Annette

Ah, the end of the week! We’re still all working on getting healthy. I didn’t go volunteer in Michael’s classroom today and sent my hubby instead. He had a great time. Maybe we’ll take turns!

I missed a midwife appointment last Friday because of my cold, and am going tomorrow instead. I’m really looking forward to some peaceful time alone. I’m a complete introvert, and depend on alone time to recharge my batteries. This makes attachment parenting a little difficult for me, but if I can find the right balance, it all works out.  Read more...

I was feeling so guilty about not getting back into a rhythm last week like I wanted to, and then I was reading in All Year Round that today is Plough Monday. The Monday after Epiphany, it’s traditionally a day for putting aside the final remnants of Christmas and “putting one’s hand to the plough” and getting to work. We had a lovely day, too.

We’ve changed our dining room into a play/school room (I’m hoping to do pictures eventually) and moved our table to the breakfast nook. It’s so nice to eat where we cook. It’s just cozier.  Read more...

Ugh! I am feeling so frustrated right now.

On Christmas Eve, Michael began complaining of a sore throat. Christmas day, he had pink eye and a burst eardrum. Boxing Day, he had two pink eyes and two burst ear drums. We had been treating it homeopathically and herbally (mullein drops for the ears before they burst and eyebright compresses for the eyes) but decided to go to a doc. We came home with three prescriptions for antibiotic/steroid eyedrops, oral antibiotics, and eardrops. We filled the eyedrops and skipped the rest.

The next day Michael broke out in hives from the eyedrops.  Read more...

Yesterday was supposed to be our “new commitment” to Waldorf-inspired living and routines, but it just didn’t happen. We all have been ill, starting with Michael on Christmas Eve. The penultimate moment of patheticness was Michael moaning “Why can’t we just have a nice Christmas like everyone else” on the way to the doctor with double pink eye. Yesterday was my turn at the doctor’s, and I found out I had both a sinus infection AND a double ear infection. Needless to say, I spent most of my day asleep in bed and left DH in charge, which meant a good deal of television. Sigh.  Read more...

We used to have family meetings, and the kids missed it a lot. Tonight we had the first family meeting in a long time.

New Business included:
* This week’s schedule
* Can the children have a glass of wine? (Answer: No)
* Changes to the morning routine
* Can we plant more flowers this spring? (Discussion tabled)
* Michael wants to help pack his school lunches
* Michael is worried because the occupational therapist “gets angry” when he isn’t at school by 8:30 for OT on Thursdays. (Note, school doesn’t actually start til 8:45. DH is going in early with Michael on Thursday to find out what the heck is going on. Or maybe I will. Bwahahaha!
* Chores and allowance
* Computer usage negotiation
* Can we go ice skating? (Answer: Sadly, no. There is no ice skating rink near us)
* Library routine  Read more...

I’m assuming the first post here should be the obligatory introductory post.

My name is Annette. I’m 34, and have 3 children: Michael, who is almost 8, Katie Grace, who is five-and-a-half, and Nicholas, who is three. We are expecting a new baby around Easter, and are planning a homebirth.

I grew up in Lancaster, PA and went to Grove City College, where I met my husband. We were both music education majors in college. I went on to do graduate work in early childhood education, and he went on to get his M. Div. He is a pastor, and we’re still in Pennsylvania. I am a stay-at-home mom and also write Waldorf-inspired early childhood “curriculum” (for lack of a better word) called “Seasons of Joy”.  Read more...