Which Name?

week's end

2012-01-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

This week has been full of wonderful moments, but included a horrible work schedule for Mike (he worked straight through Monday night in the office, trying to fix a problem) and a mini chain of monster moments from the kids that were noticeable simply because we hadn't had any in awhile.

Despite this, it was actually a really nice week. It was an incredibly reflective week for me and I feel as though I am entering the weekend at peace. And as the card on my inspiration board (above) says...peace is always beautiful.

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you join Erin and me for a little banter on her Facebook page tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8am PT!

creativity week:: 5 :: hand planes in progress

2012-01-27T00:05:00.000-08:00

I am joining Erin Goodman for a chat on Facebook at 8am PT tomorrow morning. Join us!

Bigger, more exciting, longer term projects have begun around here. Homemade hand planes for the kids, for example. The long pieces of steel arrived last week and the creative trio (that would be everyone but me, lately) set to work creating their plane irons by cutting it into pieces, sharpening them, and, just for fun, giving them some personal detail.

(The plane that the heart plane iron (Lala's) is sitting in is just being used for display. The planes, in a block, Krenov style are yet to be cut and assembled.)

creativity week:: 4 :: branch coat rack

2012-01-26T00:05:00.000-08:00

Our trees got pruned at the end of last summer and since then, Lala had been eyeing one of the branches not yet claimed for the fireplace or other projects. It was too "branchy" for most of our uses. Lala saw the use in that.

A few days ago, I came in and found that she and Mike had designed and executed a child sized coat rack. It now sits by our front door, and while we didn't need more hooks there, I find the kids are hanging their coats on their own. Some of those lower branches? Perfect for boots.

creativity week:: 3 :: stained glass eco art

2012-01-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

Last week, when Lala was home sick, towards the end of the day, she was feeling a bit better and wanted to take advantage of some (now, sadly rare) alone time with mamma. She picked from our selection of kid art/craft books, flipped through, pointed, and said "I want to make this with you, mamma." So we made.

This wasn't our first time making "stained glass" from glass jars and tissue paper, but we certainly had not done it in a very long time. (My parents have a candle holder she made when she was 3 or 4, just in this way.)

The results were simply, beautifully satisfying.

The inspiration came from the book shown, Eco Art by Laurie Carlson, and is full of all sorts of wildly fun recycle crafts. (We have another crafting book from this series, which we also like.)

creativity week:: 2 :: painted pots

2012-01-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

Each of my kids received a flower bulb in their Christmas stocking, from Santa (or one of his sweet elves...I am going to remember this for next year). Soon after, we took an outing to a closing local plant nursery, and each child chose a succulent. And soon after that, their star/heart charts earned each of them a reward...flower pots for their living goodies.

Eager crafters that they are (just about every medium has been asked for or used recently), out came all the paints. (I was thinking decoupage could have been fun for this one, too.)

Bulbs and succulents + pots + paint = Two happily entertained kiddos and four beautiful additions to the sun shelf above our kitchen sink.

creativity week:: 1:: ABCs

2012-01-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Despite my inability to sit down and get any kind of sewing done (the mending and project piles are big), as I mentioned previously, this house has been so busy with creativity lately. There were the holiday gifts and the play clips, the work bench, and so much more. I have not been able to get the glitter cleaned up and you know what? I don't care. My dining room sparkles.

I am still hesitant in my claim of artistry, but creativity? Now that is a word I can wrap my heart and soul around.

I keep starting all these posts about projects and thought to myself...this week? It's creativity week. Care to join me?

Above, scrap wood alphabet tiles. This idea came from Lala's school, where, during some classroom volunteer time, I was asked to sort and bag the alphabet tiles. There were so many missing, I brought them home, showed them to Mike, and in 15 minutes, he had cut blanks to replace those missing. Lala and I filled in the letters, and bagged them to return to school. Of course, Mike cut enough for us to keep some, too. Now, Lala just starts mixing and matching letters to make words. I love the tangible aspect to learning this offers.

(If you have the tools and inclination, these tiles are 1.5 inches wide, 2 inches tall, and about 0.25 inches thick. You can mark the letters as you like with paint or pen. We used a Sharpie. One side has the capital of the letter and the other side has the lowercase of the letter.)

this week

2012-01-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

The way to start a day is this-- Go outside and face the east and greet the sun with some kind of blessing or chant or song that you made yourself and keep for early morning
~ from The Way to Start a Day by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall
(I thought of this sky fire photo when my parents gave this book to Isabella.)

Fruit from the CSA box. We don't get a CSA box weekly. In the fall, I happened upon a coupon that allowed us a box for half price through a CSA that permitted us to receive boxes when we like with produce we like. Choices! Well, this plus two adults committed to an increased plant consumption plus stomach flu = hello CSA box.

Finally! Winter! Rain! So desperately missed and needed.

Another sleepy sickie. She asked for a fire and immediately stretched out in front of it.

I couldn't avoid laundry anymore. Stomach flu made for 3 days worth of laundry within 3 hours. Just a glimpse of reality and a shout of gratitude for my washer and dryer (the latter of which we don't use much of the year).

Hello, Friday! Nice to see you. It has been an odd, slow, strangely nice week. I am looking forward to the weekend, rain and all. Have a nice one!

exhale. behind the blog.

2012-01-19T03:05:00.000-08:00

Erin (Exhale. Return to Center.) is one of the most kind, real bloggers I have had the pleasure to get to know since I entered this blogging community. I cannot remember how I found my way to her blog, but once I did, I thought "now this is someone I really relate to." Her family, like ours, is trying to living naturally and purposefully within the boundaries of a modern world and public schools.

I often find myself nodding along to Erin's posts thinking "exactly!" or "how timely!" That is how I feel about her 10-Day Family Re-Charge. We have signed up, of course. Join us!

Today, I am excited to be part of Erin's Behind the Blog podcast! Listening to oneself is rather mortifying. Thank you for including me and stretching me a bit, Erin!

Please ask any questions you might have...I will be happy to respond.

(Oh, and I feel the need to clarify a comment I make in the interview...I do sometimes post photos of people without permission, but I try never to do so in an identifiable way. I might post a back, body part or from an angle or distance that is indistinguishable!)

mike and henry david teach

2012-01-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

~Henry David Thoreau

There has been so much creativity happening around here, especially by each of these three, together and apart. Mike's creativity has been a joyous glimmer of light in his whole being, re-ignited by the gift making he did for the kids' holiday gifts. The kids? Well, aren't kids just naturally creative?

What I have loved watching is the creativity that happens when they are together. Mike is the most incredible teacher. When our kids are interested, he interrupts what he is doing and engages with them fully, at their level. On this occasion, I had mentioned something to Mike about the kids' workbench, in response to Finnian's comments about a little friend's workbench. I took this as a sign that I needed to move the bench back into a more accessible location, to make it interesting again. After I did, I found Finnian happily working away. Mike joined him with a vice clamp in hand, one of the tools Finnian had been coveting on his friend's tool bench. With both kids "helping," they set to work installing the clamp on the kid's bench. Before they could attach it, they needed to modify a piece that had an edge sticking up, so Mike went off to select a hand plane.

Mike loves old tools, hand tools, and old hand planes most especially. He brought one out, showed which one to the kids, started planing, all the while talking about it. He explained to the kids that the plane he was using was much like what Henry David might have used in building his house. We had just read Henry David's House, a book created from an excerpt by Henry David Thoreau on the building of his house by Walden Pond.

Now that is the mark of a good teacher...bringing it full circle.

weekend

2012-01-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice weekend, despite a battle with the stomach flu. During it, I found our little guy out cold in a couple of sweet spots around the house. Uncle Stian's bed and the book nook.

Hope your weekend was as lovely, but germ free.

up close

2012-01-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

Guess who got a macro camera lens for Christmas? (It just arrived in the mail.)
I am giddily getting to know my new toy!

(Thank you, Mike, for the gift! Thank you, Dad, for the fabulous advice. I am pleased!)

yarn along: realizing childhood dreams

2012-01-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

Joining Ginny (Small Things) for Yarn Along this week.

The little owl drawstring bag is Finn Luca's. I made it for him last summer and he lent it to me to hold the yarn for his scarf.

Our library was closed for more than two weeks around Christmastime for budget reasons (and holidays reasons). Although I am not sure we would have had time to go during our winter break, I had this underlying awareness of it, like an old friend who is on vacation and you can't see or speak with them.

As a result, I looked to the (many) books I have, but have not yet read, most of which have been passed to me by my librarian and book group-member mom. I am fairly certain the birth of a new year and the promises that it holds are what drew me to choose The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I would highly recommend this book, primarily because of the lessons the content has to offer, the dreams (mostly come true) of an ordinary guy, who, just prior to (co) writing the book offers his Last Lecture (the name of a lecture series), Realizing Your Childhood Dreams, which truly was his last lecture. He had reached the end of possible treatments for pancreatic cancer just weeks before the lecture. He died in 2008, leaving his wife and three very young children behind. I am not quite done with the book, but I want to finish it before watching his last lecture video (accessible through the same link, above). While the book has made me cry (a lot), I think that may be primarily because I know the author has actually died now, and reading it, I feel hopeful (there's my word, again) and re-inspired to make the most out of living this life.

Also on hiatus during the break was the knitting group I am now part of, created by and made of parents at school, gently guided by a woman whose presence in the first grade class is so meaningful to Lala. I am glad to know it will resume this week. I still haven't finished Finnian's Christmas scarf!

some clips for playing

2012-01-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

It started with the photo of the fort that was made with clothespins, a trip to a play museum where they had play clips, and a girl who has been wanting woodwork time with dada.

It ended in a whole lot of fun, a fort, and a set of homemade play clips. Can't beat that.

a new year

2012-01-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

Every morning the world is created.
~Mary Oliver

This has been a very dry, warm winter. Disturbingly so. But one morning, we awoke to what appeared to have been a very, very damp night.

This one was hamming it up on every turn of the carousel. The one below started giggling in response to the attendant, but refused to look at me!

Sunrises, above and below. Both taken looking the same direction from our house. Above, from a week ago. I thought this was pretty, but it was nothing in comparison to the fire in the sky a few days later, below. No rain, fog, and (sigh) pollution have made for some incredible, stunning displays of color at sunrise and sunset this winter.

Guess who really likes the rubber band board? It isn't the recipient!

Mike made Antarctica in my coffee!

I really have entered the year with hope. No resolutions this year means no opportunities to fail, just chances to fly. Tuesday took us back to school, work, and daily deeds, which, glorious as our time together was (and it really was...no glossing, I promise), the routine of which was welcomed (at least by me). I spent the first day back organizing, decluttering, getting paperwork in order, making lists (of the simple, followable kind) made, and so on. It felt really good.

Although we had planned to keep our tree up through this weekend, something in the weather, mood, and our plans for the weekend prompted us to take it down on Monday. With it gone, so much space was restored. I cleaned and rearranged furniture. All the rest of the decorations remained, though, so slowly, we are saying goodbye to the red and gold and glitter of Christmas and hello to the blue and calm and promise of a New Year.

At dinner, on the 1st, I asked the following questions (inspired by Kyndale) and this is what my people said:

What would you like to do in 2012?
Mike: I'd like to make a hand plane. And I would like to find some property to buy and slowly build a cabin on for someday.
Nicola: I'd like to reach out and tell people, preferably via an old fashioned note in the mail, when I am thinking of them. (And I'd like to take a family vacation to Alaska!)
Isabella: I'd like to work with Dada in the (wood)shop, merry making for next Christmas.
Finnian: I'd like to go to the park.

Where do you think we will be and what do you think we will be doing on January 1, 2013?
Mike: I think we will be much as we are today, only the kids will be bigger. I will try not to be too heart broken about their growing up so quickly.
Nicola: As hope is my word, I hope we will be much the same, just having made the changes needed to be healthier and happier.
Isabella: I'd like to be at fairyland.
Finnian: We'll be at the park. (Notice a theme for him?)

How are we accomplishing this? One day at a time, with hope.
Oh, and we are a family participating in Erin Goodman's Family Recharge! (It starts on my birthday!)

................................

Below....a little something for myself, because one day, I will come back and read this and be touched by my own memories:

I realized I had been thinking negatively of where we had not changed in 2011, but some status quo is good. Our parents and siblings are still in very good health entering 2012. And some change was inevitable over the 365 days, even if daily, little changed. Of course, much has to do with our ever-growing (healthy!) children. It's usually the little things we forget that we wish we didn't don't you think? Somewhere in the middle of the year, my two switched...for the first 3.5 years of his life, Finnian was took a long time to fall asleep at bedtime. Lala always crashed the moment her head hit the pillow. Now, it is the opposite. A year ago, I often sang to them at bedtime. Finnian moved from a crib to a bed last winter break, so for some weeks/months, I laid next to him until he fell asleep. Then, I got asked to sit in the room for a few minutes. Now, I tell them 5 minutes and leave, and I do honor the 5 minutes. Christmas of 2009, the holiday book of favor was Cookie Angel. In 2010, it was Winter Wonderland, book and song. This year's song seems to be Deck the Halls (or "No way" in a Manger) and they each had a favorite book. Christmas ABC for Lala (which she can read by herself, exquisite and all) and any of the Jan Brett books for Finnian.

hello, 2012

2012-01-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

I am wishing you all a very happy new year!

Well, 2011 wasn't what I expected. The years rarely are, are they? I began the year so full. Full of excitement, calm, organization, plans, expectations. 2011 was the year that we were going to welcome a fifth little being into our family. It was the year we were going to change how we were going to support our family, therefore taking a huge step toward the self-sufficient balance we have been working towards and desperately craving. It was the year we were going to take a real family vacation. It was the year we were changing schools and relaxing a little in our school stresses.

2011 was my year to nourish. Nourish my family, my body, my mind, my soul.

We ended the year much as we began. A little older. A little wiser. A little more humbly. A lot more tired. A little more conscious of living for now. A lot more grateful for health and safety. A lot more appreciative of our families and their health. And still, the four of us, the fifth in our minds and hearts. (Deciding doesn't always mean things work out the way you plan.)

But 2012? This is my year of hope.

And you?

inspired internet: december 2011

2012-01-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Inspiration from December!

needle crafts:

One of my favorites from this issue of ROTH, homemade prayer flags, from Elizabeth from A Natural Nester.

food:

Grapefruit cocktail from Lecia of A Day That is Dessert
Cauliflower celery leek soup from Kyndale of Earthy Crunchy
Oh, doesn't this look delicious? Gluten (and more) free chocolate cake. (via Kelda)

woodworking:

Francesca (FuoriBorgo) made her own crochet hooks
K&A (Little Alexander) and Steve (Soule Mama) made tables

parenting and education:

This article in ROTH, Experiencing Grief with Children, touched my heart so deeply and personally. From Sherene of The Nurtured Life.
Two lesbians raised a baby and this is what they got. Makes me even more embarrassed that in California (progressive California!), the majority here have continued to vote in favor of banning same sex marriages.
NBC newscast on Waldorf eschewing technology in Silicon Valley

other inspiration:

Tutorial heaven: Whip Up tutorials and Duo Fiber Works tutorials and free patterns

goodbye, 2011

2011-12-31T00:05:00.001-08:00

At some point recently, I realized that I think about some of the months in colors. Does anyone else do this? Several of the months are red, to me. January is blue. August is turquoise.

As I have previously, I am sharing my year in photos. 2011 has been quite a journey in jumping forward and stepping backward again.

Our two short people, still young in spirit, are quite a bit taller striding into 2012. Mike's mom and both my parents are still adventurously healthy, as are our siblings. We welcomed a niece. Mike and I rang in 10 years married, 15 together. So very much to be grateful for.

Thank you so much for spending a part of your year here with me. I know every moment is precious.

A very happy new year to you all. I hope 2012 brings health, love, and a sense of wonder.

where family culture and education meet

2011-12-30T00:05:00.000-08:00

Making a fort out of the furniture in the living room.

Several of you have commented on or asked about Lala's new school since I haven't given any updates on it.

Honestly, I have re-written this post so many times! As a new school, and one that is hybridizing Waldorf and public school requirements in an urban (diverse) setting, there have been kinks. The bumps in the road have been discouraging; biggies that have been difficult to approach as a parent, even though the school is built around community. The vision and the educational model (Waldorf) are so inspiring, but as anyone who has been part of a brand new school can attest to, it doesn't all come together quickly and easily. I have not been part of a school from day 1 before and I didn't expect the loss of so many people along the way (although we entered Lala's last school at year 3 and this was also the case at that time).

As I mentioned, we made some hard decisions about where to place Lala this year, so I, along with other parents, have continued to invest a lot to help support positive progress. We think it is worth it. Right now, Lala really likes school, loves all that she is learning, and has made huge leaps in noticeable skills, such as reading and printing, and this comfort and success is reflected in her behavior. This is no small thing to us!

This winter break (especially in comparison to last year and last year' winter break) has given us a good perspective on how Lala is doing in school. She is thriving!

A group of students working on their knitting in Lala's class

One of the wonderful things the school has continued to do is offer parent studies, where a topic related to Waldorf is discussed with and taught to parents. I attended the offerings on children birth to 7 and the one on children 7 to 14. It was so interesting to hear the responses of other parents to what was discussed and understand where we fit into our school community. (Our family was the only one present for which kid screen time is virtually non-existent, but our kids believe in a non-commercialized version of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, and the Tooth Fairy. This got head shakes, but for us, magic is important.)

Between those studies and my reading Heaven on Earth (one of the best of the half dozen books on education/parenting that I have read since I began seeking Waldorf books to educate myself further), I now feel so at peace with where our family has been and where we are. So many of the suggestions in the book were ones that have been part of our family culture since our babes were born. At one time, I worried that, in choosing to attend this school, we were coming to Waldorf late (the earlier in their life the better for setting a foundation), but I have come to realize that, without knowing it, all along, our family choices have always blended quite well with this style of education and it suits Lala well. (If you are wondering, we have thought about Finnian's needs in all of this as well. He is very different from Lala, but he shares the same exposures within our little family, so we feel we are on the right path for him for now and will make adjustments as needed.)

At the moment, this is what a new, ever changing public Waldorf first grade looks like. It is a blend of donations and creations.

It is for these reasons that we have continued to focus on the positives, appreciate all the wonderful things Lala's school offers and has the potential to be, and how the school's philosophy supports our family choices. We hope the benefits will continue to outweigh the challenges. This is a completely new (for us) version of taking education one day at a time.

I continue to step forward and offer myself in whatever way I am able, grateful for the loving container the first graders have and advocating that the Waldorf approach and aesthetic remain as things are being shuffled, hoping that, with involved, supportive parents, the school's kinks will be straightened out quickly and effectively. It certainly has pushed me to find my voice and strengthen my confidence to support what I believe our children need.

Play time at home.

Oh, and for anyone wondering, we do think we made the right decision about grade for Lala! She is thriving socially and seems to be gaining confidence, as well as mastering skills that she passed last year, but didn't have the bandwidth to fully engage herself in. No regrets!

This educational journey continues to keep us on our toes!

Christmas 2011 ~ the giving

2011-12-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, we didn't go entirely homemade or even entirely handmade, but I would call it an eco-Christmas. A creative Christmas, for most of what was not handmade was either purchased gently used or was in the form of new or monetary charitable donation.

For our adopt-a-family (single dad and 2 toddlers): We purchased new toys and grocery gift cards. My parents bought used books for the kids and new clothing for the single dad.

From Santa (yes, we do Santa gifts...our kids believe and it is a bit of magic we approach in a non materialistic way): a nutcracker (White Elephant sale) with walnuts and a educational game (new in box from the thrift store). We also do stockings for everyone. We try and do quality items in the stockings, but since this can add up, I look for little things all year long and I get creative. My mom got a rock I collected at the lake, on which I wrote my word for the year, nourish. My aunt, a gardener, got seeds from our pumpkins. My brother got that knit thing he made a joke of at the lake. The kids got discounted wool socks. My uncle got gluten free recipes. And so on.

From Isabella Sofia to others: Bella made Finnian a dream catcher (with a little help from me and using this tutorial). Her idea. She also made everyone a bead bracelet. And she and Finnian made salt dough ornaments for everyone.

For dada Mike: Isabella gifted him a painting she had made at school. I wish I had bought a frame for it in time for Christmas. I gifted him with some emergency supplies ("free" to me with public radio donation), wool socks, and new, folding sawhorses. (His homemade ones had finally rotted beyond repair and I know we could use the space they took up.) I had intended to make him some lunch bags, but they just haven't gotten through my sewing machine yet.

For Finnian Luca: A puzzle (thrift store), books (clearance from our favorite bookshop in Santa Cruz), the rubber band board, and a scarf I knit (but haven't finished! I love how it matches the rocks at our favorite beach!)

For Isabella Sofia: pajamas and slippers (clearance) and books (clearance from our other favorite bookshop in Santa Cruz). Also a heart beeswax ornament I got in a barter.

For both kids: Dada-made wooden iron, ironing board, play fridge, more big wooden blocks, and playsilks (Sarah's Silks seconds. They allow space for requests and they filled my request for colors exactly!). All things they both have been asking for. Both kids also got mamma-made lunch sacks (simple, they get to decorate with fabric pens), a big bag of sand for the sandbox, and real, sturdy, hardware store shovels...that Mike painted pink and blue. (Finnian's choices of color, although he didn't know what he was choosing for.) Now where to put all of this?! We did it to ourselves! (Mike made up the fridge and the ironing board and iron he loosely followed this tutorial.)
For grannie Annie: We took grannie on an outing during Mike's week off and then framed a photo of her with the kids. We also gave her a framed photo of our kids and our niece (her grandchildren) together. That might be the only photo of all 3 kids together, looking at the camera, so far. She got some Smart Wool socks and a pocket calendar, as well.

For grandma: We gave my mom a book about bird's nests from a local photographer, gave her some pull-on grips that go over her shoes for snow and ice, and she received some photos as well.

For nonno: A coffee tamper that Mike turned and two half pounds of good, local espresso. He also got a gift card and a set of cards of local bike trails (White Elephant sale).

For my aunt and uncle who were visiting: A sushi set, with a board and chopstick rests made by Mike. We included some of the goodies, such as gluten free soy sauce, since my uncle also has Celiac Disease. Included, but not photoed, were dipping dishes.

For my brother, Stian: a gift card, cook book (White Elephant sale), baking mat (clearance), coasters (Mike made), and wooden block picture holders (Mike made) with photos (mine). The photos are placeholders until he picks some of mine he really wants, because he asked for some prints (despite the fact that he is a very good photographer). (I noticed there are project directions for the log card holders in Rhythm of the Family.)

For Mike's brother and sister in law: mugs decorated by me and tea. Also a photo of the little cousins.

For niece, Caroline: Green Toys truck (thrift store) and with wooden blocks (new, but from the thrift store) in a bag made by me, clothes (thrift store and White Elephant sale), and books (thrift store, but not the ones shown, in the end)

All our immediate family members got a calendar I made of the kids. Usually, I use Lulu.com. This year, I used Costco. I have been pleased with everything from Costco, but for most calendars, I will stick to Lulu in the future. Better quality. Lulu is pricier, even with discount codes, but the quality is reflected in the price.

So there you have it. It may seem self-absorbed to post the loot we made, but I love to read and see other people's recaps, as it sparks so many ideas!

how we counted down...

2011-12-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

The photos are from the activities we did before Christmas, but after I posted on Friday about our week last week.

Last year's holiday countdown socks were filled with treats of various edible and non-edible kinds. That was fun. But it was also a bit too spoiling of the kids and I had to get two of everything for each day.

This year, I filled each sock with a slip of paper, each paper having an activity of some sort. Here is how we counted down to Christmas this year. I thought I would share, so you can get ideas for your own holiday (or other) countdown, although you will see some of ours are personal to our family. At the bottom are some of the extras ideas I had and didn't use.

Bake cookies
Practice recorder, singing, flute, guitar, or piano. Play a Christmas carol.
Go to the regional park holiday celebration.
Go to a winter concert.
Happy birthday, Finnian Luca! Open presents.
Happy St. Nicholas' Day! Open St. Nick gifts.
Make salt dough ornaments.
"You deserve a treat! Ask mamma for one."
Go shopping for "adopted" family.
Get a Christmas tree today!
Host a party!
Wrap a present.
Read a Christmas book together.
Decorate a gingerbread house.
Treasure hunt! The first clue is in the front toy basket. (They followed 4 clues that lead them to a Christmas decoration they could make together.)
Choose a toy/item we no longer need and donate it. (I learned that my children are still of the age and temperament that a) this couldn't happen until after Christmas and b) I still need to do a purge, set things aside, and wait to see if they are missed. I know the opposing view on this, but it works for us.)
Go to a Christmas party.
Make a Pine cone garland. (That is what we family finger knit for.)
Go see a light display with friends.
Take grannie Annie on Christmas gift outing.
Celebrate Solstice. (We go to the woods, but you could read about it, light a candle, make a paper lantern, etc.)
Make a Christmas gift or card. (Lala took this seriously and during quiet time, carted supplies with her and came out with a hand made and already-wrapped present for each person.)
Ride the Christmas carousel.
It's Christmas Eve! Open a present. (Lala had made and tucked in love notes to Mike and me on this day and for Christmas. Melt my mamma heart.)
Merry Christmas!

Extras:

Go to the children's art center
Tuck a chocolate kiss in on a random day.
Go on an outing with (insert person's name)
Create: Swedish hearts, beeswax candles, felt trees or ornaments, papier mache, etc.

abundance

2011-12-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

First, congratulations to our friends, Genevieve and Tom, who welcomed a son yesterday!
And happy birthday to my friend, Sarah, whose birthday is today!

How have the holidays been for all of you? These are some images from our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was a very full weekend. Full of love, food, generosity, family, gifts, and celebration.

Abundant.

My aunt (on my flute) and my dad, playing Christmas music. (They are using a music stand Mike made for my dad some years back.)

Finnian, jamming along with them.

Isabella received a beautiful bag, 2 sets of knitting needles, and some rainbow wool, from grandma (my mom) for Christmas. She immediately cast on. This is her first set of her own, that lives at home. (She made and owns a set at school.)

Above, the coffee table and fireplace at my parents' house, ready for our traditional breakfast and stockings. This might be my very favorite tradition for Christmas and often, the adults (and even our kids) feel this is enough. But, below, you can see there were many presents this year.

Mike got Hob Nobs in his stocking, my most favorite British (gluten-y) biscuit (cookie). Finnian got a hold of one and was so nobbled, he skipped a turn opening gifts in favorite of focusing on his treat. I must try making some gluten free ones. (I will start with testing the closest gluten free versions "Santa" put into my stocking!) The yellow bracelet he is wearing was made by his sister, who made one for each of us.

Christmas morning at home. Those are reusable pop up present boxes we use to hide bigger gifts.

Christmas Even crab dinner at Grannie Annie's. She did a beautiful job hosting us and my brother, Stian.

We have already purged old things and re-organized and put away the many generous gifts received. Every year, we try and find ways to simplify and engourage each other to limit the number (and size, although Mike and I completely ignored this. Ack!), but each year, I am amazed at how many things we each think of to give each other. Isabella actually said "mamma, I think I got too much" and when we were organizing and putting away, she chose a few things to set aside until later, when she might want something new in the middle of a non-gifting month. I was proud of her. This year, I realized all the abundance (even some of the self created items) gives me a bit of anxiety. I get anxious about where to put it all, that our whole family recognize the generosity and love of each item, and that we appreciate all we have. I admit, I have lost a little sleep fretting about it. That said, our kids were incredible all day and through the day that followed.

My aunt and uncle are now gone. My brother has gone back to work (in Antarctica, which obviously means he has left town), and Mike has returned to work. I admit, I have a touch of the post-holiday blues, but in an effort to fend off the funk, the kids and I plan to make the most of each day together this week, enjoying the unseasonably lovely weather.

with merriment...

2011-12-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Thinking today of my father in law, Tom, who would have celebrated his birthday today!

::Sending off holiday photo cards for the first time in years.

::Enjoying a light show at the zoo with dear friends. That cute toothless photo is Bella and her friend Julia.

::Visiting a children's discovery museum with grannie Annie. I think we all had a fantastic time and Mike got dozens of ideas for homemade gifts.

::Park time and biking as a family.

::Naps. Oh, glorious naps when they happened.

::Our now beloved Solstice tradition of attending the festivities at Muir Woods, the walking paths of which are lined with luminaries. Isabella made a small door wreath and a head wreath, both with nonno's (my dad) help. Mike came this year(!) as did my aunt and uncle who are in town for Christmas. The photo of the kids and my mom sitting and listening to music is especially sweet to me, as Isabella is turning to help Finnian drink hot chocolate. Oh, and I just liked that wavy blurred luminaries photo.

:: A visit to the aviation museum. The kids loved (loved!) the mock air control tower.

:: Writing thank you notes...Finnian wrote his (nick)name for the first time ever! He said he was going to, wrote the F, then asked for help from Bella with the rest!

This week, Mike has been home with us. It has been so lovely. His presence and a change of routine has meant I have been offline more. Here is our week and for now, I am signing off to enjoy the holidays with family. Wishing you a very, very happy holiday!

yarn along

2011-12-20T20:02:00.001-08:00

Joining Ginny (Small Things) for a little knitting this week.

Okay, so admittedly not the loveliest photos of any of us. Truthfully, I think my two cuties were just concentrating, but me...I was arguing with Mike about something when he took my photo!

I am knitting a scarf for Finnian Luca. I have no idea if I will get it done in time for Christmas. I hope so. He asked for one. It would be done if I hadn't started it, ripped it apart, and started again 3 times before this one! This photo is from a few days ago. I am a lot further now, but scarves are long!

And my cuties are working on a family made (clearly) finger knit garland project. I might post finished project photos later, but no promises. (And yes, Lala is wearing a swimsuit. No idea why...she was playing something before picking up the finger knitting.)

As for reading...I am reading from the winter holiday books to the kids as well as The Seven Year Old Wonder Book. And I am personally reading both The Out of Sync Child and a Katie Fforde chick lit novel ("slush" book!).

Happiest of solstice days to you. We will be celebrating as has become our new tradition...I will share photos later.

adventures with flour

2011-12-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

A request to play with flour went on to a request for some water to add to it and this...led to papier mache.

I thought we might as well make it a useful project, so we made bowls to hold holiday toffee. (Yes, it is toffee time again!)

Here is how we did it:
2 parts water
1 part flour (I bought regular flour for this, not gluten free)
sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix and whisk smooth into your "glue." (You can refrigerate this mix for several days.)

To papier mache, rip paper (newspaper is great) into 1 inch strips, slide it through the glue and adhere it flat to your mold (in our case, the inside of a bowl). Adhere in an overlapping criss cross fashion.

Do one layer at a time, letting dry between layers. It may take overnight for each layer to dry.

Once you have decided you are done, you can paint and even varnish your creation.

right now...

2011-12-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

Birthday celebration with family

Gingerbread house making (eating?)

Wrapping the gifts they picked out for our "adopted" family.

Her first grade class is learning the recorder and they played at their winter assembly. They were a hit and I was so impressed! I learned recorder in the third grade!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!
We had been taking bets on these babies for awhile. I didn't think they would last for her school picture, which was two weeks ago, and then boom! they both fell out this week!

This week has been full of celebrations...the winter holiday kind, but also celebrations of Finnian Luca's birthday with family and the loss of two front teeth for Miss Isabella Sofia. So suddenly, these two feel so darn big!

I caught myself singing a song last night that my dad used to play for me. Truthfully, I have no idea how often he sang it, but my memories have always swirled around an image of him on the edge of a chair in my parents' living room, guitar in his hands, singing while I sat listening at his feet on this fuzzy white (with kids! can you imagine?) rug they used to have. I wonder how true this memory actually is.

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good bye.

Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of tender years,
Can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth,
They seek the truth before they can die.

Can you hear and do you care and
Cant you see we must be free to
Teach your children what you believe in.
Make a world that we can live in.

Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

rubber band board

2011-12-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share an easy, homemade gift I have made for Finn Luca for Christmas this year. A fast, fun, frugal gift. I made him a rubber band board. It may seem silly, but I was inspired by something similar I saw at his preschool, when both he and Lala were drawn to it at drop off one morning. Finnian hardly noticed when I left and I had to pry Lala away.

To make your own rubber band board:

Take a scrap board of any size. Mine was 11x11 inches, because that is what Mike had easily on hand.
Measure off and mark at even intervals with a thin, permanent pen. I marked spots for nails 1.5 inches apart with a 1 inch border.
Start nailing. I used 49 bright finish nails (2 inch length).
Gather rubber bands. I admit, I did pay for mine, although I didn't have to. I thought (and I think Finnian will think) the colorful rubber band ball is so neat!

lasting favorites (homemade gifts, that is)

2011-12-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

Making salt dough ornaments. Inspired by Erin of tiny.twist.creative.

Looking for a little creative motivation for homemade gifting?

Here are the handmade (by us) favorites. These are the gifts that seem to stand the test of time around here.
Personal placemats
Rhythm sticks
Personalized tag blankets
Toffee
Stitched notebook and art caddy
Swim towel cover up
Tool bench with a tool filled tool box.

Here is last year's version of this list, with links!
Oh, and a lot of this stuff (and more) is listed here.

If you sew, some of the most requested items I have made have been snack sacks and draw string bags, both useful for so many different purposes.

And for a little more inspiration, let's draw on the creativity of others! You can view my Inspired Internet series here, or to get straight to December, you can just click on December 2009 part 1 and part 2 and December 2010.

made by someone else's hands

2011-12-12T00:05:00.001-08:00

As with last year, we are giving many hand made goodies. If you prefer to gift this way, as well, and don't have the time, inclination, or skill, and simply prefer to give gifts someone else has created, then I urge you to consider these amazing artisans, who I know either through blogging or blood, all from whom I have bought or received items.

Little Alexander :: Incredible paper goods and original artwork.
Dandelion Dream (from tiny.twist.creative.) :: New and upcycled clothes and bags hand dyed and stenciled with original designs.
Elemental, by Amy Ambroult :: Beautiful, handmade metal work jewelry
Gypsy Forest :: Hand sewn bags, clothes, and blankets
FuoriBorgo :: Hand crocheted and sewn creations

I thought today might be a nice day to feature a previously made (by us) gift that was really well received. Francesca's (FuoriBorgo) limoncello. Yum doesn't describe it.

Happy St. Finnian's day!

these days...

2011-12-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy birthday to my dear friend, Liz. I don't know what I would do without you!

These days, I am...

~Enjoying Mike's rekindled love of La Pavoni

~Thinking my kids and Father Christmas are really quite cute, but maybe most especially because of my children's continued belief in him, Santa, and St. Nick (as three different people, mind you)

~Appreciating winter concerts, and the love of music my dad has passed through the generations.

~Loving my kids falling asleep on me (Finnian) even if just pretend (Lala)

~Getting a kick out of the belief my girl has that St. Nicholas needs a glass of wine ("but only a little, so he doesn't get sick, mamma!") and his horse needs a carrot.

~Grateful that not all gluten-free bread is dry, crumbly, or rock-hard. Quite the opposite, really.

These days continue to be very busy with school activities. Thanksgiving Break was quiet, just as I look forward to Winter Break being. In the meantime, its the little things, don't you think?

my heart

2011-12-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

Like every mother, every day, my heart is exposed. Growing these two little people of ours is such a big job. The bigger they get, the heavier the responsibility. Or the lighter? I am not sure which, but growing is something they have down, regardless of how I feel about it. Recently, both kids had their well checks. They have the same pediatrician, who knows them both so well. This is relevant to me, as mamma, as they are both so different. Both kids are quite tall for their ages, but Finnian isn't at the peak of the charts where I thought he was. He topped off at 88th percentile for height. Lala, though, she broke the chart. She's so tall, that their pediatrician thought the nurse had recorded her height incorrectly. He hadn't. It is her height (and the fact that this makes her appear much older than she is) paired with her youthfulness that I am navigating these days. I feel this pull between my desire to have her act as old as she looks and my relief that I don't have a little girl who acts like she is 17. And a whole lot in between, of course. My two have always been who they are, very much their own selves, but the best of friends, too. I hope this sibling connection and support remains as they grow. It is my job to help guide these two through to knowing and being confident in themselves. One just goes with the flow most of the time and the other needs a little more support navigating. I was recently directed towards information about individuals with sensory issues and I think I may have a hit a little patch of "ohhhh" to dwell on for a bit.

I have had conversation before, and again recently, about how much of this quirky parenting journey to share here on my blog. In the end, I follow my gut (and input from Mike) and hope that in sharing, a little chip is knocked away from the negatives associated with anyone that isn't "normal." (Which is everyone, by the way.)

Parenting is such a challenge of supporting our children, advocating for them, and teaching them to live confidently in what can be a harsh world (which, for me, is a little depressing). The easiest part is the love, even if it means my heart is exposed every single day.

the birthday

2011-12-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you, everyone, for the birthday wishes for Finnian yesterday!

The morning table waiting for him. A new crown from mamma, as he had (accidentally?) cut his old one. This one has a rocket ship on it, although I worried it looks a little like a fish. Mike and Lala didn't think so, but when Lala commented on the rocket ship, Finnian said "I thought it was a fish!"

He had been wanting a towel wrap like his sister's, so I made him one. I also made him a new calendar, as I do every year. (I make a personalized calendar, to paste photos in and record special moments.)

Lala made him a new shirt.

He got a stomp rocket for his birthday. Best energy out-put toy! It was a hit.

I think my little man had a good birthday. It was a fairly typical day, although I made a big deal out of letting him make decisions, which he seemed to like.

I had lost my camera lens in a theater, and shockingly found it (whew!), but in the interim, Lala let me borrow her point and shoot for some of these photos.

We ended the day, as always, by reading On the Day You Were Born. It makes me cry every time.

Well, a special guy's birthday down (except for the bigger family celebration) and now St. Nicholas is upon us...

4

2011-12-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

Little Brown Mouse (I know...your response is "I'm not a little brown mouse! I'm a Finn Luca!")

I have so much and so little to say. I cannot believe you are 4. Probably, it is because you are my baby and you aren't a baby anymore. Probably, because in the last 6 months, you have grown in height and maturity in a way I didn't expect. Probably, it is because I have a mental quirk about time...its passing affects me deeply, emotionally. But at 4, you light up my days. Often with humor, sometimes now with a fierce determination and strong opinions, occasionally with volume and energy. Always with smiles.

Happy 4 my little big boy!
Love, Mamma

counting down

2011-12-02T00:05:00.001-08:00

Now in December, celebrations commence. We will be starting (soon!) with the birthday of a very special someone in our family. Today, you can read about another celebration we have coming in my guest blog post over at Vera's The Spiral and The Lotus. (Thanks for having me, Vera!)

All it took was the flip of the calendar into December and my kids could hardly contain themselves. It was time to pull out last year's sock creation for our holiday countdown. This year, I filled each sock with a slip of paper, each saying something different and festive. We started with Bake Cookies.

Tomorrow, we are off to the Christmas celebration at one of the nearby regional parks. Have a wonderful weekend!

inspired internet: november 2011

2011-12-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

My list is quite short this month. A shame, as this time of year, there are so many good holiday prep/gift making posts. I have just been quite absorbed with my real, offline life. I hope to catch up with you all soon!
food:

Cardamom roasted apples, from Molly (Remedial Eating)

holiday planning:

30 Days of Gift Making, from The Spiral and The Lotus.
Handmade Holidays, with Tonya of Plain and Joyful Living
Salt dough ornaments from tiny.twist.creative.

home and garden:

I like Erin's (tiny.twist.creative)post about organization and the links she shares. (I relate to her efforts to simplify during a busy, complicated time of life.)

parenting and education:

I can completely relate to this one (minus the hot dogs and Death Star). 7 things I will miss about having little kids. via Marina's (A Small Tribe) Facebook link.
I got a kick out of this article from the NY Times about a reflection on being homeschooled in the '70s. via Genevieve (Booky Kids)

other inspiration:

Winter 2011 Rhythm of the Home is out today! This is the first time since its inception that I have not included an article. I am not sure why not. I just couldn't pull my creative juju together, but can't wait to read what others have to share!
Sparrow Magazine's second edition is out today, too!

And for anyone interested, as a follow up to last month, I spent $521 on our total grocery this month. This month's tally included health & body as well as chicken pet needs. I believe more than $400 of this was actual food, though. I think edibles totaled $480 this month. I am ending the month with no immediate food needs. Usually, I start the month with a long list and big first grocery bill.

Can you see the bird hiding in this photo?

a (long) weekend away

2011-11-30T00:05:00.002-08:00

We had a lovely week last week, did you? Time together. Time with family. A little bit of snow play. Welcome, holiday season!

Immediately above: my adorables and my niece, followed by the little cousins and their Grannie Annie.

a colorful thanks

2011-11-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

Even the poison oak is beautiful!

There is so much autumn color here right now. this fall, even our kids have been particularly noticing the color we get here in coastal California. (Finnian especially, seems very observant of color on trees and in the sky, although it was Isabella who commented that some yellow looked lemony and others looked mustard yellow). I can't decide if their noticing as made me take more notice (although these natural fireworks are always something I look forward to) or if there really is more vibrancy this year. Either way, I am soaking in all the visual warmth.

So of all the cliche things to be thankful with, I will mention my family, but I also just want to offer a little smile and thanks to autumn.

Hoping your day and week are filled with celebration for all there is to be grateful for.

yarn along - a project making progress!

2011-11-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along today...

(Photo by Isabella)

Okay, so, I am a beginner knitter. I cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease, cast off, and have followed patterns enough to have done a sampler with a heart pattern purled into the knit, but...

I have never actually started and completed a project. (Other than the eyeless horned bunny.)

So I am. When my little guy asked for a scarf for Christmas, I thought "Ha! Now even I can do that!" And he won't know it is for him, so I just knit it right in front of him. Of course, his sister, a new, mildly obsessed knitter (I caught her casting string onto a pencil the other day) saw me, she asked, I told, so she insisted on helping.

Honestly, I am not wowed by the color of the yarn, but it is wool cashmere, is so darn soft, and it was free. I attended my first knitting circle as part of a group of parents at Isabella's Waldorf charter school, and one of the moms brought in a huge bag of wool yarn from Freecycle. I tried three other, cheerier colors, all of which felt too thin of scratchy. So this is it until I buy something I like better or change my mind. Or he'll get more than one scarf!

So you can't actually see it well, can you (?) and I forgot to take a separate photo, but I am maybe a dozen rows in doing a stockinette stitch and I think he might actually like a straight knit, no purl, so I am thinking to rip it out and start over. Thoughts?

Oh! And reading. I have been in a very long run of parenting, home, what-have-you books, just having mostly finished Heaven on Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer. So I picked up some chick lit at the library. Half way through the first page, I thought "I don't even remember how to read a slush novel anymore, it has been so long." But I contentedly blew through a Katie Fforde (Love Letters) and a Jane Green (Mr. Maybe).

a bird, a mountain, and some bivalves?

2011-11-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

After a very, very busy few weeks at school (for me, as a volunteer, and the kids, being in my charge, therefore with me for a lot of it), school is closed this week. A welcome relief. So, with an entire rain-free day laying in front of us, waiting to be colored in, the kids and I took ourselves off to one of our favorite spots. This is what we came up with. Mighty nice, I must say.

What are these? They look like the insides of mussels (a type of bivalve), but there were hundreds of them, alive (at least not dried out), and only a smattering of shells.

Isabella loves rocks as much as I do. These made the "keeper" pile. She said "look, mamma, a bird on a mountain!"

All the photos below were taken by Isabella, whom I have never let use my camera before. (She has her own and mine is an expensive one.) It was very, very cool to watch her take photos. She took a number of pictures of rocks and of the sand toys, for which she moved things around, to get the look she wanted.

That would be me and "Bagman," obviously!

the merry making begins!

2011-11-21T00:05:00.001-08:00

Okay, actually, the merry making didn't just begin for me. I am one of those people who loves the winter holidays. I cannot stand the commercialism, I find it annoying to see Christmas paraphernalia in the stores in October, but I start thinking about gift making in August.

This weekend, though, I got a couple hours to myself at home, during which I cleared clutter, cut fabrics, sewed a little, made lists, and completed a set of gifts. I felt like an elf, finally freed from my crafting slump (or perhaps just freed from other duties that have been consuming my time).

Now that Thanksgiving is approaching, my merry making isn't so odd anymore and everyone else in my family is making right along with me. Or in secret, if necessary!

I may be able to share some gifts as I go, but for the most part, this year's gifts may have to wait until after the holidays. I may sneak in some posts about previously gifted items, in an attempt to keep secrets but generate some inspiration.

for love of pumpkin (and a seed give-away)

2011-11-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

Remember this beauty? Well, it wasn't the only one and the kids carved the ones they chose at the pumpkin patch, so I recently took the knife out and got to work dissecting pumpkins.

I cooked some of the pumpkin down into puree and then froze some and used some immediately for pumpkin muffins. I have some set aside to try this soup recipe, from Sunset.

Some, I just peeled and cut and made into curry. This pumpkin curry recipe is from the recent issue of Sunset. Oh my goodness, this is good. I had to make substitutions (bay leaves instead of curry leaves, with curry powder added, and peanuts instead of cashews). I made this for Mike and myself after the kids were in bed one evening. Finn Luca devoured my leftovers the next day!

And the seeds...I debated toasting some of these as I did from the carving pumpkins, and in the end decided to keep them all (instead of just some) for planting next year, which will be our 4th or 5th year of planting these from the seeds of last year's harvest. Instead, I would love to share the pumpkin wealth. Leave a comment letting me know if you would like me to send some Cinderella pumpkin seeds your way for planting in your garden!

creek walk

2011-11-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Recently, our friends introduced us to a trail along the creek that runs behind a park we have been to a number of times. We always spent time at this park before or after swimming, so had never ventured beyond it. On this day, it was raining, so we had the place to ourselves. We walked the trail, let the kids climb around on a huge, exposed tree root, snacked, enjoyed herbal tea my friend, J, brought for the kids, and then went creek stomping. Finnian, of course, enjoyed the creek splashing thoroughly, and twice had to pour his full boots out. There is a circle of rocks near the creek, so the girls sang some songs with us. It was such a lovely outing we hope to repeat and a natural way to reconnect with our kids.

going back

2011-11-15T00:05:00.001-08:00

I believe that once we live somewhere or connect with a place, we belong to that place and that place belongs to us. For us, one of those places is Santa Cruz and all the spaces connected with it.

A banana slug, of course.

The antique store where Mike bought my engagement ring...still here.

Mike and I celebrated 10 years of marriage last week. While we knew each other before then, "we" began in Santa Cruz. This weekend, we got to take a little trip down memory lane.

So different. The pretty wooden building on the left was the bookstore when we were here. There was nothing else but a parking lot at that time. The rest of the buildings are new and the care taken to match new architecture with the old has been disappointingly non-existent.

Coffee at one of the classics...still there, still the same.

Classic foggy morning view (from our hotel).

Favorite breakfast/brunch spot. My favorite was still on the menu (avocado, mushroom, cheese scramble) and they didn't blink an eye when I asked if they would toast the homemade gluten free bread I brought with me.

We've been back for the butterfly festival and I was back for work on more than one occasion, but this weekend, we took the weekend and traveled back in time a decade. It was odd...to see how much was the same, how much had changed, how much we couldn't remember, and how much we did remember. (Mike pointed to the very spot he had collected the discarded wood we used to make Finnian's bean bag board!)

On the way towards home, we pulled into one of the parks nearest and dearest to me. The one I worked at several summers in a row. There's a new visitor center. And the prices have gone up. But the quail scurrying across the path are still there, as are the brown hares. And the redwoods.

Not the greatest photo of either of us, but the best we got, in the woods, with the self timer!

A lot has changed. A lot is the same. We've changed. But we still belong there and it belongs to us.

life in color

2011-11-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the anniversary well wishes!

So many birds in our yard this day of so many types. I narrowed it down to this one photo.

Finn Luca hitching a ride with his buddy Lily

I can't describe what an amazing helper Finnian is. In this photo, he asked Mike if he could help paint. Mike said yes (he is so good at engaging the kids), so he donned a painting shirt (mine) and rubber gloves and went to work. He was so dedicated, when I came out, he told me all the rules (no painting on the wire, only the wood, mamma), got a stool to help him reach up high, and he outlasted everyone. I had to give him a countdown to stop for dinner!

This week was a bumpy one, but not in the way they usually are when I write that. Yes, there were some bumps with my kiddos...it is hard for there not to be with young children. And yes, a couple of those were relatively upsetting, but I feel that for all the time it has taken us to get to this place, Mike and I are making the right choices for our family right now. This week, I have learned a number of lessons in speaking up confidently for what I believe in and in letting go.

This week, for its many discouraging moments, was glorious within the little container of our family. We enjoyed the coziness of home and our first fire of the season...with take-out pizza (for the gluten eaters). We also enjoyed the most amazing natural displays the calm sky had to offer. The photo above is a sunrise, but it was the best I had, as the most incredible sunset happened one evening last week while we were at a meeting. I noticed it during a very intense adult conversation, and when I went to pick up my kids from the child care room, Finnian said "mamma, did you see the orange and pink in the sky?" He is also the child who commented to me one day this week about the "mountains in the sky" when describing the clouds. Lala, equally appreciative of the colors and textures the sky had to offer, drew a picture of Finnian watching it. We enjoyed beach time together, park play with friends, and the birds visiting our yard. There have been so many things to be grateful for this week.

I realize that so many of my posts lately are about my kids and the (extra)ordinary things that are snippets of our days right now. I cannot help it. There is something so precious about this just-seven and almost-four time of their lives that seems so very much "on the brink" of something. I am touched both by how big they are getting and seem to others and yet how very centered they are in childhood right now, particularly my little miss. I, like so many other parents (maybe mothers most especially?) want to freeze it, hold on to it, yet at the same time, I am so grateful for the natural normalness of it all and this time feels like a flash of parenting success.

It is in this heart of childhood that I want to focus our days on. And so I am.

10

2011-11-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

This photo just made me smile. Such a happy place for us, since long before we married. But it is confirmation I need more photos of Mike. And me. And us!

I was thinking about what I wanted to say in this post. Lyrics from half a dozen different songs sang through my head. Quotes from parenting books and memoirs I have been reading jumped off the pages at me.

Ten years is a long time. Two little lifetimes, actually. Three if you are counting as I am. Lots of joy. Lots of struggles. Fear. Some loss. I am glad we are in this together, Mike, and I will hold on hope. T'amo and happy anniversary!

looking up

2011-11-08T00:05:00.000-08:00

After T's birthday party ended on Saturday, it began to rain. And it rained. Buy on Sunday, it dawned with sunshine, rain clouds teasing in the background. To us, that meant the perfect day for an outing to the beach. It had been awhile since we went to a sand beach with Mike. (Our favorite family outing beaches have small rock beaches!) I learned that Mike thinks big. We took the usual sand toys, but he wanted to play, too, so he brought big buckets and real shovels. And the thing with the sandy beach down the street from where we live is that it is urban, so Mike took a little walk to find coffee for himself and came back with french fries for the kids. Talk about an infrequent fast food treat! I think the highlight (besides Mike and I reading, side by side, in pop up chairs) was watching the sky shifting and changing.

rocks versus a jumpy house

2011-11-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

My two.

The birthday boy.

This was one of several times Finnian hurtled himself down the pile, giggling all the way.

Mike and Finnian

The birthday boy taking a swing at his pinata, with his dad, holding it up.

The big sisters.

Finnian

On Saturday, we were invited to a 3rd birthday party. This might have been the best birthday party we have been to yet. Through school (actually, through our introduction to the school a year ago), we have new friends. Their girl and Isabella get along so well and her little brother just turned 3. (He and Finnian get along beautifully, too!) Lucky Mr. 3 has a dad who works at the rock quarry and who arranged for a whole gaggle of kids and their parents to come play (rolling down a mountain of pea gravel makes for giggles galore), watch dozers in action, and climb on a track bulldozer. Everyone had fun! Happy 3, T! (We made him a shirt with 3 trucks on it and a T, his first initial, but I forgot to photo it!

sweet moments

2011-11-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Early in the week, I went to Costco. Yep, I still shop there. I have a love/hate with Costco (as I do with a couple other stores). Anyway, I was there with Finn Luca and Lily, and after shopping, I sat and let them split a slice of pizza. Another little boy, there with his grandparents, came and sat next to us. His grandpa was pushing frozen yogurt on him, but he was refusing, until his grandma sat down and said "if you don't want any, that is okay." He changed his mind then and I heard his grandma say "just don't tell your mamma." I smiled then, it all sounding so familiar. I looked over at the grandma, still smiling, and she smiled back saying "We are so restricted. I asked, but was told 'no sugar!' It is so hard being a grandparent!" I felt a bit ashamed in that moment, for that mamma and I are very alike and I am certain I have made my parents and Mike's mom feel this way. I chuckled over it later to both my mom and Mike's, who came trick or treating with us. (The irony of trolling for candy isn't lost on me here.) Mike's mom replied emphatically in agreement with the grandma, but my mom surprised me by saying "I never let you sell candy to raise money for anything. Do you remember that? I felt like I could not have you sell something that I would not let you eat." Later, when I had a father daughter coffee date with my dad, I told him this story, as well. He reminded me that there is a difference between the occasional grandparent treat and the food care given by grandparents that have charge of grandchildren on a regular basis (which is the arrangement we had during the time I was most prohibitive of food spoiling). It was a reassuring reminder that we really do learn and share with our children the fundamentals that our parents instill in us. Indeed, Mike, just two days earlier, when I told him how we had done with our October grocery budget, said "It is wonderful that fresh produce is where we spend the most money. You really have given our kids such healthy food habits and preferences by providing the foods you do." I was so touched by this, even though, really, it is "us," not just me that encourages and reinforces this with our kids.

I am not sure why I am sharing this...it was just one of those odd moments where you can see yourself in something a stranger describes in a random, brief encounter. It left me with food for thought. (No pun intended!)

Happy weekending!

(Photos from Halloween, of course. I had a Monarch and a Honey Bee. I was a flower to match them, but I didn't remember to have anyone take a photo of me!)

a tale of history (yarn along!)

2011-11-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the used book sale at the library. My mom is a retired librarian, so volunteers regularly. My dad volunteered with her, so when we got there, they gave each kid money to buy themselves books. With every book priced at 50 cents, it was hard to resist bringing home more. One of the books I really wanted to buy was a copy of Grimm's fairy tales. I know this is the fairy tale selection of choice for Waldorf and since Lala is a first grader in a Waldorf school, she is in the height of fairy tales. I did not find one, but I did buy a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales.

I brought it home and decided to put it on the shelf of books that holds old favorites passed down to me from my great Aunt (whom my mom is visiting this week and is 96 years old). In adding it to the shelf, I had a little start and a little laugh at myself when I noticed I already had a copy of Grimm's fairy tales. My copy was given to my aunt Frances for her 8th birthday. How special is that?

And my knitting...I have just cast on 20 rows of white, just as Lala and her classmates have just learned how to do. They will be knitting little cats, so I am going to knit one with them.

inspired internet: october 2011

2011-11-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Considering I have been online far less the past month (plus), I have caught quite a bit of goodness here in the Internet community!

food:

Francesca of FuoriBorgo has posted an article over at Simple Green Frugal Co-op about Slow Food.
Oh...I am drooling...two new uses for tomatoes! (Molly of Remedial Eating.)
in.gredients. What a cool concept! (via EnviroMom, which I found through Remedial Eating.)
We had friends over for dinner. She and I are both gluten free, so she brought these cookies. They were sooo good! Why do I not frequent this site more often?
Curried peanut soup, from Lecia (The Day That is Dessert)
Did you catch Heather's grocery challenge over at Beauty That Moves? I joined.

health:

Of course Renee, of FIMBY, has a fabulous post about herbs (and home health care) for the winter.

family and education:

Erin of tiny.twist.creative made these sweet letter magnets.
An interview on Waldorf homeschooling with Dawna over at FIMBY
I like Mandi's (Herban Homestead) post on hiking with children.
Schools without technology in the classrooms. An article in the New York Times.
I was looking for this (excerpt here)and found this amazing list in the process. (On Waldorf education.)

fiber arts:

I love these PJs, from Wendy of ThimbleNest. How did I miss the kids clothing week challenge over at Elsie Marley?!
Dye your own silks (and other fabric) with Kool-Aid. I know many of you know this, but I thought this tutorial at Tried & True was so neat and succinct!

other inspiration:

Autumn 2011 Bamboo Family Magazine!
This post about money, from Adrie of Fields and Fire, left me feeling ashamed. All things I have felt, done, and not stuck to for just the reason she states...it is so easy to forget.
I was pleased this flower pounding article from Rachel of At the Butterfly Ball was re-posted over at ROTH.
How to make an envelope out of a pasta box! From Little Alexander.

eat it down: october 31

2011-10-31T00:05:00.001-07:00

This month's challenge has been so fabulous in that it has reminded me to be aware of our shopping, eating, and cooking habits. For example, I have been reminded just how much we like fresh produce. It is where the bulk of our food spending goes. We luckily live in Coastal California, where the growing season is long (never ending?), so we have access to good food. It means we can also be better about growing our own food year round, not just in the summer. It will be trial and error, but I was motivated to resume growing, even in small amounts, in our yard that has been in upheaval for some time.

In September, we planted into our seasonal raised beds. This month, we have continued working on the rest of our yard (we have been all summer and now all autumn) and got started on our perennial plantings.

My main learning from this month has been that when I think I am "out of food" or my list is long, just look around at what we have and find a new recipe to match. I won't pretend that my current shopping list is short , but we ended up eating very little from the "preserved" foods we had on hand at the beginning of the month, so October's total feels re-doable. I still feel confident that I can continue this challenge going forward. I hope to cap our edibles at $400 monthly and our total grocery (pet and health & body) at $500.

Our total spending for edibles this month was $343.60.

This week's meals included pizza, enchiladas, crepes (with arugula pesto), and chard pasta. All homemade, all gluten-free.

So as we transition into November, I know my major shopping happens at the beginning of the month. In the past week, we have also had a half dozen earthquakes, so given that non perishable food is one of the areas in which we haven't ever been fully prepared, I will be stocking up on those, but not out of our food budget, since this won't be consumed anytime soon. In a year or so, when I feel we need to eat and replace emergency food, I will use food budget money at that point.

Below is the delicious pesto recipe we made (and froze excess) this week.

Arugula Pesto
from Frugal Foodie, by Lara Starr

1/4 cup toasted almonds (Nicola's note: toasted is essential)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup fresh arugula leaves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup olive oil
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add salt to taste.

Thanks for following along with me in this challenge! I feel really good about how well we have eaten and for how little. I needed this to pull me back on track and feel positive about reducing our overall (not just food) spending. Check out all the others doing it over at Beauty that Moves.

Some other posts I have written in the past, may be of interest.

Frugal Foodie (a post summary of my tracked food spending last October!)
Feeding a Family Frugally
This post just has two really tasty recipes.

moments

2011-10-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

This week:

~We brought the little table outside during the heat of the day early in the week. It just seemed blissful to watch. Outside, warmth, a view, smiling faces, art.
~"Let's make silly faces" in front of their art wall.
~Furniture got rearranged and the jumping mattress got pulled to the side, so the book nook really is a nook now. They all love it. Now, when Finn Luca gets quiet, it doesn't always mean "trouble." Sometimes he (and here Lily) is "reading."
~Lots of airplane tracks noticed this week.
~Ice cream
~Three year old version of trying to clean one's face.
~My favorite: dancing. Twice this week, we turned up the music and just danced.

Happy weekending!