A few weeks ago I had a strong intuition to look up the website for The Eugene Waldorf School. I had never seen the website before or been to the school, and I knew only a little about Waldorf philosophy. (We will be homeschooling Bracken. So far I’ve been inspired by books by John Holt and I had a feeling that Waldorf would inspire our homeschooling style too.) When I went to the website I was looking for festivals and activities that were open to the public, a fun way for us to get involved in the school on a regular basis even though we’d be homeschooling. I marked down the May Faire on my calendar, we definitely want to go to that. Then I saw something about a Toddler Parent Class once a week. My curiosity was peaked and I got excited.

Later that night I talked myself out of it. How would we afford it? Did we want to drive that far this time of year (when we usually have a break from all the commuting)? What if we didn’t like it?

That night I had a strong dream with a clear message. The next morning I knew I couldn’t dismiss this feeling and push it aside, I needed to pay attention to it. I called the school to get more information and they gave me the teacher’s number. We spoke about the class and I asked if Bracken and I could come to the first class and see if it was a good fit for us, before committing to it. She said yes. 

So we went. Jeff dropped us off and headed to his chiropractor appointment (he’s still getting back in alignment after the accident.) We saw the Waldorf School for the first time. When we walked into the room where our class is, there was sun shining in the windows that day. There was such a good feeling in the room and I loved seeing all the toys made with natural materials- wood, wool, and silk. It was simply lovely. There were little ones around Bracken’s age (the class if for ages 2-4.) Bracken’s eyes lit up. He was immediately busy in the play kitchen, gathering baby dolls to play with, and sitting in the little boat that swayed back and forth like a rocking horse. There was a moment I remember so fondly when Bracken’s whole face lit up and he giggled with glee while running underneath the silk tent a little girl had just made. It was so precious. But the class wasn’t only feeding Bracken’s spirit, it was rejuvenating for mine as well. All the parents did handwork (a sewing project) while watching the kiddos and chatting with each other. Then we had pick up time. Then circle time with songs and dancing. Then potty break and washing hands. Then a snack at the table, where the children bring in their baskets with a snack from home. Then story time. Then time to go home (or play at the playground for awhile.) 

 

As you can see, we had a wonderful time and couldn’t wait to go back again. Last week we were under the weather and had to cancel, but today we were back there for our second time. Jeff had a chiropractor appointment during it (which we are now scheduling at the same time, which works great.) The Waldorf School is now a part of our weekly rhythm.

Truth is, before we went to that first class, I was feeling in a slump where I was so incredibly exhausted every day. Coming home that day from that first class, I was so energized. It was an affirmation for me, like other times throughout my life, that when we feed our Spirit, we are energized. Of course we all get exhausted from time to time, just from daily life, but when we do things we love our bodies and Spirits respond with energy. What a good feeling that is.