Waldorf, Icons and the Incarnation

I have many times started a post about Waldorf education. I never quite seem to finish it to my satisfaction. I am going to attempt again, as I was inspired by the homily this morning. This past weekend was one full of beauty and joy. More than I can grasp, or attempt to communicate. Sunday morning service was such a calm experience, as only a small number were able to make it down the icy, winding roads to our church. The power was shorting out so there were no lights, and the chairs had been removed in anticipation of the crowds coming to venerate the icon. I felt very present in the service that morning. Then today, we celebrate the end a season. We prepared for Christ's birth many long weeks, celebrated it joyously, gloried in the beauty of Theophany, that moment of Christ's revelation of himself to the world, and now today the season ends with one more reminder of the Incarnation. Christ, as any other child, was presented forty days after birth to be brought into the temple. The beautiful hymn which is sung every evening at Vespers echos that day "Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which You has prepared before the face of all people ..." Blessed Simeon, whose life was extended because of his doubt in the virgin birth, had waited his whole life to see the Messiah. He held in his hands the child who was God. Because of that incarnation, because God became man, we are saved. The Incarnation is what allows us to use icons within the Orthodox Church. Because God became man, we can depict Christ in his physical form. The Incarnation teaches us that the physical is important. We are not called to despise the bodies God created for us, as they were made in His image. We are not called to reject the physical world, as each part of its beauty is a small bit of His divine love revealed to us. I think that is why Waldorf education often appeals to Orthodox homeschoolers. While the spiritual philosophy behind Waldorf is not acceptable to the church, the reverence for God's creation is very much a part of the Orthodox church. We constantly appeal to the whole person throughout the liturgy. We are whole humans, and each of our senses was given to us that we might glory in God's love revealed to us each day.

"...Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phillipians 4:8

Peter Rabbit learns Math

Here is the Queen's birthday present.

It is also her math manipulatives for Kindergarten (shhh, I won't tell if you won't :)
Take a look at who will be joining us for math lessons this year!

As I have mentioned before, I am planning to teach the Queen her math lessons this year through Waldorf storytelling. I have been studying several resources, including Serendipity's wonderful Gnomes and Gnumbers lessons and the Christopherus math lessons. After reading these and getting a feel for the stories, I decided the Queen simply had to learn math with her favorite friends: Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Old Brown the Owl, Chippy Hackee, Mr, Jeremy Fisher and of course, Mrs. Tiddlemouse. I purchased the animals over the summer (these would make great stocking stuffers!). Now, our little animals needed a home for the year, and I have been in love with this fairy house for years, but could not bring myself to spend that much money. Then my mother said she would get it for the Queen's birthday. We ordered it, and it was enchanting, but a piece was broken, and it was rather large for the spot where I had envisioned keeping it in our schoolroom. As I prepared to send it back for an exchange, I just kept thinking, surely I can make something similar for a whole lot less. The next day I happened to see these pieces at H*bby Lobby - so, I sent the lovely but very expensive fairy home back, and decided to make one myself. It was not too hard - other than the hour my husband spent cutting the tree limbs (and the small argument it caused over trying to cut even lines on a curved tree branch :), I spent an hour drilling the holes and pegs to put the whole thing together - all in all - 2 hours of work, one fight and $15 - I think it was worth it :)

I added a silk we already had, glued two of the crocodile hunters tree blocks together to create a table, and spent $10 on fall leaves, flowers, a nest and a fall garland to decorate (the M*gic Cabin decorations are $40 per season :). Our fall counters are acorns from the back yard and those little seed pods that look like pumpkins. She will be getting the winter and spring decorations as a Christmas present this year.
So, now we are well supplied with those all important math manipulatives
(and I must say I rather prefer our set to these , given my great love for Sax*n).