Going inside

I have had this bad habit lately of leaving the house without my camera.  Lately, we've been trying to take the kids outside after dinner before it gets dark.  A nice walk or bike ride to the park nearby is what they love.  This means dinner is quite early, obviously, since it gets dark by around 6pm.  But I always seem to forget the camera!  Which bums me out because there are so many things to capture and remember!  Those gorgeous leaves, the little antics of three monkeys, little critters around us, sunsets.  Everything is wonderful and beautiful and it kind of leaves me silent after soaking it up.  Alas, I have no pictures to share them with you here.  But I imagine you are able to experience most of what I'm talking about, and perhaps to a greater degree.  And that is a comforting thought.

The crisp weather is here to stay it seems, although we had a warm spell last week.  Even my children are turning more towards making things and "quieter" activities.  Don't get me wrong, they are still full of boundless energy.  And sometimes I feel the lack of space most acutely.  But their plans are veering towards more handiwork and less outside work.  (More fine motor and less gross motor?)  I have some nice winter crafts ready for them in the coming weeks, especially for Christmas gifts, and they are really looking forward to them.  M wants to make a snake out of yarn, so I think finger knitting is going to be big with him for a while.  :)

And this mama has a whole whirl of projects going on.  From hats to sweaters to jumpers to quilts.  Only baby is going to slow me down!  :)  And perhaps not even.  For you see, it is easy to crochet or knit even with little ones.  So we wait (and not very patiently anymore) for our newest baby to come out and fill our lives with more joy!

Happy Tuesday!

Cookery and some yarn projects

I've been finding that life is pretty messy these days.  It gets to me insofar as I feel powerless to do anything about it, but otherwise, I have been trying to embrace it more.  (Hurray for progress!)

The kitchen is still our main hub of activity.  Food is always needing to be made, eaten or preserved.  We have been on a bit of a pizza spree for the past month.  Translation: we've made pizza about 4 times so far.  This is a spree for us.  I think this is mostly because I've been wanting to perfect a pizza recipe for a while.  I took a base recipe and tweaked it a bit here and there.  I don't remember where I got the original recipe, but with the modifications, it's a really great one.  (At least we think so here...)  Anyhow.  You can bet my little sous chefs have been involved in these adventures.  In fact, on Saturday they made the pizza themselves.  I did the dough and then took a nap while it was rising.  Afterwards, I gave each kid a lump of dough and they did the rest.  It was actually pretty neat sitting back and letting them go.  I have to learn to do that more often.  I thought J would have problems with the rolling, but she was great!  All her own elbow grease and no mama help.  Just what a 4-year-old needs for confidence!

By the way, making pizza is messy, even without kids.  Imagine how much more so with the kids doing the work.  That's part of what I mean about life being messy.  And I'm ok with it.  Because hey, my kids made dinner for me!  And because they were happy doing it!  And because learning to take care of themselves and others is a priceless skill.  (We just need to work on the clean-up part afterwards...)

Right now in the kitchen, a pot of soup is simmering on the stove - a savoury beef and chunky vegetable soup.  Just the thing for a crisp, cold autumn day.  Also, precious little can beat a good bone broth in my books.  We also have a tray of granola cooling on the counter which S and I whipped up this morning.  This time, we're trying granola bars, not just the usual loose granola.  (It's a first for me.)  I figure we'll be needing some snacks for around when baby decides to debut.  We put in peanuts, raisins, and dark chocolate chips.  (My kids will eat anything if it has chocolate chips inside, so I try to take full advantage of that fact.)  It looks like they turned out great, so I just need to package them up and store.

Outside of the kitchen, M has some upcoming projects for school.  This has kept us busy and promises to do so for the coming week.  Thankfully, we have split things up into manageable chunks instead of cramming it all into one day.  But still, I've promised myself that I'm throwing in the towel after this!  (Hello, new baby coming!)  I miss my quiet, uneventful routine!  Waaa!

I've gone back to knitting.  That is, I've been alternating between crocheting some hooded cowls and finishing the sweater for baby.  The cowls will be Christmas gifts, so I won't share them here.  I am happy to have at least a few handmade items for this year.  I don't think we'll come close to last year, but that's ok.  There is still time and lots of love to go around regardless.  I don't know if I mentioned it before, but my darlings unraveled most of my previous knitting.  I couldn't salvage it, so we finished the job and I started over.  Thankfully, I sized it properly this time around.  (It was too big before.)  I have made a note to try and keep my knitting out of reach for now, but I do like to take it out at frequent intervals when I need to sit down, so it always manages to end up on the side table or sofa.  I am tempting fate, I suppose.  But those little hands are curious, and those little brown eyes so sweet and honest when caught unravelling stitches.  Somehow, I didn't mind as much as I thought I would.

And since it feels like this blog sometimes reads like a to-do list, I thought I'd add that I am looking into putting up some pumpkin and squash before the season finishes.  It's just so nice to have some on hand for soups in the fall/winter.  I'm starting to genuinely loathe canned food.  And it's not only about the taste, although there are worlds of difference in taste between fresh/dried/frozen vs canned.  When I read about what they line the cans with, I think to myself, "No wonder we're struggling with all these health problems!"  There is something to be said for putting nutritious, wholesome, real food into our bodies.  And that desire is fuelled even stronger when you are responsible for little ones.  Every season, every year, we try to do something else to further our journey towards eating properly and truly enjoying God's bounty.  

Now if only I can motivate myself to exercise a little more!  I suppose running around after 3 will have to suffice for now.  

In the studio and around the home

Lately, we have been eating lots of greens.  Not just salad, I mean.  Spinach with meat and rice (that spinach is from our balcony garden), Mlukheye (wild leaves that we boil with chicken to make a soupy dish that the kids love with rice too), stuffed zucchini, okra with onions and tomato sauce... I love looking into my fridge and seeing all those vivid greens and reds and yellows. 

Last night D went on a bike ride with the little ones.  All three of them.  Doesn't sound like a big deal until you've tried to corral three energetic monkeys on bikes going helter-skelter up hills and around streets.  Nerve-wracking for a parent.  D is as cool as a cucumber.  He offers to take them all so I can have a breather.  Do the dishes in peace.  Finish freezing some extra herbs or berries.  Maybe sit down for a minute and play a tune on the new piano.

We got a new keyboard.  It's not a true piano, but I have a hunch that isn't far behind.  There's only so much you can do with a keyboard, and pedalling is not one.  :)  However, space is an issue here, so keyboard it is for now.  The kids love it and have been begging for "lessons".  Oh yes, little ones, you shall indeed have those!

We went to the petting zoo this past weekend.  The kids love animals, so of course they loved walking around.  Favourites were the deer, the ponies and the bunny rabbits.  And the ducks.  Can't forget the ducks.

There is something about summer work that is pleasant.  Perhaps I am finding it so because D is there to help out in the evenings often, which leaves me a bit of space to plan or execute tricky details.  Or perhaps it's just that time of year and it feels right for this kind of work.  Can't wait till we get in some cucumbers for the pickles!  Perhaps next week...

There are lots of projects happening around here.  Yarn, fabric, wood, food, and music.  Everything that makes life beautiful!  The quilt is almost done.  I stayed up late sewing last night and now I only have the binding left.  I love this simple, rustic style.  It's just a mishmash of old fabrics sewn together in strips - not particularly neatly either.  It just works though.  The kids keep begging me to finish it so they can use it.  I am not sure if I shall leave it for the kids, or keep it as a Christmas gift for a certain special someone, who shall remain nameless.  Perhaps I'll just have to do another one.  And that, my friends, is a happy thought to be sure.  :)

This is a photo of that pink baby sweater.  As you can see, it is now close to completion.  I picked out some sweet wooden buttons with carved flowers on them.  And I have some simple white ones also.  I will probably keep the wooden ones for the grey sweater and use the white for this pink one.  I think.  We'll see when all is said and done.  By the way, most of the progress on this sweater came during morning swimming lessons!  Despite having all the kids with me, even little S, I managed to get at least a couple of rows per day.  Not too shabby.  Now that lessons are finished for the summer, knitting progress may slow.  Especially with all the other projects.  

I am hoping to get back into some iconography before baby arrives, so I have been preparing a few boards these past couple of weeks.  Two of them didn't turn out so well being older, and the gesso wasn't sanding smoothly.  So when the kids asked for their own boards, I was only too happy to oblige.  And they were thrilled!  As you can see, they have their own artistic style.  :)  I am hoping they will agree to a project where we can write a beautiful quote on their boards together, maybe with stencils or something like that.  Then they can give them as gifts, or keep them should they be so inclined.  (Usually I find they like to give away the things they make.  Bless their little hearts!)  

Anyhow.  That's quite an update for me.  Life hasn't been all rosy and gay.  We all have struggles alongside the joys.  In fact, these past two weeks have been particularly trying for some reason.  I find though, that even just a little handiwork is the best medicine for the blues.  Truly.  So, I've been taking as much of that pill as possible.  As you can see!  Hopefully next week there will be some kitchen updates - I do love sharing what's happening in the kitchen!

Happy weekending to you!

What a girl!

My little baby turned two!  She is our Canada day baby.  What a sweet little one with her sparkling eyes and wide smile.  She loves to help, though she can get a little difficult when she has other ideas, and her constant stream of babbling is the soundtrack of my life.  (Alongside all the other noise that is 3 kids...)

For her birthday, we went strawberry picking at the Organics Farm.  It was our first time at this particular place, but it won't be our last.  The kids loved it.  Especially little miss.  She could be found at all times in a strawberry bush eating whatever her little hands could find.  Messy mouth, messy hands and a mama who didn't mind.  Her kind of day!

To top things off, we went to another nearby farm for sweet peas.  That was M's idea - or at least he wanted it the most.  D loves that boy, so we squeezed in a side trip.  Sweet peas are a big deal in our house.  We sit around and eat them together in the evenings while we talk away, or play chess.

M is really into chess as of last weekend.  We went to the Dormition monastery and some old friends were visiting at the same time.  Lots of kids running around, to say the least.  It was wonderful!  But since it rained non-stop on Saturday, most of their activities were indoors.  The older boys were wrapped up in chess for a large part, so M picked up the basics there.  Now, all he wants to do is play chess.  I don't mind in the least!  When I'm not available to play against him, J plays for a bit.  Failing that, he plays both sides himself.  Hilarious to watch.  ("Mom, I won the game."  "Really, honey?  Which one of you?"  "My white side.")  Of course, there was a beautiful sunny day on Sunday while we were still in Michigan, so a proper trip to the pond was of the order.  Frog catching was the jeu de jour.  :)

J was just in seventh heaven with all the girls too.  She was the youngest besides the babies, but they played pretend to her heart's content.  She was so sad when we had to leave.  She still keeps asking for her new friends to come and visit - all the way from Wisconsin!  I love seeing these babies of mine find such wholesome, sweet and true friends.  This place is such a haven of love for our family.

I have started another baby sweater just in time for July swimming lessons.  (The two older ones have lessons everyday for a couple of weeks.)  It's the same pattern, but in a different colour - a pretty pastel pink.  I'm trying to cover my bases!  :)  Knitting in a new colour is fun, it feels like a whole new project without being overwhelming.  I still have that lovely gray sweater waiting to be finished.  It's not done yet, but I'd say it's close to 70%.  If we have a boy, the sweater will be the perfect gift to another friend expecting a girl.  If we have a girl, well, a little baby boy who has yet to debut will profit from my knitting zeal.  I do love the milo that Kim has been working on, so I might just have my next project queued up. Not to shabby!

I know it's summer time and most people aren't thinking about books and school, but I thought I'd share some of our favourite reading choices for those interested in such things.  Despite being the time for outdoors, there are plenty of times we curl up together on the sofa with a book.  Usually during afternoon nap/quiet times or on rainy days.  These are a few stories I've noticed get reached for quickly with Paddington and all the Beatrix Potter stories, of course.    

Well, I wish you a happy weekend, full of outdoors and adventures.  I'm off to finish shoe shopping for the boy.  (He happens to SHRED his shoes faster than I could have anticipated...)  And then it's jam time.  I hope.

Toodles!

Knitting woes and other daily snippets

Another week come and gone and another batch of projects gathering dust as I deal with my knitting incompetence.  I had to rip out a large section of my beautiful sweater because I had forgotten to measure it partway and made it too long in the body.  Great.  It would have been more like a dress than a sweater if I'd have kept going.  I almost did.  In the end, I figured I wanted a sweater, so a sweater is what I'll make.  Heartbreaking to tear out all those hours though.  Probably unravelled half my work.  Oh well.  C'est la vie.

I might need to take a break and start a summer dress for J.  I've been itching to do one in this pretty blue checkered print I bought last year.  That and S is about ripe for a little mini-messenger bag of her own.  (What almost-two year old doesn't love bags?)

Anyhow.  It's popsicle season.  Oh yes siree.  We've made several batches already.  Love having fresh fruit on hand!  Also finished little gifts for M's teachers.  Personalized peg people!  The kids love them.  Hoping the teachers do too!

I am still struggling to find my groove again since I got pregnant.  Our whole schedule has been thrown off since then.  It's really disconcerting.  Some days are great and I get a ton of work done, the kids manage their chores, their work, their play and food gets on the table when it should.  Other days (and I feel like there are a good deal more of these...) it's a struggle for the food alone.  Omelettes are great, so are sandwiches and really anything that can be thrown together quickly.  Leftovers are my friend.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come when baby arrives.  I mean, I anticipate a period of adjustment where things are rocky.  But I really really really hope that I can find my "sea-legs" soon after.  I'd say that's the only thing that has me a little anxious about #4.  Most mamas I've spoken to with 4 kids or more say that the third was their biggest adjustment.  For me, so far, going from 0 to 1 was my biggest adjustment.  The rest weren't as bad as I thought they'd be.  :)  Maybe it helps in some ways to imagine the worst?

I did a bit of school prep work today while D took the kids swimming.  Love that man.  Don't know where he gets the energy to do things with them.  A trip to the grocery store and I'm bushed.  Anyhow, I'm trying to get as much done as I can when I have any energy.  O second trimester, don't fail me now!

Enjoy your week!


Joining Ginny and friends for this week's Yarn Along, and Nicole for this week's Crafting On.

A bit of green and some knitting

A gentle post with some pops of green  from our balcony garden, and some knitting news.  Of course we are deep in radishes by now.  :)  Spinach has sprouted and parsley is poking its head out too.  Just waiting for the mint to come.  I am nervous about mint.  It's my first time growing it from seed.  I try not to check on it all the time so I won't be disappointed at each glance.  Gardens can be nail-biters sometimes!  

This is the first baby sweater update.  As you can see, there's still a ways to go.  No worries.  I have nothing but time.  I've been itching to knit something in this gray, but I'm wondering if it's more masculine than neutral?  I guess I can always add pink trim if it comes down to that.  Or really girlie buttons.  Also, I can't decide whether I prefer knitting or crocheting.  This from someone who just started knitting seriously.   It's a very nice conundrum to find oneself in.  Yarn, I've missed you.  

PS - There's something so right about knitting for baby.  Despite the summer heat, it just feels good.  (Thank God for cool breezes and AC...)

Childhood & some neighbours in need

As my belly swells further these days, I am reminded of how fast children grow.  Look at these little ones!  They used to be much smaller, I assure you.  But last year's shorts don't fit anymore, and new shoes are needed too.  (Not to mention growing appetites!)  It is beautiful to look back through photos and videos of the sweetness that is their childhood.  

Trees are very attractive to a six year old.  And when big brother climbs up, little sisters just have to join.  Crab apple trees are great for little ones to climb.  They always seem to have that large sit in the middle before thick branches begin to fork away from the trunk.  We had a great time at the park that day.  Beautiful weather, and hours of outdoor adventures.  

The weather has cooled down this weekend, but it looks to be a temporary blip.  Looks like more sunshine and heat for the rest of the week.  None of us can wait for the strawberries to debut en masse!  D and I are planning a trip to the Kitchener-Waterloo area farmer markets to pick up some produce in bulk.  We have been told it's more reasonable than Toronto prices, and with the Amish and Mennonite communities around, we're hoping for organic.  (Pretty pricey in a big city...)  I seriously have my jam jars counted and ready.  Strawberry jam ranks pretty highly around here.

I am currently working on a few projects here in the meantime.  Most impressively, I have started knitting a sweater for baby.  I'll try to share it this week.  This is my first knitting project.  My gauge is probably a little wonky, and every so often, a crooked stitch appears.  Despite all that, I love it.  I've always wanted to knit and baby clothes are a manageable project to start with.  I've not gotten very far, but a few rows here and there are just the thing for me now.  I am easing back into some old hobbies.  Things that I can pick up and put down as needed.  (Imperative with an almost 2-year old.)

I read this article today and my heart is just broken.  So much suffering for these people and throughout the Middle East.  So much suffering.  I don't know how they are able to live through it.  What's more, I can't believe how much we practically ignore their plight here.  Those faces, those cries, they rise up like condemnation for every convenience I enjoy.  (Ahem, we had delicious cream of broccoli soup and sandwiches for lunch...)  As the Good Samaritan showed, these strangers living so far away are our neighbours in every sense.  May God comfort them as only He knows how.  And may we not forget to remember them in our own lives; to help shoulder their burden in any way possible; to love truly and completely even those whom we can't see.

Pondering along

Dear Mom, thank you for knowing and loving me so well that you always give me the perfect gift.  This one is my favourite - case and all.  Hands down.  It will see much use in the coming years, I can promise you.  But then again, you already knew that.  I love you.

We have blueberry ice cream waiting to fully chill in the freezer.  We made up the recipe using a basic outline from the strawberry and vanilla ones we love.  (Fingers crossed!)  We are not quite as high tech as we don't have an ice cream maker.  Actually, I don't think we have room for one.  We've made do just fine without.  Just means that I have to be around to stir a pan or container of the sweet cream as it's freezing.  Not such a sacrifice.  We used 4 cups of summer blueberries - berries that we've had in the freezer for almost a month.  Actually, I think somewhere, there are still blueberries coming in.  Our farmer's market is still selling them!

One Hello Kitty hat done, and one very happy 3 year old.  Who is now waiting impatiently for the weather to get colder.  (Scratch that, she's not waiting at all - she sports the hat no matter the heat.)  And now I have the two owlie hats on my hook.  Also my knitting is getting better.  I feel it!  (So says every novice knitter...)  I am loving this stockinette stitch.  Just beautiful.  I wish I could knit up a bunch of sweaters!  I am in love with a swatch of yarn.  That and happy enough that another item gets crossed off my bucket list.  Ahem, I will say that said bucket list does tend to grow longer by the week despite my best efforts.  Of course, now you realize that my list is hardly glamourous or adventurous.  But it suits me just fine.  I've become more of a crafter and homebody in my old age.

I've written in the past about how much we want a house to raise our family in.  It is very expensive to buy in our area.  Ridiculously so.  We want so much to give our children a life where they can connect to God through nature - where we can be refreshed by a walk say in the forest (without needing to drive to one); where we dig in the garden with purpose; where we harvest their own food on a respectable scale; where we spend more time outside than in; where we see and study nature and the seasons first hand; where we quiet down, slow down and sit down together a little more.  That's what a house represents to us.  We are presently trying to figure out if we need to leave the city (hard because of D's work), or resign ourselves to the present situation and hope for the best in another few years.  A decision that will need some serious pondering, that's for sure.

As we ponder along, I hope you are having a beautiful day, because the sun is shining and the birds are singing here.  (Even alongside the cars zooming on the highway.)