February: Anticipating

February: Anticipating

I almost called this first entry "waiting" but the excitement that I feel as we prepare for Juniper Glen to open in the fall is more than that. It is nothing less than gleeful anticipation. The feeling that you get when you put a seed into the earth. The sense of hope that you feel when you frame your degree and hang it on the wall. The inability to stop looking at an ultrasound photo of your niece or nephew in profile.The audacity and joy you feel when you and a handful of others decide to make a real change in your community. These feelings are not waiting. They are anticipating! 
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February is always a month of anticipation. We know that under the snow the grass is restoring itself. The bugs, bears and frogs have slowed their rhythm to simply exist with almost no activity whatever. Sometimes it feels that we should do the same - hibernate indoors and come out when we feel the warm sun in our blood. 

Community Connections

When I organized a Community Consultation to plan for a local Kinderhaus & Nature School on a snowy Candlemas day, I worried I might just sit alone "waiting" for people to come. Imagine my delight when parent after parent arrived and even interested community organizations showed up to share big dreams for our children. Over steaming cups of tea and with brightly coloured markers in hand, we shared ideas and I tried to keep up by scribbling notes furiously! 

And guess what? The seedlings have already begun to sprout! March is booked solid with interviews for prospective students and only a few spots remain for April's interview sessions!  

Joyful Preparations

So now what? Now we try out new bread recipes in anticipation of Bread Baking Day in our Kinderhaus! We pop popcorn on the stove, cut coffee filter snowflakes and stock our nature table with treasures we find in the snow. 

As the days lengthen, we bring colourful imported fruits into the home that are plentiful, tropical and at their best: kiwi, pineapple and blood orange. 

We hammer nails and rip out walls to bring more light and warmth to all our spaces in the Kinderhaus. Right now, my favourite task is designing a little reading nook under the stairs for when a student may need a little quiet time alone. 

For all these efforts I am rewarded in the mail with this beautiful diploma from LifeWays which confirms Juniper Glen as a LifeWays aligned program that seeks to create a home away from home for children in their kinder years! 

Cozy Hibernation

Then there are days where we imitate the chipmunks and curl up in our blanket nests. We play indoors creating small worlds of wonder and imaginative sculptures. 

At night we light candles, read and tell stories. We create our own warmth in anticipation of the warm days ahead. 

To register for an interview visit us here and to see the results of our Community Consultation visit the Facebook Page @juniperglenkinderhaus and check out the notes section!