You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2011.
I had promised change for the year 2011, and it starts first in the form of a new blog.
Being the change compulsory woman that I am (just look at my house to understand), I felt like this new path we are taking also needs a new form. And since I am having the hardest time finding a form that I truly enjoy on WordPress, I am moving this blog to blogger. (blogger, you better be good!)
so please follow the winds : http://thefreechild.blogspot.com/2011/01/welcome-bienvenue.html for our continuation!
please come and join me there! I’d be happy to see and hear from you!
I’ll be back in just a little while 
Can you believe that my little pumpkin is almost 6 months!!! I am having such a hard time realising how fast he is growing. I try to enjoy every single moment with him, and not forget to cherish them!
During the holidays, I had (took) the time to read quite a few books. Some for my personal enjoyement, but some for my family as well. One of them was a book I had already read before:
which is IMO probably the most useful book explaining the Montessori philosophy for infants.
There are some parts of the book that I don’t agree with. Breastfeeding notably, weaning, sleeping arangements for some part. But it is such a wealth of other information, that I was prepared to overlook those part and read the book again.
Again, it gave me so many ideas to enrich Pumpkin’s environment. Many things I had already applyied, either because I remembred from the first time I read, or just because I had already did them with Peanut and was hapy with the results.
When we came back from the holidays, I was anxious to get back to work on modifying his environement and make it as friendly as possible for him.
So welcome to a tour of Pumpkin’s room:
2 words I kept in my mind while creating this space: simplicity, and adapted. I wanted his room adapted for him, and keeping it simple just allows that.
So here is the (cute) view when you get in: The floor bed
The first thing I needed to do was to install his floor bed. I couldn’t sleep him in his basinette any longer, so it was getting dangerous. I knew that a floor bed was the next step.
I used a IKEA matress that I bought for my DD. THe mirror is just next to the bed. I was afraid that it would keep him from falling asleep, but au contraire! He falls asleep looking at himself most nights (while I am putting the other 2 to bed). The mirror is currently not hung on the wall, we need to fix something on it, and so that is why the pillows are on each side: to protect DS
ON the bed, there is a beige blanket. It is a double size organic coton blanket folded in 2. When I put DS to bed, I put him in between the 2 layers, much like if it was a sleeping bag. He LOVES to sleep on his tummy (yes I know…but at this point, whatever I’ll do, he will turn anyways!), so this allows him to have the freedom to turn and not be caught in the blankets. (the blanket is tuck under the matress on both sides)
Next , the changing station:
A set of drawers with a dual purpose. With DD, the changing station was on the floor. However, having a back problem this time around, I had to have a changing station that was more back friendly 
This dresser is IMO too big for the room. It is pretty useful now as I have to store the cloth diapers, and the middle section is dedicated to that. But once DS1′s wardrobe done (we have just moved recently), we will take the cabinet he is using right now, and move it to this room. The cabinet is a Ikea system that is very child friendly, and a lot smaller. But in the meantime, this will do.
I have added artwork near the chaging station for him to look at. The drawing are from the Wee gallery
Next to his bed, between the bed and the door, there is a little shelving to store toys
there are only a few toys there at a time:
and right beside that is the potty station:
We are ECing with this baby, and so having a potty in the room really makes things easier
I have also added on the floor a lambskin ( no pics sorry)
Since this room is supposed to be an office, it was made with ceramic tiling. Not really perfect for a little one. But with the floor bed, he has a nice place to play, and this addition on the floor makes another spot for him to enjoy while feeling another sensation on his skin.
I am currently working on some new artwork for his room, hopefully they will be ready next week. i’ll post about that later.
Finally MOBILES! Mobiles are a big thing in the infancy period. I have asked DH to fix a plant hook on the ceiling of the room. THis allows me to have a variety of mobiles, even ones that he can pull on like this:
t is a mobile that I have found at Micheal Olaf. It is attached to an elastic, and so when he reaches for the hook, he is able to bring the mobile to his mouth. The elastic is not too elastic though, because otherwise he could get hurt when releasing the mobile. He LOVES this mobile, as it makes sounds when he graps it, so it is rewarding for him.
having fun on the floorbed…
there are a few ressources out there about the environment of the infant. THese are the ones I used or got inspired from:
- Montessori from the start
-Albums from Montessori research and development
-And of course Finn’s room from Meg at Sew Liberated
As I am navigating in this world of homeschooling, unschooling and the such, I have also stumbled upon what a “rebellious” teacher calls un-education (la déseducation in french). which is a way of calling the compulsory schooling in which most kids are subjected. I am growing more and more aware of this, after reading many books by Mr Gatto, Mr Holt and other well known reasercher in this area.
I have stumbled upon a link to 2 ONF videos that really are striking in regards to education and how things are handled in our society.
The first one is a tale of a young kid that is being overdosed by his parent. No, we are not talking drugs, but activity! He is clearly going through a time-deficit disorder, a syndrom that need to be invented if it is not already! SO many kids are in this situation, and as a matter of fact, a lot of adults too! A good reminder to take some time to do nothing, to just live and breathe!
The second one really reminds me of my own school years, where creativity, and stepping out of the box was clearly NOT something that was really hoped for (dare I say discouraged…), and conformism was the clear (and yet untold) objective…
These video have been made by french people, and may contain french words, but there are only a few words said, so don’t be bothered by the language. You’ll get the point nontheless
Enjoy!
Well, first off, from my family to yours, merry belate Christmas, and happy (belate) new year!
May this year be a one filled with love, happiness and joy (and can I add for my own self sleep? – thanks to this little bundle of love…:)
We have been very busy during the holiday season, and so I decided to really focus on my family during this time.
Transitions and special occasions are always a little hard on my oldest son, and in those times, he always requires more mama time (bless him!)
When I was a kid, I used to really love Christmas, but not so much new year’s. I never really quite understood why, probably because there wasn’t as many traditions attached to it compared to our Christmas celebrations. But in the last few years, I have started to appreciate more this day, as I see it with new eyes. We still don’t have many traditions attached to it, but I now see it as a new beginning, a fresh and clean slate for the upcoming year. A time to pause and congratulate myself for the good things, and ponder over the not-so-good ones. And this year, this cleansing process, this assesment of 2010 was necessary. I really want to make (again) some more changes around here, I am ready to go onto another level of personal growth. I needed to really take the time to analyse what changes I want to establish which one to priorize and how to make all this happen.
2010 has been a year of research. A year of learning: new things, new philosophies, and also learning about me, my family and about llife in general.
2011 will be a year of appliying this, of making it happen, making the changes I am longing for. And I am excited. SO many possibilities seems available to me, it feels great.
So what is in store for me (us) this year?
Returning to work part time in september after having spent a whole year with my last born son (my last year of the kind sadly 
)
and maybe officially homeschooling my then-6-year-old son, whom I am doubting more then ever will start school at our local public school
Dealing with 3 soon to me mobile kids…that should by itself be a challenge!
and implementing those changes that I feel my family is ready for. Going to another level of APing, of sustainability, to keep on working with my oldest son (more about that in another post), continuying on making our house our home, changing our ways of doing of speaking of thinking in so many situations.
So it should be an exciting year. I hope you’ll stay along to share all of this with me!
goodbye 2010, hello 2011!
