lately...

we've been doing a lot of driving. to and fro, back and forth. then, the weekend comes and we do big projects, like move half the books (which is a lot of books) around to different places and different shelves, and dust and vacuum and rearrange so that our house is more baby proof. why? because our bumblebee is very mobile. flitting from place to place finding the most dangerous stuff in the house to chew on or crawl over.



and that smile you see up there... well, it's about to change, because i think the teeth are finally coming after much hard work to get here. this is early for a doggett kid (lucy got her first at 9 months, and that was 3 months before anyone else had.) mr. f. has been in an unhappy mood for the past day and i am pretty darn sure he is going to have something to show for it soon.

meanwhile, we got a new dishwasher, so i can stop pretending to be ma ingalls (a good way to feel like handwashing dishes is no big deal) and move on to prep for thanksgiving.

i am feeling so grateful for my four lovely kids, my amazing and supportive dude husband, my extended family of beautiful people, and my amazing friends.

these photos are from the weekend before last when i finally decided it was time to move some woodchips. the pile has only been there for about a year and a half, and, well, it is TIME--also, if it gets moved, we will have nice garden paths to walk on and if we ever get wood delivered we won't have to haul it AROUND the pile to put it in the wood shed. good plan, huh?

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

Halloweening

In the words of my friend Kat, "Halloween in this town is an endurance sport!" We have had a very full weekend of Halloween fun, and now, we are recovering. Here are some of the photos:

Pre-Halloween Hair-doing

Samantha, An American Girl from The Turn of the Century

Rose Wilder

Harry Potter casting Expelliarmus!

Our very own Baby Bumblebee!

Mom! You ruined my day!

uhhh.... Yes, this is what my lovely seven year old said to me, with the appropriate amount of eye rolling included just for extra emphasis.
This is how our day went: We got up and I made some (gluten-free!) pancakes for breakfast while the kids folded some laundry and listened to a story on CD--Now, I know what you're thinking, I'm such a slave driver! Well, the day wasn't ruined just yet. Actually that pill was swallowed easily, maybe because it had a pancake chaser. The baby decided to take a nap at 9:30, weird but true.
Then, violin practicing--also awesome because she 'gets' the new tune, and her brother volunteered to help her learn it, while I made the kitchen cleaner than it's been in weeks (thanks to my new aromatherapy vinegar spray. = water, vinegar and tea-tree--also anti bacterial.)
Meanwhile, her sister took a bath and then changed and dressed the baby in several different kinds of stripes. Rock on, brother.
We left on time, got to the barn on time, and had a lesson in trotting on a sweet lovable old gal named Amber, after which she had a lunch of requested items: leftover pancakes, peppers, apples and peanut butter.
Then, she got to hang out at the barn for several more hours with her friend and sister while the boys and I went into town. I believe she got to scoop horse poop. This was actually exciting for her.
The boys and I bought a pair of men's size 9 shoes for the big bro. BIG bro. Little bro fell asleep, shoe shopping is not his bag.
We had a fiddle lesson, and ate a wholesome lunch ourselves, and checked several stores for a lost hat. :( We even went to the library to try to get the last Harry Potter book for reading material on the plane.
We dropped big bro off at a friend's house so he could help destroy the Millennium Falcon, and start building a lunar station.
The baby and I drove back to the barn to pick up 3 girls for dance. In the car, they played they were horses and decided what colors their manes were and what their names would be. They had their first practice for the Nutcracker as angels, big sis had her first as a palace dancer. I think we left her dance bag there because it is nowhere to be found at home or in the car.
We dropped her friend off and I said it was only a drop off, and ended up staying for way too long chatting and wondered how I was going to make dinner at home. Our friends invited us to stay if we could supply chips, cumin and avocados--yes yes and yes...
Off to pick up the brother, and said items.
Two more hours into an unexpected play date, with yummy dinner and good company, it was time to leave, and that's when the above comment made its appearance.
"Would 10 more minutes with your friend make it less likely for you to feel like I ruined this day?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Sometimes you just have to say yes to having a good day the WHOLE day.

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

There must be some words with this.... I know it's not the tradition but here is what was heard during this moment:

There is a young pirate, who lives on the seas
His boat and his parrot are his only companions
He works in the rigging and he sleeps in his hammock
Waiting for summer, the winds to change

And as the moon rises he stands by his wheel
Dreaming about women and bottles of rum
He closes his eyes as his shipmates retire
And he sings out a song that is soft, but it's clear
As if maybe someone could hear...

Goodnight you moonlight babies,
And rockabye sweet Captain Forest
Deep greens and blues are the colors I'd choose
Won't you let me go down in my dreams
And rockabye sweet Captain Forest.

(with no apologies to Mr. Taylor, the children made this up themselves. :)

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

our new activity

we didn't really need another activity. really we didn't. but somehow, perhaps due to much pleading from the youngest girlie, and days with big beautiful creatures remembered by mom and dad, we spent wednesday afternoon here:

lately in crafting news....

the harvest was crafted into blueberry jam and peach butter (and lots of frozen fruits for later yum)

Eleanor crafted "Joy" from Martha Stewarts Big Book of Sewing Crafts,
which she received from Nana for her birthday.

At long last, Lucy crafted a Mei Tai so she can carry around her babies.

Forest received and proudly weird his 'Manly Vest' made by Momo while I await another skein of 'cherry twist' aka the red yarn for Nana's sweater

Cousin Esther rocks and rolls with her bonnet, also made by me, when she was incubating, and looks like rasta baby. I hope she will grow into it and it will fit her during a season it's needed.

*this moment* (a la soulemama)

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Nearly Fall!

I seem to be perpetually blogging about how fast life is going... perhaps it's part of being alive at this time, or something that goes along with being mother to four. Whatever the case is, we are feeling rather fall-like around here with two rains behind us, and nights that leave the house so cold I need slippers for half the day.
Fall is my most creative time of the year--something about being a fall-born baby, perhaps. I see inspiration everywhere right now, both inside, outside and in the blogosphere. I am also learning to limit my screen time so that my family doesn't see me buried in my 'glowing rock'. (after The Wretched Stone by Chris van Allsburg) Sometimes it's necessary to step away from the computer! We use it for so many things: music, recipes, keeping in touch, curriculum, crafty patterns, and so much more. As the world outside changes from one color to the next I'd like to notice it, and be in it, especially as wee (or not so) Forest experiences his first Autumn.
I have been getting online inspiration from a lot of places, one of which is Rhythm of the Home. This stuff is right up my alley. I feel happy and peaceful when I think about a 'rhythm' to our life, rather than a schedule or a routine. Schedules are strict and routines, are, well... routine = boring! But rhythm, well, that's what you drum or dance to, that's how your heart goes, and that's just what we need. Reading the pages of ROTH's website, I feel inspired to make a life of beauty in my home--a place of rest that we return to to feel that rhythm as we go about our activities which will be starting up again in a week or so. I am also making use of some of the ideas from Melissa over at A Little Garden Flower, Donna at The Waldorf Connection, and the book Heaven on Earth by Sharifa Oppenheimer. These include:

•using a huge piece of paper folded into 12 to pencil in the celebrations and holidays of the year along with handwork ideas from Syrendell
•making a weekly rainbow colored schedule of our outside of home activites so the children are aware of what happens what day
•including on the weekly rainbow time for painting, handwork, family time, and gardening
•making another rainbow chart with tentative dinner menu categories : Monday = Mexican, Tuesday = Pasta, Wednesday = Stir fry, etc
•asking for and receiving a couple of hours on the weekends to work on homeschool planning, Thanks Robert!

We also had the First Annual Slow Lane Summer Theatre and Storytelling camp last week. It was fabulously fun. I haven't even downloaded photos and videos yet, but when I do. I will post them here.

I wonder what everyone else has in store for fall.

Summer Days

August is heating up in Oregon. And while no one around here was complaining about the cool summer weather, the heat does make it seem more summery. We have been having some summer time fun around here: eating popsicles, playing at Meg's pond, building forts, swimming at the swimming hole Of course when things were supposed to get too hot on Saturday, we headed for the coast and it was weather for warm long-sleeved and legged things. It's always surprising.

A Good Day

Lately, it has been a struggle for me to maintain my patience and calm as a mother. People say, "Well, you have FOUR children." And, I think, I will always have four children. Now is the time to cultivate some sense of calm within myself. And daily I wonder how I will do that. My goal is to go to bed a bit earlier and wake up a bit earlier so that I can have some quiet meditation time in the morning, to enjoy the still both within and outside of me.

Today was a good day. We spent a very long time at a great pond birthday party. I have rediscovered that putting the children into water changes the energy.... what some call elemental play. I don't have any photos of today's elemental play but here are a few from one day last week:

another beginning

so.. i got a new mac because mine bit the dust. i had grand plans for that mac, and now i have grand plans for this mac, one of which is to become a more frequent blogger, and to somehow combine my business blog and my pleasure blog... hmm. today, the pleasure:

what i am enjoying today::
•bath time with baby
•watching and gus and his buddy build while listening to 'elvis presley' station on pandora

•the wonderland we live in:

•the latest installment of the cirque:
•bluberries blueberries blueberries!
•watching these two siblings:

Jooning

June has been slithering by. I often hear myself and others say that we are 'busy'. What are we busy doing? Well, here is some of it.
The first week in June was the annual ballet recital. The girls had a fabulous time being on stage, as they always do, and we had a visit from Uncle Phil and soon-to-be-Auntie Jaimee. Here are some photos:
Robert must have photos of the gals in their costumes on his camera, because I don't have any--I was holding baby Forest. Gus is here, holding him, and this is my impression of the photo--how long do we have to wait for the girls to get ready??

Pictures of us??

So, the rest of the troupe was wondering if I ever take photos of them anymore. In particular Mr. Gus. Wham... that's enough to make me step back and check out my parenting. Yes I still love my biggies, when there is a little--I just get caught up in the little one, since he is in my arms constantly (although he did take his first stroller ride.... that's for another post). Then, suddenly I catch a glimpse of the big kid standing next to the bookshelf, and lo and behold, he can reach the top shelf without even stretching. The former little can get a glass down from the cupboard without a stool or jumping up on the counter (my fave tactic). Hair gets brushed by its owner. A room which was formerly hard to walk through on a good day stays tidy for weeks on end, "so that I can find stuff!" And yet, and yet.... the snuggles happen less often and the story is sometimes cut short or traded for everyone reading out of his or her own book before bed, owies are mended by bandaids and salve--no kisses needed. I am caught in the act of staring at all of my children who are growing and transforming before my very eyes--and sometimes behind my back--and not just the infant! I have to remind myself each day to slow down, make the moments last and feel groovy, because in a few more short years--fewer than I've been a parent already, they will be off on their own adventures. I am their mother and I went on many many adventures before I had them. I am raising them to be adventurous and hope that everything that we do together will prepare them for the time when we are no longer together. I don't know what will prepare me for that same eventuality, but it is out there and I would rather not rush towards it at the speed of light---I'd rather slow down to the speed of love, where there is time for hugs and snuggles, kisses and stories, hand holding and lap sitting, even if I am tired and sore from holding and feeding their little brother--I must make time for these things before they are not needed or wanted.
Yeah, I have pictures of them, but not any real good ones. I know what my weekend will have in it. Now if they would just come home from their friends houses!

Tempest Fugit

Time flies when you are having fun, and time flies faster when you have a small baby. Our baby is no longer small. He is big. I don't know how much he weighs, but it is enough that his sisters do not want to hold him forever anymore--they cannot because their arms give out. I think of things to write about our lives on this here blog all the time, throughout my days, and when the end of the day comes, I am (usually) in bed sleeping with said large baby, a good place for a mama to be. However, I wanted to post some photos and say something profound. I'm going to settle for the photos.

May Giveaway Day

I am having a little giveaway over at PeaceBabies, in honor of May Giveaway Day, which I heard about through a comment on here. It's at SewMamaSew Even though it's officially today (GiveAwayDay) I will keep the comments open until the 20th. Give it away, Give it away, Give it away Now!

*this moment* (a la soulemama)