Jungle Baby

I have decided to write a small serious of baby raising info mostly for my husband. This is the first time he will really ever be around a baby, and as smart as he is, he don’t know nothing ‘bout birthin’ no babies.

My husband is a brainiac. My students (middle schoolers now ) nicknamed him “Google”. They figure, if you can’t find out about something call Mr. Chevy and he will know the answer. He is a plethora of useless knowledge, well not all useless, but he has stored in his brain millions of little tid-bits of information.

I love my husband and his big ol’ brain but it can be quit annoying at times. Try playing Scrabble with a man who has memorized the dictionary!( Last time I threw the board in to the ocean so I would never have to play again!) So, anyway, as much as he knows he has never been around babies, so he really has no clue. I figure he spends ¾ of his day glued to the computer, so maybe the best way to help him understand my ideas on baby raising, I should put it out there on the world -wide internets. Maybe this was he can connect with it easier =)

So I am going to be writing a series of “articles’ of what I believe is the best for baby. I am not an expert, although I have been a teacher for 25 years, so I think that counts for something. But, while I am not an expert, my ideas do come from theologies that have been researched and proven, mainly the teachings of Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner and from my experiences working with children and raising my own. Again, these are MY ideas, (most shared by many). Not everyone will agree with them. If you don’t your CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM is welcome, but this is a loving, peaceful blog, so no hatefulness please.

Namaste

Change is a Coming!

March 1, 2011    Chiang Mai, Thailand

Last week my BABY turned 18. I am now the mother or four fully grown human beings, with lives, and jobs, and college educations.  I could deal with the fact and except that I am heading toward "Grandma Ville" if it wasn't for the fact, that in a mere five weeks time, I am going to be the mother of a brand new baby girl.
Now don't get me wrong, I am OVER JOYED at being a mommy again, but holly crap, I'm going to be a mommy again!!!  For the past 7 years IT and I have been trying to adopt, first in China and now here in Thailand.  It has beena terrible journey fraught with tears and heart aches, one after the other.  We had finally given up and were planning our future (excepting the grandparent thing) when suddenly this new opportunity was laid upon us. We are so please and thankful that God has chosen us to be the parents of this precious life, but have I said ..holy crap, I'm going to be a mommy again???? I'm almost 43, going through "the change" and just became the director of not one, but two schools!

Funny, one week before finding out about the baby, I read the quote;

 Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe .

On a post-it sticky heart I wrote this quote, along with “change is coming”.  I promptly stuck these on my mirror and have been staring at them for the past 5 months. Boy! I had no idea! Change is coming. Big change. Once again I have been given the opportunity to mold a new life.

So many things I have learned since The Boy’s birth 23 years ago. Montessori, Waldorf, attachment parenting, spirituality ,homeschooling, whole foods, sustainability, gratitude…….. Can I really fit all these wonderful things into my world? Am I really going to be able to be a stay at home mom without missing my classroom?  Am I going to be able to keep up with a 2 year old? Will I survive ANOTHER teenage girl????

Sitting here in my little jungle, I can just exhale, make a wish and just remember the words of my oh-so-wise Baby Beans, “Just don’t screw this kid up Mom!”