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.

Weekend tidbits and a little garlic

A little crafting going on these days...

Almost done J's messenger bag.  Just have to sew in the lining and voila!  She'll have a sweet little bag to carry her treasures around.  Of course, it's almost impossible to keep things secret around here, so she knows she's getting a messenger bag.  I haven't shown her the final product though.  Last night I stayed up late pinning the lining to the outer bag... which leaves everything inside out.  Which means she can't see the bag itself, only the lining and even that is inside out.  Anyhow, best I can do under the circumstances.  Can't wait to show it off!

The kids made safety pin angels this weekend.  They strung beads onto safety pins, and then onto wires to shape into angels.  A sweet craft, but perhaps a bit much for little hands.  At least so I thought until yesterday when M brought me a whole bunch of safety pins he had strung with beads all by himself unbeknownst to me.  Basically they just needed to be strung on the wire and tied up.  Awesome!  I love being surprised like that!  (Although I think M surprised himself just as much...)

As for yarn crafting, that's kind of an ongoing given.  I am working on a few more hats right now and I hope to share them later this week.  Of course, I am hoping to share finished products by then, but who knows what will pop up in the meantime, so I'll leave it open.  :)

Oh dear, the laundry is piling up a bit and I can start to see the little mountain from where I sit.  As usual, it's not so much dirty clothes, just the clean clothes waiting to be folded.

And of course, illness is still our companion.  This time it's residual nightly coughing and an ear infection for baby.  It was painful for her, but we went the natural route this time and she is doing much better.  (We were so thankful that our doctor was supportive of this course.)  Her treatment was quite helpful in getting her comfortable especially for sleep time.  Nothing fancy: warm, garlic-infused olive oil drops for her ear, saline rinses for her nose, and managing her fever and pain with ibuprofen or acetaminophen.  And I have to say, she's a champ this girl of ours.  Didn't even flinch when we give her the saline drops up her nose.  Same with the ear drops.  I think the oil drops actually helped with the pain, but what do I know.  Regardless, she seems to be back to normal in less than 24 hours.

I am a huge fan of the more natural, herbal remedies whenever possible.  This recipe for the ear drops is pretty basic and really easy to make.  I usually make a fresh batch each day and administer it ever 4 hours or so along with tylenol.  She acts a little weird after I've put it in, but 5 minutes later she's a different baby - definitely happier.  And the healing time seems so fast - ours lasted for about 24 hours.  If you ever have a child with an ear infection, I would really encourage you to try this out.  (Just don't use it on a child with a perforated eardrum.)  Both olive oil and garlic are antiviral and antibacterial (amongst many other things!) so they're perfect for the job.  All this being said, I should also mention that I am no doctor, so please make sure to check with your doc beforehand.  

GARLIC-INFUSED OLIVE OIL EAR DROPS

2 cloves garlic,
4 Tbsp olive oil

Chop and then mash garlic so that it's crushed thoroughly.  Place in a small glass jar or cup and pour olive oil over it.  Allow it to steep for about 15 minutes.  Strain mixture through a clean cotton cloth scrap into another glass jar.  Warm gently by placing glass jar in a cup of hot water for a few minutes.  Test on inner wrist before administering.  Should be just slightly warm, not hot.  Gently administer a drop in the affected ear every so often to help with discomfort and swelling.



Joining Nicole and friends for this week's Keep Calm Craft On.  

Christmas medley

I've been MIA lately because we have been running the gauntlet of illnesses.  Yay.  It's not just stuffy noses or little coughs.  That stuff is easy!  These are the full out, fever-with-a-hacking-cough-throwing-up sick.  It seems to happen all at once and always in the winter.  Maybe I should keep this as a spring-summer-early fall type blog.  With three kids passing viruses around, the winter is too unpredictable.  

Anyhow.  Christmas preparations have been limited here.  We've baked a tray or two of cookies (when fevers were down and moods were up...), done a few cards and lined up a few other crafts that have yet to be tackled.  No real shopping has been done, except for children's tylenol.  (Possibly the perfect gift for all our parent friends?)  We have actually considered buying shares...  Mostly though we're making pots of soup, peeling oranges (they say the vitamin C is good...), cuddling up under blankets, and basically doing what we can to help our bodies fight this off.  

We were planning on spending this Christmas in Michigan at the Dormition.  Doesn't look like that will happen at this rate.  I am disappointed.  I am also sad that I haven't been able to do very much to prepare for Christmas.  I don't lament the shopping, truth be told.  It's the other stuff.  The baking, the cooking, the decorating, the festive making and crafting.  D told me that this year, we're going back to the roots of Christmas - the real deal.  Without all these distractions and fuss, we have no choice but to focus on Christ Himself.  That is a very beautiful and comforting thought.  

In fact, while our situation is not comparable in the least, these past few weeks have made me think profoundly on the terrible war going on in Syria.  Not the war itself, but the hundreds and thousands of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ.  And here I am wondering what to buy for D.  How's that for a dose of perspective...

On a less serious note, though not one to subtract from the previous sentiments I hope, I wanted to share this funny story.  I had put on a load of laundry in the washer and left to do another few chores.  When I came back, both my kids had pulled up their soft chairs in front of the washer and were staring with wide eyes at the load spinning and sudsing up with soap.  They were there for like 15 minutes!  It was honestly as if they were watching TV, except they were watching a washing machine!  Some kids enjoy video games.  Mine prefer a good round of dark clothes to capture their attention...