Montessori and Original Sin

One day, I gathered all my notes to write something about Montessori and Catholicism – specifically Original Sin, since this seems to be a huge sticking point – if Montessori sees only the good in a child, what about Original Sin? And what about “breaking the will”? And how could we dare just “follow the child” because their errant ways will only lead to more errant ways if they have complete freedom!
Well, besides issues of the balance of freedom and responsibility which is inherent in all properly Montessori environments, and the fact that we follow the child only within a prepared environment full of only good choices, I might mention that Montessori emphasizes time and again that when once a negative action or behavior shows itself we nip in the bud – no warnings, no 1-2-3-Magic, no “reasoning” with the 3 year old. But no strict harsh punishments either – we simply stop the behavior and move on. Don’t LET those bad habits develop! As the child ages, more reasoning can occur, but by then, the child has been formed in many good habits and the negative things that come up can be dealt with as they happen. Anyone who says that a young child cannot then possibly reveal anything beautiful and holy to us adults, is not obeying the Lord’s words, “Let the little children come to me, for heaven belongs to such as them.” Hm. Original Sin. Yet heaven belongs to the children, not to adults.

But someone else has said all of this so much better than I could! In googling to find more information and supportive documentation, I found the following site (please visit to read the full article) and I LOVE this paragraph in particular:
http://www.catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=3541
Montessori held and applied the Catholic teaching that man was not completely corrupt with the Fall. She said that “in spite of the moral disorder brought about by original sin, there still remains in human nature a great potentiality for goodness.” Montessori used the analogy of wheat in the field to make a point about the natural goodness latent in all children. (51) Inferior wheat plant can grow in the fields without cultivation. Destroying them does not guarantee a good harvest. If the good wheat is to grow it must be cultivated and if it is, the inferior wheat seed will not be able to grow. Montessori says: “The key to the problem is, therefore, not to destroy evil but to cultivate good.” (53) Thus allowing the roots of good to sprout in the child´s soul.
And there are all of her own writings – if you read them in full context, they explain themselves! Be sure to look for older publications as somewhere in the 60s, many of her books were re-printed with huge religious sections removed. So newer printings have been heavily secularized.
………………………………………………..
And then I found these:
http://www.nsmontessori.com/NSMCH2.htm
To ignore the child’s spiritual nature is to ignore the very essence and purpose of education.
It is important, in this light, to make Dr. Montessori’s understanding of the nature of the child clear.  She considered the child to be good, but broken.  The child is good in that he is created to be good, and broken in that he is subject to the effects of Original Sin – as St. Paul lamented in his own behavior – not doing the things he wants to do and doing the things he does not want to do.  Her method, she believed, removed many of the obstacles that result in frustration which causes children to lose focus on learning and therefore display ‘broken’ behavior.  By freeing the child from these frustrating obstacles, the child becomes able to develop naturally and normally as God had planned.  This process she called ‘normalization’.
“Experience has shown that normalization causes the disappearance of many childish traits, not only those which are considered to be defects but also others which are generally thought to be virtues…  The disappearance of these childish characteristics shows that the true nature of a child has hitherto not been understood.  The universality of this fact is striking, but not entirely new since from the earliest times a twofold nature has been recognized in man.  The first was given him at the time of his creation.  The second came as a consequence of his first sin, a violation of God’s law.  Because of the fall, man was deprived of the blessings of his earlier state and left to the mercy of his surroundings and the illusions of his own mind.  This doctrine of original sin can help us understand what happens to a child.”⁽³⁾
http://www2.talbot.edu/ce20/educators/view.cfm?n=maria_montessori
(an article about the development of her spirituality)
Montessori in 1948 is reported to have lectured in London where she stated:
I see it-this Original Sin-who would not see a thing so evident? In the depths of the human soul is the possibility of continuous decadence…In fact, there are innate tendencies in man’s soul which lead to maladies of the spirit sometimes even unknown to ourselves, just as the germs of disease may work silently, and unknown. This is the death of the spirit which brings insensibility with it. These tendencies come from the soul itself and not from the environment

Montessori and Original Sin

One day, I gathered all my notes to write something about Montessori and Catholicism - specifically Original Sin, since this seems to be a huge sticking point - if Montessori sees only the good in a child, what about Original Sin? And what about "breaking the will"? And how could we dare just "follow the child" because their errant ways will only lead to more errant ways if they have complete freedom!

Well, besides issues of the balance of freedom and responsibility which is inherent in all properly Montessori environments, and the fact that we follow the child only within a prepared environment full of only good choices, I might mention that Montessori emphasizes time and again that when once a negative action or behavior shows itself we nip in the bud - no warnings, no 1-2-3-Magic, no "reasoning" with the 3 year old. But no strict harsh punishments either - we simply stop the behavior and move on. Don't LET those bad habits develop! As the child ages, more reasoning can occur, but by then, the child has been formed in many good habits and the negative things that come up can be dealt with as they happen. Anyone who says that a young child cannot then possibly reveal anything beautiful and holy to us adults, is not obeying the Lord's words, "Let the little children come to me, for heaven belongs to such as them." Hm. Original Sin. Yet heaven belongs to the children, not to adults.



But someone else has said all of this so much better than I could! In googling to find more information and supportive documentation, I found the following site (please visit to read the full article) and I LOVE this paragraph in particular:
http://www.catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=3541

Montessori held and applied the Catholic teaching that man was not completely corrupt with the Fall. She said that "in spite of the moral disorder brought about by original sin, there still remains in human nature a great potentiality for goodness." Montessori used the analogy of wheat in the field to make a point about the natural goodness latent in all children. (51) Inferior wheat plant can grow in the fields without cultivation. Destroying them does not guarantee a good harvest. If the good wheat is to grow it must be cultivated and if it is, the inferior wheat seed will not be able to grow. Montessori says: "The key to the problem is, therefore, not to destroy evil but to cultivate good." (53) Thus allowing the roots of good to sprout in the child´s soul.

And there are all of her own writings - if you read them in full context, they explain themselves! Be sure to look for older publications as somewhere in the 60s, many of her books were re-printed with huge religious sections removed. So newer printings have been heavily secularized.

........................................................
And then I found these:

http://www.nsmontessori.com/NSMCH2.htm

To ignore the child’s spiritual nature is to ignore the very essence and purpose of education.

It is important, in this light, to make Dr. Montessori’s understanding of the nature of the child clear.  She considered the child to be good, but broken.  The child is good in that he is created to be good, and broken in that he is subject to the effects of Original Sin – as St. Paul lamented in his own behavior - not doing the things he wants to do and doing the things he does not want to do.  Her method, she believed, removed many of the obstacles that result in frustration which causes children to lose focus on learning and therefore display ‘broken’ behavior.  By freeing the child from these frustrating obstacles, the child becomes able to develop naturally and normally as God had planned.  This process she called ‘normalization’.

“Experience has shown that normalization causes the disappearance of many childish traits, not only those which are considered to be defects but also others which are generally thought to be virtues...  The disappearance of these childish characteristics shows that the true nature of a child has hitherto not been understood.  The universality of this fact is striking, but not entirely new since from the earliest times a twofold nature has been recognized in man.  The first was given him at the time of his creation.  The second came as a consequence of his first sin, a violation of God’s law.  Because of the fall, man was deprived of the blessings of his earlier state and left to the mercy of his surroundings and the illusions of his own mind.  This doctrine of original sin can help us understand what happens to a child.”⁽³⁾

http://www2.talbot.edu/ce20/educators/view.cfm?n=maria_montessori

(an article about the development of her spirituality)

Montessori in 1948 is reported to have lectured in London where she stated:

I see it-this Original Sin-who would not see a thing so evident? In the depths of the human soul is the possibility of continuous decadence…In fact, there are innate tendencies in man's soul which lead to maladies of the spirit sometimes even unknown to ourselves, just as the germs of disease may work silently, and unknown. This is the death of the spirit which brings insensibility with it. These tendencies come from the soul itself and not from the environment

Hot Fudge Topping - NO HFCS

Hot Fudge ice cream topping - or by the spoonful ;) (sh - I won't tell!)

I have really enjoyed the chocolate syrup recipe I discovered a few years back, but tonight I was in the mood for something different - thicker - gooier - hot fudge topping!

But there is always the dreaded high fructose corn syrup. Sigh.
I have come to the conclusion that such concoctions as HFCS are poison to ALL human bodies; it is just that some bodies can cleanse themselves better. When I have it tiny quantities (and not within about 9 days before the start of my cycle), I do just fine - maybe *slight* fatigue. Any more than that, and I am fatigued like I've someone unplugged the energy plug from me - like a deflated basketball. Thud.

So I started the dreaded web search - how long would it take me to find the perfect recipe?

• NO HFCS.


• Simple to make - even my son could make it.


• Few ingredients - and all-natural. (white sugar is ok)


• Ideally pure ingredients - as in the ingredients listed are just one ingredient by itself (for example, "bittersweet chocolate" has more than one ingredient, so that wouldn't work - see, then I'd have to check THOSE ingredient lists and that's just getting too much for what should be simple and basic)


• And it had to end up being cheaper than buying all-natural at the store (I am good with it being it more expensive than the HFCS-laced stuff if necessary)

Was there ANY hope for me!?

I FOUND IT!!!!

http://www.foodess.com/2011/08/cocoa-hot-fudge-sauce/

Cocoa Hot Fudge Sauce

• 3/4 cup sugar


• 1/2 cup cocoa


• 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk


• 4 tbsp butter


• 1 tsp vanilla


• pinch of salt

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar, cocoa and cream. Cook on high 2-3 minutes, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.

2. Stir in butter and cook on high 2-4 minutes more, watching closely and stirring every 30 seconds or so, until mixture thickens. Stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt.

(I made mine on the stovetop - obviously ;) - see images)

[caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="That is an 11.5 oz jam jar of hot fudge sauce - completely full - and then some in the pan (we'd already eaten some on a bowl of ice cream each - so perhaps 14 oz altogether? with some left for scraping ;) )"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Trying to show the thickness - I think a video would be needed for that though!"][/caption]

This stuff is SO DELICIOUS! I think I should boil it a bit longer to get it thicker, but as it cooled (still warm) it was quite thick already (please note, I did not boil it as long as the recipe says - I should have!). I was still separating turkey meat from bones in between making this hot fudge topping that the hot fudge was done before I was! It was THAT EASY!

Legoboy is already making plans for the jam jar we have so we can use it up and HE can make it ;) I think I'll have him add about half cup of peanut butter to it too next time - just for kicks!

(ETA: If you add peanut butter, decrease the regular butter by something - not sure how much - we did make a second batch - and the regular butter has separated out - probably too much oil from the butter AND the peanut butter together).

(I suppose I should note that most of these posts are scheduled out in advance - I sit down and write a bunch of posts in half an hour and schedule them out - so no, a week later I am NOT still caring for the Thanksgiving turkey ;) By the time you all read this, the turkey is safely in the freezer (or consumed! yum!))

Use it up!

Otherwise known as "waste not, want not." God instructs us to be stewards over the earth:

God blessed them, saying: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.

With these words, we are given the gift of God's own work. Not a one of us is worthy.

In exploring these themes in the CGS atrium, in our Bible studies and in our prayer life, my son and I have been doing all we can to use the gifts with which God has blessed US. Carefully, judiciously, always putting relationships with people first.

Well, in the food world - I got brave this year. And I cooked up the turkey gizzards too. In past years I have saved them for other people. I still had two packages in the freezer from several months ago, so I added them too. Wow, that was a LOT of meat! By the time I cooked it all down and shredded off all the meat from the next, that was more than enough for the gravy, but I kept going! I chopped up all the parts and mixed them back in, except the liver which I tasted and still couldn't stand (a stray piece still got in and I had it in leftovers on Saturday - even with lots of water and lots of delicious leftovers, it still left a nasty taste in my mouth for about 2 hours). So that is back in the fridge for something else (I'm up for ideas!).

And oh MY! Did the gravy have way too much meat (keep in mind this was gizzards times 3 ;))

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="This is room temp - so congealed, but it's barely runnier as warmed up gravy! "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Small pot: rest of the neck bones; large pot: rest of the turkey bones"][/caption]

Yes, that is a plastic bin for the turkey you see - it is one of two last pieces of plastic in my kitchen (my spatula handles are a hard rubber; as is the bulb on my baster; all bowls are metal or glass --- but I do have a plastic lid for a small rectangle glass baking dish into which I put slightly warm or room-temp items for transport). This is a tupperware measuring container with a pour spout, with a lid that has a little flip-cap for the pour-spout. It was (my maternal) Grandma's and I have fond memories baking with her as she used this for measurements... I only put in the gravy when it is warm, not hot or boiling, to minimize plastic exposure and I usually use it for pancake batter - it's perfect for my son to mix up the batter in and use to pour onto the griddle (see previous pancake post!).

So we're boiling down the rest of the bones to get all the rest of the meat bits - and to get some turkey stock to freeze for future use. I love my pint and quart mason jars! I've started using them for everything, even though I have a cupboard full of peanut butter, jam and sauce jars! Probably because the  mason ones can seal more properly; and I'm not purchasing jam and sauces anymore anyway (still some peanut butter because we can't seem to get any allegedly raw peanuts to sprout - more on that another day!).

The remainder of the bones then can be used in our homeschooling for a variety of purposes (science and art come to mind - anatomy, parts of the bones, archaeology), but I am entirely up to more ideas!

Yum - Pancakes and eggs

Made by the most beautiful boy alive!



Yummy eggs (once cooked fully ;) ). Our griddle requires a lid to be held over the eggs to cook the tops without cooking the centers - not a big deal, if not what I expected.



2 years ago I bought this HUGE bottle of syrup. Despite the fact that we use a LOT of syrup, we've not gone through it. Now, we still had 3 or 4 glass bottles (see left) to use up before we got started on the large bottle. Now I just wash out that glass bottle, transfer as needed from the large jug; and the large jug can be stored in the back of fridge out of harm's way. I have read about concerns about the age of the syrup - but if you keep it air- and moisture-tight, nothing has a chance to grow on it because of the relatively low water content. AND if something does grow on it, you can scoop it off and the rest is untouched. I've not had to do that with this syrup - but with other things in that past I didn't care for properly ;)

These pancakes turned out a bit thicker than usual. Probably because of the powdered milk rather than liquid (and usually raw) milk we usually use - but he added a bit more liquid, so I don't know.

In any case, breakfast was QUITE delicious! All I had to do was keep things cleaned up so our kitchen can stay consistently tidy. And he still made it to class on time that morning ;)

Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[caption id="attachment_973" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Thanksgiving Prayer Table"][/caption]

We woke this morning to a simple morning prayer, introductory prayers to the Rosary, long Scripture readings and a prayer to keep us humble and meek. Especially as we go into a season of the gimmes and gottahaves and justgottagetsforsomeoneelses. Gift giving is wonderful, except when it encourages pride in the best gift given - my own temptation every year, thus every year I force myself to give simple gifts. Serious pride issues.

To teach my child(ren) one thing

Outside of the faith, there is only thing I want all of my children, however many that may be, to know and to live just one thing:

Real women want a real man - DESERVE a real man - not in shining armor, but in armor that has been banged up and damaged because he has laid down his life for her time and time again. Perhaps not actually given up his life, but been entirely ready to do so and put himself out there to do so.

Real men want a real woman - DESERVE a real woman - who is WORTHY of losing his life for. Every day.

Men: be warriors.

Women: be worthy.

Sour dough... mmmm....

Several months ago, a friend from our church offered us some goat milk - fresh - raw - YUM!!!! We made yogurt and cheese and just LOVE IT!

This same friend also offered goat milk to another friend we have. He and his girls were supposed to make yogurt or cheese or something with it - he even went to the store and tried to buy cheesecloth (I ended up giving him some muslin). I recall they did do something with it all, but I don't remember what... ?

I do recall that he left it in the fridge so long (a habit over there) and it started to go sour. So he got this brilliant idea (hey, I may have thought of it too if I didn't know any better, so please excuse my sarcasm here ;) ) that one goes about making "sour dough bread" with "sour milk".

Ahem.

(that would be a "no")

 

So anyway. He went to the library and checked out books on how to make yogurt and cheese and... sour dough bread.Now, in his defense, there are people in our area who "make" "sour dough" bread but it is NOT sourdough bread. There is a huge difference. A huge historical difference, a huge health difference, just a HUGE difference!

Well, first off, those books overcomplicated the entire cheese and yogurt process. I gave him a stripped down version of those processes and he made a few things with success.

He did learn that one does NOT use sour milk to make sour dough bread - and that sourdough bread is actually one word on the "sourdough". He did not like the book and wanted to get rid of it right away. I convinced him to let me finish reading it first.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="239"] He had checked out the older edition of this book.[/caption]

I fell in love with the book! Went to the website and months later finally bought some of the sourdough starter in powder form... and it sat in my fridge until I could get jars. Then it sat in my fridge until I cleaned those jars out and went looking for the instructions (never did find them). Then it sat yet another week until I finally went BACK to the website to find that the instructions were included there for free. Yay! So 9 months after discovering it, and 6 months after purchasing the starter, I was ready!

[caption id="attachment_962" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Here they are at first feeding - just getting started :)[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="185"] One of the jars after the second feeding (had it started; then 24 hours in added a feeding - this is the following morning; when the other one exploded - leaking sourdough all over - AWESOME!)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_964" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I awoke to what sounded like a mouse having a feast on Halloween candy under our dishwasher. It turns out to be the sourdough starter oozing, bubbling and otherwise popping out the sides of the loosely attached lid! Very funny to see! Not so funny to have lost sleep over it! [/caption]

[caption id="attachment_965" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Scooping from one jar to another - as runny as it looks, that is actually sticking together quite well![/caption]

And it's ALIVE!

 

I have moral issues with tossing the halving down the drain - so it's being split into multiple jars until I get a chance to bake with it. I should bake with it NOW but I want to experiment first ;)

 

FlyLady and Catholic Hearts

Well... several years later, I have some updates....

First, several years ago, I tell in love with FlyLady. I knew there were areas we couldn't agree - and gray areas as well. But I worked it out. Instead of 5 areas of the house, I have 4 (I hve a much smaller home - and I look forward to those 4 weeks each year that are the "fifth week of the month" ;) Freebies!

The shoes thing.... It has always irked me. To no end. I couldn't just disagree and call it good. I think it is a rotten idea!

http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/fly-faq/#shoes

Based on her reasoning, the only reason I as a stay at home mom would want to keep my shoes OFF is because "only the kids will see me".

(please note when reading this list, when I first found FlyLady I was doing an in-home daycare)

Well..... I keep my shoes OFF at home for the following reasons:

• so I can feel like I am at HOME.


• so no gunk is being tracked in for babies to crawl through


• so I can BE on the floor with the children


• so the children can spread out a blanket and nap on the floor


• so my overnight children can roll off their mats onto the floor and be on clean carpet


• so I can keep my carpets cleaner - less time and money spent on cleaning (isn't this why I was doing FlyLady to begin with !?)

Ok, indoor shoes might work - then change to outdoor shoes.

Or not:

• baby fingers on the floor - crawling - playing


• with no shoes on at all, I can feel the carpet, I can feel the small items that fall and might choke a child, I will feel a baby's finger before stepping on it just too hard (yes, I should see the baby as well, but there ARE fast babies - and if I am carrying one across the room in a hurry (leaking diaper, vomiting baby), well, there just ARE situations where you see the baby but not the fingers.


• I am a calmer, more relaxed person without shoes on. I am at home. I am WITH the PEOPLE.

She also uses the reasoning about being a professional. Professional swimmers don't wear shoes when doing their jobs ;) Jokes aside, I am a mom, not a professional. I am ok with dressing neatly, brushing the hair (I don't wear make-up, even in truly professional situations, so I won't do it at home), always being ready to greet someone at the door - those things I am good with.

But I don't want shoes in my home. And for those people who stop by just for a few minutes so don't want to take shoes off? Well, it's those first few minutes when the most gunk falls off your shoes onto my carpeting and flooring - and I have the most cleaning up to do when you leave.

That is not me being mean or rude or obnoxious or controlling. That is me being realistic and asking for a little respect in my own home. I have only ever had issues with four people: a firemen who had to do a safety inspection for daycare purposes and the daycare inspection lady (both of whom put plastic bags over their shoes while walking ; my son's godmother (go figure - we love you anyway!); and the man I was courting for a year and a half (he was so used to wearing his shoes non-stop in his own home because of having a cat that vomited and pooped EVERYwhere) - and while he tried SO hard to be mindful of my requests, habits over-ride. And stuff was brought INto my home FROM his home via everyone's shoes that I won't even describe here. Ew.

Sorry FlyLady. No shoes in this home!

(and yes, when I can get away with it - no shoes OUTside either! ;) Easier to clean off feet before coming in, than it is shoes)