Small Wonders is Permanently CLOSED!

 Hello! Bonjour!

To every family, collaborator and friend of Small Wonders, Merci!

I waited as long as I could to write this message. I prayed about it. I cried...grieved immensely and made the decision that I didn't know that I could - not so soon.  

When I first told my family that I was going to open a bilingual Waldorf -inspired program, they were confused. When I asserted that our program would hand-pick the 'right' families for our program, they were horrified. They thought said it could not be done. They wanted to see the proof that there were people who had an interest in Waldorf - they got me there... (some parents had to Google the word), and worse yet, French as a second language...they were right, none of our parents had any desire for French language learning for their children.

My family wanted to see how a newcomer to this dayhome business could make "real" money being "picky" (their word not mine) with my clientele. I would like to add that I would never describe SW as picky—just uniquely niche. 

If you know me, you know I thrive on challenges. More importantly, I’m a forward-thinker who lives by the mantra: Go BIG or Go Home and I knew that failure was not an option.

I set out to do things differently from other dayhomes—and I brought you all along for the ride! 😉

Well, we did it! What started as a small dayhome, quickly evolved into a bilingual playschool within 2 years. Then came our next wonderful addition—a creative atelier. It was truly amazing, and, most importantly, so much fun!

I have seen so many of your children grow and learn, and I am proud of what WE all did. I am proud to call you all my family.

To our Incredible, Amazing sponsors and collaborators, words cannot fully express the depth of my gratitude. Your unwavering support and willingness to embrace my out-of-this-world ideas have left an indelible mark. You helped create core memories for the children in my care, their families, and my own family—moments that will be cherished forever.

From the bottom of our hearts...Merci...Thank you!  

Yours,

Salma + Iman + Amira

How we Spend our Days

There are seasons that require adjustments and I am smack dab in the middle of one right about now. I realized that I have been so busy with everything that I didn't even tell you all about my Lifeways of North America Waldorf training, which is a huge deal to me right now. It is a huge deal because I am studying, because I am doing something that is not directly related to my children -yep, you better believe it, and because I have loved Waldorf education for quite some time.

In our last conference call, we all discussed rhythm and the importance of it. Mary McConnell, one of our great mentors and teachers read a quote by Annie Dillard that just hit it home for me.

The quote, one of my favorite of all times goes like this:

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order—willed, faked, and so brought into being; it is a peace and a haven set into the wreck of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living.”

― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

Annie Dillard's quote made me question various aspects of my life, especially since COVID 19 began. 

Questions that I have reflected on are , do I love/value certain things or do I feel afraid to live without it? Or When was the last time I read or went for a walk alone or (fill in the blank).

Whether  my lifestyle's in line with my values, is one thing. Am I living life to the fullest? At my highest potential? That remains to be seen.

Please read my article written for LifeWays of North America here. 

Homeschool 2020/21 In Their Words

 We did a little fun project to celebrate the end of homeschool 2020/21. It was a good year. 

One of my goals was to learn, learn, learn more French and just to speak with my children every day for at least 20 minutes. We killed it. We are awesome lol. Rainman is really MY teacher. They all are, but he has literally surpassed me, and I feel so darn proud when he corrects my French and my accent ha ha.

Moonface has come a looooooonnngggg way. OMG, so proud of her spirit and resilience. I had a very triggering moment...actually a few when I realized that she was progressing in French and struggling in Math. This was the area where I struggled and it is what ended my love for learning French (for a period of time in my childhood). 

It's a journey, but I got this! We got this! I am pulling out all the stops to get some Waldorf math into our learning this summer...fingers crossed.

WildRose...oh geez, what can I say. She has been learning French steadily and I am very happy with her enthusiasm. She rarely uses the language, however, unless she is learning with Mme Amy (123 Petits Pas), which is a marvellous thing tbh, because I know it's there below the surface.

The one thing that I have to keep reminding myself is that every day is a day we will never relive. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do, and for some reason I find the most joy (which is a wonderful thing by the way) to be able to commit to this...whatever this is ha ha.

I love it! I love their responses :)

Happy end of the school year everyone! We are going to Ontario in a few weeks. I need a break :)

Dandelion Luminaries

✨ ¸.•*¨*.¸¸.•*¨`*•.whimsical dandelion luminaries

these were so fun to make and once again I was able to see how my children are so unique in their approach to learning and creating.

i set out after schooling was over to gather the dandelion puffs with all 3 kiddos.

of course WR took over and the rest is history.

this simple, sweet and magical activity is so much fun.

1. gather dandelion puff…be gentle 🤗. Use ✂️ to snip

as close to base as possible.

2. put your tea light in a mason jar (or) any glass container.

3. place dandelion puffs gently into the jar 

4. you can add other pretty flowers as well as one of my kiddos did for a sparkling pop of colour amongst the light

4. enjoy

note: if your kiddos want to keep the jar for a few days it’s a good idea to find a jar with a lid and tape the tea light under the lid (inside the jar) for easy access.

ALSO if you don’t want dandelions popping up everywhere, don’t let your kiddos bring the jars out into your garden 🙈.

 

Les Couronnes de Fleurs

 

Je suis très excitéé. MY latest bilingual guide is available. It's all about plants (les plantes) and seeds (les graines), BUT, it is so much more than that. There are many fun and easy activities to create, recipes to make, and learning to be done through exploration and collaboration. 

Creating these activities and guides for and with my children is so wonderful. Moonface and I worked on a flower crown together (while WildRose was napping...shhhhhh). I love how each of my kiddos have a different perspective when it comes to learning styles and interests. I also LOVE that we have the opportunity to make these wonderful creations and most of all - to share them with you!

New Guide available in ETSY. As always, please do contact me with inquiries.

Simple Sensory

Whether playing outside in nature, playing games, or playing with experiments, these activities will engage children’s curiosities and promote creative and critical thinking…mindsets that support children as they grow into a world that values independent thinking.I love sand and water play. It's not just for the kids, I too feel calm and centered when I immerse my hands in water, or weave my fingers gently in soft sand.
Sand and water play this week was simple. There were no planned activities- what's the need for planned activities, when children can simply explore and 

After all, sand and water provide open-ended play. I have never seen a child look at sand or water and ask what to do with it; they just know.

Candid + Shakshuka

This week we are working on my spring guide. I am going to be candid about creating my bilingual guides, and the business side of it. It is tough! Etsy is VERY new to us, and on a side note, we seem to still connect more with mamas on FB than any other platform so I don't know where we will be in a year.

This little undertaking - more for my children's learning than to become a business woman is a big deal, and thankfully we have quite a bit of interest. On the other hand, the amount of research, editing (Thanks to my friend Marie), and the testing that goes into creating the guides, and engaging my children on the homeschool front simultaneously is painful at times :).

One silver lining is that my children are now officially my business partners. Rainman has a good command of the French language. He helps me a lot. Moonface is creative and has an explorer's brain, and WildRose is at the perfect age where everything is EXCITING. 

And when you think about it, it just makes sense that technically these guides are "created" for children by children - with maman's help ha ha!

I allowed the kiddos to make the shakshuka recipe (a family favorite) with minimal assistance from my end. They were super excited (my little testers), and I was stoked to see that they got it on the first try. Cooperation is key!

We have some really fun and easy Eggs recipes in the spring 2021 guide, that we have tried and tried again. Lots on my IG if you want to see snippets of our days.

/ Moonface is also my photographer :)

Spring 2021 Nature Table

Rainman and Moonface have abandoned WildRose and I to create and gather for the nature table...boooooo! 

I was able to do basic French vocabulary with WildRose as we gathered our materials and sat at the table making it all look pretty. I am glad I still have my wild girl to create all this beauty with.

I hope the weather is lovely wherever you are.

Jouyeux Printemps!

Happy spring. 

Joyeux printemps! 

Although we've had quite a bit of snow since the first day of spring, I am not complaining- warmer days are definitely ahead.

We have been very busy learning French (spring) vocabulary, making spring crowns, spending our mornings in nature and baking yummy goodies. We hope that you are staying safe and warm...(until the sun decides to stick around for more than minutes.

Les Oiseaux - coming to Etsy

Working with my little curriculum tester  on our bird unit:). Coming to our Etsy shop very soon.