I like it now!

As will come as no surprise, life has humbled me again, and I am happy to hang my head and say that the Waldorf Co-Op and the magic Fairy Mamas are super, super nice and we like it now. (((blush)))

We went back last Wednesday, and, as I had discussed, we did not bring Mickey. Thanks to my dear friend who took him for the day, I did not have to worry about him being loved or safe and I felt like a real mom that had a babysitter! Crazy! I dropped him off at her house, he had a little lunch packed, and I got to say things like "be a good boy!" and gave her my cell phone number--woowoo I am fancy now, a real drop off parent, LOL :D

So it went much better last week--I knew what to expect, I knew where things went, and I just felt much, much better. The luncheon was outside, and I didn't feel insecure about the food I brought. I brought bananas, apples, sunflower seeds, and homemade granola from my awesome friend SgtHowie. (I told them I did not make it--but that it was homemade by a friend!) They loved the granola, and all the kids got along smashingly. We had lunch outside, Greta adores the two other "big girls" there, and Casey played with some little age-mates. Charlie was happy as a little lark out in the breezy sunshine, they opened up the tiny house early on, and all was fab.

On the weeks one and three, they do some formal lessons upstairs with the older children, and Greta did not have a recorder for the recorder lesson, so one of the moms asked me if I would like to buy one for her, that she sold them. Of course I said "oh, yes, yes" but I was so worried that it was gonna be like $200 or something. I wonder if I would have cut a check and then cried all the way home, but happily it was 30 dollars and it is an amazing all wood handmade in Germany one. A real instrument, with warm clear tone--nothing like the plastic ones we had a s kids. I was happy to add a nice instrument to our home, and that she was going to learning to play it with her friends.

Downstairs, the little kids were treated to a very solemn and haunting telling of Red Riding hood with Waldorfy props--little handmade felted woolen dolls and silk squares and pinecones, with A Capella singing by the owner of the house who does have a gorgeous voice. they also did a circle time with a little glockenspiel and some darling songs in a pentatonic scale about fall and gathering apples and old women stirring the stew and stuff.

What was especially neat and very, very different was the way in which they conveyed to the little children that "it is time for___" there is absolutely NO saying this whatsoever! So different from school. There will just be some ladies singing in a circle now, and you feel sort of completed to join in. Same with the Red riding hood story--no one tells you it is story time now, but you hear a little glockenspiel chiming in the front room and you go check it out, and a lady is solemnly setting up the figurines and you go sit around her. Same with the craft. After the story, the lady just started singing softly about "I see a lantern's gentle light" and she sort of wafts into the dining room and starts setting out glue and tissue paper and glass jars and little cans of paintbrushes and voila, it is apparently time to make a lantern! No barking no cajoling no harassing involved whatsoever. I was impressed--and Casey and Charlie were truly TRANSFIXED. Also, no judging language whatsoever--not a single word about "good job", "great job", just children working alongside adults, quietly making lanterns. One time, Casey told the lady next to him at the grand dining room table "Is this done?" referring to his lantern which was about 1/3 covered with glued-on colored bits of tissue paper , and the lady simply kept on working on her own lantern and said "I am going to cover mine all the way 'round" and he said "I am too."

In the afternoon, one of the moms who is my friend outside of this now, the one who originally invited me to this co-op, offered to teach me to knit. (the other moms all knit) I was hesitant, because I felt like maybe i couldn't learn to outside in the wind while watching the kids but i picked it up instantly and i am working on a big rectangle that gives me great soothing satisfaction and a cozy calm. I am so proud and grateful to finally know how to knit this one stitch. This is the third time someone has shown me how to knit and the other two times were unnecessarily complicated. This is easy and I love it. I knew I would.

So, this week, my friend babysat Mickey again, which was a lovely surprise because we both agreed that I do not expect her to so this every Wednesday now. So we went back today, me, Greta, Casey and Charlie. It was the week where it is much less formal, and it was super fun again! We played outside alot, shared alot of funny stories of motherhood, knitted, and the kids played. One of the big girls told Greta some true ghost stories supposedly from her own life and Greta was thoroughly impressed. She retold them to me at home in the bathroom as I did my hair to go t my job interview tonight -woowoo--and they seem ridiculous but I acted very reverent and amazed. She felt they were so sinister that the other kids shouldn't ever hear them--so thoughtful. I brought Monterrey Jack cheese, apples, strawberries, bananas and homemade tabbouleh salad. The women raved about it which really surprised me since it was not made in a traditional way. they were really really nice to me today and I feel like I am part of the group now, a nice feeling. I didn't even wear flaxen-wear today, har har. I wore jeans and a plain t shirt and a zip up sweater. (the first two weeks I wore long skirts, no big whoop, i just wasn't in the mood this morning and no one cared)

I was out in the yard with all the people and we were knitting and laughing and I realized it was 2:10-- I had to go! We left and picked up Mickey and ended up coming in to my friends house and hanging out there about another hour. Too fun. She gave me hot tea and I am just THRILLED to say it is cool weather again, I am assuming for good now, and so hot tea was perfect. I also had hot cocoa this morning and I loved it! Y A Y for the coziness, oh happy day!

This co-op is so good for me. These women and their very unique scene really refresh me out of the daily doldrums. I feel kinder to my kids for days to last, and I feel refreshed and revitalized after conversation and handicrafts, homemade soup and pretty music. Seriously. Who woulda knew.