Friday, April 15, 2011

Forsythia Blooms With Patience....

As this week comes to a close, we are looking ahead to days of quiet anticipation in preparation for...
Holy Week and all of the gatherings it will bring...
Our (W and I together!) Holy Baptism during Easter Vigil on Saturday night...
The beautiful and cleansing effects of Easter...
...I am also really delving into several books detailing the decision to (or not to) display The Sistine Madonna in Waldorf Kindergartens. (fascinating and moving....post to follow soon)
Our Springtime world is getting ready to burst into color here, and I can relate!
Our playschool nature walks include many child-led  flower "studies", and our most abundant happens to be the jolly and sunny Forsythia!


Forsythia branches adorn our tables and windowsills all throughout Spring (thanks to my neighbors, ahem...)
Our ongoing craft this week is a  Blooming Forsythia Branch...


Quite simple.
Crumble several small pieces of yellow tissue paper to create the blooms...
Use glue to affix blooms onto a twig as small or large as you like. (smaller twigs work well for little ones!)
I used hot glue to reinforce the childrens work.


Display them in a vase or weave the twigs through a wreath!
...Patience and dutiful work is something I am really aiming to emanate during playschool.
We started this project in the afternoon, which in turn reinforced that children are more alert and vivacious in the morning hours!

                     The morning sun streams through our window, giving us energizing light! (and the strength for W to crawl upon the table?!)

The children want instant gratification with some of our crafts...sometimes they want me to finish the work, sometimes they exclaim that "their hands are tired." I never push them...but I also never do the work for them. A project can take as long as need be. We strive to joyfully return to it with fresh eyes and hands the next day!

8 comments:

  1. OH what a lovely post. Love the last photo! I am in the south so our forsythia has come and gone. But I made a little discovery. The branches I forced from the forsythia started leafing out and then roots appeared. So I found a place for them in the yard and they are thriving!

    With All That I Am
    Carrie "Forrest-Dweller" Duvall
    The Handmade Homemaker

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  2. This has been a very strange lent for me, and I have felt a failure, but I will be in prayer for you as you and your little man prepare for baptism. Much joy to you both, and may you truly feel that you are joined to God's family.

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  3. They are beautiful! I'm really feeling the cleansing effects of Easter this year, really for the first time.

    Becca

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  4. Have you read "Unbornness" by Peter Selg? Just finished it, and he has written quite a bit about the Sistine Madonna - look forward to your post about that.
    Marcia

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  5. What a wonderful idea. I'm still holding my breath to see if my transplanted forsythia made it through the winter. I love the tissue paper forsythia flowers and the last picture of W is simply precious. Take care.

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  6. What joy to share your baptism day with your little one... and during such a special time of year! Wishing you both the very best on your special day!

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  7. Easter Vigil Mass is so beautiful! Congratulations on your upcoming Baptism!

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  8. Such a beautiful, beautiful post. And I love that you and W will be baptised together - that is so special. How I love reading about it all :) thank you for your wonderful work on this blog!

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