The simplest things

If you know me, you know I have a tendency to jump head first into something I'm excited about.
Case in point--last week we signed Bo up for a Montessori preschool and since then I've checked out three books on the topic and visited several Web sites. I also donated away half our toys (and we didn't have a ton to begin with) and have begun trying to follow some of the principles of the theory with both girls.
I knew the basics before, but the more I read, the more I feel like we found the right fit for our family.
J and I have always said we only want a couple of things for our daughters: we want them to grow up to be confident, kind, independent women with a strong sense of themselves.
I know I'm just beginning to learn about Montessori, but I think it will be a great tool in helping them get there.
Among the things that Montessori teaches is to get babies accustomed to alone time. Teach them independence from the start. Dress them in a way that encourages them to move freely (i.e., no pants or dresses). Put them on their tummies as often as possible instead of strapping them into car seats and carting them around town.
A lot of what I'm reading makes sense. And a lot follows what we've been doing naturally all along.
So, the other day I "made" the girls a couple of Montessori-style toys, if you can call them that. I filled two wicker baskets--one with smooth rocks and the other with wooden clothespins. Simple, simple. When Bo discovered them on her shelf, she ran over to me with her mouth wide open and brought me each basket one at a time.
She immediately covered her big teddy bear in the rocks (it looked like he was getting a hot rock massage) and then sang happy birthday to him (???). Since then, they've also served as cat food (when she decides to become a kitty) and vegetables sold at her pretend farmers' market stand.
The clothespins provide at least 15 minutes--I'm serious--of continuous concentration, as she tries to open each one and clip it to the edge of the basket.
In the meantime, Magpie is on night three of sleeping in her crib instead of attached to mama in the family bed (not that Montessori likes cribs--they prefer a futon mattress on the ground so baby can scoot about). She seems to like waking up in there--when I spy on her she's all quiet and smily, looking around her new digs.
Recommended reading: "Montessori From the Start," by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen.