Mateo at Bluebird Montessori

So Mateo started Bluebird Montessori Preschool this January once he turned three...for those of you who are keeping track, this is DIFFERENT than Community Roots School which is the public school that Matt and I have been working to open in the local school district. Mateo won't be old enough to attend for at least three years, so we have committed to sending him to this Montessori preschool until then. We thought you would enjoy a glimpse at what the Montessori world looks like...

Mateo with his teacher Terri, getting a lesson about a snap frame. Everything in the classroom is kid sized...

Mateo working on planting some seeds in the Bluebird garden. He is able to narrate that they planted seeds, then it rains, then flowers grow...

Mateo eating lunch with Grace Traeger...yes, everything in the classroom is real, just kid sized. Those are glass glasses, and he is using a REAL apple slicer...I am constantly amazed at how capable he is at age three...beyond my imagination!

Mateo playing with the cylinder blocks...you match the tubes by size to the holes...

Mateo doing a continent puzzle...again, not something I ever imagined a three year old could do...but he is beginning to get the hang of it.

I think the thing that Matt and I feel most strongly about is how Montessori allows Mateo the freedom to learn as he needs and wants to...not as the system requires him to. This weekend, my book club friends were constantly saying how amazed they were at his thought process...I wish I could take even a little credit for that, but in truth it belongs first to Matt and then second to this wonderful place for him to learn.

Thanks to those of you who have sent donations in support of the Community Roots School effort...if other of you are interested, just let me know and I'll get you the information. In the meantime, we are taking all the prayers we can get.

Hugs from Silverton, Sarah

Book Club at the Beach...

So book club came to Oregon to see Kristi Rose who is doing her intern year at SUNY in Long Island, NY and she has only two weeks of vacation for the entire year, and she is choosing to spend a few of those days with us...Teresa, Patty, Marnie, and her daughter Ellie made the trek from Boise to spend time with us. This is Patty conferring with Matt feet from the ocean...which is feet from our front door...

Eagle Scout Matt packed everything for us to make the trek...and remembered everything but a jacket...so after an emergency stop at Eddie Bauer and found a jacket...but didn't remove the tag...his wistful look.

This is Kristi and Matt trying to fly a kite...a perfect beach activity...but no wind...normally not a complaint-as it was actually quite nice temperature on the sand...the downside is it is difficult to fly a kite with no wind...so Harry Potter was beach bound.

Matt the Eagle Scout packed all these sand toys for Mateo and Ellie to play with...

This is us all dressed up at the fundraiser for AC Gilbert House...one of Mateo's favorite places. We went with our friends with Greg and Angela Murphy...Angela works as the book keeper at AC Gilbert House. The fundraiser was out at the Willamette Valley Vineyards...so there was even good pinot to be had.

Love you all and especially grateful for time with good friends...Sarah

The month of celebration begins...

Yeah!!! What a magnificent day...I slept in today because of a bad head cold (not so fun)...but by the time I got up, I already had a text from my dad and four voice mails wishing me a happy birthday. Throughout the day, people I know and love showered me with affection. A guy who works for me got me flowers...Matt brought Mateo to work carrying a Happy Birthday Frog Balloon Bouquet and some yellow tulips...and I connected with my old boss Barry. Then, Nona hosted a fabulous feast for dinner...Alaskan King Crab topped off with Lemon Chiffon Pie. There were presents to be had, and cards from friends.

But the best part of today, the thing that makes me smile the most? It begins twenty days of celebration in our family...we go from my birthday (Feb 5) to Valentine's Day to our wedding anniversay (Feb 15--6 years this year) to the first day we met Mateo (February 18) to Matt's Birthday (Feb 25)...this month is for celebrating life, and love, and family.

Here's hoping the joy spills from this day to the next, and the next, and the next...

Love from Silverton, Sarah & Matt & Mateo

Just in time...

Since our blog debuted, we have never had a month without a post...and lucky for me, this post will occur just in time to make that still a true statement.  Today is an interesting day to return to blogging as it is the nineteenth anniversary of my mom's death.  It seems sort of morbid to number it like that...which is definitely not what I mean to do....but it really caught me off guard about how long it has been.  Today, I stayed home to honor her memory by being mom to Mateo full time today...we made sugar cookies in the shape of hearts, footballs, and helmets...it was a blast!!

Mateo has bilateral ear infections so we are on a second course of antibiotics...which of course is challenging when you are potty training...actually, he is almost entirely potty trained now...wearing diapers only at night...we've only had one accident this week.  Yeah for Matt...who is of course doing all the hard work in this task area.

I have been mostly focused on all things Montessori Charter School...the pictures attached here are from our open house last Sunday out at our new school location...we are so excited to see the dream finally become a reality.

Matt and our friend Miranda Traeger...

Miranda and me (sporting a new Community Roots School hoodie!!)

Our new school's logo...our graphic guy Bart is PHENOMENAL!!

And the other two pictures are of Mateo at the beach for New Year's...which is a fitting way to end the post as the ocean had special meaning for my mom.  She found it relaxing, and I must admit, that gene was passed to Rachel and me both, I think.  I am centered there...so, tonight, my prayer is that mothers are honored and appreciated while they are around, so that there is not remorse when they are gone.  I pray for daughters growing up without mothers that their burdens are light and their support systems are strong.  I pray in appreciation for my mom, who I think would be proud of me, and whom I hope to be half the woman and mother she was to me.  

Peace and Oceans be unto you all, Sarah

We're back...sort of

Hi friends,

So sorry for the long time since the last post. All our pictures are stuck on a computer that has not had internet access, and then it is a big project to fix it. But, we got iPhones for Christmas, and so I have a few pictures we took of the festivities...so here is an interim post, until we can get some of the back pictures moved to the laptop...

Mateo got to carry up a lamb as part of the nativity scene at church. I was in the back with him, so worried that he wouldn't follow the directions, that he would stop when he saw Matt, that he would get to the front of the church and then not want to hand over the lamb. All my worries were for naught, he did exactly as he was supposed to--and by several accounts was the cutest boy in the whole procession!

Cousin Tegan also has an iPhone and took this picture of Mateo and Uncle Dan. Mateo is wearing a shirt from Tegan with "Everyone Poops", while reading a pop-up snowman book from our friends Robin & Jill.

Tia LaLa made this coat and hat for Mateo last year, and it fits way better this year!! Notice the special jingle bell adornment...he didn't want to take off the hat for anything!

We learned from our friends Jim and Marnie that a noble fir that is untrimmed, looks so nice. So we went in search of one just like their...we were in luck when we found out that our vegetable co-op supplier had trees just as we wished for. This was the before picture...no after picture, because it took all day for Mateo to open his presents and then it was too dark for a pic!! He wanted to open it, play with one, have someone play with him, then onto the next one.

And the Christmas morning spread...always more to eat than time to eat it. One of the few times, I rejoice in having cookies for breakfast. Warm wishes from Oregon where it has been snowy for days, but finally, is warm enough that our street is open for the first time in more than two weeks. We love you...more posts soon, I promise.

Hugs from Oregon, Sarah & boys