flutter silks up)

On my head my hands I place,

On my shoulders, on my face.

On my lips and by my side,

Quickly behind me they will hide.

I can hold them way up high

And let my fingers gently fly

I can hold my hands in front of me

And clap 1-2-3.

The leaves are green

The apples are red

They hang so high above your head

Leave them alone ‘til frosty weather

Then they will all fall down together

Apple Secrets

Who would think an apple

Red, gold, or green and round

Would have a secret deep inside

When cut it can be found!

I thought this secret only shone

In deep and darkest night

But when I cut my apple

It shines with five points bright!

And now you know the secret

Where shining stars are found

In every crunchy apple

Red, gold, or green and round

(Cut open apple perpendicular to stem to find the “star,” then quarter and give pieces to the children to enjoy.)

Dot, dot, dot

And a big question mark.

Little spiders crawl up your back

Little spiders crawl down your back

Little spiders crawl up your arms

Little spiders crawl down your arms

Cool breeze, tight squeeze.

Egg on the head and the yolk drips down.

Creepy crawlies, creepy crawlies…

Gotcha.

The Story Song

Anything can happen

In a fairy tale or rhyme

When you say the magic words

Once a upon a time

 

OR I like this one from raw mom’s blog:

BE QUIET YOUR FACES, BE STILL EVERYONE

FIX DEEPLY ON ME YOUR EYES

AND OUT OF MY MIND A STORY WILL COME

THAT IS OLD, AND LOVELY AND WISE

Handwashing Song (sung in the mood of the 5th)

Time to wash our hands,

Time to wash our hands

 

Welcome, welcome

Welcome to our table

Welcome, welcome

We all join hands together. (We sing this until every one is sitting)

Snack Time Blessing

Earth who gives to us this food.

Sun who makes it ripe and good.

Sun above and earth below,

Our loving thanks to you we show.

Blessings on our meal.

 

Hands together hands apart

Hands together, we’re ready to start

 

Clean-up Song

I met a little dusty gnome

Who says it’s time to clean our home

Clean our home

Clean our home

Goodbye Circle

Who will come to my wee ring?

My wee ring

My wee ring

Who will come to my wee ring?

And make it a little bit bigger?

The earth stands firm beneath my feet. The sun shines high above. Here I stand, so straight and strong – all things to know and love

I can turn myself and turn myself and stop me when I will. I can reach high on my tippy toes and hold myself quite still.

Goodbye now, goodbye now.

We leave you now

And off we go

Goodbye now

Goodbye to all of you.

Thank you for coming.

Rainbow Bridge Song

Goodbye, goodbye

Blessing on your way.

May the sun shine bright

In your hearts today.

 

**See clips of Devana singing some of these songs and others, here**

 

Ti-ti and Ganma

 

And Jolly Old King was He

My dad turned 69 yesterday, but since he was in Korea he turned 70. (Koreans count you as one year old when you are born; forthwith everybody turns a year older each new year – hence the huge-ness of celebrating the new year in Korean culture.)
And next year he’ll be here in the States to turn 70 a second time.
I don’t know if we’ll be able to top this year’s celebrations though -
Look, he got to be “king of namdo!” (I’m not sure exactly what that means, but that’s how my mom captioned this photograph.)
Happy Birthday Dad!

 

Joshua Tree Camping Debrief

Back from two outrageous nights of camping in Joshua Tree National Park.
I say outrageous, because it was three moms and seven kids. It was a lot of work, but very very worth it.

I got to Joshua Tree Sunday afternoon only to discover that I had never gotten my fully charged camera back from Bella after her birthday dinner. Darn! Other people did plenty of digital documenting though, so eventually I’ll have pics to share. For the meantime, here’s just one of Maclean, Sierra’s brother on top of Arch Rock. Underneath is her son Aiden and a friend Senna.

I’m suffering from a bit of post-camping malaise. I feel so under-stimulated to be indoors – there is no wind, no stars, so smells…

Highlights:
We had some great visitors: Christian’s grampy and grandma and lots of friends old and new.
Christian said “ganma” for the first time.
He also refused to leave her arms, even to come to me.
Yoshie made a curry from scratch on our second day there!
Grassfed steak on the grill and an endless supply and variety of sausages.
S’more’s made with all-natural marshmellows and fancy chocolate.
The kids having a non-stop blast.
Christian waking up in the tent with a huge grin on his face and saying the names of everybody there (seven in our tent alone).
A surprise rock scramble hike to White Tank with my friend Caryn, who happens to be a ranger there.
Watching the sky fill with sunset colors and the empty feeling that comes before stars.
Waking up to pee and seeing that the big dipper had made a quarter turn across the sky.
Seeing shooting stars.
Being with really terrific competent camping companions.

Lowlights:
The wind.
The wind.
The wind.

I do not miss the wind.

 

Is the Chimp a Shill?

This youtube vid my father-in-law sent me is a crack up. It’s long, but you only need to watch the first minute to get a good laugh going.