Autumn 2011 - Rhythm of the HomeRhythm of the Home

Autumn 2011 Index

:::::::::::: Inspiring Projects to do With Little Ones Fairy House Wood Fire Spirits How to Create Wood Burned Gnomes and Faeries Puppetry at Home with Children Martinmas Lantern Bunting Fairy Treasure Hunt A Handmade Kite Stone Soup Wooden Playset Nature Collage Frame Tree of Thanksgiving Carving Wood with My Son Wool Acorn Necklaces A Seasonal [...]

Autumn Sewing Needle Book

This sweet little project combines knitting and sewing, and makes a lovely seasonal gift. Or simply make one for yourself and bring a touch of autumn color to your handwork. Materials DK Merino yarn, I have used a naturally dyed yarn that has been dyed with Peach Bracket Mushrooms. 4mm straight knitting needles Wool sewing [...]

Autumn Reading with Children

Autumn is a perfect time for reading by an outdoor fire, or snuggling up under the covers. The following is a collection of some of our favorite books to read with your children in this beautiful season. :::::::::::: The Winding Road: Family Treasury of Poems and Verses Compiled by Matthew Barton Mother Earth and Her Children: [...]

How to Pay Attention: Intuitive Storytelling as a Parenting Tool

Tucked in our back bedroom, we could see and hear the hurricane make her way through our yard. The power was out, the tub was full of water, and candles were illuminating the rooms of our small home. Outside, old man Hickory, our tallest tree, was waving like a metronome in the intense winds while [...]

Pirate Play

Argh…are you a pirate at heart? Do you dream of pieces of eight and adventure on the seven seas? Well listen up scurvy dogs! Just in time for Halloween or some fun dramatic play, here is an easy sew or no-sew felt pirate hat tutorial that even little buccaneers can make in minutes. Pirate Hat and Eyepatch Tutorial [...]

Elderberries to the Rescue

There’s a bit of crispness in the air these days, even when the warmth of summer is still hanging about. Plants all rush to finish their growing season, offering a multitude of food and medicine for us. Now’s the time to harvest and put away medicines for winter use. Elderberries are ripe and dripping from [...]

Stories into Paper: The Paper-Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen

The Storyteller Series: Many of our favorite authors not only bring to life stories which hold our attention, they also were and are actual people who hold a variety of talents, passions, and interests. These have become part of the woven cloth of the storytellers themselves. This series sheds a light on the writers and [...]

Healing the Deepest Parts of Ourselves and Our Children: Homeopathy and Waldorf Education

As a Classical Homeopath, I treat my own children for both first aid situations and chronic complaints. In my practice I have prescribed for many children (and their parents) while continually marveling at the wonder of how homeopathic remedies heal our deepest emotional pain along with our physical symptoms. Homeopathy is a system of natural [...]

The Storyteller’s Bag

In the corner of our family room is a red leather bag. Our bag right now is filled with items such as a wreath of Tibetan bells, a polar bear snow globe, felted toy animals, chopsticks, and our favorite storytelling item of them all– a coconut shell half. Once every six weeks or so, I [...]

Little House Shawl

Inspired by the wonderful series of books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I decided to design a lace shawl for our daughter, who recently started reading the books on her own. This surprisingly simple shawl is knit from the hem up, using very basic lace and shaping techniques. It makes for a great first lace [...]

Tomato Frenzy

“Well there’s a root cellar, a fruit cellar down below. Watch your head now, and down we go. What with the snow, and the economy and everything, I think I’ll just stay down here and eat until spring.” ~ From “Canned Goods” by Greg Brown There’s something supremely satisfying about reaching into your freezer or pantry on [...]

Free Sparkle Story: The Autumn Goose Pond

Martin and Sylvia live in tall house with lots of windows. In their backyard is all a five- and a seven-year-old could ever want: a brook, a tree swing, a playhouse and a garden full of magical friends. These two enterprising and all-too-familiar children explore the nooks and crannies of their house, the infinite possibilities [...]

Flannel Doll: First Sewing Project

In my childhood, my mom was always sewing in the background while we played. Of course now that I have children of my own, the sewing bug bites me hard just when there are not enough hours in the day to get my fix. You can imagine then my giddiness when I came upon the [...]

Teaching Kids About Herbs Part Two : Herbal Preparations

Most likely we all remember our own fascination or our child’s look of awe as we relate the apple scene in the tale of Snow White. In this memorable fairy tale, the witch dips an apple into a cauldron of potion and creates an apple that puts Snow White to sleep. However, even if the [...]

A Handmade Kite

Our eyes are always upwards lately. In the winter we watched it snow, in the spring we watched it rain, and in the summer, we lazed about and watched the clouds float by. Autumn is a perfect time to look to the sky and watch the effects of the wind. We watch the gusts blowing [...]

Wood Carving With My Son

When my son Julian turned eight, he took his birthday money to our local hardware and picked out a little green pocket knife. The knife has made a few trips through the wash, but other than that, he has cared for and carefully used his knife for close to two years. For a boy who [...]

Wool Acorn Necklaces

We are always looking for new ideas to welcome each season and celebrate in ways that our whole family can participate. This is truly one of those projects. Everyone, both young and old, can share in the fun of creating these felted acorn necklaces. My oldest daughter and I collaborated on these one brisk autumn [...]

Puppetry at Home with Children

There is magic in a story that comes to life with puppets. It may seem that a puppet show is only something you take your child to, and not something you offer yourself at home. I hope this project inspires you to think otherwise! A little story with a few puppets, that you may already [...]

Nature in November

Our family tries – really hard – to get outside every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. And I’m not talking about walking to the car! I mean playing and learning outside. We don’t always make it out the door, but that’s our goal, even when the temperature is 20 degrees below zero [...]

Martinmas Lantern Bunting

Martinmas is a favorite celebration in our family — full of wonder, ritual, and the beautiful reminder of the inner light within all of us. In the Waldorf tradition, Martinmas is a festival that celebrates empathy and kindness towards others, and the powerful spark of light in our hearts that glows brightly even as the [...]

Wood Fire Spirits

Spindlewood, spindlewood, will you lend me pray, A little flaming lantern to guide me on my way? The fairies all have vanished from the meadow and the glen, And I would fain go seeking till I find them once again. Lend me now a lantern that I may bear a light, To find the hidden [...]

The Batch Cooking Group: Cooking Large for Family and Friends

It’s 8:30 on a Saturday morning. My car trunk is packed with everything I’ll need: a laundry basket holding saucepan, frying pan, food processor, and kitchen knives; a tote bag of vegetables, tofu, rice, oil, and spices; another bag of miscellaneous items – an apron, empty food storage containers, a box of teas to share [...]

Simple Baking: Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

As the nights start to draw longer and the languid, carefree days of summer start to fade away, there’s one thing that gives me solace. Baking season is only just beginning! And what better way to welcome the cooler months than playing around with a batch of cookie dough and getting your oven fired up [...]

Sharing Gratitude

Although I think many of us try to live a life of gratitude, it is during this season that thankfulness is most celebrated. This harvest season of bounty, of preparation for the coming winter. As someone who more naturally sees challenges, I have always had to pause an extra moment to seek out the good [...]

Autumn Meditation for Children

One of my most treasured traditions with my children is the seasonal meditation that we do as a family on each equinox and solstice. Meditation is a simple way to connect our little ones to nature, and to teach them that they flow through the seasons just as the earth does. Seasonal Meditation As [...]

Birthday Fairy Treasure Hunt

I wanted to create a magical handmade party for my little one’s fourth birthday. I knew that I wanted to incorporate storytelling and infuse wonder and magic to the party. One criteria was to find a way to give out handmade goodies to the children. So I came up with a fairy treasure hunt where [...]

Backcountry Baby

When my husband, Pablo, and I decided to start a family we knew there would be activities and hobbies that we would have to put on hold for awhile, but I think we both underestimated how much our lives would change. My pregnant daydreams were of a free-wheeling life with the slight modification of a [...]

Autumn Energy Bars

I was raised by a mom (who was raised by her own sugar-wary mom) that ranked sugar in the same category as swearing or gossip. That is to say, once in a while, a pinch of it thrown into the mix might not hurt. Heck, it might even liven things up a little, but it [...]

Make YOU a Priority in Your Daily Life

Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become. – unknown Fall is such a lovely time of year. For most of us, it’s an exciting time as we transition from the heat of summer and move into this cooler, restoring season. The energy of summer [...]

Come Camping!

Camping is one of those childhood activities that nearly all of us have memories of, and that many hold dear. Camping out in nature is a thrill for children: to sleep under the stars, tell stories around a campfire, and eat a meal freshly cooked from a fire built by their own hands. Camping allows [...]

Nature Collage Frame

Autumn is a time of drawing in, the tipping point in the balance between the bounty of the harvest and the quiet of winter to come. We are often pulled out of doors this time of year, into the mellowing light and crisp air, out among the vibrant last stand of growing things before they [...]

Bringing Nature Indoors

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” - Henry David Thoreau Autumn boldly announces itself in the natural world. The tranquil green palette of summer explodes into vivid hues of red, orange, gold and brown. The beauty and abundance of this [...]

The Gift of Time and Space

Autumn seems to bring with it an awareness of time passing, the days growing shorter, children going back to school. Something about the chill in the air, or memories from my own childhood of fresh pencils and new book bags, makes me feel restless, eager for new experiences, ready to take on new challenges. As [...]

Making a Spelt Cushion

Very often, my younger kids tell me that their tummy aches when there is something they can’t manage or which they feel sad about. My teenager daughter experiences painful cramps every month, and I suffer from headaches occasionally because of tension in my neck and back. Sometimes, that’s just the way it is. We find [...]

How to Create Wood-Burned Gnomes and Faeries

I love to create with my children. Nothing in this world is more rewarding to me than seeing their eyes light up when they have asked for a special something from Momma and then it appears before their eyes. The wonder and respect they have while watching and participating in the creation process will last a [...]

Repurposed Baby Pants Tutorial

When I had my my first son seven years ago I bought everything brand new for him. Brand new bedding, bibs, diapers, booties, clothes, etc. Everything was crisp and clean and fresh out of a package from a store. Thinking back, it is overwhelming just how much money I spent. Over the years though, [...]

An Educational Journey

I think some of us come into parenting with set ideals and decisions already made about how we plan to parent, how we want to guide our children, and how we want to educate them. I have a number of friends in this wonderful Internet community who seem to have known since their children were [...]

Simple Acts, Extraordinary Love

Our journey as parents raising young children is one that yields many joys. But, as we all know, raising a family also comes with challenges. The stresses of our daily routines and responsibilities: ranging from household chores and maintaining relationships, to work outside of the home, community involvement, and time to take care of ourselves [...]

Setting the Table & Napkin Tutorial

As it often happens in families, my eldest daughter has a passion for romance that she did not inherit from me. While my approach to dressing myself and my home is first and foremost about comfort and practicality, she is drawn to ruffles and flounces. And so when she asked to set the table with [...]

The Rhythm of Our Kitchen Table

This is my kitchen table. It is pretty basic: two legs, four chairs and a bench. It is topped by a hard piece of plastic to protect the soft wood underneath. This table is the center of my home, both literally and figuratively. My dining area is in the physical center of my home and [...]

Creating a Gratitude Banner

With autumn comes thoughts of Thanksgiving. In our home we strive to separate seasons and make them special to the children. What better way than a banner to celebrate Thanksgiving with Gratitude. The kids love to be involved, and more importantly I love the memories in our creations that will stand for years to follow. [...]

A Seasonal Mobile

While we are exploring the world around us all year long, autumn is the season that most obviously carries the notion of “gathering”. We harvest and gather produce and collect wood for the coming cold season; and there is also so much to be found lying on the ground in the garden, park or woods. [...]

Autumn Fairy Homes

Autumn is a magical time in forests and gardens. Creatures make homes and hiding places to store up food and cozy things for the winter. Autumn also brings cooler days and art projects can help entertain kids when the winds and rain begin to blow. Making a fairy house out of clay is the perfect [...]

Playing with Light

In our busy, commercialized lives it can be difficult to slow down, be present and connect with our children. But when we finally allow our grown-up selves to put aside the “must get done” stuff and allow ourselves to play, we reap personal and familial benefits beyond anything we can imagine. Imagine getting lost in [...]

A Story of the First Thanksgiving & Recipe for Stone Soup

There are many variations on the story of the first Thanksgiving. The following story is one that was told to me as a little girl in school. It is a short story, and may not be historically accurate, but it is one that has stayed with me for over 20 years. It is perfect for [...]

Stone Soup Wooden Playset

This set is perfect for use as a demonstration of the story in The First Thanksgiving. It also would be a great addition to a nature table or centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner. I chose the iconic tipi home for the ease of making it, but you may also choose to use a more historically accurate structure, [...]

Autumn Festivals and Celebrations

Celebrating the season’s festivals is one of the most beautiful aspects to Waldorf education, and a favorite with children as well. Here is our collection of the many of the season’s festivals (for 2011), and a few resources to help make each a cherished tradition for years to come. :::::::::::: Autumn Equinox :: September [...]

True Colors

I remember reading once that the pale marble statues of ancient Greece were not originally white. Some theorize that they were actually painted all matter of gaudy, loud colors. It wasn’t just the statues; the temples were colorful too. What a wonder it is to imagine the alabaster scenery of ancient Greece in rainbow. I [...]

Time to Eat!

It was time to feed our wee one, but there were so many distractions. There were trees blowing in the breeze outside the window, the cat was strolling past and, of course, an older brother was dancing and singing his heart out in the middle of the kitchen floor. Why would a baby pay attention [...]

Comics for the Home : How I Impressed Two Six-Year-Old Boys Without Meaning To

:::::::::::: Glynnis Fawkes draws comics in Vermont about life with two small children who attend Waldorf School. She has an MFA in painting and on a Fulbright to Cyprus published books of her paintings and cartoons. She worked some years in the Eastern Mediterranean as illustrator for archaeological projects, and has published several books [...]

Tree of Thanksgiving

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. - Albert Einstein As we move into cooler crisp autumn days we look forward to holidays and festivals awaiting our special attention, one of which is Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is an [...]

Herbs for Autumn and Winter

As summer fades and the crispness of fall fills the air, my family and I get ready to tuck our gardens in for a long winter’s nap. It is an exciting time for sure. It becomes a family affair, with our boy and his cousin helping to get the soil turned and the beds ready [...]

Motherhood: Life’s First Autumn Season

As we travel our journeys from childhood to youth to young adult, we begin to blossom and sprout and grow. Abundance and good fortune and flowering blooms are all we know. Our bodies and minds are full of endeavour and striving and energy, and many of us have yet to suffer from catastrophe or disquiet, [...]