tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50722887783955344642024-02-08T11:05:44.568-08:00Montessori: Living the Good LifeThis Blog is primarily about my book: Montessori--Living the Good Life,which is concerned about family life and Maria Montessori's way of educating our children toward a life of happiness and fulfilling relationships which will lead to a peaceful existence in the family, schools, and world and universal community. I hope to share my personal thoughts and feelings about other's ideas which contribute to the goals of my book: Montessori---Living the Good Life and to respond to readers' comments.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-54698204499744875682015-09-26T15:05:00.001-07:002015-09-26T15:08:28.287-07:00ANGELS
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My belief that a child is born an Angel is a cornerstone of
my reality. A newborn, an Angel, welcomed and appreciated in an environment of
love and goodness, will become a loving human being. Like a sponge they will
absorb their surroundings and create <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their
</i>cornerstone for a life of happiness or not.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes
Angels lose their wings. Stories are ways to let wingless Angels know the truth
. . . stories of truths that are too difficult to perceive or reflect on by
one’s self.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">My
first Angel story is about a young girl who worshiped her Father. He was her
fairy-tale prince and she was his princess. She imagined him like a God. There
was nothing he could not do. His gifts were plentiful. Joy surrounded her . . .
until . . . one day her happiness disappeared. She was eight years old.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Evie
no longer danced and sang her fairy tale songs; no longer dreamed of being a
beauty queen or a movie star, or marrying her daddy; no longer was she daddy’s
girl. Evie’s heart and soul cracked like the neck of a baby bird fallen from
its nest.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-16783119409255161692015-09-24T12:49:00.000-07:002015-09-24T13:03:17.615-07:00PROBLEMS AND TROUBLES I've had some technical problems getting started with blogging. Finally called my son for help. He's a whiz with computers. Expressing what is on my mind concerning my passion for Montessori education, has taken longer . . . like two years.<br />
Everyone, who has read my book,<em> Montessori, Living the Good Life,</em> knows of the blessings of Montessori experiences for family life. Montessori life in the home gives a family the greatest opportunity for happiness, peace, joy and love.<br />
But what happens when a family has problems . . . financial troubles that become a greater burden than their family life, their joy of life can handle? What happens when happiness is lost to despair and darkness? What happens when evil enters in?<br />
<em>Evie's Secret</em>, an historical novel, written during the depression of the thirties, answers these questions. Evie has a secret that reveals the joy and darkness of life.<br />
<br /><br />
<em>Evie's Secret </em>is not yet completed. My intention is to share chapters in my blog. Comments are encouraged.<br />
<span id="goog_1250092374"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1250092375"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-10381471836027215942013-06-09T17:39:00.002-07:002013-06-09T17:39:14.474-07:00ANXIOUS<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">I’m packing boxes of treasures and routine comforts. Our
beds and books are gone. Soon we’ll be stuffing our bathroom and kitchen
belongings in more containers. The sound of the ripping tape is getting on my
nerves. How long will it be before we connect with our attachments again? Maybe
two weeks? Exciting? An adventure? At this stage, it feels like an approaching
tornado.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maria Montessori tells a story of a young mother concerned
for her crying child who, for apparently no reason, could not be consoled. She
explains how young children have a sensitive time when they need their
environment to have consistency. The child cried because the mother had
disturbed the order of his surroundings by putting her coat in a different
place than usual. This sensitive period for order usually happens around the
age of two.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m feeling like a two-year old. Maybe it will help if I cry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-55312006539224549592013-06-04T13:18:00.001-07:002013-06-04T13:18:24.316-07:00CHANGE<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHANGE<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m moving.This weekend we had a moving sale, or garage sale
as is often called. The difference is that with a moving sale more pieces of
history are released into the hands of others looking for treasures.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For several weeks I have been cleaning out closets, dark
deep holes of space behind more spaces of unused, of once long ago meaningful
belongings, taking hours and hours of sorting and discerning—what to keep and
what to let ago, reminiscing over each picture, each prize and its day of
glory. Emotionally, it was exhausting. I’m thankful for the experiences of
joyfulness, yet very happy the days are done with. I’m happy to move on and
especially thankful for the friends and family who were there for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The experience was transforming. Letting go of my gems meant
a letting go of a pastime, a piece of life given away, maybe to be forgotten
forever; a time for tears and a bit of sadness. Nevertheless, as the days passed
I grew accustomed to the process and began to think about how another will
appreciate the goods for less than retail prices. I began to look forward to
the sale and feel joy in the giving. A change was happening. I became excited
waiting for the days of the sale.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I experience myself going through changes like this, I
can’t help but to relate the time to the development of the young child.
Thinking about the young child is a continuing pastime and passion for me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The conceived infant is on a pathway of constant change,
continually letting go of his history, of his flesh as he changes and develops
daily, minute by minute into a new being reaching out toward the goal of
someday being an adult. How desperately the growing child, the young teenager,
must need a friend who is there for them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Please read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good Life.</i> I’m
blogging on my website: </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-14230898951144998522013-05-27T14:44:00.000-07:002013-05-27T14:44:01.489-07:00BEAUTIFUL<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">I remember the exciting time when my first child was born
and the nurse brought him to my bedside. He was beautiful—no matter that his
head was cone shaped and his eyes crossed. He was the most beautiful sight in
the whole world to me that first morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why is it that all babies are beautiful? No matter bald or
cone-shaped heads, or different colors or features. To a mother and to a
father, the child is beautiful. You hear the phrase, <i>“beauty is in the eye of the beholder,”</i> but I think there is more
to it than that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The child is the incarnation of its parents. That is, the
child gives bodily form to his parents. The child is the flesh of the parent’s
love for each other. Each one giving their love to the other bares flesh,
another human being. This is truly a miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Much to think about this week—I best close for now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-62346926604256885022013-05-12T21:45:00.004-07:002013-05-12T21:45:51.548-07:00GRADUATION<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">My oldest grandson graduates this week. He played the Postlude
on the piano for his classes’ Baccalaureate service the night before last. You
could hear a pin drop before he was finished—the music was that moving. He has
been fortunate to have a loving environment with collaborative parents who
understood his moods and allowed him his moments of joy and peace.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maren Schmidt’s kids’ newsletter, <a href="http://www.kidstalknews.com/">www.kidstalknews.com</a> has a special conversation
on <i>Experiencing the Moment</i> with an
enlightening understanding of the child’s realization of joy and goodness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Music is a blessed media to escape the troubled world and
find peace in the truth of beautiful sounds. I’m pleased to know my grandson
will have his gift of music to share and will continue to create a life of his own,
and I'm proud of his courage and dedication to his talent and willingness to
listen to his own spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Please read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good Life.</i> I’m
blogging on my website: </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-47628277792136883662013-05-05T13:32:00.003-07:002013-05-05T13:32:56.831-07:00BAPTISM<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Through culture and traditions, the adult works to prepare
different environments for the child working to become the adult. One of the
environments the adult prepares for the young child is through the initiation
of baptism where the child learns to be one with the Holy Spirit. Through the
enlightened Word, the adult works to share their bread, their grace, with their
child.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The child, of course, comes to share his life that is
already grace-filled, already God-given; so we sing, <i>Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. </i>I wonder
sometimes, who is the lamb—the child or the adult?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peace can happen, and will happen, if the adult can <i>see</i>, can <i>be aware,</i> can <i>collaborate,</i>
with the grace of the child, and work toward an environment of love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maria Montessori's life work was for peace in our world. She
understood the potential peace, joy, and hope the newborn, the young child
brings. Through collaboration with the child she discovered ways to turn on the
lights for parents and educators. Living the life of the Holy Spirit helps a
great deal<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-38520481224978165392013-04-27T14:55:00.000-07:002013-04-27T14:55:05.412-07:00SILVER LININGS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hmm . . . how does that song go? <i>. . . look for a silver lining and . . .</i> . The young child <i>sees</i> the silver lining while the adult
is looking for it. We can learn from the developing child by recognizing and
understanding our differences. Adults can come to see the silver linings like
the young child if they can uncritically watch the baby or little ones do their
own work—not the work the adult is expecting them to do, or the work the adult
is teaching them to do. Sometimes when I’m not looking for it, I see and
experience joy and realize this is what the developing child sees most of the
time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But why does the child cry? That is where the work of the
adult becomes essential—the work of changing the environment so the child’s
happiness will continue. The adult’s work is to discover the cause of the
distress and to collaborate with the child to restore their joy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maria Montessori discovered the secret of childhood over a
century ago. She observed this eternal joy in the child and worked to encourage
parents to see how the child sees. Through her studies and observations she
created materials and a method for an environment for the developing child to
know joy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-13692478608148459192013-04-20T16:19:00.000-07:002013-04-20T16:19:54.379-07:00JOY<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Ted and I are moving. We both felt a sense of knowingness
when we stepped into our new environment but were hesitant to express it to
each other. </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">What if we couldn’t have this
new environment for keeps?</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> We kept our good feelings to ourselves, squashing
our timely moment of joy, as most intelligent house-hunting individuals would
do. This is the way of many adults. Their sense of knowingness is brief, like a flick of a bird in the morning’s light. Quickly the thought is clothed with
learned lessons of experience. The adult has learned to be cautious with silver
linings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not so with the young child, with the newborn. Their sense
of knowingness is on-going without review. Like a rose bud becoming a flower—the
learning is already perfected—the experience of joy is constant. Maria
Montessori reminds us that, “The things the child sees and experiences are not
just remembered—they form a part of his soul.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the budding child, eternity is not associated with time.
Time is a learned measure created by the adult and later taught to the child.
For the young child, eternity is an expression for what presently is—like a
lost moment in prayer or meditation—perhaps like a Buddha in contemplation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As best I can, because I want to learn
more from the child, I’m trying to understand, as Maria Montessori understood, the connection and the differences of the work of the adult and of the child. I believe it is the
responsibility of the adult rather than the child, to appreciate and collaborate their modes
of work. Perhaps the silver linings of the adult and of the child can be joined
to create a pathway to peace. Maria Montessori believed it so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-8066040552022321132013-04-12T22:47:00.000-07:002013-04-12T22:47:27.843-07:00RESURRECTION<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">What is resurrection like? I know there are many songs and
poems that describe it. My favorite is: </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Morning
has broken, like the first morning</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">. What is meant by the </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">first</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> morning? The experience of the </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">first</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> morning is what the child enjoys
every morning. The young child under three years of age remembers little of the
mornings before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A new day
is dawning, like the first dew.</span></i></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Can we as adults imagine what that must be like—awakening
every morning and not remembering the days before—having a clear mind to create
a new day—forgiving and being forgiven for hurts caused previous days and—having
a chance to create a new environment for loved ones?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That is what resurrection is like—what a young child
experiences every morning: Joy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-17190003321719867652013-04-06T18:15:00.000-07:002013-04-06T18:15:38.598-07:00TRUTH<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">I’ve been pondering over the ideas in my last two blogs.
Maria Montessori was the environment for the children because she knew the
truth of life, just as many parents, especially mothers, and a few teachers,
know the truth of their child’s life. They are born with the child as he emerges
and develops in the surrounding environment, becoming one with it—conquering it,
swallowing it like a starving animal, ravishing missed meals of many days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maria Montessori knew the child was hungry and had to be fed.
She spent the rest of her life doing so. Like Mother Teresa, Maria Montessori
knew and lived the truth of humanity: the work of the child becoming the adult,
the work of the adult becoming one with the child. I pondered this thought
several evenings this week, knowing I’m not there, still out of the loop when I’m
with the little ones. My experiences as a Montessori teacher were egocentric, I’m
sorry to say. I’m thankful my grandchildren are blessed with exceptional
parents.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One Easter morning, for a short time, my thoughts were resurrected.
I realized that my problem was my perspective. I have been looking through the
window of the teacher, the view of the adult working on the other side of the
glass knowing where I think the child should go, what the child should be, and
how the child should behave, should develop, in order to get there. For a few
seconds I wanted, prayed that I could <i>be,</i>
could experience being the child on this side of the glass not knowing my
future.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My imagination allowed me a brief Easter understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-34837284520087579262013-03-30T12:26:00.000-07:002013-03-30T12:26:16.905-07:00ENVIRONMENT<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">We speak of Maria Montessori preparing, for the children, an environment with materials and a method, which is what Montessori guides do
for their classroom children, what parents can do at home for their young ones,
especially their new born. Maria Montessori also organized classes for her
teachers and for parents and adults just as special organizations like AMS and
AMI and IMS certify our present day teachers, or guides as we call them, to serve
our children.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I think I read recently that we have
over seven thousand schools or more, worldwide, with certified teachers to use
Maria Montessori’s method and materials—an enormous gift of
life for our world, for our planet, Earth. We, as Montessori guides,
assistants, parents, and enthusiasts are gateways to peace, thresholds to the
joy and love that poets write about, because we love humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But . . . there is more. Maria was a
scientist, studying to understand the talents of this new being that others
didn’t seem to recognize or appreciate. She brought to life the concept of the
child’s intelligence to self-develop. It was her work. Her faith in the child
called her to do this work for the rest of her life. She mirrored, modeled for
her students what was normal for them. She knew what was normal because she
lived her life for the child, for others. She not only studied and prepared the
environment—she was the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parents, teachers, leaders, and young
people—we are the environment that will create the new world and continue to create new beings. What we choose to do with our life, matters. Having faith and hope in our selves, matters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> I’m blogging on my website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-53439509851605976772013-03-23T23:51:00.002-07:002013-03-23T23:51:34.931-07:00HUMILITY<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">To be born with the child we have to </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">be</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> humble like the child. We have to </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">be</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> and see ourselves </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">out of the box.</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> A child has, knows,
faith when we are their environment of God to them. They can venture out to the
edge of the stair because they know we are there, watching, and will be there
if they fall. That’s our work, to provide a safe environment, both physically
and mentally, for the child’s creation of faith. Later, with their gift of
faith, they will create their own faith environment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maria Montessori understood this work
of the child and created materials and a method to aid children in their efforts.
She had to be humble to allow them to toil independently, sacrificing her
authority in telling them what to do rather than showing them the process with
great humility. As parents of small children, we are their God, and we must
accept this role with great awe and unpretentiousness, otherwise we risk becoming
arrogant tyrants, heaven forbid, taking charge of their life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is no different for us as adults.
We have no right to take charge of another’s life. If another should ask and
benefit from our assistance, then think of the small child, and <i>be present</i> with them respectfully,
showing faith in their potential goodness and greatness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> And check out the website: </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-61786120640109406682013-03-16T22:28:00.000-07:002013-03-16T22:28:01.572-07:00ORGANISMS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">“No one puts new wine into old
wine-skins, or else the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, destroying
the skins. New wine must be put into fresh wine-skins, and both are preserved”
(Luke 5:37-38).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maria Montessori tells us that to
change a generation or nation, to influence it toward good or accentuate
characteristics of a people to re-awaken religion or add culture, we must look
to the child, an organic unity that is yet being born. We must be willing to be
born with the child, to be an organism willing to let go of our old wine-skin,
willing to taste the fresh wine of the new-one and realize and appreciate our
common humanity—ready to work toward our cosmic destiny of peace. Wars happen because
we don’t comprehend or appreciate our shared humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tonight I listened to a speech by Dr.
Ben Carson, a neurologist, brain surgeon, and author of<i> America The Beautiful</i>. He
spoke of the urgency for us, as adults, to unite in “human civility” to do our
work of bringing truth and justice to our nation, an essential environment for
our children to manifest their potential for creating peace on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How do we <i>do our work</i> when truth or justice is disrupted in our own lives;
when our environment is not a peaceful one? Surely the child will suffer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part Six in my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good Life</i>, speaks
of the mistakes we all have made in our own lives and how to face them and put
them to rest. I think the ‘<i>twelve steps’</i>
were created for all of us and are essential steps toward our well-being and a happy
environment for our children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
Please read my book, <i>Montessori--Living the Good Life</i>, and my website, www.montessoritheory.com</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-7968606762957063632013-03-09T15:32:00.001-08:002013-03-09T15:32:38.175-08:00FAITH<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">I
watched a delightful movie last night—</span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">I Am
Sam</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">—about the bond between a retarded father and seven-year-old daughter,
Annie. When authorities gave Annie to foster parents, Annie and Sam had to
fight with faith to maintain their relationship. Annie never gave up and wouldn’t
let Sam give up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Faith
is a natural reality for a young child who knows happiness. Annie was loved by
her father since birth. She couldn’t live without him, without his being
present to her. Annie’s story made me think about children who haven’t been
loved, haven’t found happiness, who don’t belong; children who are disruptive
at home and in school, who do not have self-knowledge or faith in themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maria
Montessori was concerned about these unhappy souls and found a way to bring
them to happiness just as our Montessori guides work to do in their classrooms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How
does <i>faith</i> come to be if not
naturally, as in Annie’s case who was loved from birth? We have to work for it.
Maria Montessori called this activity child’s work—the work of becoming an
adult, the work of receiving the gift of <i>faith</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have
you watched a child build the pink tower or complete the metal geometric
puzzles? The child has seen it done and will work to do it herself because she
has the gift of faith. <i>Faith </i>is not
giving-up, not quitting. Maria Montessori created an environment with materials
and a method to allow children a way to self-knowledge and discernment to <i>know</i> <i>faith</i>—upon
this rock will a new world be formed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-63564920825686167922013-03-02T19:48:00.000-08:002013-03-02T19:48:04.141-08:00MONTESSORI CONGRESS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I read an interesting, provocative
blog today by Laureen Golden. She asks, “Might the unprecedented collaborative
commitment of Montessorians throughout the nation signal the birth of the ‘Montessori
Community-as-an-organism’?” Perhaps she should say, “through-out the world.”
Those of you who are fortunate to attend the coming International Congress in
July will have an opportunity to connect with this global Montessori community.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">New knowledge and understandings of
our life on earth can create movements in education, both in the home and
schools, which in time cause changes in our direction for learning. Every day
we learn something new about our body and brain which in turn influences our
choices of behavior and causes us to reflect on our lessons to our children. We
work hard as adults to <i>learn</i> our kids—to
help them be smart or smarter than we are, when all we need is to want for
their happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How can we get this across to humanity’s
current culture of <i>neediness</i>? Only an
<i>organism</i> can effectively change a
culture. The <i>beingness</i> of an organism
can make changes in itself. Montessori education is an <i>organism</i> of believers in the child who is a being who makes changes
in its self. The coming Congress gathers to spread this Good News.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-25741793704004093472013-02-23T18:23:00.000-08:002013-02-23T18:23:57.488-08:00FAILURE<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">No parent or teacher wants to admit
they have failed. Rather, we blame society—the government, the President, Congress—they
have failed to represent our needs, to spend our taxes wisely. There is always
someone else causing the problem, causing the failure, causing the misbehavior,
the violence and abnormality in the classrooms. Let’s get rid of guns so these
abnormal humans can’t shoot our loved ones, some suggest. Others realize that
the problem is us and give up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cultural changes are happening but not
everyone is on the band wagon. Many have missed the train. We are not a small
town, one state, or one nation society anymore. We have gone global. Technology
and media have brought the world to our living room, the universe to our back
porch. It has happened so quickly—can we not expect some craziness?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How can we catch up with human
reality? How can we be present to a life that is the same for all people yet
experienced and acted out differently by citizens in countries around the
world? We are not happy with others who don’t behave like us. We think if we only had
control, we would find peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maria Montessori knew that worldwide
peace is possible because she understood the work of the child who knows peace
when they are born. Their work in becoming an adult is to manifest this peace.
It is their gift to the world, to the universe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I have chapters in my book,
<i>Montessori—Living the Good Life,</i>
which explain Maria Montessori’s method and lessons on social training.
Cultural change is happening all over the world, especially in Montessori
schools. As a retired Montessori teacher, I’ve taken on a mission to spread the
good news by writing about Maria’s way. If you are interested in a
complimentary copy of my book, please email me at: <a href="mailto:connieripleylujan@gmail.com">connieripleylujan@gmail.com</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-20647595264075637342013-02-17T13:22:00.001-08:002013-02-17T13:23:21.479-08:00SOCIAL TRAINING<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Maria Montessori, a doctor of
medicine, a psychologist, anthropologist, biologist, and philosopher, began her
work as an educator of children with behavior she considered abnormal and
deficient in social training, In other words, they were naughty, disrespectful
kids.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If not in our own community, the media
brings us news of violence in our schools, of abnormal persons deficient in
social training, behaving abnormally with disordered use of guns and respect
for the lives of others, as well as their own. Many consider them to be evil.
Certainly, their behavior is evil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m not sure how to say this
effectively, but I’m thinking that if more time, talent, and funds were spent,
in our homes and schools, on social training and activities to recognize and
correct disordered, disrespectful, and abnormal behavior, then maybe society
would discover and correct the roots of their violent behavior before a child
leaves elementary school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This cultural change will require
dedicated training and education of our teaching force at home and school along
with major changes in policy and curriculum. My book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good Life, </i>emphasizes the importance of
beginning this change at birth to six years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-64350569195055301752013-02-09T17:01:00.001-08:002013-02-09T17:08:11.616-08:00INTELLIGENCE & COURAGE<i style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">(Blogging -time out) </span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">I was out of the country for a month and unable to post with the Google in Mexico.</span><br />
<h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Ted
and I were on vacation at a gated resort in Mazatlan, Mexico. We have been going there
for several years. As our bus brought us in from the airport, we passed a truck
with several soldiers standing alert in the back with their rifles in hand.
Their faces were covered with black masks which, we discovered later, were worn
to disguise their identity from the drug lords who would kill family members of
known soldiers. They were stationed there for our protection, we were told.</span></div>
</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">As
parents, we are soldiers standing guard to protect our children, both
physically and spiritually, body and soul. Like the teachers in the Connecticut
school, we stand ready to give our life for their lives because we know their
life, potentially, holds a greater value, a value beyond our dreams.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
are the rifles we stand guard with? As parents we are armed with courage and
intelligence to face the reality of our experiences. We know not all children
grow-up normal as all parents and teachers hope for. Should we expect adults
to find a reasonable control of weapons that can take lives? What have we
done about automobiles that also take lives? Do we have the courage and
intelligence to find restrictions in the use of guns?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lessons
are given, at home or in school, for a young person to know how to drive before
they can get a driver’s license. Why not require the same for gun use or
ownership? Maria Montessori, if she lived today, would perhaps have materials
prepared to introduce a youth to the purpose of guns so that by the age of
sixteen, a young person would know why, when, where and how to use a gun just as a five or six year
old has learned to cross the street safely. Dr. Montessori developed a method
with self-educating materials to encourage a child’s development of normal
behavior. For more information about her method and materials, p</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">lease
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good Life.</i> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/">www.montessoritheory.com</a><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-51457706878936381602013-01-05T15:11:00.000-08:002013-01-05T15:11:51.388-08:00REALITY OF HUMANITY<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Many
citizens argue that our reality is one of greed, afraid we won’t get enough,
don’t have enough, we want fulfillment and control, independence, freedom,
youth. As adults we pass on our needy ways, we teach our children to be needy, not
believing or realizing that the child’s reality is different than ours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Maria asks,
“How is the child to help in the construction of society?” She says, “By being
allowed to bring his contribution, his ‘Work’. And what is the child’s ‘Work’?”.
. . “the construction of the adult-that-is-to-be.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
basic need of the child is ‘belonging’. Given an environment of love, they will
work to develop their potentialities which will lead to normalization. A
contented, normal child, student, teenager, or adult, can learn to know how to
respect the use of guns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Stop,
look, and listen, before you cross the street.” Remember learning this lesson
as a child and in turn teaching it to our youngsters? Being hit by an
automobile is deadly—as deadly as being shot with a gun. Should we get rid of
automobiles and guns because of the potential danger? What should we do about
not-normal, annoying, and potentially dangerous children and citizens of
society? Surely, we, being normal loving citizens of society, know what they
need. What is the lesson we have to learn? <i>Stop,
look, and listen before we ask our Government to pass more laws.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> </span><a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.montessoritheory.com</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-1891964667277964372012-12-29T18:54:00.002-08:002012-12-29T18:54:59.711-08:00PEACE OR WAR<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">“Humanity
today” . . . “resembles an abandoned child who finds himself lost in a wood at
night, and is frightened by the shadows and mysterious noises of the night. Men
do not clearly realize what are the forces that draw them into war, (or the
need for guns), and for that reason they are defenceless against them.” </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work,</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> E.
M. Standing, p. 81.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She
goes on to say that, “there must be something radically wrong with our
civilization that it should be threatened in this way <i>from within.</i> The vast majority of human beings on this planet do
not want war; yet wars come. The causes of war, she would have us believe, are
not those which appear on the surface and immediately precipitate its outbreak.
They lie deep down in the collective subconscious of humanity.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The real reason”
. . . “is that something was wanting in the building up of our civilization. A
vital factor has been left out: and that is, the child as a creative social
factor,”. . . “we have only taken into account, “adult values of life.”. . . “regarding
childhood merely as a stage through which the individual has to pass in order
to become an adult”. . .“from the individual’s point of view.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Childhood
is more than this Maria tells us. Childhood is an important entity of its own .
. . “the other pole of humanity.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
we hold a babe in our arms, look into the eyes of a toddler, enjoy watching
their play, do we imagine or see them with guns or at war? Don’t we see and
feel a sense of hope that they will live in peace without guns? Isn’t Christmas
a time to foresee a world of peace?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maria
tells us, “The child and the adult are two distinct parts of humanity which
must work together and interpenetrate with reciprocal aid,”. . . “not only the
adult who must help the child, but also the child who must help the adult.”
More next week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Please read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good Life.</i> <a href="http://www.montessoritheory.com/">www.montessoritheory.com</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-149918968701977282012-12-22T16:58:00.003-08:002012-12-22T16:58:53.212-08:00GUNS<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">When
tragedy befalls us like the terrible event in Connecticut, Friday, December 14, sorrow
and broken hearts immediately follow. Humans are very good at holding on to
broken hearts. What else can we do about our natural feelings of sorrow and
pain? Can we sit and patiently wait for the healing? No. Grief comes quickly
and is depressing. It feels better to be angry. Even fear feels better than
grief or depression. Would you believe that? That anger and fear feel better
than to carry the weight of sorrow and a broken heart?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Feelings
of anger and fear can be good and can move us to intelligent action and the pride
of knowing we can and have to do something about our sorrow and pain. Action allows us to find company and join
with others who, like us, feel a need to do something. We are angry. Why, how,
did such a terrible thing happen? What can we do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
humans join in communion for action against such tragedies, there is usually
two groupings: those needing to express their fear and anger immediately, and
those who want to be patient and understanding with their own and others sorrow
and pain and to find a thoughtful way of preventing future tragedies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Will
consideration of guns or no guns give us a reasonable solution? To have or not
to have guns is an ancient paradox. Do we need guns? Do we have a right to bear arms? Will guns in
our schools and homes reduce the violence in our nation? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These
are questions on the minds of many this holy week of Christmas . . . makes me wonder what Maria Montessori would have to say about guns. They certainly would not
have been found in her schools or shelved in her classrooms. I’m going to think
about this until next week and see if I can make sense to the questions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> www.montessoritheory.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-45478917083506493412012-12-15T12:40:00.000-08:002012-12-15T12:40:21.245-08:00SANTA CLAUS <br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Time
to decorate for Christmas . . . "are we going to put up a tree this year, or the
manger scene I ask my husband? It’s such a hassle, bringing it up from the
crawl space. Why don’t we get a little table top one," I say. He nods okay with a glum
look which means he wants the big tree. “It’s tradition,” he says. “Well, maybe
not the manger scene?” I ask. Let’s go modern, I’m thinking. Another glum look.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fifty-two
years ago when my first child was born I ordered a beautiful manger scene from
Italy. Almost every year since then I’ve set it up. After placing the small
figures in a snow backdrop of white cloth with lights shining around and
through the cloth, the angel hanging on the wall, I feel a special contentment
as I stand and meditate on the symbolic meaning of the story of Christ being
born. As a mother, Montessori enthusiast, and guide, the story has great truth
and important teaching elements for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Santa
Claus is another Christmas story originating when an old guy with a white beard
put gifts in children’s shoes. Unlike the infant Jesus, a promised savior who
brought <i>hope to the</i> <i>people of a nation</i>, this old man brought
<i>hope to the</i> <i>children of poor families</i>. Both stories are tales of giving which
give us opportunity to express our traditions, or models to create new ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Parents
ask, “How do we tell our children about Santa Claus and be honest?” Maria
Montessori would remind you to not tell or try to teach—but to show. Create the
environment which has meaning to your family or community and your child will
absorb the truths you want to share.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Innocents Lost”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> the headline
reads today, December 14, 2012—a very sad day for all and for our nation. We
will need our stories to renew hope for our broken hearts, and to create a new
and safer environment for our young.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> www.montessoritheory.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-34856085945637633462012-12-09T00:27:00.000-08:002012-12-09T00:27:06.127-08:00REMINDERS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">“We have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative . .
. . “ Remember that song?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maren Schmidt had a good quote in her recent newsletter,
Understanding Montessori. “If you find yourself in a "crabby habit of
mind", shift your focus to the blessing instead of the criticism. Look for
the positive, knowing full well the negative is there. Find qualities to
appreciate and praise. What you feed grows, so feed positive qualities with
appreciation and ignore negative qualities as long as no one is hurt. As you
find qualities to be thankful for in your children and others, you will
cultivate an attitude of gratitude.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She quotes Dr. John Gottman who lists in his book, <i>The Relationship Cure,</i> about 75
qualities we can find to appreciate and praise. Some of these follow: loving,
intelligent, strong, energetic, persistent, funny, gentle, kind, relaxed,
beautiful, calm, tender, careful, strong, interesting and helpful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a scientist, Dr. Montessori observed these qualities in the
children and focused on the</span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> reasons to value them, knowing they are
attributes of the normal child.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The
work of the parent, teacher, or guide is to focus on, appreciate, and praise
the expected positive qualities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> www.montessoritheory.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072288778395534464.post-46561968919184360352012-12-01T23:20:00.002-08:002012-12-01T23:20:49.320-08:00HOLIDAYS<br />
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tis the season children get excited as they set their hearts on
gifts seen on television and in stores. Moms and Dads may feel the stress of
their child’s excitement for different reasons—like shortage of money which is
a problem this year with so many out of work. Christmas, like every day, is a
time for happiness but sometimes it doesn’t have a chance when parents and
children are forgetting how to relax and enjoy moments and treasures of everyday
pleasures of life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was intent on finishing my Christmas letters and shopping this
week, before the first of December. My mind, busy with mental lists, kept
waking me in the night, leaving me tired during the day and too exhausted and
short of energy I needed to accomplish my intent. Doesn’t make sense, does it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">What if I were a parent, or a teacher having to be with children
the next day and my child or one of the children in the classroom was
frustrated with the family stress of the holidays?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s not easy for a parent or teacher to let go of their own
emotional situation and consider the child’s point of view and emotional
feelings of the moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Montessori always paid attention to the troubled child,
first. She knew the upset child had the greatest need for appreciation and
praise.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please
read my book, <i>Montessori—Living the Good
Life.</i> www.montessoritheory.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369884232180657263noreply@blogger.com0