Our lazy, fruit-filled August days...

I forgot to post a whole bunch of photos and happenings last week.  Or maybe it was the week before.  Akh.  I've hit that magic number of something - whatever it is that makes you lose your mind.  Kids, years, who knows.  

We just came back from our spot in Michigan.  Our retreat, our oasis just outside of the world.  That monastery is a piece of heaven.  They all are.  But this time, I felt that our visit was too short.  I felt that there was more that needed digesting, more than needed to be said.  But just like that, we were back on the road coming home and I was left with more questions than when I came.  Perhaps that is the way of things.  There was something different about this visit.  Something more solemn to me.  I am still mulling it over.  Digesting.  

Apple picking season starts very very soon.  Not soon enough for my little ones.  But here were are almost at the end of August.  I am not ready to say goodbye to the summer just yet.  We have a few more things that need doing.  

Today I made yogurt for the first time in months.  Definitely since baby M came things have been different, routines dropped or changed, and disorder rampant.  It's not her, bless her little heart.  She's a darling; a ray of sunshine.  Even the older ones dote on her.  It's just that life has to be rearranged with babies.  :)  But now we have yogurt.  And labneh!  Dany is very happy.  I don't usually make labneh.  I never grew up with it, so it's hard to remember to make it!  (Not like I notice it's missing until I really want it...)  

Did ever mention that I thank God for good neighbours?  Well I do!  Last week, one of our neighbours down the hall dropped off some of their extra basil, chives and blueberries.  How sweet!  The kids just devoured the berries.  I thought maybe we'd make something - a blueberry lemon loaf cake, or even a pie.  Nope and nope.  They didn't have a chance those berries.  I can't say I was upset.  Fresh fruit just belongs to summer.  We've been enjoying lots of peaches.  In fact, tomorrow we'll pick up another basket at the market.  I love summer Wednesdays. 

I have been painting these past two weeks.  It is heaven to be back at the brushes.  Of course, I have other things pulling at my time.  Namely a sweet, drooling baby who's crawling!  :) Oh those teeth.  They are cute, but bought at a price.  Sleep is the price.  :)  

On that note, I'd best be off to bed.  Who knows how many times I'll be waking up to kiss those sweet cheeks tonight.  (Actually, to be completely honest, I am not always fully awake when I "wake up" with her...)  Sweet dreams world!

Reading, animals and other summer adventures

Last time I posted I referred to the long weekend we just had as "Family Day".  Family Day is in February.  Apparently.  (And that is why I'm not in charge of anything important.)  It wasn't Family Day, just a Civic Holiday.  Oh well.  We still had our own "family day" and enjoyed it together!

Our city libraries have been on strike this summer.  Until now that is.  At last the doors are open again and we shall make our way there tomorrow to collect some new books.  The kids especially are eager to stock up on some audio books.  We've missed them.  And perhaps find out if the summer reading club will continue this year?  All good things to look forward to when you're 3 and 5 and 7.   (Baby M likes books too, but she prefers to gum them instead of read them.  We're working on that.)

We spent an afternoon at Black Creek Pioneer Village.  No pictures from the Village here, but lots of memories.  I recall a lot of impromptu insect studies.  An especially large ant, an enormous fly, a hiding spider... little eyes notice little things.  Also, the animals were a big hit.  The kids just love animals.

Speaking of animals, we went to a farm this past weekend for the afternoon, and the kids just gravitated towards the livestock.  As you can see, they enjoyed a donkey ride.  Feeding a horse clumps of grass was also promptly executed by three willing volunteers.  They felt there wasn't enough food for the horse in her yard.  :P  How funny children are.  I am trying my best to sit back and let them "unfold" a bit instead of constantly restraining or checking them.  It's also part of me trying to understand them.  Each child is a huge puzzle to me.  Why does one adore horses while the other is ga-ga over tractors?  Each is so different, yet they share many similarities as well.  (I may never get the hang of this parenting thing!)

I love these monkeys!  Gotta love a good tire swing.  This one reminded me of those old fashioned swings that swing out the barn door into the sky beyond!  It actually does swing out the door, and while I have been trying to let the kids "unfold", I wasn't ready for a broken arm.  So, we kept it tame.  Plenty of time for them to discover the joys of jumping from the hayloft on a tire swing on their own.  For now, they enjoyed the swinging without the jumping.  :)

I've been stumped as to what project to pick up next.  I've been teaching a bit of crocheting to one of the kids, so I have a dishcloth I'd like to finish off, but I have no idea what to do next.  A quilt feels like a wonderful project to start!  But I am simultaneously gravitating towards the paints.  Oh I feel the pull of those colours - silent, strong, relentless.  Or maybe they both need a turn together?  Ah, I am making myself dizzy.  Tomorrow is another day to decide.  In the meantime, I have a few printing and laminating jobs to finish.  And there's that pegboard that needs to go up...  (oh, housework, how I love thee...)

This post has been a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  Sort of what life is like for me I guess.  Lots of ups and downs.  Lately a few downs.  :(  I don't particularly enjoy them, though I see their merit once I've passed through the tunnel.  What seems to help most is staying busy.   I actually made some vegan burgers the other day.  I think they were good, but could benefit from a little tweaking.  You know that feeling?  When you know you're on to something good, but it's just not there yet?  Ya, that.

Oh, and when did this darling 3 year old get so big?  Just edible.  Except when she's whining.  Then she drives me nuts!  Just my luck that she's got this "whine-y" voice thing going.  We're working on that - for MY sanity more than anything else!

Wishing you a sunny, warm and relaxing weekend!

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"!?)

A post-Pascha post

After over a month, almost two of being absent here, you'd think I'd be bubbling over with news and goings-on.  The only real thing I feel like sharing is just how tired I am!  These past weeks have been just beautiful, and draining, and lovely and hard.  And now, descending slowly down to earth from heaven, if you will, I am struck by how spent I am.

In fact, the only ambition I have is to make a good hearty pot of bone broth soup.  That's what my body needs, I think.  And curl up with a good book, perhaps outside in the sun.  :)  I doubt very much any of that will happen, except the soup, but it's nice to dream!  I am so thankful for the sunshine.  It just perks my mood right up!  In fact, on this second day of May, I am thankful for many things...

- for Skype, WhatsApp, and connecting to far away sisters

- for birdsong, and the muted chirping going on just before dawn

- for seeing a 5-year old so excited to paint something

- for kindred spirits, dear friends, and good company

- for feast days

- for quieter and often cuddly moments with a certain 2 year old darling

- for baby coos, smiles and peekaboo laughing (and those kissable cheeks!)

- for the warm sunshine on my back, my shoulders and my hands... especially after a seemingly long winter

- for the joy of running after little children outside

- for planning gardens, plants, and just anything green sprouting!

- for deep conversations in the car with a seven-year old on route to wherever

- for painting.  Oh how I've missed painting.  I could shout with the sheer joy of picking up a paintbrush!

- for reading together in the evenings before bed

I wish you many such thankful moments!  Christ is risen!

Just before Lent

We've had the mildest winter I can remember so far.  This week it's supposed to get into the teens!  (For my American friends, that's in the 50s F.)  We've had sporadic skating adventures here and there, but they haven't been as often as we'd have liked.  That's partly because I wasn't up for skating until mid to late January, and after that because of the periodic thaws we've had.  

That being said, I have to say that skating at night is fun!  It's something I don't remember doing when I was growing up.  I think I prefer the day, just because of the warmth factor of the sun (brrr!), but I'm glad we got to go at night too.

More shots of the little ones here.  :)  Little M is growing.  Cheeks and all.  Our baby is almost 4 months now!  She's easily the best sleeper I've had.  Of course, they change at the drop of a hat, so I'm not really holding my breath.  We shall take things as they come.  My new motto!  (And it took 4 kids for me to be ok with that!)  

We had a snow day (the first this year) and we got to enjoy our day together without rushing.  That is a gift to me.  More and more, I find I can't do rush.  I get anxious inside, I get panicked and that's usually when I start yelling or snapping.  And even if I'm not shouting, I certainly am not enjoying the moment.  I miss out on a lot in retrospect.  M will come to me trying to share a cool fact he's learned, or J will want to have a conversation to process something new, and I'm basically not there for them.  So you can imagine how much this mama enjoys leisurely days with her brood!    

Lent is almost here.  One week left to go.  The Great fast.  My kids are actually very excited to fast.  Their schoolmates are almost finished Lent, but they are raring to go.  I can't say I am excited for the Fast, but I have to say I am looking towards it with a sort of relief.  Perhaps eagerness too.  It is a journey of intentional reflection, of inner quiet, of sober undertaking.  And so, I will most likely be absent here in large part. 

Until we meet again, I wish you a wonderful spring!   

Wise words

I am trying to organize the kitchen somewhat.  Having a small kitchen forces us to be creative with space and selective with stuff.  It is a challenge, especially when I want so much to create a kid-friendly environment.  We spend a heap of time working in the kitchen, which means it's a great starting point.  And so, here I am.  That's what I'm working on today anyhow.  Tomorrow it's time for  ordering seeds.  (Gotta have those tomato seeds ready to start next month.)  And parent-teacher interviews.

I have also started playing the piano again.  After an 8 year hiatus,  Not pretty, my friends.  But it's so wonderful sitting down again... just wish I had the same enthusiasm back then.  (I hated piano lessons and having to practice everyday!)  Michael has started playing more seriously too, though he usually finishes "practice" time with some choice explorative pounding.  So we take turns tinkering.  And learning together.

This picture above is one of my favourites.  The older three sitting in front of the oven waiting for their cheese sandwiches to finish melting.  A little pre-bedtime snack.  It was hilarious to see all three noses literally up against the oven door.  (And in the time it took me to grab the camera, some of them became unglued.  Naturally.)

I am noticing that with four young children, it is tricky to give each child some one-on-one time with mama or papa.  S gets the most because she is with me during the day while the older two are in school.  I love that she follows me literally everywhere around the house with her little lamb and bunny.  And often a sippy cup.  And while I sit and scrub toilets, she sings twinkle-twinkle little star.  Of course, she has her own work to do while I putter around the kitchen.  Pouring things, making smoothies for everyone from the overripe bananas, and playing with Romanos.  I really try to make her a part of what I'm doing so I don't feel the need so much plunk her in front of a film.  Some days it's easier, and others are harder.  We take one day at a time as much as we can.  I'm always thankful for those good days.  They remind me how much fun it is to have little ones!

How I wish for more time like that again with each of my babies.  They aren't kidding when those older ladies (or gentleman) pass you and remark how fast time passes and to enjoy the present day (even moment!) with your kids.  Yep.  Sage advice.

Quieter pursuits

Things have been a little quieter on the home front this past week as the kids started school.  Its always a little confusing for me.  Just as we finally get into a rhythm that feels good we have to up and change again.  More than that, I have mixed feeling about them starting school again.  On the one hand, I miss them and I miss all things we could be doing together - that we should be doing together!  On the other hand, I am thankful for a quieter and tidier space.  (I'd trade the latter for the former any day mind you.)

To calm my confused and somewhat low spirits, I have picked up my crochet hook and knitting needles.  Nothing like yarn to match a contemplative mood - and it really does bring me to my happy place!  That there above is going to be another hooded cowl.  Haven't decided between rabbit or wolf or perhaps another cat?  Speaking of wolf, there is a wolf hat I have in my unfinished project bag waiting for me to get to it.  Maybe I'll make this one a wolf too and we'll have a pack?  (Oh the possibilities!)  Also, when you're feeling off, chocolate cake can't hurt.  A sour cream chocolate bundt cake.  Preferably drizzled in a delicious chocolatey ganache.  

This is my 3rd in action.  (She is literally my Montessori poster baby... thrives on routines that one does.)  She is cutting up a banana for her morning snack.  I ended up eating it for her since she preferred to munch on carrot sticks and broccoli trees.  We're flexible like that.  :)

 I finished (I think?) a watercolour robin yesterday.  The kids all did watercolours alongside mama.  They are all marked as gifts.  I will ask them if I can share their work here for the next post.  I'm going to frame theirs either way.  I was so happy to break out the paints.  An impromptu art session.  I miss art.  

Here's to more art in 2016!  

A special visit

For just a few hours, I am alone with baby.  D has taken the kids to church, and so we are here, baby M and I, for a bit resting, enjoying each other and the quiet.  I didn't want to go online, but it seems like I just can't collect my thoughts properly with a million kids running around the place.  (Ok, three or four is hardly a million, but it may as well be because the volume they can reach is truly amazing!)  I am prepared for their return though with a vegan chocolate cake.  I am not above bribery.  :)  

We have been having rather mild temperatures up to this point, so the kids don't think it feels very much like Christmas.  That might be somewhat of a Godsend since I haven't had any nagging yet.  :)  (The proverbial silver lining...)  St Nicholas did pay a visit to these little ones this morning though, and weren't they just ecstatic!  We try to keep it a little low-key because we don't want "things" to be the focus of the feast.  They got each a bottle of apple juice (that's a big thing since we don't keep juice in our house unless we make it from the fruit itself), and some money.  (I think the juice was a bigger hit!)  Boy were they happy that Bishop Nicholas didn't forget them.  His is one of their favourite saint stories.

I am looking for a quick pattern to knit or crochet a pair of slippers for miss J.  She has outgrown her old ones and I think it would be a sweet Christmas gift.  I will, of course, have to make them in pick for the proper effect.  Also, embellishments would be greatly appreciated, so I'll have to see what I can do.  Maybe a little jewel glued on will suffice?  Or perhaps a felt flower?  

Don't ask about the state of my home.  It is in need of some TLC.  Small table covered in glue, buttons and bits of paper.  And glitter everywhere.  (What's with kids and glitter?!)   The bathroom was clean yesterday, but now the counters are covered with puddles of water and a few drops of toothpaste.  At least the laundry is somewhat under control.  

And as for the kitchen, I think I'll pass on any describing.  Why is it that dishes can be done, and yet the kitchen can still be messy?  I'll never understand how my babies are able to do what they do.  So full of enthusiasm for everything.  And this mama trying desperately NOT to extinguish their little flames of excitement.  (SO hard!)  But worth it when they come to me proudly with their little projects.  I just have to keep the end goal in sight and try not to flip out on the journey.  After all, flour covered counters may be a nuisance, but little ones who learn through that to be self-sufficient and enjoy cooking in the kitchen is priceless to me.  

Happy Feast Day!


PS - I will try to post some photos later on today when I have the time.  Right now I am going back to enjoying my baby.  :)  

Cooking and cleaning can wait till tomorrow,
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
So settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm nursing my baby and babies don't keep.

-Unknown 

Number 4

She finally came.  Our baby girl.  Our tiny number 4.  Our little M.  And for someone so small, what great joy and sweetness she has brought with her.  I am so completely in love with this newest little one of ours.  Even her mewling cries are sweet.  The others are over the moon too, especially the kids!  They are forever asking to hold her, burp her, change and bathe her.  She has a beautiful story too, quite different from her siblings.  

By the way, that gorgeous green hat was knitted by my dear friend Kim.  (She even included a felt flower to sew on in case it was a girl, which she was!)  Thank you so much for thinking of us my dear friend.   You are a sweetheart.    

So little M.  She came late, but she came quickly.  I am so thankful that she was born on her own with no interventions and no drugs.  (My midwives were just wonderful - I couldn't have done it without them, and I'm not just saying that.)  It really has made a difference in the speed at which I've been able to recover and get back on my feet.  For the most part, I feel like I am living in a bit of a bubble nowadays.  Not so much because my head is buried in the sand but because this baby sets my routine.  Lots of feeding, changing, and snuggles.  It all sounds so rosy, but it kind of is right now.  (I'll let you know when that changes!)  I am in the "honeymoon" phase where the sleeplessness and crying doesn't bother me at all.  In fact, I'm rather enamoured by it.  :)  Honeymoon indeed!  

Perhaps the reason for this is because D and my mom have been a huge help.  Between cleaning the house, making food, taking the other kids, soothing baby when needed so I can rest, they have literally spoiled me.  Little M is not the only one who's being taken care of.  I am too!  I was so anxious before, but now I feel a little like a queen.  If this is how women used to be cared for in the old days, it's no wonder they had so many kids.   

I have been able to spend time sewing this past week.  J's dress is done except for those buttons at the back.  Such a pretty jumper.  I think next time though, I won't do the gathering for the skirt.  At least not with corduroy.  It's too thick and bulky of a fabric to really work well that way.  Still, I do love it, and so does J, who keeps at me to finish it so she can wear it to church on Sunday.  I think it's because of the pink sash.  She really wanted the whole thing to be pink, but I don't think she minded it at all once she saw that sash and little rosebud.  :)  

I am also finishing off the binding for that much-talked-about quilt.  Except I keep forgetting to take a picture.  So you'll have to wait for me to show it off next time.  I have promised the kids we will do a little pine cone craft tomorrow, so the quilt may have to wait until during the week.  No problem by me!  

While I was in the hospital, I started working on two crocheted birds.  Turtle doves actually.  I'm hoping to make a crocheted wreath for a special someone this Christmas.  I don't think she checks my blog out, but I'll wait to post pictures until later.  Besides, I keep forgetting to photograph that too!  (Mama brain is not a myth, my friends!)

Since baby M's arrival, we stopped reading together for a few days.  I missed our routine so much though, I couldn't wait to get back to it.  It's a little more challenging with 4 crawling all over me, but we're managing.  As long as they have a snack to distract them when baby interrupts, the older ones do just fine. 

And that is where we are right now.  Getting back to our routine as much as possible and enjoying our little blessing.  And enjoying each other too.  These little monkeys are so precious!  I can't believe how they have grown.  

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a beautiful quote I found yesterday.  It really resonated with me.  I felt like, yes, this is why we need to slow down and simplify.  

"The more people deviate from the natural simple life and move toward luxury, the more human stress increases.  And as worldly politeness expands, simplicity, joy and the natural human smile are lost."  (Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos)  

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.