We celebrated the girls birthday at school. It was a really special day. The whole family was invited to spend the morning with the girls at the school. We all got ready and went together, it was a chilly morning so I bundled up Landis and wore Phoebe in the Ergo. When we got there we dropped off the girls and the freshly chopped fruit we brought for snack. Then we spent about an hour or more outside enjoying the crisp morning and watching the kids play. They did their movement exercises greeting the day which was cool to be a part of, they have a greeting that they say to the sun, the day, their friends etc. it was a nice ritual. Then there was more playing.
After the morning greeting the teacher assigned tasks table setter and hand washer. Those children have to come in during play time to do their tasks. After more playing it was time for hand washing and circle time. The kids all line up, change their sneakers for slippers and wash their hands in a basin, a fellow student dries each of their hands. Then we all went in side.
The class all sat in a circle around a beautiful little table. On the table were two bees wax candles (made by me at a parent morning), two cakes, two cards and two gifts. Then the magic began. Ms. Susan started to tell a story about angels in heaven and what it was like to be an angel in heaven. The story goes on about a wall and a hole in that wall and the two angels that looked through the wall to the other side (the earth bound side). The little angels told their guardian that they wanted to have a family and go to the other side, it is then that their guardian began to look for the perfect family for the angels. The story goes on and eventually the angels make it to earth to their family. At this point I was asked to tell the girls birth story. The story that Ms. Susan told was so sweet and even though the kids hear it every birthday they were enraptured with the story and her storytelling. It was really wonderful. After the birth story the girls got to go around the class and show them things from their birth, blankets, pictures of them in the NICU, their first outfit etc. The girls had picked out what they wanted to bring from things I have saved. Oh the kids were so excited to see their pictures and things, lots of oooh and ahhing and “is that really you,” or “which one is you.”
After the show and tell was over it was time for the cake. The candles were lit (both on the cake and the beeswax ones) and the girls got to blow them out. Then all the children started singing “smoke fairies come to me.” Since candles are used every day in their class they have learned that if they sit in their chairs the smoke fairies will come to them but if they get up and approach the candles the fairies will go away. The kids believe this within their hearts and all sit and beckon the smoke fairies to them.
After this the girls got to open their gifts and read their cards from the teacher. They also received their cards from each student and we read them all aloud, so cute. They each had a birthday wish for each of the girls and they were a crack up.
Then the class got ready for snack. Everyone washes their hands and sits at their seat (the chairs have their symbols on them and they are moved every day). Then it is quiet time while the quiet candle is lit, they bless the snack and thank their teacher for making the food. Then the teachers serve each of the children asking them what they want. On this day it was barley and kale with sunflower seeds and soy sauce. After all the children are served they blow out the quiet candle and the kids can talk. Then it was time for cake, cream that the kids had whipped earlier and fresh fruit. Lela had 4 servings of cake and the kids were all thrilled that there were two cakes. The cake itself was more like a sweet bread than an actual cake. Then it was time to clean up and the kids went to their chores, composter collected all scraps, dish washers, dish dryers, table clearer and floor sweeper.
Then the class had free play, that was a real treasure to watch. Ms. Susan started to make bread and several of the children (including Piper, Lela and Landis) all drifted over to her and started to make bread. She sang to them and they kneaded their dough and made rolls. She never announces what she is doing she just does it and the kids seem to find their way to the activities that interest them. About this time Phoebe was getting too tired to stay so Landis and I left and came back to pick up the girls about 40 minutes later.
It really was a wonderful day and I feel so lucky to have found this school and the girls teachers. I only hope they keep some of this day in their memory even if it doesn’t resurface until they read this blog years from now.
Happy 6th Birthday little cherubs:)