What We're Working on This Week - WIP Dec 30th, 2015

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week:

Attempting to lighten up the bathroom. We finally decided on paint colors, now to the hardware store to get the color we don't have. Apologies for the awkward angle, I felt I probably shouldn't include a picture of the mountain of laundry we AREN'T working on. :)

Breathing room after big days

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Breathing in, breathing out, the sound of our hearts beating - these rhythms are such a part of our existence that we rarely even notice they're there.

In the larger aspects of our life we must be more conscious of these rhythms or we can easily get off balance. 

After many big days crammed into a few short weeks, we are taking a few days to rest at home. We will find our rhythm heading into the new year, continue put everything into its place or find places for things that haven't yet found one of their own. 

Crafting (and Blogging) on the Sly - WIP Wednesday

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week:

Some of the excitement of presents comes from the surprise and anticipation. As someone who made presents for people from my very first ability to make things, much of my joy is finding the spare moments and keeping the secret. When one has toddlers as company most every moment, especially particularly inquisitive ones, one has to be pretty sly.

For those word nerds like me, the word "sly" comes from Old Norse sloegr meaning "skillful, dextrous, cunning, crafty" source

Mixing the old in with the new - scenes from our home today

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Between the start of the holidays and everyone getting sick, we lost our momentum in making our new house our own. I was bemoaning the lack of magic in our new house (as compared to our old house where we'd been for almost eight years) and then realized, we hadn't yet worked our own magic on much of our new house.

Digging for treasures in the boxes in the garage, I came across a few things that found their place in our new home only minutes later. It's remarkable how some of our treasures remind us who we are. 

We are slowly blending our old belongings into our new space, and incorporating our new space into who we are. 

Many things are lovingly being placed aside to move along to their next life where they belong to someone else. 

We are revisiting old projects, adding new elements and even integrating some pieces recovered from a newly homed grandparent. Four generations and still some room to grow.

The evening after the last post about garlands I spied some lovely ladies getting crafty. We have a carefully collected and curated collection of ornaments and decorations for the season. Most have either survived the time since our childhoods or are handmade treasures made or purchased a few at a time over our years together.

We are looking forward to quiet days at home, celebration, family, giving, light in the darkness, and coming together to express our gratitude for each other.

Wishing you and yours the very best. 

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WIP Wednesday - Garlands! 12-16-2015

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week:

Garlands! 

As soon as the girls (finally) went to sleep (at the same time!!) I grabbed my camera and went around taking pictures. Turns out, what we're working on this week is garlands.

We repaired an old beloved garland - white and red felt squares with red felt balls for caps at the end. 

We made a peanut garland for the squirrels.

We are making a cranberry and popcorn garland for the bird. Oh how I love the colors!

And made paper elephant and star garlands for our tree.

Not a single one of these was done without a great amount of help from C. And the kind of help where she actually does some of the work, not the kind of help that isn't really very helpful but is just as necessary. 

I also am, excitedly, working through a new online course through LifeWays North America (in collaboration with Mothering Arts) called Healthy Home Rhythms.

From the description:

"This popular online course, developed by Kerry Ingram at Mothering Arts, supports you to create a balanced home rhythm rooted in presence and joy."

I'm thoroughly enjoying every simple step and will do a full post after I finish. Even if you only get 2/3rds of the way through (where I am at present) I highly recommend the course. 

This is a hectic time of year for most in the attempt to create celebration, connection, keep treasured traditions, and re-center ourselves around the wonderful things in life. Moving and the entire experience has left me feeling off balance and I'm struggling to catch up, rebalance, and reconnect with these girls in my home who've grown an inch or two since last I checked.

What are you working on? What are you excited about attempting? What are you proud to be working on? Take a picture or two and share it with the rest of us by leaving your link in the comments.

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WIP Wednesday - December 9th, 2015

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week:

There may have been some late night knitting and blocking of a requested blue birthday cowl (being worn at present) and some matching blue mittens. I still have to work in an icord mitten string. 

A's doll is slowly coming along. I finished C's Willow before her first birthday. I'm aiming to finish before Christmas, and as there's only legs and feet to complete, I think I shall be able to finish. 

For the past two years I've made photobooks chronicling the girls' lives in pictures. In "the digital age" it's easy to take pictures, many of which are only ever seen on little cell phone screens. While I aspire to make true photo albums, these books were an easy compromise. The first book was C's first year, and since then I've used her early December birthday as the cutoff for the previous year's book. This gives me the few days following her birthday to scramble it together to have it ship in time for Christmas.

I'm also, nervously, putting together a submission to have a gallery showing in the cafe of the local coop. Other than student shows while taking art classes, I've never put myself forward as an artist. There's a lump in my throat, but I'm sending it in anyway.

What are you working on? What are you excited about attempting? What are you proud to be working on? Take a picture or two and share it with the rest of us by leaving your link in the comments.

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C's Turning Three and Seasonal Ick

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Tomorrow, our dear C turns three. (Wait WHAT??) 

Over the weekend we had a lovely gathering to celebrate. When planning, she eventually agreed we could invite people other than just two of her favorite cousins. We had lively time and received a surprise spinet piano! It needs a little repair and to be tuned, but even so, it's lovely to hear and exciting to have a house with a piano again. 

Sometime around the holidays, at least in our family, we invariably get sick. Not knock and drag out sick we can call out from work, just ick. Just sludgy, slow us down, make us less than inspired sick. With extra naps, vitamin C pops, way more cuddling, holding hands, and patience, and somehow we make it through.

So I'm going to sign off and try, yet another evening in a row, to get an ornament or two on our tree, snuggle up while watching another twenty minutes of White Christmas, and get ready to be patient enough to get to girls in bed.

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WIP Wednesday - December 2nd, 2015 Hanging Advent Calendar with Tutorial

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week:

I have always loved little things - containers, miniatures, boxes, etc. I loved Advent calendars as a child. I still recall waking with anticipation and tiptoeing down the stairs. The small door to open or a small tissue-wrapped treasure brings me delight to this day.

Nursemaid's Elbow - our Thanksgiving-eve adventure

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At afternoon nap time on the day before Thanksgiving, C fell asleep first. While it rarely happens, I always enjoy a little time alone with our younger daughter.

When A was ready for her own nap about an hour later, we went into the bedroom. She hopped off the bed but then immediately asked me to help her back up. I didn't have her quite right and as I pulled her up, there was an audible "pop." 

Our tough little girl cried out in pain. Thinking I might have just strained her wrist (*gulp*) I tried nursing her to sleep. She fell asleep but not well, and cried out in her sleep. 

Daddy got out of work early and I related the story. He felt the wrist she was clutching and refusing to use. He read the description of Nursemaid's Elbow I'd found. Then he and C went to the store for m&ms and infant ibuprofen, and brought home dinner as well. He thinks well on his feet, that one.

Capsule of elbow-joint (distended). Anterior aspect. (Nursemaid's elbow involves the head of radius slipping out from the anular ligament of radius.)

By the time they returned it was around 6pm. A was still crying out and our robust girl still wasn't right. If we were taking her to someone, the night before Thanksgiving, we had to go then.

Neither my husband nor I were confident enough in our guesses about what might be going on. We couldn't tell what, and not one to complain, A was telling us something definitely was wrong. We all bundled into the car and headed to the Urgent Care center less than five minutes from our house.

We told the story and the PA on duty who proclaimed it to be Nursemaid's Elbow. She manipulated A's elbow and forearm for less than a minute. A immediately settled and moments later was back to her normal self. Fifteen minutes later she chased her sister around the waiting room laughing with delight. 

Lucky for us, Nursemaid's Elbow is a common, easy to treat, and has a quick recovery time. We were away from the house for less than an hour, and were able to go through with our planned holiday celebrations the next day.

At every step along the way, I was grateful things weren't SO much worse. These events were not what I expected to count among our blessings at Thanksgiving. And we are very lucky.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got a chance to be with those you love. 

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WIP Wednesday - November 25th, 2015

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week:

One of my very favorite things about our new house is how close we are to my dad and my brother. 

Almost every week since we've been here, one or the other (or both!) have come over. My dad in particular has helped us with lists of odds and ends and involved the girls, often while I get other things done.

This week's visit included "Surprise! Your kitchen sink drain pipe isn't actually connected!" 

So this week in addition to finishing painting the front wall, I'm cleaning off the cleaning supplies and drying under the sink. Bonus points for spotting the un-paper towel holder from almost five years ago! (Its lid is out on the porch drying.) 

We are looking into having someone paint the brown boards between the beams one the ceiling. Our very tall ladder would only allow me to paint the bottom half of the ceiling, so I may end up doing that part myself. 

What are you working on? What are you excited about attempting? What are you proud to be working on? Take a picture or two and share it with the rest of us by leaving your link in the comments.

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How to move with littles - 6 tips for selling, buying, and moving house with small children

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Moving is hard for just about anyone. Moving with small children is even harder- their entire life is in upheaval.

Here are a few things that made the transition easier for us and our girls.

1.) Spend time where you're going, before you move. 

This isn't always possible if you're moving many hours away. Fortunately for us we moved about an hour away, close to family. During the process of selling we made a point to frequent our new area. Even before we'd found a house, Adventure Days exploring our new area became a real treat. 

We've been in our new house for almost a month and C regularly requests to "go on a Venture today." 

Moving can send their entire world into upheaval. Shifting some of their world gradually can make the leap and landing quite a bit softer.

In the reverse, we slowly stopped going to some places near our old house well before we moved. It's tempting to take advantage of the wonderful things you'll miss once you move. However for our girls, it was best to shift their familiarity to our new town and places. 

2.) Talk about what you're looking forward to about your new home.

As adults we have a fair amount of practice dealing with uncertain situations. It may drive us a bit nuts, but we know that after we move our life will settle in and feel normal again. Focusing on the great new things, and the wonderful things that will be the same reassured them greatly.

In our case we were very much looking forward to being closer to certain family members and more than halving Daddy's commute time. More time with Daddy was a very real thing for the girls to anticipate and proximity to many new favorite places (see 1.) above) 

3.) Get an extra laundry basket for loose stuff as you dash out the door.

This one is a bit more practical, but was a lifesaver every time we had to be out of the house. We bought an extra laundry basket. Any time we had to leave the house "show-ready" I grabbed the detritus and we were off.

Getting the girls out the door in time was sometimes almost all I could handle. Being able to just grab the odds and ends and pop them in the trunk of my car was so handy. When we returned to the house, the basket came right back in and we could start right where we left off.

4.) Read books about moving and talk about other families who've moved

This book was part of our daily reading for the better part of two months before we moved. We talked about friends, particularly with children, who'd moved recently. We shared our own experiences and told stories about moving.

Talking about others (real or fictional) going through similar experiences makes the whole ordeal more like a part of normal life. Instead of feeling cut off from what they knew, we all feel more connected. 

5.) Set them up to help

C was worried about what things we were bringing. We had many many conversations about if we were bringing such and such with us. As I packed my own things I often found a beloved item of hers at the top of the box.

While she was very worried about the move, she was an enthusiastic helper. She cleaned, polished, swept, vacuumed, painted, and decorated countless boxes. Children do so need to be important, be valuable, and have just as strong of a desire to be useful as we do.

6.) Be prepared to change course.

I had a wonderful goodbye planned. From everything I'd read, saying goodbye was a vital part of the moving process. I wanted to take C through each empty room and say goodbye and thank you to our old home, and then a final tour of our property. This is what I've done with almost every house I've left, and is part of my own moving process.

In the end, I loaded two exhausted and tender girls into their car seats. I did my own mental goodbye tour as they slept on our drive only minutes later. 

While it wasn't the graceful exit I'd rehearsed in my head, it was what the girls needed. More than dwelling on leaving what they knew, I tipped my hat in salute, and drove off into our new life.

WIP Wednesday - November 18th, 2015

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Creating is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before I pick up the best and carry on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week.

This week I managed to squeeze in a few minutes of knitting here and there almost every day. During our move we had a week between houses. We spent that time with some beloved family in New Hampshire. The week happened to fall over the shift in the seasons. Coupled with being three zones colder than our old home, I scrambled to make hats for the girls. Our winter box was buried in the back of our storage unit.

This final hat that I started for myself has been calling to me. Yarn and needles are so comforting and familiar to me. I learned to knit in first grade and my heart sings each time I help someone else learn or help them over a stumble in their work.

While the grounds of our new house are still strange and new, we are getting acquainted day by day. C and I put together a couple of garden beds the first week we moved in. We planted them the second, and the trees covered them with leaves as we went. 

We are doing the last of the ground work before winter sets in. This package of bulbs, a present brought from my husband's trip to Germany, will be the last to go in the ground. There will be raking, smoothing, and any number of things done with sticks. But the ground, and our outdoor plans, will rest until the spring.

What are you working on? What are you excited about attempting? What are you proud to be working on? Take a picture or two and share it with the rest of us by leaving your link in the comments.

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WIP Wednesday - Work In Progress Wednesday

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A new feature I'm going to try is a Work In Progress post on Wednesdays. 

I've enjoyed the many many WIP Wednesday (and KeepCalmCraftOn and others) posts I've read from the bloggers I've followed over the years. It's a little snapshot of what people are working on, what they're focusing on, what they're attempting, all that may never make the highlight reel, may get frogged or painted over, but brings us joy.

Creating in some form or another is my passion, my sanity, my sense of being "up to something", my way of contributing back a little bit. I always have a few projects going, many left to the side for months or even years before picking up the best and carrying on. Here's some of what I'm working on this week.

In this picture the old paint looks a little coffee colored, in reality, the walls of our new great room (combination dining, living, play, office, and craft room) were a color I call "baby poop", or "mustard" in more refined company.

The new color, "shortbread", brightens, lightens, and makes it ours. During the rare nap moment, or even rarer moment when both girls are occupied I've been getting paint on the walls.

With so many boxes to explore, I've been taking the girls upstairs and slowly conquering the space up there. We hope to all move upstairs within a few months and start work on fixing up the downstairs bedroom.

C has started her very verbal process of getting ready for her bed to be apart from the big bed. We intend to put in bed nooks in the knee walls under the eaves and give each girl her own private space. 

It may be some time before A is ready for her own bed as she's still nursing at night but I want to be ready before she is.

What are you working on? What are you excited about attempting? What are you proud to be working on? Take a picture or two and share it with the rest of us by leaving your link in the comments.

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Home At Last

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After many grueling months, and so much help from friends and family, we are finally in our new home!

In the past month my husband finished his masters degree program (summa cum laude at that!), we've sold a home, lived with family for a week before we bought our new home. We moved, settled in a bit and then spent two weeks cleaning, unpacking, a little bit of painting and celebrated with our annual light filled Sing For Your Supper party mixed with a housewarming. Our new house is much better suited for this type of gathering that we love so much. We are already looking forward to next year.

The past two weeks have been unseasonably warm and perfect for opening up the doors to let girls and beasts wander in an out while putting a little color on the walls. Each brush stroke makes this place ever more our own and one step closer to living this new, more authentic life.

I find the knot in my stomach slowly unwinding with each passing day and I am so relieved to be home. Now that we are here, we have a little cleanup to do and then can move forward in new directions. 

For myself, I'm contemplating going back to school (yet again) to finish my bachelors degree, two different types and kinds of Waldorf Teacher training, am aching to paint something in addition to walls, and have a couple potential art shows coming up at local businesses. 

Stay tuned for more!

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Things that are going really well this week

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I'm not going to sugar coat the truth. Life right now is really hard, but there are so many things that are going well. Here are some of them:

Moving Back Home - Back to Mass

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I've hestitated for some time in writing this post as even now I still feel like I'm holding my breath.  

A little over a month ago we made the decision not to move to Bahrain. The conversations we had and what we learned from making that decision led us to sign paperwork to put our house on the market the following week. Being tied to this house was a large factor in not taking on a grand adventure. That adventure wasn't the right one for us but we wanted to be ready to take on the next adventure to come our way.

Sewing Rope - new way to do an old thing

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It's quite rare that I come across a craft that I have all the tools and skills to attempt that also gets me excited to try my hand. It's not that I don't get excited to try things, just that I've already tried so many over the years. 

Newest chooks - spring 2015

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After we said farewell to ladies, our last chickens, in the fall we started daydreaming about starting again. In the winter, amidst snow storms and with our not-quite-so-newborn in my arms, I placed our order for a new batch of chickens. After fewer than half arrived alive (snowstorm after they'd shipped) I was reluctant to post. And then we  almost moved to Bahrain but didn't.

Since then, we've received replacements that all arrived happily. The big girls (and guy!) are out in the big coop and within a week or two we will put the new girls out in their own space inside the large coop for them all to get acquainted. 

When the time comes to finally merge the flock, we will move along a couple of the "hatch day mystery" chicks we ordered to fill in the required number to ship in early February. But for now we have happy peeping in the dining room, and scratching and pecking in the back yard. 

It's good to have chooks again. And not just to hear C talk to Missser Roosser. 

*My computer can't quite find the will to live, so I'm posting without my usual tools. Please forgive any errors and point them out kindly!*

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We're Not Moving to Bahrain

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You're not moving there either? You've never even considered moving there? 

We hadn't either.

We hadn't until my husband got offered a job on NSA Bahrain, in the island kingdom of Bahrain. 

They gave us three days to decide. Even with the extension that made it a week to decide, we had some serious thinking to do, questions to ask,  conversations to have, and phone calls to make. 

Ultimately we decided that it wasn't the right adventure for us, but probably not for the reasons you'd think.

I'll believe the bees - Finally Spring

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With the most volume and most occurrences of snow that I can remember in any year I've lived here in Connecticut, and several forecasted snowfalls within that past week, it's hard to believe that it's been officially spring for a couple weeks.

I'll believe the bees.

A few warm days and the crocuses burst out in full chorus and the bees are buzzing! 

Even with warm days sprinkled throughout the past couple of months, the intermingled snow made it hard to believe. Sunshine, toddler in sleeveless shirts, baby crawling on bare ground, new chicks to fill our coop (post to follow), and the peeping from nests all around our property, Spring has finally arrived. Thank goodness!

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It's really fun to be Two

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While it's been a few years since I myself was two, it's great fun to watch our girl fully embrace being two. 

It comes with it's challenges for sure, but gosh, there's a lot of fun in there too.

We've got some potentially big changes coming up and having a little sister in the first year of her life, it's good to slow down and enjoy the little things like puddles,

sharing blueberries with bear,

and sledding on a box top with daddy.

She keeps me on my toes this one, and dares me to be a better person daily. But also shows me that sometimes eating Os under the couch cushions is way more important than folding laundry, or following up on something or another. 

Through all the joyful and "learning" days, they're only two for a year.

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Babywearing Coat

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In the fall of 2014, before C could walk, we spent a lot of time with her in a baby carrier. Truth be told, she spent a lot of time on our backs even after she could walk. (She still loves the occasional ride on Daddy's back.)

When the girls were small babies and could only be carried on our fronts we could get away with wearing an extra large coat and zipping it over us both. As soon as they could switch onto our backs we were out of luck.

 As coats are too bulky to be worn inside the carrier, I started to look for coats that could be worn over two of us. The few babywearing coats I could find were either prohibitively expensive (many times what I spent for my really good winter coat) or thin polyester fleece numbers.

And thus I made my own.