Ways to spend a 10th birthday:

Being kissed 10 times by your mama, brother, sister and dad when you wake up.
Wearing a brand new mama-made dress.
Playing with your friend before breakfast.
Helping to make breakfast/brunch just the way you like it.
Playing with your friend and sister after breakfast.
Waiting patiently while people finish up handmade gifts.
Dancing around the living room with your sister.
Creating a beautiful birthday cake and helping make birthday dinner.
Going on a bike ride to see what's in the mail.
Reading books to your little brother.
Receiving fresh picked cherries from a neighbor.
Hosting your dear teacher/friend for cake.
Blowing and blowing and blowing to get your trick candle (surprise!) to go out.
Eating yummy homemade birthday cake with friends and family.
Receiving handmade gifts from your brother and sister.
Crawling into bed tired and happy.
I think that when they are grown, I will miss these homemade birthdays the most.  Maybe we can still have them.

10 Years ago right now....

I think I had probably gotten out of the birth tub for the last time, because in a half an hour, Ella was born.  It took me a week to believe that she was a girl, because I had not wanted to hope for a girl--I had only hoped for a healthy baby.  Here we are 10 years later and she is such a lovely girl.  She is strong, kind, brave, graceful, and totally loved by all of us. 

Insomnia

It is the middle of the night.  I have a nursling and I should be sleeping.  A boy the size of a giant is asleep in my bed, but the actual giant is in his 'other home' so there IS enough room for sleep, and yet, here I am, unable to sleep.  So, why not blog?  Don't answer that.  Tomorrow I will go on a journey to view what could possibly be the next home of the Cirque de Doggett.  This probably has a lot to do with why I am not sleeping.  My sister, the saint, has moved something like 15 times since she's been married.  She can probably do it in her sleep, she seems to do it with such grace.  Or maybe she just has enough sense to not tell me all the nail biting horrible bits.  So far, our house has been on the market for exactly one month, and we've had exactly one visitor.  The house-selling part has been what you might call slow here on Slow lane.  The circus performers have ditched their normal acts for laundry folding, bed making and bathroom scrubbing--not bad habits to hone.  The 'oh hell' room has had a serious attitude re-adjustment, and the lack of clutter has actually opened up room for creativity just like all those clutter hating neat freaks say it will.  I hate it when they're right.  And yet, and yet..... this is not the first of nights when two cups of chamomile and two hours in bed lead to me getting up to contemplate my life.  Am I worrying?  Maybe.  See that photo up there?  This is the oasis from the rest of the world to which I have come home for the past seven years.  I remember when we first moved in, and I would come home on hot summer days to the coolness of the forest and think, "Ahhhhh... I live in paradise."  I still think that.  And now I have a whole community of friends surrounding me, and they are just not being very easy to leave.  None of them suck, not a single one.  That's why this moving thing has been all hot air for so long.... two years!  Two years ago I was newly pregnant with baby #4 and wondering how the heck I could move away from all that good stuff.  I couldn't and I pretty much told my husband this.  Two years and one 15 month old later, and here we finally are at this crossroads.  Here is my list of things that I think about when I can't sleep:
How will I find quiet in a city when I sometimes have a hard time finding it here?  Oh yeah... it's inside. 
Are kids really as resilient as everyone says they are?
Will it be as easy to make friends as it has been here?
Will I find a place to buy raw milk and fresh eggs?
Will moving have the desired effect of more family time?
How will homeschooling look in a new place?
Will I be able to say no to the constant stream of interesting looking activities in a city that's so big?
Am I cool enough for Portland?
Will my brother and his wife get tired of being my only friends?
Is this really the right thing to do?

Oy vey.  My eyelids are getting droopy now.  maybe that means i can sleep.  i hope everyone else is getting a goodly amount of zzzzzz's tonight. 
In other news:  Sound of Music curtain/clothing project nearly finished.  Photos to follow
                         PhotoSunday postponement is not permanent.  Keep transfixed to this spot for news
                         Country Fair this weekend! 

Oyasumi Nasai

PHOTOSUNDAY! : postponed!

Ooops,!  we are busy packing so that we can all live in the same city and we haven't done our PhotoSunday! assignment this week, in fact I didn't even post it.  Eleanor chose it and it is:

The Rule of Thirds

Don't know what it is?  Well, it is not scary, but a little more challenging than our other assignments, maybe that's why we haven't done it yet!  Here is Wikipedia's definition:

Rule of Thirds

And, I think there are some great photos if you just type 'rule of thirds' into the Google Images search box.
Let's make this sunday a PhotoSunday! instead!  :)

Mother's Day Eve :: Inspiration:: the in breath

'Twas the night before Mother's Day and all through the house...

I have just returned from a really lovely evening.  First I went to the Heart of the Valley Birth Network's showing of Guerilla Midwife.  Robin Lim, the 'star' of the film, is truly a brightly shining star in this world of ours.  She is living and working the idea that gentle birth will create a gentler world.  It was such a gift to see this film on the eve of Mother's day, and to think about my own Mother, who birthed me gently, and inspired me to do the same with my children.  It was lovely to sit next to and in front of our two local midwives and know that they are doing the good work.  It is not easy work, but oh, is it good.  It is nice to have validation every so often that the path that I am on is the right one for this life of mine, and watching that film was very, very inspiring.

 My sister, Molly, is cooking something up over there at Go Running Mom!  She, having just run the Lincoln half-marathon, and just become an instructor at her local Y, is giving a big push for us all to notice that it is :

 

Oh yeah, that's right.  She has a lot of events posted up on her blog.  I would also like us to notice this, and because I'm me, and waited until the last possible moment to do this, I'm doing a more informal celebration in my life.  I was pondering it all in the shower this morning.  Here's what I'd like to do:

Spend each day of this week focusing on a particular aspect of Health.  I have a lot of friends and relatives who seem to be on a health journey right now, (or, maybe we ALL are??) and I think recognizing that we can all help each in making healthy lifestyles our vernacular is a big step in making it reality for more women, and thus, families.  

So, here was my brainstorm:  The Japanese names for the days of the week are similar to English, but there are elements of nature involved too, so I thought I would use those names as a guide for focusing on a particular aspect of health each day of the week, and also to shout out to all my women friends to celebrate with me. 

Sunday =日曜日 = Sun Day, also Mother's Day.

Today when you wake up in the morning, spend a few moments in gratitude for the sun, it's warmth, it's light, the beauty and bounty we experience because of the sun.  Me, I'm going to do some Sun Salutations, too.  Will you join me?  Spend the day experiencing gratitude for everything:  family, friends, food, clothing, home, dishes, laundry, diapers, sticky hands, smooshy kisses, all of it.  Celebrate your Mother!  And remember where Mother's Day has it's origins:  Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation

Monday =  月曜日 = Moon Day

Today is a day to recognize our connection to the Moon... we are connected you know, as are the tides of the oceans.  It is also a day to honor our menstrual cycles, and female organs.  Like so many mamas, I often think that our fast paced lifestyle is really not conducive to having a healthy cycle.  Sleep too few hours and spend too little time being in nature so that our cycles have stopped being tied closely to the moon.  Here's a challenge (for me, for you?):  Can you see the moon every day for a month?  Today, before bed, I will do Moon Salutations.  I will also contemplate how I can have a healthier cycle--more nourishing teas?  Yes!  

Tuesday = 火曜日　= Fire Day

What is it that fires you up?  What are the things that make the creative juices flow?  Where is your passion.  Part of women's health is truly living our passions.  I was reminded of that today at the movie.  When we are doing our life's work, people around us are inspired and impassioned as well.  Today I will remember that which inspires me and make note of it in some way, through journaling, art or just talking to someone about it so I can really remember.  I like that little expression:  Remember who you wanted to be when you grew up. Today I will also spend some moments meditating.  Please join me!

Wednesday = 水曜日= Water Day 

Today is a day to recognize the flow of the universe and the gift of water in our lives.  Here in Oregon, we spend a lot of time being grateful for rain--it is so incredibly lush with green growing things.  When the rains finally stop in July or so, I find myself feeling a bit dried out.  I have been feeling that way lately because I have been forgetting to drink my water.  I'm a nursing mother, for goodness sake.  It's no wonder my lips are parched and my skin is dry!  Today I will drink lots of water, please join me!  I also want to say something about Water Birth.  I am a mother of four children, all who were born at home, three of whom were born in the water.  I believe in water birth as an amazing, gentle way to welcome babies into our world.   I want to recognize the work that women like Barbara Harper with WaterBirth International are doing. 

Thursday = 木曜日= Tree Day

I have been a tree hugger since way back.  Now, I live in the forest.  Trees clean our air, provide us with homes and food, house our animal friends, give us shade, and maple syrup, and cures for diseases.  Today, let's honor the trees by walking in them with friends.  And, while I'm at it, I'm going to manifest up a new home that is also surrounded by trees.

Friday =　金曜日 = Gold Day

Here's a good chance to examine our relationships with money, honey.  How does my financial health relate to my physical and emotional health?  Where can I find sustainability in my financial life?  How am I working towards goals in this area?  Where does the fear lie?  How do i vote with my dollars?  Am I spending with integrity?  Today I will walk with my children by the river, where will you walk with yours?

Saturday =土曜日　= Earth Day

Let's dig in the dirt.  I don't think i was always this way, but I love getting dirt under my fingernails now.  I love the feeling of planting and harvesting.  Today I am so grateful for the earth and all it's bounty.  Even if you do not have a garden, you can find a place where there is earth and sink your toes in.  Come on, do it!  And while you are sinking into Mama Earth, remember this feeling of grounding, connection to that which is constant, solid, and yet constantly changing.  

PhotoSunday!

It's PhotoSunday! again!  Hmmm... I thought we could get some takers for our photo project.  Maybe y'all just are wondering how to get your photos up.  There are two ways: 

1.  Join the PhotoSunday!  Flickr Group

2.  Email me your photos:

sarah@peacebabies.com

Feel free to send photos for this weeks project anytime!

You know you want to be a part of it!  Here are are photos for Sunday, May 1st:
 The theme was:

ANIMALS

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

New things! PhotoSunday! Fonga Rhythms!

It's spring, like I said earlier, and spring is a time for new things.
First: walking baby.
Really walking, not hardly even the drunken swagger he had at first.
And is he proud of himself? Oh yes. He's a big boy now.



But, sometimes he likes to pretend hes' a 'tiny baby', and then he crawls into the library book basket, (which he has first rid of all library books by tasting them and then throwing them on the floor) and his siblings take him for a ride. He loves it!





PhotoSunday!

Please join us in our photo projects. I've made a new page just for PhotoSunday! We had a very successful first attempt at photo sharing this Sunday. We spent a few minutes with each photo, offering each other constructive criticism. It was amazing to hear the children talk to each other and to us about our photos. This is going to be so much fun!

PhotoSunday! Flickr set.


In other news:

We have spent two wonderful afternoons at fellow homeschoolers' home doing some WEST African Drumming. This was great fun for all. The first time, Forest slept through the entire thing, so neither of us got to participate, but this time we were there. We learned a Fonga rhythm from Senegal, which our teacher, Michelle says is played at important events like parties and weddings.




It made me so lonesome for my brother Pete--that is DOCTOR Peter Hoesing to you! My little bro is now Peter Hoesing PhD! I call him the Doctor of Drums. I hope that's okay with him. He is an inspiration to all of us. I only wish I could have been a little fly on an anthill when he was the drummer for the wedding while he was there.
By the way, Dr. Uncle Pete says there is a special song for kids like forest. It means something like "Will toddle to anthill and eat the white ants" Maybe I can get him to say it for me again in Luganda.

Spring has sprung

You know it is spring in the Oregon Coast Range, when the temperature hits 50 + degrees and your children are in their bathing suits, jumping into the creek and requesting sno-cones and popsicles. "Can we set up the kiddy pool and put Forest in it, Mama?" asked big sister last week, when the temperatures soared beyond 60 even.
The kiddos were gone from the house without any breakfast before I'd even done the first diaper change of the day, with grand plans to 'walk the creek', which I think involves getting your boots filled with water. "Can't we get out our summer clothes?" "Where are my sandals?" Yes, indeedy folks, that big yellow thing in the bright blue sky does indicate that the seasons are a changin'. I am never one to complain about the rain, I love how everything is so green, especially at this time of the year. The greens seem to take on a whole new level of green-ness. The moss is happy, the usnea is silvery, the ferns are beginning to uncoil, and all with help from the rain. Nevertheless, it always cracks me up and makes my heart sing with the young 'uns around here welcome the first sunny days with these crazy requests.
Forest has discovered the great outdoors. Recently, he went out, clad in his 'snow suit' (mostly it's just a protective coating against mud at this point) (Thanks, Susi!) and it was quite comical watching him put his hands down to crawl and then lifting them up to examine the damp surface of his pudgy palms with a quizzical look on his face. Soon he got the knack of crawling around in springtime weather, testing out several new delicacies: soil from potted plants, woodchips, sticks, rocks, moss, and today, black oil sunflower seeds. I like to take him with me while I feed the birds. I pull him around in the wagon delivering seed to our two feeders. Today I had to jump several times to grab the branch so I could put the feeder up and he just cracked up giggling. Apparently white mamas can't jump either.
Each of the big kids has been welcomed into the realm of camera-toting Doggetts, and as such, we have had our first 'photo assignment,' which was to capture something of the spring. So, watch this space for the results of that assignment, which will be posted after we weed through all of the photos (one of us took 4000 photos! that's a lot of weeding!) Until then, Happy Spring!

Ladies: At Home

(me: at home new hair photo taken through computer's camera....)

I have just returned from a 'Ladies At Home', a gathering of women at my neighbor's home. One of the other guests said that an 'At Home' was something the ladies of Cincinnati held in the early part of the previous century. How delightful it always is to be in the company of women, many of whom are friends, and others who seem very much to be kindred spirits. The conversation was in turns interesting, hilarious, educational, raunchy, nostalgic, sad, touching, sweet and revealing. We were without our men and children, and yet, of course, they entered into those conversations often. Several of us are dealing with some really harsh, hard stuff. What a comfort to sit among these women and laugh, cry and share stories and a meal. And I ask myself--why do we not do it each Saturday??? Oh, we are busy and it would just be one more thing to add into our weekends which are often the only family time that we have. Seriously, though, my mental and emotional health just got a big boost tonight from being among my women friends. I feel like encouraging all the women I know to host or be a part of an 'At Home' evening with friends.
My sister recently told me that she has been chosen to be part of National Women's Health week. She says she's going to ask for my help, too. Between talking to her about that, and the women tonight, and a dear old friend on the phone yesterday, and another newer but just as dear friend today, I really see that having and being friends to our women friends is what keeps us going, what keeps us from going insane, and what really, ultimately, makes the world go round.
Not cheese... women.
Yup, you heard it here. I was not drinking tonight, those some were, and yet, I still feel a sense of euphoria often associated with chemical alteration. We are so powerful together. My neighbor has a book of women's song with lovely photos of women--suffragettes, beautiful hippie songstresses. I bet she was thinking we might sing some of those songs, which would have been nice, but I enjoyed just perusing the book and checking out lyrics and photos, remembering my Women And Radical Social Movement class at UCSC taught by Marge Frantz, and the feeling of being in the lecture hall with so many young, vibrant women.
Somewhere in the noise and confusion of being a mother, I think I sometimes forget about the power of women together, how healing it is to just sit in a room with a bunch of women. I have other thoughts about mothering, feminism, freedom and liberation, but they're going to have to wait for a night that's not so late, when I can rub two thoughts together to make fire.

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

One whole year.

Totally unbelievable how time flies when there is a baby. I can't believe you're one, sweet Forest! You have made our lives better in so many ways. You wake up happy, and we start our days with smiles. You make us laugh with the funny things you do. Your curiosity is insatiable, and reminds us to be curious all over again. We are so lucky to have you in our family!

when you came into my life, i became a mother.

It's hard now to imagine not being a mama. I remember how excited I was to meet you, how amazed I was that my body could grow another whole human, not to mention birthing one! I also remember being scared, of messing it all up, of not being strong enough, of doing the wrong thing. I have done all of those things, and you still teach me more each day how to be strong, and recover and learn from my mistakes. You offer hugs when I you know I need them. You tell me jokes whenever you think of them. You create and build and explore and experiment and I still feel so lucky to be your mama. Happy Birthday, Gus!

whoooooooooosh!

Eight years ago right now we were lost in baby bliss land with a brand new Lucy Sky in our arms. Oh she was sweet and precious and pink and wonderful. Just look at her. She has made our lives so rich these eight years with her sense of humor and her sweet smiles, her signature heart notes and "I love you" tripping off her lips all the time. In the whirlwind that was 3 kids in 3 years she sometimes got lost in the shuffle, as did they all, but she found ways of making herself known, heard and loved. She is so grown up now, so capable of so many things, and yet still wants snuggles just as she did when she was wee. She is an amazing big sister to her little brother, and an amazing little sister to her big siblings and we love her more every day. Thanks for coming to live with us, Lucy Sky!

{{this moment}} a la soulemama

Macro in a Mason Jar

In the interest of becoming a better photographer in 2011, I played around with the camera a bit and came up with some fun shots of the beautiful spices that I use to make chai.... (thanks for the idea, Mom.) And I am entering the Gardening Gone Wild Picture This Photo Contest because their photos and the idea inspired me.
When my husband and I were getting to know each other, we used to take our cameras and go off (often with our friend Fanne) and spend the whole day taking photos. We don't do that much anymore, but it would be so much better now, what with the instant feedback that is digital photography. No waiting for developing, we could see how great, or not quite as great as we'd hoped, our photos are. Sometimes I forget to play like that with my camera. It would be fun to have some camera outings in 2011. In the meantime, here is my entry for the photo contest:



Mmmmmm..... time for chai.

Twas the night before the night before....

And all through the house, the children were finally sleeping, one with a cough.
Ooohhh, December, it is you and NOT February that are the shortest month. You whizz by, with Nutcracker performances and St. Nicholas visits and Santa Lucia buns all blurred together until the longest night gets here. Even that felt short this year, alight as it was with the beautiful full moon eclipse.
We have had a trying month, week and day. I have threatened and heard Papa Bear threaten to cancel Christmas or at least postpone it a week. Perhaps some of us ate a bit too much of the candy that was supposed to go on the gingerbread house that was not supposed to, but did, get eaten by the dog the first go 'round. It has been reconstructed, with more candy ingested and tempers shortened and lengthened again.
There was a live nativity nearby and we could not manage to get out of the house without catastrophe, so we didn't go.
Mr. Baby is getting his teeth all in one go, it would seem and has taken to waking up screaming several times per night. Mama's nerves are a bit fried.
And yet,
And yet.... tonight as Robert read to us from our lovely copy of A Christmas Carol (with illustrations form Roberto Innocenti) about the ghost of Christmas Present, a kind of peace came to this frazzled mama. The peace of knowing that what is most important is not the handmade gifts that will not be finished, or the Nativity that won't be observed, or the thousand and one things that have happened and been accomplished. Nope, they don't matter much. Even the little fights and squabbles that try my patience seem of little consequence when I listen to the story of Scrooge going 'round with the great GCP, seeing, encouraging and adding magic to the celebrations of Christmas everywhere.
Thank you kindly, Charles Dickens.
p.s.
mama did get a handmade birthday gift finished and wrote about it here:

Rhythm of the Home Blog

Gratuitous Baby Shots!

oooooh so grateful for babies! These three were in arms and underfoot at Emily and Charlie's Thanksgiving feast. What lovely beasties!

Our Hostess, Lady Scarlett would like to play some Connect 4. Or, have it for an appetizer.

Miss Esther Rose and her scrumtious cheeks:

I like baby bums, and I cannot lie. What a dupa on this one. Forest loved to play with Scarlett's new walking cart. He sort of reminded me of Hans or Franz. He is not a girly mon.

In other news: We made a beautiful braided bread of gratitude on Monday with our pal, Raina and then she got to stay overnight because the power was out and there was a blizzard! 3 whole inches!

Gratitudes.

I do a lot of reading of self-help books. In fact, next to parenting books, they are what I read the most. Then there are the self-help/parenting books, and the self-help/homeschooling books. What do they all say? Start with gratitude. So I do, I start each day with a little gratitude for the day. I look out my window, it's gorgeous here on Mama Earth. Especially right here, in these Coast Range Foothills. I am grateful for my warm covers right now--and that I remembered to pick up my clean comforter from the cleaners, and that they didn't throw it away or donate it since it had been there for so incredibly long.
I am grateful for the warm little body next to me, sleeping peacefully on his lambskin, looking like a cherub, and that he chose us for his family, when we didn't think we were going to have any more littles around here.
I am grateful for the Dude I live with, who gets up very early a couple mornings a week to make a not so nice drive 100 miles away to work so that I can be a homeschooling mama, so that we can eat local, organic food most days, so that our children can have all sorts of amazing opportunities like music lessons, ballet, gymnastics and days at the horse barn.
I am grateful for those ever growing children. I cannot think of another job that I would rather have right now that being present for their childhood. It IS fleeting, going so fast that I am nearly afraid to blink. They continue to be my teachers. The lessons are no less challenging than they were when they were all under 3.


I am grateful that we could spend Thanksgiving with some of our extended family in Portland. I fantasize sometimes about living close enough to share a meal weekly--or at least every other week. I don't know if it will ever happen, but it sure was lovely to be in the same room with those folks (and all the babies!) for a few hours.

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?