A flurry of outdoor action

A flurry of shopping does not sound like fun to me, oh no.  School is coming up, and with three of them now going in, I have my work cut out for me.  Truth be told, it's mostly the shoes that take up so much time.  Clothes are a more leisurely purchase, but my kids seem to go through shoes with a whirl and a bang.  They wake up and suddenly their shoes no longer fit - NONE of them.  Thank God for summer and sandals, but no such reprieve exists for school where shoes must be worn both inside and out.  

Last week we went to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).  I've been to the ROM myself before I had kids, but I never realized the treasure trove it would present for young children.  They just loved the exhibits, especially the Egyptian and biodiversity sections.  All those animals, and dinosaurs, and hands on activities!  The blue whale exhibit was among each child's favourites.  I think I will add a membership to the ROM to our Christmas list.  Such a perfect gift!

Prior to the ROM we had been studying ancient Egypt a little.  I use the term "studying" quite loosely.  Our studies have been more self-propelled than anything else.  M especially has been knee deep in pyramids, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics.  After a couple visits to the library and quite a few books later, we built a step pyramid out of sugar cubes and then M calculated the perimeter and area of the base of his.  (We haven't gotten around to volume yet, but it would be perfect for that!)  Later on this week, we will study the effects of the elements (hair dryer and water) on our pyramids. All this to say, our visit to the ROM was well-timed!

With the solar eclipse, there was quite an interest in astronomy last week.  NASA had a nice site set up to watch the eclipse, since we were not in the path of totality.  M made a projector so we could still check things out - we couldn't find glasses last minute.  There are actually several suns in that photo because I think we poked more than one hole in the aluminum square.  Oh well.  We got to see the moon eclipsing the sun without leaving our living room!  M even decorated his projector to show how much further the sun is from the earth than the moon.  He also added some dramatic solar flares.  Loved learning astronomy with him!  Our poor family and friends had to put up with him explaining things over and over.  He was just so into it.

Yesterday we went hiking on the forest trails at Riverwood Conservation.  It's not far from us, though we had to drive there.  The kids loved exploring and digging around for rocks on the paths.  Even baby loved the walking, and she did all of it by herself.  My back can't handle carrying her anymore.  S had found an acorn on the path and when we saw a squirrel sitting on a tree stump, she promptly threw him the acorn.  We then watched as he cautiously retrieved it and ate it up in front of us.  That was pretty cool.  Needless to say S was tickled pink!  That definitely made her day.

Last night I did some work on a blanket I am crocheting.  Blankets are the worst.  It feels like it will never end, or even more, that I am not making any progress.  Sometimes I don't even manage to finish one row in a sitting.  I know I have until Christmas to finish, but most days that feels like too little time!  To be honest, that is not the only thing I am working on.  Of course.  I have started another icon.  Actually I started it a little while ago, but I am recommencing work on it after a break.  My deadline is spring for this project, so it should manage to sort itself out as long as I don't get too carried away adding more projects.

The funny thing is, I've been told that once the kids start school I will have more time for those things.  I will only have baby with me after all.  I anticipate the reverse in fact!  Baby M is such a darling, but totally into everything.  She climbs, she's curious, she likes to touch and taste EVERYTHING.  I cannot leave her for longer than 3 minutes alone.  And for me to bring out paints... I can't imagine what kind of disaster would occur.  No, I think I will have less time, at least for painting anyhow.  But with that sweet little face and chubby hands close by, I doubt I'll mind it too much.

Wishing you a wonderful long weekend!

Space jam

I am crocheting right now as I sit with D, waiting for the yogurt to finish setting.  We generally still make our own yogurt - sometimes even with some raw milk, though usually without.  We go through a lot of yogurt.  If the kids aren't eating it as a snack, we are serving it as part of the meal.  Love yogurt.

So, I am crocheting hearts and stars for the kids out of various colours of yarn.  A little Valentine from mama.  :)  Nice to use up some leftover yarn too!  My stash is getting out of hand, at least for the space we have.  I have left yarn work for a long time because I just didn't have the desire.  But suddenly, just as inexplicably as she left, she was back, knocking at my door again, begging to start a cozy stripped afghan and bring a little joy to my babies.  So here I am with new projects tucked into little corners and nooks around the place.  :)

Forgot to add this photo from Christmas time last month.  Just too cute to pass up, so I posted it now!  

The weather this winter has been unseasonably warm so far.  Many many days above the freezing mark, no snow, lots of rain.  Very odd, at least for the Canadian winters I'm used to.  You'd like this would be incentive to take the little ones out more, but I am still guilty of not taking the kids as much as I feel I should.  Fresh air always makes me feel better, but at this particular time period, I am struggling to get at it!

We rearranged some of our furniture in the main living area of the condo to accommodate a much-needed workspace for the kids.  We have a small desk for the computer, but it's full of, well, the computer!  The kids, particularly the older two, are old enough to need a space to work on their work, on their projects, or just spread out without needing to clean up for a bit.  As you can see, even baby M has her own space now under that table.  :)  Anyhow, I have more plans for that table.  I think this is something I enjoy doing every so often, the rearranging part I mean.  I can't yet decide if it's just a nice change in scenery, or if it's a bid to optimize space.  Maybe a little of both?  

This is our dog.  ;)  He is the sweetest little feathered friend!  D has trained him to lie on his back and be groomed or "petted".  Actually, he LOVES being groomed around his head.  He'll fluff right out and just zone out.  Hilarious to watch.  Really does remind us of a dog in some ways.  Little Romanos has brought a lot of joy to our lives right along with the kids!  

Anyhow.  I'll finish here because I'm just having a hard time keeping my eyes open!  Past my bedtime I think.  Sweet dreams!  

Apples and pumpkins are upon us!

I've been procrastinating and procrastinating and procrastinating writing a post here.  And suddenly, POOF!  It's already October and time has flown by.  Early October, with its crisp mornings and sun-warmed afternoons; with its long sleeves and sweaters (at least in the morning); with its explosion of colours on the trees and plants everywhere; with its profusion of apple and pumpkin EVERYTHING!  September is a more subtle introduction, but October welcomes autumn in all its flaming glory! 

I have three hats in queue.  Already.  In fact I would like to do a few more as gifts, but it may be more than I can handle at this point.  Slowly, slowly.  I do have plans for another patchwork quilt, but that is more like a long-term project.  Perhaps before the springtime?  D has been giving me shirt after shirt - the ones that have worn out with wear, which means I have a nice selection of fabric waiting for me.  

I did finish up some summer projects, most notably that icon above.  A special work indeed.  I don't know if I'll work on another one before the end of the year, but it is awfully tempting!  

Kids have settled into their school routine, though I would like to make a greater effort to be outside more.  Too fleeting this gorgeousness!  I hope to be back with more happenings before November!  

In the meantime, just look at how these monkeys have grown!  Too fast, I say!  (Oh, and how much do I love raising little readers!)

Goodness

Yesterday we were at the park - it was sometime in the evening.  M was blowing bubbles, J was swinging on the swings and I was sitting on the grass with baby M.  S came over and wanted to swing, but there were no more swings free.  The next time I looked over, J had gotten off her swing and was trying to lift S up to sit on it.  (I had to help with this step.)  Then, she happily pushed her for what seemed like a very long time.  They were laughing and playing as they went.  It was the most heartwarming and beautiful scene and I'm almost positive my heart swelled two sizes bigger.  Amidst all the evil in the news - all that suffering - this scene of a little girl happily sharing her swing with her younger sister was such a bright ray of hope.  Truly, God made man good and for goodness!  

"Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure and whether it be right." (Prov 20:11) 

We have had many lazy summer days together so far.  Lots of Saturdays spent in the park with the BBQ, great food and lots of sand and sun.  Getting to the park requires a bit of work, sometimes a little rush for last minute items.  Once we arrive though, everything melts away into a lazy summer day.  Complete with lounging kids and an afternoon siesta.  Well, maybe not an actual nap, but at least some time digesting.  (Kids have crazy amounts of energy that someone needs to find a way to bottle up for the rest of us!)  And here you can see baby M enjoying the delight that is ice cream.  She loved the corn on the cob too.  

The kids also enjoyed a church festival too earlier this month.  As if you couldn't tell from those faces...

I mentioned our new routine in my last post.  It has solidified somewhat over the past weeks and I believe we are actually enjoying it!  It's not a perfect system - still some tweaking to do I think.  I am actually trying to work more on NOT having to stay on them to finish something.  I hate nagging, and I'm sure they do too.  I saw this fantastic system and I am trying to find a way to make it myself.  The kids would love it, if not for ease of use than its simple beauty.  Hopefully in the next few weeks I can finish it so we have some time to use it before school starts.

As for other projects, I am currently working on some tea towel toppers.  I don't have much energy these days to really delve into projects.  D has been working overtime a lot and being on my own with the kids has really depleted my energy levels.  ;)  However, last night J asked me sweetly to make her something.  So there you have it.  Another project!  It's actually a joy to make stuff for these darlings.

Wishing you a wonderful Family Day weekend!  (And can I just say how much I love the sound of "Family Day"!?)

Little scientists

So, those dandelions from last week?  They spoiled.  I should've known they needed to be fully covered with oil, but no, a few heads did poke out.  And now we must needs start over.  Good thing there are still plenty of dandelions around!  But goodness, I feel so scatterbrained these days.  (Or maybe I've always been that way and I'm only seeing it now at last?)

A few messy things taken care of and now I can focus on the shopping part of my list.  The biggest item is a new bike for J.  She is patiently waiting, though I hope to surprise her before next week when the weather gets much nicer.  My kids do love riding their bikes anywhere they can.  And because it's getting ridiculous trying to fit three bikes and a stroller in our trunk, we're on the lookout for a decent bike rack.  :)

We are hoping to plant some tomatoes next week.  It may have to be a little later, because, of course, schedules have a way of getting ridiculously busy all of a sudden.  And that's ok.  The plants are already growing in their cosy pots, so we have some time.  I love spring.

This past week we learned that pine cones can help predict the weather.  They close when it's going to rain and open if not.  This is to guard the seeds inside the pine cone, of course.  It has to do with the moisture in the air.  We put one in a cup of water and it closed in about 5-10 minutes.  And then we set it on the window sill and the next morning it was open!  The little ones just LOVED it! Fascinating stuff these pine cones.  M took one to school for a class demonstration.  If you've never done it, it's so worth it just to see the kids faces light up with wonder.

I think the next thing we need to research are ants.  They are fascinating to little eyes and hands.  Here the kids are making a mountain for the ants.  They actually buried a colony they found and just kept building "ant mountain" upwards.  They even dug a trench around it.  Perhaps we shall even get to medieval castle building if there's time...  

Wishing you many such adventures with little scientists to keep you young at heart.

The best things in life are free

Life has changed so much since two months ago.  Baby M is not sleeping as well as she used to, so I get wakened up at least a couple times each night.  It's ok.  For some reason, could be that rosebud mouth or those cheeks, it doesn't bother me.  Also, my body seems to be able to function remarkably well with less sleep.  This is great news to me.  I don't ever remember feeling like this with the other three.  In fact, I often grew cranky being woken up so much at night.  Can only guess why it's not the same with this little lady.  Perhaps it took that long for me to understand or absorb an important truth: this too shall pass, and that precious baby will be grown up by tomorrow.

We went to the park this week almost every day after school.  The weather was beautiful and we all just ached to be outdoors.  :)  Once while we were there, I brought a bag and we picked dandelions.  There are so many of them in the fields and along the roads.  Even next to a small forest we found the ground just littered with golden blossoms.  Our picking didn't even make a dent in their numbers.  We are infusing them right now and are hoping to use the oil later in salves and soaps.

Anyhow.  The one bad thing I'm noticing is that I seem to have my sweet tooth back in full force.  To the extent that I know it can't be good for me to eat all that sugar.  After having exercised a little will-power during Lent, you'd think it'd be easy afterwards.  Not so.  I am in need of more "no sweets" periods.  Always found it easier to go cold turkey that be moderately restrictive.  Again, I puzzle as to why!  This bothers me because I have babies to take care of, and sugar robs me of needed energy.  Also, I can't fit my old clothes and I can't bring myself to buy new ones.  Catch 22.  Something's gotta give, I suppose.  I shan't give up though.  My body feels better with less sugar!

I am working on a few projects, lots of summer time activities for the kids.  And shopping.  J needs a new bike, D needs some clothes, a few gifts need buying.  Trouble is, I don't have the TIME for all that AND housekeeping.  Sometimes it's nice to have a helping hand.  I was so happy that M helped make pancakes Saturday morning.  To be fair, I had to be right there with him, and I ended up frying them.  However, we are on a path that will end with him relatively self-sufficient in the kitchen!  He really enjoys working with his hands so far.  Loves to build, construct and dismantle.  Very interested in how things work.  Only recently has he started asking why they work a certain way or what makes them function so.  That is an exciting journey since it opens up a whole new world to both of us.  Yesterday he finished building a model 4-cylinder gasoline engine.  We are learning the mechanics of this together.  Really cool stuff I tell you!  :)

And we are fast becoming a musical family.  The kids are humming, chirping and just singing all the time!  Catch them playing alone and they're usually singing a new tune.  I think it's the weather.  The change in seasons, more vitamin D, more physical activity... whatever it is.  I love it.  And I hope it's a herald of the coming days.  

A much belated update

S washing dishes

My, how I've neglected this space!  Time just seems to fly by and priorities shuffle around accordingly.  Which is to say that I haven't been here because I haven't had the time, nor found it incombent to make the time.  :)

S with the sandpaper letters

There has been just too much going on.  I am simultaneously reading three or four different books.  Simplicity Parenting, Siblings Without Rivalry, and Square Foot Gardening.  I have three crocheting projects that are just missing ears, and I have a cape pinned up and ready to sew.  Schooling has been the main reason though why I haven't been here.  The kids have quite a bit of homework on a given day, and when they don't (or when they're done) I don't want to waste the precious time I have with them.

The two older ones and I went skating this past Monday outside at Celebration Square.  Oh how fun it was!  I have forgotten the joys of skating.  And those two were just priceless.  My phone is full of photos from our morning skate.  In the end, I had to drag M off home.  He just didn't want to leave.  And boy, you could tell how much he loved it!  Trying to speed skate around the rink and falling every so often when he lost balance.  I can't say how often I laughed gleefully for the pure joy of watching those two learn such a fun sport!  We are planning a repeat for today while the cold weather lasts.

Last weekend we managed to get to our favourite retreat - Dormition monastery.  Such good timing.  And how we've missed it.  Whenever we get back, we notice how we feel more uplifted and how the kids have sort of re-calibrated, if you will.  It's beautiful.

S and J scrubbing potatoes

S colour matching while J sorts beans

These days, it's S keeping me busy during school hours.  She is motoring along with her "work" and I am following her lead as best I can.  I wish I knew what I know now earlier so the other two could have enjoyed similar activities and attention from mama.  I am doing my best to make up for it though.  J loves working in the kitchen, and it's not hard to get M in there either.  All is not lost.  The other day, we took a much-needed break at home to recuperate and recharge together.  While not perfect by any stretch, I found the day to be very profitable on so many levels.  And that just makes my heart sing.  :)

Little J turned 5 early this month.  She loved all her gifts, and they were all very hands-on, which is where this little one is right now.  She loves to make things and play dress up.  She has gotten a lot of use from her new "bead box" and has been very generous sharing with M and S.  There has been a lot of bracelet and necklace making going on.  

And baby M was baptized on the 31st of Jan.  (Two more reasons I haven't been around, incidentally!)  Speaking of baby, she is a doll.  Laughing away whenever someone takes the time to notice and talk to her.  She talks right back to us too!  This is actually a sore point, because I so often have little time to give her, and I feel so guilty!  It's no wonder I try to make up for it while I'm waiting in line at the store!  Those old ladies must think I'm a new mama the way I go on with her.  :)  C'est la vie, je crois.

J sorting the items in our nature box

Right now, we are turning our attention to plants.  Tomatoes in particular.  And cucumbers.  Some seeds need to be started soon and I am unprepared on so many levels.  But, here we go again.  Diving into another growing season with our sleeves pulled up and ready to get dirty.

M and J completing their Montessori sun together while S looks on

M experimenting with mixing colours

Another item on my list is organizing this space.  I think I mentioned I was trying to organize the kitchen.  Well, that has spilled over into the entire house.  It's a big job.  Bear with me.  It won't be done this month.  Probably not this spring.  I just have to be realistic with four kids and a full, full, full life with them.  (In trying to find an adjective to describe our lives, I really think "full" is the most successful...)

The cape I must needs finish and my little sewer stitching her little fox purse

Anyhow, excuse me as I have a cape to sew and a poster of the life cycle of a frog to start.  And if I was being honest, I'd have to say that I'll probably have to wait on the poster for next week.  Kids do need to eat, I'm told.  So dinner trumps poster.  But not cape.  Funny how that works, eh?

Wishing you a wonderful and preferably peaceful weekend.