{{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)

One Month Old

One whole month has gone by since Forest was born. He is growing and changing, and so are all of us, along with him. He's already lost a fingernail and gained a chin. He is starting to smile and sometimes talk to us. He has stolen our hearts. I find myself staring at him when I should be sleeping. Like now.

Forest at play and rest

Babmooning

We have a new member of our troupe: Mr. Forest Indigo made his appearance on Wednesday March 24, 2010 at 7:16 am. He is healthy and happy and likes to do all the tricks babies do!!

Ten years ago right now...

Ten years ago right now, I was at least 2 hours into active labor with Gus. Wow... who knew what a wild adventure parenthood would be. I feel grateful and awed by these teachers that live with me. That's all for now.

Yay for Jamie and his Food Revolution

Robert came in from his office telling me about this great Ted talk he had watched. Great but heart wrenching, about how the top killers in the US are all food related illnesses. Well he didn't tell me it was Jamie Oliver talking! I have been a fan of Jamie's since running across his cookbook in the home of my friends Angela and John. I have checked his books out from the library, as well as a DVD of his show 15, and am a sucker for his Essex accent and charm. May we all inspire ourselves and our children to a better food future:

Small Change for February

So... the diapers are not made yet, but I did leave for 10 days in January, and so I will get them done in this short month. For February, I would like to commit to bringing my grocery bags every time I go to the store. I have a lot of them. My Mom made some for Christmas last year, so I even have pretty bags. I usually take them when I go to the Co-op, especially if it is a planned trip. However, we usually end up with plastic if we go to a different store. I would also like to sew a few more cloth produce bags so that I can quit using plastic there, as well. I wonder how everyone else is doing???