Colorado Has.....

Colorado Has:

Majestic Mountains

Crisp Dry Air

Blue Lakes

Yellow Aspen Trees

Friends and Family

BUT

best of all--two of my kids 

a small plate of love--apple crisp I made for Mackenzie and her roommates

Early on my last morning with Mackenzie

Down town Loveland--a nice place--especially when my daughter lives there.

 This whole semester my Friday class is “studying” SA

Fresh faces all lined up to learn about Argentina, South America!

I am happily enjoying a trip to one of my favorite places on this earth.  COLORADO.

I am additionally pleased that I now have many close friends and family members that call Colorado, the state of mountains and aspen trees, home.

I can successfully ‘couch serf’ for 1½ weeks without overstaying my welcome on any one couch.  You see, I go by the adage that fish and visitors ‘spoil’ after a few days.

My first stop on this trip was three nights on the very comfortable couch in my daughter Mackenzie’s home.  She and her two roommates welcomed me with great enthusiasm and hospitality.  I in turn made myself useful by cooking and doing light yard work—both of which I enjoy.

Next stop began yesterday. I arrived at my nephew’s home in the mountain village of Silverthorne  in the early afternoon.  He and his family, sadly, are off to other parts of the world to visit and play golf. I am taking advantage of the situation by staying in their great home with a 360 degree mountain vista.  I will be writing, singing, resting, and just enjoying myself. 

Happily, part of George’s family will be here to visit with on Wednesday, a day before I need to get back to my ordinary life.  I am looking forward to both the solitude, and seeing them for part of my visit.  I am hoping to get a lot of work done in the next two days.

Speaking of work, I made a side trip on the way up the mountain to visit Montessori Education Center of the Rockies, a training center in Boulder, Colorado.  It was very worthwhile.  I met a delightful woman named Dot. She visited with me, showed me the center, and listened to me explain my ‘life plan’ as it has to do with my music, Montessori, and teaching.  She was encouraging, informative, and supportive to my vision.  This fact should not surprise me, after all, we are both Montessorians. 


Mackenzie has decided to join me for one night and part of tomorrow.  Super Great!!!

ENJOY YOUR DAY AS I AM!

Steller Day

This as another stellar day!


I am fortunate to do what I love.  Life can be hard, but it is easier when you feel that you do even a little bit of good in this world.  


We have to recognize good days and think about what we did right.  This will help us have more and more stellar days.


What makes a day extra special--stellar?  For me it can be several small things that add up throughout the day.  I had a great time giving my Music program this morning, so that set the tone for a great day.


I think that one thing really does lead to another.  Having a good time giving my music program gave me confidence and wellbeing for the rest of the day.


I have studies The Tao, the eastern philosophy that is very inspirational to make real changes that lead to a happier life for yourself.  The Tao says, "you attract what you are".  I take that to mean that we need to be confident and happy with yourself to attract positive people into your life.


The Tao also says, "There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way".  Isn't that true. We often 'chase after happiness" and get nowhere. I call it the treadmill affect.  Then we just get surprised by happiness out of the blue.  


So, I will:
>>attract goodness into my life by being good
>>attract cooperation by cooperating with others
>>attract happiness by acting happy (even when it is 'an act'


So simple but so profound at the same time--I love that!


Montessori


>>>There is no Way to HAPPINESS, HAPPINESS is the Way.
>>>You ATTRACT into your life what you ARE.


This is good advice for a classroom (and for all of us).


The children in our lives--or in our classroom--look to us often to see 'how they feel'.  They take their cue from us.  Even if you are not 'jolly', put on a happy face every day.  Now, I am not talking about being 'sparkly' and overly 'bubbly'.  That will seem insincere and can not be maintained over the long haul.  


I am talking about a pleasant look on your face when you feel like frowning.


This simple conscious act will do so much for the children in your care. Happiness tends to be contagious. 


As for "attracting what you are"--well this is so GREAT!  If your children are not "cooperating" with something--look at how "cooperative" you are being. Are the children having to work hard to get what they want?  How can you cooperate with them? Think about it.


Yesterday I cooperated with a child during my music program.  She was being a little 'wiggle worm' so I said, "it looks like you want to dance to my music".  So we all got up and 'danced' for two verses.  This solved my problem--she was much more attentive to the rest of my lesson. It was so great!


Have a HAPPY day. I hope good things for you today and tomorrow.

Being Appreciative

It is so important to appreciate the gifts we are given.

It helps us have a positive attitude about life, or work, and the people around us everyday.

I suggest we each 'take stoke' of what we have to appreciate.  I think this should be done often.  We should pay special attention to appreciable events, people and gifts when we are 'down in the dumps' about something.  It can help us see the 'big picture' and not feel so discouraged or sad.

I have a wonderful life and want to honor that life by being appreciative of the people, things, faith, and gifts I have.

Montessori

Being appreciative is a wonderful thing to teach the children in your classroom.  Of course, like so many things, modeling this behavior is the best way to impart that lesson to the children.

We adults need to make sure we are saying things like, 'I appreciate how quiet you were during this lesson", or, "I appreciate the wonderful warm weather we have today". Remember, language matters. Children soak up vocabulary.  Using the word, 'Appreciate' will help your children understand the meaning of the word and eventually apply that meaning to their thoughts about their own life.

Peru

This is my "set up" for this week's Fantastic Friday.

We learned about Peru, South America.

I set up a "background" for my music class each week. The chair is for me--but I spend most of the time up moving around with the children.


I got a great complement this week--one of the children said--"We like your games Mrs. Wiggs"  That is high praise to my ears.  

Welcome Fall--Welcome Change

Welcoming Fall

Welcome Every Season

Welcome Change

Fall

We really have to look at the calendar to know that we are already into the 2nd week of October.  I keep thinking, 'no good deed goes unpunished', so we will have to make up for this unusually warm weather by having bad weather later--time will tell?


I had such a wonderful day today! I only hope that some or all of my readers could have had a day like mine.


Life seemed to 'make sense' today.


What I tried worked.


People I spoke to were receptive.


I am outside smelling a fire that I made myself--gotta love that!


and, my husband cooked me dinner!


What is not to LOVE about that?

MONTESSORI


I love to have a day where everything seems to be scripted by the "Montessori Good Fairy"!  You know what I mean--everything you try is even better than you could have imagined--a child gives you an unsalisited, 'good job'--or 'we like your games Mrs Wiggs'.  You can not plan it--you can not pay for it to happen--but when it does (like today for me) it is priceless!


All of this is not just "dumb luck".  It is payback for all the hard work we put into our lessons, preparations, and the attention we give to child development and meeting the needs of the individual and the group.  But it is SWEET non the less.


I wish for each of you to have a rewarding day like I had today.  But, if you had a challenging day--just remember, keep working and it will pay off one of these days.

Live Your Own Life

Steve Jobs’ death saddens me as I know it does many, many people. He died of the same type of cancer my dad fought for 18 months, before he left us 20 years ago—very few people get 6 years, as Mr. Jobs did.

We are hearing a lot about his life in the media this week.  I enjoyed hearing part of his commencement address to Stanford University from 2005.  He had successfully completed treatment for the cancer and had some very inspirational thoughts to share to the young, eager audience (and all of us, as it turns out).

The best quote for me was when he said this: ….stop wasting time living someone else’s life.  Find something you are passionate about and do it.

I am paraphrasing—but I think I caught the meaning, if not the exact words.  This is such good advice for young and old alike.  We are daughters, sisters, wives, mothers; or sons, brothers, etc.  It is so easy to loose sight of what makes us want to “change the world”, or at least make a small impact on our world.

Life tends to get very busy and we get caught up in living up to the expectations of daily life and forget the BIG picture. I enjoyed taking time this week to think about the BIG picture.  Thank you Steve Jobs, for reminding me that we each have a life to live that is unique and worthwhile.  Whether one is building a multi-billion dollar company that impacts the lives of people all over the world or making a few preschool children learn to love music a little more, we all have a life to live and I am happy with the SMALL (but important) life I have.

MONTESSORI

Anyone that works with children is privileged and also responsible to live up to the task.  What we do may seem SMALL and unimportant to the world (and ourself at times). It is neither. It is BIG and important to each and every child in our care.


I think Steve Jobs' advice is very appropriate for Montessorians. We build an environment and step out of the way so that children can learn and grow.  It is a wonderful preparation for the so-called, ‘real world’. In fact, it is the real world, or at least it is supposed to be as close to that real world as possible in a school setting.

The Montessori philosophy tells us to help each child develop into the person they are meant to be.  Like Mr. Jobs was saying, to ‘live their own life’ and rise to the highest form of themself.

 When you prepare a safe learning environment full of color, and sound Montessori philosophy and materials, it is a beautiful sight to behold.  Preschool children want to live their own life. They have not been here long enough to know anything else.

I am privileged to be living my dream.  I get to play games and sing my own songs for a living!