Yarn Along

Plugging away on a sweater... and Simplicity Parenting.  I find it a very helpful reminder to slow things down.  It's definitely been akin to taking the temperature of your family to make sure you're not sick.  :)  

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

Yarn Along: tying up loose ends

A busy week, and a busy weekend coming.  Busy with wonderful projects, family gatherings and a much-needed retreat to Michigan.  :)  

Right now I have a couple projects already halfway, so I am trying to tie up the loose ends.  I have completed J's messenger bag!  It is a sweet bag!  I will share it closer to her birthday.  I am also still working on those hats I mentioned last week.  I haven't had time for them amidst everything else, so they are still waiting for me.  I am hoping I will get at least something done on the car ride, but since it'll be dark for most of the drive, we'll see.  

I am reading a book called ScreamFree Parenting.  It is really a wonderful book.  At least, I feel more empowered to be calm with my children come what may.  One of the kids had an incident where they made a poor behavioural choice and were not happy with the consequences of that choice.  There was definitely a fit involved.  Afterwards though, you would have found us together, curled up on the floor reading a book together.  (In the end, that child's resignation and elasticity helped them get over it pretty quickly!)  But the real miracle was that throughout it all, I found myself staying calm and connected.  That was the big part.  Usually when meltdowns occur, I run for the hills emotionally!  I realize not all parents suffer from the same shortcoming, but this book is so helpful for me in learning to leave reactivity behind and embrace inner calm when dealing with my children.  

Wishing you a wonderful and calm Wednesday!

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

Yarn along

Following Ginny's lead, here are all the Rapunzel hats I made for gifts this year.  Such a fun project. I had some pretty happy girls around Christmas time.  :)  Kids really seem to love dress-up and costumes.  I'm hoping to run with that for a bit in the coming year with my kids - wolf, bear and lion ideas are already fermenting in my brain!

Wishing you a wonderful celebration of 2014 and looking forward to 2015!

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.  

Slow and steady

As I sit here with bits of gingerbread dough on my shirt (it gets messy baking with kids), I can't tell you how excited I am to be be almost finished M's gift.  Dragon (or dinosaur if you wish) leg and arm warmers.  They match his hat, the one I made several months back.  Anyhow, I think they're just adorable and I can't wait to see his face on Christmas morning!

I am hoping to get some crocheted tea towel hangers done up for a special lady, but this week is baking week for us, so that might be a tad ambitious.  Today is Gingerbread day.  Tomorrow and thereafter is for Yule logs (Bûche de Noel) and all our festive and traditional Christmas treats.  We work while listening to carols, or audio stories, which the kids just love.

Next week we'll get to the heavy cleaning and cooking - at least that which can be done ahead of time.  And all the last minute strings will (in theory) by tied up.  Goodness, it sounds so nice and organized on paper.  In reality, far from it.  The babies are sick - all three to varying degrees: barking coughs, runny noses, a fever, a sore throat or two.  Our humidifier is running non-stop, saline rinses are a daily routine, lots of fluids and lots of tea.  My house is a terrible mess, though (thank God!) I managed to wash the floors finally.

I don't know what my odds are for getting everything done, but we are working slowly as best we can.  I am reminded at various moment during the day to ease up, let go of a project, be mindfully present with the little ones more, and just slow down.  This is the theme of my life, it seems.  Slow down.  Always, and especially at this time of year, the pull to join in the busy dance going on all around is very strong.  But when I can disconnect for a period, it's easier to just let go.  Breathe.  Refocus.  Remember.  

PS - I wanted to include some photos of our kid spaces around the house.  (They were taken last week when the house was a little tidier, as you can see!)  Our kids just love them.  

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

My babies and some of our Christmas preparations

I  keep having to remind myself to write in the blog.  It's become a once-a-week affair these days.  So many things to do and being done that I don't have the energy to maintain this space quite as efficiently.  It makes me sad because so many precious moments have slipped by without any note for posterity.  I treasure the times I have with the kids when they just fill me up with sunshine - especially when they're in a talking mood.  Oh my.  

J loves to chat with a willing listener.  She'll talk and talk and talk.  Sometimes she makes no sense.  Sometimes she's hilarious.  She has imaginary friends (the effect of hearing M's school stories) and they feature abundantly in her stories.  She loves to repeat the lessons (usually moral) or stories we read together during the day.  It's beautiful to listen to a 3 year old uttering profound truths.  And it's kind of, I don't know, comforting in a way to know that we can impact her life so profoundly. 

M is just gold.  That boy makes me laugh and cry at the same time.  He is so sweet inside that I can't help hugging him whenever I can.  He watches over his sisters very seriously whenever we are away, and it is comforting to know that they have such a gallant protector.  Of course, he does love to tease them too...  ;)

As for S, that little one never stops.  She's so different from the other two.  Mentally very organized - she that each thing has it's own place and likes to keep it there.  She loves to clean up, loves to follow instructions (even sometimes when she doesn't want to do it!), and loves to give kisses.  She has a special greeting for D when he comes home and for me when I come back from an errand.  It's like winning the lottery when she smiles and runs to your arms singing "Mama!".  

Next week is baking week for us.  Cookies, Yule logs, savoury pies, peppermint bark, sea salt chocolate caramels.  We have some favourites here, that's for sure!  And of course, then it's really down to the wire with cleaning, cooking, decorating, wrapping and such end of the line preparations. 

I am up to my elbows in yarn for now.  I am trying to finish with the Rapunzel hair hats (two more left).  Also, I have a gorgeous red scarf I am trying furiously to complete on time.  I've added a couple more projects (which of course I can't talk about), and so I doubt very much a day will go by where I am not crocheting.  I want so badly to whip up a warm pair of socks and a pair of dinosaur mittens for M to match his hat, but I am sceptical as to the probability of me finishing it all.  So they have question marks beside them on the list.  I'll keep going right to the end and just hope they're all done for Christmas.  :)

As for reading, that's absurd!  No books.  No time.  My hands aren't free to turn the pages.  :)  It's all yarn for me.  I would LOVE to read A Mother's Rule of Life.  Perhaps in the New Year?  It's on my Christmas list anyhow.  

Well, I must be off.  Lunch and dinner need making, and I have some yarn calling me...

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

Christmas projects

A Christmas project complete.  Hurrah!  Only 997 more to go.  Just kidding.  It feels good to be finished with one.  Finally happy with the crown too.  (Hard to see in these photos... but she was so excited and jumpy that I had a hard time keeping her still for a photo op.)  

I do have 3 other hats that need finishing, But two of them are almost there.  The third I have yet to start.  Also I am planning a gorgeous red scarf.  All Christmas gifts.  Needing to be done by the 24th. For some reason I'm not so worried.  I feel like I'm motoring along with these projects!  (Hmm... I wonder if that will change?)  

I mentioned some wood burning would be happening and so it has!  I don't think this medallion (St. John the Evangelist) will take too much longer to finish, but that is a pity as I find it so soothing to sit quietly in the evenings gently burning lines into the soft face of wood.  The tool heats up enough to keep my perpetually cold hands nice and hot.  (In my books, wood burning is a winter art.  And perhaps rug making.  But I digress.)

I have been reading from a smorgasbord these days.  A little of Michael O'Brian's short stories for Advent, a little of Bishop Irenaius - he has some very practical and profound words on raising children - and a little Jane Austen.  I can't help but love her.  

And that is that.  Happy Wednesday!



Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

Yarn Along

Lots of yarn work on those Rapunzel hats (that's what I call them anyhow), but still haven't moved on to the flowers and crowns.  Should be starting that this week.  Also, I have one more hat to crochet.  Not much in the reading department, excepting bedtime stories to little ones.  The other day I read Tolstoy's Where Love Is, God Is.  A sweet story that I really want to read to the kids.  We have a very dear visitor from Lebanon coming this week, so I doubt much knitting, crocheting or crafting will be accomplished.  And I am just fine with that.  Such a dear, dear friend.


Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

Yarn Along

It's that time of year.  Lots of projects being thought up and some started.  Lots of sewing; lots of yarn, a bit of wood and paint.  And pleasant thoughts of recipient to dispel the sense of being overwhelmed. 

Right now I am working on two more yarn hair wigs.  Right now, all you might see is brown.  I see flowers and crowns and lots of colour.  And hopefully they'll be finished on time!  

Also working on lining the finished hats.  With the cold snap we're in (read -20 Celsius) I have been forced to this in a hurry.  I stayed up last night almost until midnight measuring, cutting, sewing and pinning.  I managed to finish one, and the other four are all pinned up and just needing the lining sewed to the hat.  (The polar fleece is so soft and warm!)  

Currently reading From I-ville to You-ville with the kids.  It's such a wonderful book to talk about the virtues or even negative behaviours.  They love little Stubborn and his friend Serenity.  And so do D and I!  

Happy crafting to you!

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.  

Rapunzel yarn along

Plugging away at this new hat. The crocheting part is finished.  Just needing to thread a bazillion lengths of yarn through each row.  Kind of mindless in a pleasant sort of way.  :)  No reading for me this week beyond my daily portion of The Spiritual Life.  I'll stop mentioning it now until I've finished with it.  

Right now two of my kids are sick and the littlest one with a fever.  So sick babies and a sleepy mama are not a recipe for a lengthy blog post.  Godspeed!  

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.

Yarn Along

Finally finished the owls.  Well, the crocheting part.  Now I have to figure out how I'm going to line them.  I have a lovely piece of pink polar lamb's fleece that should do nicely.  I have also started that Rapunzel hair.  I can't really tell if the colour I chose is my favourite.  I might try one in a nice brown.  Have to see how this one turns out.  It's a nice feeling to have a project or two to plan.  :)  

Still plugging away on The Spiritual Life.  I will probably be reading it well into the winter.  I like to savour each chapter and slowly digest it.  

Happy Wednesday!

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.  

Owl Hats Yarn Along

I am still crocheting those owl hats.  I had put them aside this past week, which means now I feel compelled to pick them up.  (Even guilt has its purposes...)  The colours don't show up as vividly in my photos, but they are very fun colours.  I also purchased some yarn to start a Christmas gift - a Rapunzel hat.  There are lots out there, but I haven't decided how it will look.  That'll be fun to mull over while I work on these owlies.

Currently I am reading (er, re-reading) Jane Eyre.  I am a bit of a romantic at heart, and this classic is a nice book to sit down to when I need to "turn off" or relax.  I am also reading (two books, I know!) The Spiritual Life by St. Theophan the Recluse.  It is profound.  Every sentence is full of wisdom and revelation.  It is deep enough that I can only get through a few pages at a time.  This book needs heavy reflection and digestion.  And yet, for all that, it's become one of my favourites.

And because I haven't remembered to before, and because it's been such a long time between recipe posts, and because they're just perfect for any occasion, I am posting the recipe for those chocolate chip cookies from last week.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp hot water
3 cups flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream sugars and butter together.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well.  Add vanilla.  Mix salt and flour together separately.  Add to butter mixture and blend well.  In a small cup, mix baking soda with hot water and add to dough, mixing well.  Add chocolate chips and stir until uniformly combined.  Scoop rounded teaspoons onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes.  (If your cookies are larger, they'll need to bake longer.)  Let cool before eating or storing.

Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along.