a little crafty nest

pantry goodness

The seed orders have been placed and now we await the lovely little packages to arrive in the mail.  Oh, just the kind of excitement needed right about now!  The days are lengthening, but it really feels like we are in the thick of it, still.

I find at this time, just before placing my orders, I survey the freezers and the pantry shelves.  Doing a little mid-winter inventory on our harvest season last fall, and wondering what we need more of in this year's garden, and what we could let go of to make way for something else.  It's rather exciting for me ~ perhaps that is rather telling of just how quiet and simple our life really is.

Every month, I bring up a box full of pantry goodness from the cellar.  It might seem like a rather, ahem, *careful* way of putting food by, but it works rather well for us.  Last fall, I stored all the canned goods by the month, ensuring that even in May before the garden is producing anything other than greens, we still are eating lots of canned fruit and chutneys and jams and relishes.  I often do way more applesauce and there weren't even any canned pears this year...that will have to change!

And then there's the monthly large shopping bag full of fruit and veggies from the freezer...

This is our February stash and these two couldn't be more excited.  They have grand ideas for Valentine's cherry tarts and chili with corn  in it, and frozen peaches to munch on before bed.  It is like a little holiday on the first of the month when I bring up the harvest from the cellar.  It is also a huge affirmation of all the hard work that went into preparing this harvest.  Good thing every year this gets easier with more helping hands itching to work!

And at this time of year, I love any feeling of holiday at all!

moments from the week

While last week was filled with flowing rhythm, this week was anything but!  I felt so challenged...by living with diabetes, by my children's energy levels, by my distinct lack of patience...Ahhh, it's been a tough one and of course, late at night lying in bed, I go over the countless ways I could have handled things better.  I know you know what I mean.  I really needed just ten minutes to myself to gather, to center, to regroup.  Josh is away on long long days, we don't see him at all until bedtime, and I have really felt the burn-out this week. 

I must add, though, that this is exactly where I want to be...at home, with my family.  I just struggle sometimes understanding how in the heck a western world's nuclear family is suposed to thrive, let alone survive?!

So this week, I have been experimenting with different ways to gain a few moments to myself amidst the bustle of living with three small people, with only myself to lean on.  It's a balancing act, this motherhood gig, I tell you!

However, the best way to center myself is to review the week in photos, and to see the happiness that was indeed there, shining right before my very eyes!

These three little ones are my joy!  I plunked the oldest in the snow, and the others gleefully demanded the same.  The snow is soft and heavy ~ Spring Snow.  I'm certain there will be colder days ahead, but the rink is finished and we are onto sledding and snowshoeing.  And yes, these are specatator sports...

We also did our new monthly visit to the library ~ how did I ever manage before the blessed library became a part of our life?  Forrest is so anxious to dive in, he hadn't even undressed completely before he was immersed in his new stash of books.

Youngest boy loves his books, too!  All the older people in the household model to this wee one just how wonderful books are, and he doesn't ever want to miss out on a thing.

I am also trying to incorporate a new quiet rest hour after lunch...again!  I could see how tired the older two were getting from late nights waiting for Papa to come home, yet they are too old to nap.  So I purchased some inexpensive CD players for their bedrooms and while I lay down with Huckley, Forrest and Sunshine sit on their beds, reading, drawing, or making puzzles while listening to a story or soft music on tape.  Right now, James Herriot's collection is a favourite.

I have never "plugged" them into anything before, but it is sitting well for me.  After a short while alone, I went and sat beside Sunshine while she lay quiet, basking in the warm winter sunshine streaming in her window.  It was so lovely to snuggle and cuddle my sweet girl for half an hour, alone.  I think this is going to be a helpful activity to give me some much needed quiet time...and the children, too.

We have also been spending some quiet afternoons by the fire playing these cooperative boardgames.  Do any of you know about these games?  They are really very simple, ranging in skill levels but many games can be played with 3 year olds.  Our favourite right now is Snowstorm and we all work together to clear the roads so we can get our errands down about town.  Good times!

And then, there has been handwork...lots of embroidery and (finger)knitting...a true joy for me to see my own children delight in handwork.

While it was a hard week for mama (and inevitably everyone feels that, right?), I look back and see that there was a lot of goodness, too.  It is so helpful for me to savour these little ordinary moments, at the very least they are a reminder that there certainly is some beauty radiating out of these three sweet souls I am honoured to call my children.  What wonderful teachers they are for me...I am truly blessed!

Have a lovely weekend, friends, filled with beauty, goodness and Light.

moments from the week

Sometimes, the camera card reminds me of the week we've had...the photos ~ and moments ~ that slip by my memory, only to show up on my screen days later.  This was such a week, and here I am mystified that I barely captured any "moments" this week.  I'm trying to think of why...and I suppose it's because we are in a good rhythm right now and time is seamlessly unfolding, without a moment to pause and grab for the camera. 

It has been a good week...of rain then snow with a lot of wind weaving the two together.  We've been mostly nestled inside, carrying on with homeschooling and playing and crafting and all those mundane sounding things that actually make up the rich fabric of our days.  I am thankful for being here right now, nestled with my favourite people, weaving together one day with the next.

Forrest moved quickly from fingerknitting into "real true" knitting...in a matter of hours!  I had thought to wait until grade 1 next year, but he told me he was longing to knit, so of course, we began.  And he took off with it...he loves it so much, he sat and knit for two hours that first day.  That night, and a few more after that, he even took his handwork basket to his bedroom so he could wake up and knit in the morning ~ a dream come true for this mama!

We moved the doghouse last weekend, hoping one of our two girls would put it to use if we positioned it so they might see our front door from their front door.  Worked like a charm...for Nyla ~ who refuses to share with the young Cocoa Marshmallow Puff Puff.  I suppose she'll just have to come inside more often!  (That's a secret hooray for me)!

Today we gathered heaps of rosehips to decorate our home.  I love this time of year, awaiting Advent...on Sunday my friend and I will be creating a special Advent Spiral for a few Waldorf Homeschooling families in the Valley.  We are both really wanting to celebrate the seasonal festivals with meaning and beauty, in a home-grown, home-schooling way.  If any of you has any suggestions, I would be so grateful for advice on how to make simple celebrations in community.

Almost 17 months old!!!  Already.

First snowman of the season...and it's only beginning...

Happy Advent weekend to all of you, my friends!

homegrown schooling begins

Sometimes when I decide to do something that takes a big leap, I know exactly why I want to soar through the air, taking such a risk.  I don't necessarily know what the landing will be like, but I have faith that all will be as it should.  Such it has been with the deciding of homeschooling our three children. 

However, the smaller details often get jumbled about in the ensuing confusion.  Such as....um, should we or shouldn't we start Forrest in grade one?  Back and forth, back and forth, pros and cons, upsides, downsides, all sides.  In the end, it was getting a little tedious trying to make such decisions, I tell you.

 
Forrest will be six in November and as we are quite enamoured in all things Steiner-ish, the reasons why a child ought to be as close to the age of seven when beginning formal schooling (Grade One) made sense ~ to us.  But then, he is such a bookish little fellow.  And he is beginning to pick out letters on his own in signs, books, and stores.  I love the Waldorf Kindergarten philosophy of immersing the child in home rhythms and activities, modeling the busy-ness of home life.  We loosely did that last year, well, since birth, really.  And it seems Forrest is ready for more.

Then I found this Hawthorn Press book, Kindergarten Education ~ Freeing Children's Creative Potential by Betty Peck (2003) which is jam-packed with good ideas.  It leans more towards a grade 1 curriculum in many ways, teaching the alphabet and numbers.  I decided to combine both the Waldorf kindergarten philosophy with Betty Peck's.  For now, until Christmas when we see how we're feeling, we will hold off on letter introduction and keep it simple.  Circles of singing and verses, a fairy tale, a weather tree, crafting, and a special Main Lesson Book project. 

Forrest's first Main Lesson Book is a Mother Goose Book, illustrating one nursery rhyme each week.  I chose nursery rhymes that somehow connect to the Fairy Tale of the week (we do 3 days of "schooling" and repeat the tale each day).  This week's fairy tale was The Little Red Hen and the nursery rhyme was Hickety Pickety My Black Hen. 

 
Forrest was sooo excited to begin his Mother Goose book...and I also made him a special block crayon holder, too. 

 
He is very careful with such things, and it was so sweet to see him unrolling it just to look at the fresh, smooth beeswax crayons.  Then he'd roll it back up and put it away.  I think he must have done this five times on our first day!

 
I see the challenges of homeschooling a young child with two other small children running about.  Sunshine, who is three, is very keen on imitating her big brother, and so she also has a Mother Goose Main Lesson book to do with as she likes. 

 
As far as meeting my one year old's needs, well, the ergo baby pack has been very liberating for those moments when I need to be more present with Forrest...as well as having Papa spend an extra 15 minutes in the morning entertaining Huckley outside while we get things sorted out.  This, of course, will change as Papa must work, so we'll see how this evolves.

Our homegrown schooling journey begins, with a big leap of faith!  I'm 100% convinced this is the right thing for our family, especially when asked this morning, "Is today a homeschool day, Mama...please?"

*          *          *          *          *

If you care to share your week of homegrown schooling adventures, just leave a comment or a link below.  I think the more ideas and experiences that are shared will only help inspire more creativity, more learning, and more fun! 

a colourful life

You know that saying, about people living a colourful life?  Well, I'd like to think that they live a life that's vibrant and beautiful and exciting.  I'd also like to think this is how my children feel.  It's kind of a universal right of all children to live exactly that way...embracing each moment with all their being, seeing the fragility of life with a rainbow of intensity.

A long while back, just after returning home from the hospital, I did a post on using our daily rhythm and routine to lend structure to our lives as we navigated a new path for our family.  It's true that I personally thrive on rhythm and routine, and I see my children are most definately like their mama that way.  Thankfully, too, as diabetes seems to be a condition which requires structure and regularity.  To the extreme.

Many years ago, I happened upon some reading about colours and their effect on children's psyche.  Joan Salter gets into it a bit in The Incarnating Child, mentioning that we "see red", or "feel blue" or are "green with envy".  Steiner's colour theories are based on the law of complements where if you surround yourself, in say,  purple (a more melancholy colour), it will help induce an inner feeling of sunny yellow.  

 
While our lives are not so rigid that we adhere to all aspects of this theory of colours, we most definately have a colourful home.  My children know the days of the week by their colour name (Monday is Purple Day, Tuesday is Red Day, etc.) which gives them a better frame of reference.  They live colours.  They feel colours.  We loosely have different activities for those colour days, Green Day is Painting Day, Blue Day is Games Night.  Sometimes, we try and wear something in that colour for the day.  Usually, we use placemats and candles for each day of the week.  Then I had fun and made some napkins.  These were so easy to sew up, and sooooo quick.  Mindless, I tell you.  Some days, that's exactly what I need to do!

 
Then I got a little silly and made this Purple Day apron.  I really really love it! 

 
Maybe there will be more rainbow-hued aprons to follow, but then again, maybe it's just the kick-start to the week that Purple Day (Monday) calls for!  I definately feel sunnier wearing it...and my little girl beamed with delight when she saw me in it! 

It helps make for a colourful life!

heart fever

Flexibility is a hallmark of many of our family's celebrations.  With Josh back in the mountains right now, Valentine's Day is Thursday for us.  But that hasn't slowed down the heart fever that is amping up...

 
A little drawing, a little snipping, a little sewing...good intentions indeed!

 
Oh, and little Huckley's getting a little heart fever, too!

 
Well, maybe he did get a little help creating that!  But this fella just exudes squishy, love-filled goodness!

So we have a few more days of red and pink crafting and baking.  Oh, yes,baking!  I am determined to make some heart-shaped treats for my little people...even if they have to be low-carb for little miss Sunshine.  I'm trying to make life as normal as possible despite the large white elephant that moved into our lives.  Mind you, sometimes this is accomplished with more grace than at other times.

In the meantime, Happy Day of Love to you all!  May you give and receive with open arms and peaceful hearts.

a little rhythm and routine

Three weeks in from Sunshine's diagnosis, we are really just beginning our lifelong journey with juvenile diabetes.  A long, long road lays ahead, but I am so blessed that we are all here together. 

And these are just some of the accessories we received to accompany our journey.

 
While there is so much unknown to us, (truly, so much more is unknown than known), it is a time when rhythm and routine provides a sanctuary of calm.  Being the Virgo I am, incorporating some sense of familiar into our new normal gives me the peace I crave.  Luckily, I have followed this rhythm loosely since Forrest was a wee one.  I have hardly adhered to a strict regime, but it provides a loose framework from which to launch our creativity.  It ensures that the children are trying new things and experimenting with various creative mediums.  Also, it seems the children have a better understanding of the rhythm of the week based on colours that they may identify, rather than names which provide no sense to their world.  Without further ado...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oh yes, having a guideline right now helps this mama muddle through the heavier side of life.  I've sometimes wished in the past for a big manual of Life that would tell me how to make some difficult decisions.  Well, that may not exist, but this simple framework assures me that the children are carrying on with the business of having fun and being creative.  And in that creativity, perhaps some healing may happen. 

In small steps, holding each other's hands, we move forward.

surrendering

This past week has been a challenging one for this mama.  Once again, I am getting used to being mostly a single parent for the season as Josh is in and out of the mountains all winter.  Over the years, I have learned that my state of mind is directly reflected in the peacefulness of our home.  Attitude, attitude, attitude.  Well, this was put to the test this week when two out of three little ones came down with the stomach flu and papa was so very far away.  While carrying around a miserable baby, doing piles of laundry, and steeping pots of tea, my mama mantra was, "Surrender, this too shall pass". 

And with all the focus on my poor, unhappy littlest fella, my older two spent a lot more time doing independent activities.

 
reading

 
music appreciation

 
sewing

 

outdoor play

 
crafting

And once my littlest fella was feeling a bit better, he showed us his newest skill...

 
Oh, yes indeed!  Surrendering to this very moment is the best advice for this upcoming winter season.  Truly it is the key to a centred mama and a happy home!

generosity and goodwill

 
Before I had children, I was somewhat disillusioned by the entire Christmas holiday.  Back then, I couldn't necessarily articulate why I had such an aversion, though now it is so clear to me.  Now, I have my own children.  Now, the magic has returned.

As for so many people today, the over-consumerism of this holiday over-shadowed the real meaning.  I have some very rich memories of celebrating Christmas as a child and I am grateful to my parents for creating a sense of childish wonder in me.  Gradually, as I grew up, the feeling of wonder waned, then disappeared.  Eventually, I leaned towards the seasonal festivals: sostices and equinoxes.   

As a new parent, I came to appreciate the universal message inherent to these holidays.  I have thoroughly enjoyed re-inventing most of the holidays for my family.  I like learning where certain customs originated and adopting them to suit our own celebrations.  Discovering some traditions from my husband's Dutch background and my Norwegian roots, have added immensely to the flavour and spirit of my family's holidays.

 
The festival day of St. Nicholas is one such event that is both meaningful and charming.  Nicholas was a real man from the third century whose acts of generosity elevated him to the sainthood.  On the night of December 5th, children fill a shoe with straw, carrots, and herbs like mugwort (helps heal the sore feet of road weary foot travelers) and yellow tansy (to represent bags of gold that Nicholas anonymously gave away).  In return, he leaves the shoe filled with goodies like gold coins, oranges (for the sweet spirits of children), a tree ornament, and pomengranates.

 
I had intended to sand and paint these wooden clogs with Norwegian motifs...perhaps for next year?! 

My children were so excited to leave a note for St. Nicholas, as well as apples for his white horse.  We have tried to avoid asking our children what they want for Christmas, rather, what they want to give.  In the spirit of generosity, Forrest also added a special request to heal our elderly neighbour's neck after he fell down his stairs last week. 

Over the years, our family traditions will, no doubt, evolve.  My hope is that my children will see the simplicity of each festival, rather than the mainstream hype.  That their spirits will feel nourished after the holidays, not depleted. 

And with St. Nicholas leading the way today, the message of generosity and goodwill will be the hallmark of the Christmas season for my three little ones.

 
May the example of St. Nicholas guide your holiday cheer!

thumbsucker

Oh, yes indeed!  Our littlest boy is a champion at thumbsucking. As he approaches his fourth month birthday, his ability to find his thumb and pop it into his mouth is very fluid.  I'm not surprised though, as he arrived with blisters the size of dimes all over his forearms from sucking in utero.  My midwife was amazed at his powerful little mouth.  I am in awe of his forceful latch.

Here he is within minutes of being born, trying to get to his fist.

 

Five days later, he almost has the hang of it.

 

Later that day with his big sister, he is still trying.

 

Fast forward two months, and he is getting really good at it.

 
I'm told some babies are just born to suck.  Huckley's big brother was the same way.  Forrest loved his thumb, to the point where sometimes he chose his thumb to his nummies.  At the time, I was confused and worried that he was ill, or that my milk was not tasty enough...(despite his heavenly eye rolls when he did latch on - I love those!)  I even sought advice from other mamas at a La Leche League meeting, and wouldn't you know it, the very next day, Forrest quit thumbsucking! 

Nearly five years later, I really appreciate how wonderful having a self-soothing baby can be.  Perhaps that sounds funny coming from an advocate for attachment parenting.  However, having three little ones under the age of five, I sometimes am doing a little dance when all three are needing something from mama, right now!   Inevitably, I have to make a moment's decision on who requires mama the most, and occasionally, little Huckley must wait his turn.

When I'm just not able to dash across the room to scoop him up, or else the sling ride isn't calming him down enough, in goes his little thumb and I feel his body relax.  With the slurp slurp slurp sounds his thumbsucking makes, I also relax a wee bit.  There now, he is content for the moment.

 
And oh my!  He is so utterly precious, slurping away on his thumb, watching me...

...or drifting off into peaceful dreams...

 
My sweet little thumbsucking wonder!  I am so in love!!!

our heartland

This past weekend we leaped into Autumn with some misty, moisty, cool weather.  It seems Mother Nature is already getting ready for the end of October.

 
All around, the trees were wearing sparkling shawls.

 
Josh is also anticipating cooler weather as he did a firewood forage this past weekend.  One of six trips up the mountain to get enough wood to see that our nest is cozy through the winter.  These past several years, I have always had a babe in my arms or on my hip, so I'm not able to be of much use out there.  Instead, I chose to clean up our wood cookstove, that in our household, is the one true task that rings in the Autumn season.

 
We love love love our cookstove.  When we were married, we searched high and low for a used Heartland Cookstove just like the one Josh grew up with, and that his mother still uses.  Not only is it a charming and attractive focal point in our home, it works well...for many purposes.

 
After five years, I am still learning how to use it, and my mother-in-law assures me it took her over a decade to master baking in this oven.  The trick is to heat it up really hot (this can take a while, so having my knitting handy is a necessity...oh darn!), then add small pieces of wood consistently while baking.  Over the years I have practiced baking sporadically, but lately I've been inspired to bake more with our wood heat.  (I also have a gas oven for summer cooking).  I can make pies, casseroles, turkeys (!), quiches, and crisps fairly confidently, however baking cookies has been a bit of a disaster...a few times now.  Another trick is to rotate the food being baked several times as the left side of the oven, which is closer to the heat source, cooks hotter.

 
Josh uses the cooktop almost every winter morning to fry up eggs or hashbrowns.  I like making pancakes on it as the heat is so even and hot.  We also do lots of soups, chilis, stews, and chicken stocks on our cookstove.  For sledding parties or dinners with friends, there is always a big pot of apple cider or chai tea simmering and filling our home with its heavenly scents.  The warming oven also is used a lot, and not just for serving hot meals.  Craft projects dry nicely in there, as do wet mitts and toques, yogurt cultures well, and bread rises beautifully.

 
It seems someone is always cozying up alongside the warmth radiating from the cookstove.

 
Even in summertime, there is always a big bouquet of garden fresh flowers on display on the cooktop.

This truly is the centre of our home.  In the winter, when the snow is blanketing the ground outside and the winds are chilly and crisp, we gather round the stove like in old days past.  So it is with great fondness that I scrub down the stove, and polish up the chrome, anticipating many more memories to make round this here hearth.

all my life's a circle

All my life's a circle, and I can't tell you why. 

The seasons, they go round again, and the years keep rollin' by.

Was that Harry Chapin who wrote that?  Well, he sure knows how I'm feeling.  The seasons are indeed moving forward so quickly, and here we are in Autumn again.  Oh, I do love Autumn...the gifts from the garden and the fruit trees, the crisp air in the morning as the mist rises slowly off the river, the brilliant colours of autumn leaves, smoke from the woodstove curling up into the sky, and warm hearty soups.

In celebration of all things in Autumn, I began to make a mandala while expecting my Forrest-boy, about five years ago.  Then, he arrived and I put this stitchwork aside...until last week.  Out it came and all I really needed to do was add the outer layer of leaves.  A little Autumn mandala of sorts for our nature table.

 

(Please excuse the poor quality of my little point and shoot...one day I hope for a better picture-taker!)

 
This is our nature table, just inside our entryway, welcoming all.

The children were so inspired by this hand-stitched mandala, they made a few of their own.

 
The Autumn inspiration from a walk through our little forest manifested as a mandala in the garden.  Both children were excited to make a circle of life.

 
And with a little help from Mama, we created a beautiful mandala in nature, of nature, celebrating nature.

 
Happy Autumnal Equinox.  May this season bring a round of balanced peace and happiness to all your homes.

Special Quiet Time

This whole new napping thing for my daughter is freeing up some much-needed Special Time with my oldest boy.  I am embarassed to admit it, but I got stuck in the oh-so-easy napping device of Driving Miss Summer.  For many, many moons, I found myself loading the children up in the car, piling some crafting activities beside me on the front seat, and driving until the children fell asleep (about 10 to 15 minutes).  Then I would pull over, usually at my favourite spot beside the river and, well, craft.  It would buy me some much needed Quiet Time...and I really didn't burn that much gas.  Honest.

However, now my biggest boy has outgrown the nap, and I can't justify driving anymore.  So began the dreaded (by me) task of putting Summer to sleep in her bed.  While holding the baby.  While the big boy had his own Quiet Time in his room, playing and reading and drawing.  In the end, it wasn't such a big task...today it only took 20 minutes of reading until she fell asleep.  And then, the Special Time with Leif begins.

Lately, we have had a lot of fun with Leif's barn.  It was a 3rd Birthday gift made by Papa.  Josh recycled some real barnwood from our friend's 80 year old barn that he helped dismantle.  With a few scrap pieces of wood, Josh built this simple, solid structure.

With a few of Sarah's silk playcloths, some rocks, a few chunks of wood and some Schleich figures, an instant barnyard is created.

 

A little wool roving helps the animals feel at home.

I love that Leif's barn scapes have evolved over the years to include more intricate and detailed play.

After awhile, we migrated to the table to play one of our favourite games, Harvest Time.

 
Harvest Time is a cooperative game (Canadian) made by Family Pastimes.  All their boardgames involve working together with the other players to overcome obstacles.  Leif loves playing this game, and Memory, too!

I really cherish these moments when he wants to spend time with me, all to himself.  Quiet Time has become very special to my boy and me.   

Right Now

 
There is nothing like a child (or two or three) to bring you right into the present moment, forcing you to let go of anything you are clinging to from the past or worrying about in the future.  My past, present and future are all rolled up into the daily existence, one moment to the next.  It's good for me, as I am a compulsive worrier.  And these little darlings are reminding me to be present, right now.

And right now...

• I'm learning the art of putting a 2 year old down for a nap while nursing a newborn and occupying a 4 year old.
• I'm wondering if I'll ever get more than two hours of sleep in succession.
• I'm realizing how easy it was to have just one child.
• I feel accomplished if I manage to do a load of laundry and/or a few dishes from the mountain in the sink (while our new dishwasher sits in its box in the shed).
• I'm in awe of my 4 year old's optimism and cheerfulness, despite the crying of his sibling(s).
• I'm amazed that my 2 year old went from not wanting to repeat any words we prompted to speaking in 4 word sentences...within six weeks!
• I'm thankful for the man in my life to bring such humour, support, and grace to nearly all my stormy moments.
• I'm grateful that a bouquet of fresh garden flowers can bring peace to my heart.
• I'm happy to be doing this right now.

What is happening in your life right now?

Magical Flower Fairies

River is three weeks old today and he is already transforming from a tiny, wrinkled newborn into a plump, round babe.  He is so easy to love and kiss and cuddle...ahhhh, newborn bliss!

It is also important for me to kiss and cuddle the older children, too.  They are just as lovable, in their own sweet ways.  I expected some sibling dynamics to erupt after the birth, yet it has been mellower than I anticipated...perhaps it will appear further on down the road.  Nontheless, there have been moments in the last three weeks when I've been taken off guard by a statement like, "You hold the baby a lot, mama.  I mean a lot!"  Hmmm...

Gratefully, a few flower fairy helpers arrived to lend a hand and let these two wonderful children know how much they are so very cherished. 

First, a little blonde haired flower fairy magically appeared on our nature table for my little girl.  Of course, she was dressed in pink, like a peony.

She was recently joined by a blue flower fairy for my son.  She looks very much like a Forget-Me-Not fairy...how appropriate!

 
On Midsummer`s Eve, the fairies often visit our garden, leaving a trail of petals to a little door in the oak tree.  The children know that the fairies are watching over them, protecting them, and helping them.  This year, however, the fairies came a little later than Midsummer`s Eve...perhaps they were awaiting our new arrival, too, and knew that soon their extra help would be whole-heartedly appreciated.

 
A mama`s job is a big one, and I`ll gladly take all the help I can -- especially when that help brings a smile of delight to the most special people in my life. 

Counting My Blessings

Our littlest boy has a name!  After too many days of deliberating, we decided to name him after each of our favourites...River Huckley.  It was a wee bit discouraging for me not to have something to call our baby as I gazed at him and murmured sweet nothings into his ear.  However, Josh and I compromised and it seems quite right.

We are all making our adjustments in our own ways right now...I anticipated that River's older siblings might encounter some challenges alongside their excitement and happiness.  That said, my time is a little stretched just now and so I don't have as much time to devote to this blog as I would like...I will try to post frequently but until we are well into our new family rhythm, it may seem a little chaotic.  And, I've decided, that is ok.

 
In the meantime, I am counting one more set of fingers and toes.  And yes, they are all there!

Sweet Remembering

It hasn't been that long since I held my last newborn babe in my arms...in fact, just two years ago.  Yet, as I cradle and fall in love with my new son (still without a name!), I am amazed at those sweet precious memories I had forgotten about. 

Like...

• there is NOTHING so intoxicatingly sweet as the smell of my own baby, particularly from the crown of his head
• his quiet, random grunts and sighs while he sleeps
• those all too-brief moments when he calmly looks around, big eyes soaking in the wonder
• kisses that fall like spring rain, all over his soft, soft body

 

• white peach fuzzies that form whorls and spirals on his forehead, his shoulders, and the nape of his neck
• tight, desperate grips from wee little fists wrapped around my finger
• the pure, innocent perfection  emanating from his Being, spreading to those around him in serene, blissful waves of Love

His journey begins and I am so grateful to be swept along with him.

Time Stands Still

There are those wondrous moments in life where one can almost feel the breeze stop stirring, where the clouds stop drifting, where all the clocks stop ticking.  A beautiful hush descends from a  place for which I have no name, and I am struck with the Holiness of it all. I can count those moments in my life on one hand and they all involve the most special people in my life : when Josh and I were married, and when each of our three children were born.

Time stood still, once again, on July 5, 2010 at 4:07pm as my littlest son made his journey into this world.  A beautiful, wondrous journey that only took a mere two hours.  And ohhh, it was so intense!  I felt humbled by the powerful surges that coursed through me from Elsewhere.  They seemed unrelenting and larger than myself.  I was not in control of anything happening to my body...or through my body.

   

This little person is the essence of pure Love, just one hour old, holding onto his big 4 year old brother's hand.

We are still searching for a name, preferably nature-inspired.  If anyone has any suggestions, we'd love to hear from you.

May you cherish those moments of your own, where time stands still.

A Little This and That

It's been a  little while since I last posted.  It seems I've gotten caught up in a few projects before The Big Day, and also caught up in a whole lotta nesting.  It amazes me how strong the nesting urge is. Like many other mamas, I feel an inherent drive to have a very clean house, with everything in its place.  Perhaps its because I will be in bed for a week or more (if I'm lucky), just getting to know the baby and letting him arrive gently into our world.  Thus, I want the rest of the family to have everything they need in accessible, easy to find places.  Have I mentioned I'm a Virgo? 

The children and I have finished putting our gardens in.  Both Summer and Leif seem to enjoy helping me dig in the earth, planting and weeding, and well, just looking for worms and bugs.

Meanwhile, the bedroom reno for Summer is nearing completion.  A local woman painted her room in soft rosy peach tones using a technique called lazure.  The result is beautiful!  The colours truly breathe on the wall, and upon entering Summer's room, there is a peaceful feeling of comfort and love.  I look forward to much playtime and restime with all the children in her room.

Finally, we also celebrated Summer's birthday a month early with her two friends and their families.  Three little girlies who are two months from being all the same age.  I can just imagine the trouble they will get into all too soon!

Oh, and there has also been a whole lotta knitting and quilting, too...stay tuned.

It's been a busy week and now I feel the need to stay home, ground down, rest, and lavish affection on my two little darlings.  

Good Sleeps

I find that there are those gifts I make that, when recieved, are met with little acknowledgement.  Yet, I also know that they will become treasures after they have been used a few times. 

We moved Leif from our bedroom into a room of his own when he was a little over four years old.  I guess I should be a little more accurate...we moved Leif and his Papa from our bedroom.  Newly pregnant with our third babe, we felt it was time to make a little bit more space in the Big Bedroom.  Bed rearranging ensued, with Summer moving into the side-car bed beside me and Leif into his own room.  Oh, what a heart-wrenching decision that was!  But I knew there might be some growing pains to accompany the little one's arrival in the summer. 

What I didn't anticpate was that Papa would be the one having a hard time letting his little boy sleep on his own!  From the mattress on the floor directly beside Leif's bed, Josh finally moved  to the opposite corner of his very small room after 5 months!  Recently, we moved Josh's mattress into the hallway directly outside Leif's bedroom door, which is wide open at night.  Next week, I am really hoping Josh will be back beside me, snoring away.

When we initially moved Leif into his own room, I spent some time decorating it to make it cozy and comfortable.  A stash of favourite books, a skyscape silk hanging from the bunk above, and beside his pillow on the wall are two heart decals to remind him of us. 

But something I really enjoyed making for him was inspired by a project from Soule Mama's book, "The Creative Family".  She made blessing cards to be read at mealtimes.  I loved this and immediately made a stack of cards on watercolour paintings that Leif had made when he was 2 years old.  We still use them every night!

From this inspiration, I thought of making blessing cards for night-time.  I stitched up a felted moon card holder, painted a dozen or so cards, and scoured my teaching resources for inspiration. 

 

I know it's a success because Leif doesn't like to miss a single night of blessing.

I chose poems and rhymes that reflect our family's values and provide a gentle, secure feeling for my boy as he drifts into Never Never Land.  Some books I used included:

• Beyond the Rainbow Bridge by Barbara J. Patterson and Pamela Bradley
• A Child's Seasonal Treasury by Betty Jones
• Seven Times Round the Sun by Shea Darian
• Spindrift by Wynstone Press
• You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy
• A Child's Book of Blessings by Sabrina Dearborn
• Peace on Earth by Bijou Le Tord

Perhaps this whole night-time blessing is really to let me sleep better at night, knowing my little boy is on his own in the room next door.  Nontheless, he assures me he gets good sleeps.

I would love to know if any of you have any favourite night-time blessings or songs that you sing to your little ones.