all good things

It's 8:30 am as I sit down to type out a few thoughts. Usually Jude is peacefully asleep by this time, but after our usual morning routine of him wriggling in bed for half an hour gooing at the umbrella on the ceiling, a much-needed bath in the kitchen sink, and then being wrapped in a warm blanket for his morning milk until he nods off to sleep, Mabel (the naughty rabbit) commenced an intense digging session in the bottom of her cage, jolting Jude out of his peaceful slumber.

Oh well. If there's one wisdom I have acquired from this experience called motherhood, it's the letting go of all expectation. It was a hard lesson to learn. When Isabella was small I struggled and struggled with it, bringing much emotional turmoil upon myself in the process. This time around I know better. I am much more laid back. But I do need my morning shower ~ This one small act in a day makes all the difference for me. If I am fresh and clean I feel as though I can handle just about anything that is handed to me. For that reason, I wake at 6:30 am each morning and jump in the shower while Isabella and Jason ready themselves for school. By the time they leave at 7, I am clean, awake, dressed, and ready to face the day (-:

I neglected to post something earlier that is so immensely wonderful...On Saturday, Jude laughed his first laugh!! I almost missed it, as I was in the other room. Isabella, Jason and Jude were lounging in bed when Bella zerberted (is that how you spell it?!) Jason on the belly and Jude broke out into a fit of laughter. It was so cute. I have yet to hear it again. My poor face is exhausted from making silly sounds and expressions in an attempt to ignite his joyous giggling again. He was 13 weeks old on that very day, sweet boy. 13 weeks that have flown by at an alarming pace...His latest fun activities are grabbing his feet, eating blankets and trying to sit up from a semi-lying-down position, although he has been doing these things for weeks now. It really is so amazing to watch a wee babe grow and develop. It happens so quickly!

My gratitude for the immense gift of motherhood, for being allowed to spend this time at home with my children as they grow.. It is truly the greatest of all gifts. Even if we don't have as much money as so many two-income families do, even if we cannot live in a grand house with a giant backyard and put Isabella into loads of different after-school classes, it is so worth it. We live simply but I am proud of the choices we have made ~ the fact that we do not own a tv or a cell phone, That we read books, make art, write letters and spend time in nature rather than shopping and accumulating or being passively entertained by a technological device, That we make clothes and toys and household things from natural materials or things we find - it is so fun!

Time with your loved ones is invaluable (-:

FEATURED!!! Woo-Hoo!

Wonderful Glenda from Made By Hand. By ME is featuring my art print on her latest ByHand spotlight! Yay!
Click the art print to see(-:

starting my day with good thoughts..

"To laugh often and much,

to win the respect of intelligent people

and the affection of children,

to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends,

to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others,

to leave the world a bit better,

whether by a healthy child,a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded!"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

~~~~~

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe,

deserve your love and affection

~The Buddha~

~~~~~

Humankind has not woven the web of life.

We are but one thread within it.

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.

All things are bound together.

All things connect

~Chief Seattle~

~~~~~

this weekend..

visits with good friends

candle burning

baby's first giggle

cleaning closets

bluegrass music

happy bunny squeaks

birds on the patio

incense

cloth diapers drying in the sun

pizza and root beer

8-year old laughter

floor sweeping

warm cats on laps
baby naps

loud neighbours

grocery shopping

homemade ginger peach scones

hiking in the woods

picnic under the trees

There is only time tonight to make a list.

But this is fine, I love to make lists (-:

so very very sleepy am I

Jude has been giving me a hard time.

(-:

He started out sleeping 5-8 hours straight each night but now, that has all changed.
I'm not even sure how many times he wakes each night, as I am so dilerious that I cannot even see the clock with my crazed and blurry vision, but I am thinking every 1-2 hours. Overall I am fine with this, having had the same experience with my daughter, but the past three nights Jude has been fussing and crying out in his sleep, wriggling for what seems like hours at a time, and generally sleeping in a very non-peaceful manner.

I can only think that perhaps it is something I have eaten. I read up on the internet about such things and the most common sensitivity-causing foods for breastfed babies are:

cow's milk
nuts
peanuts
soy products
wheat
eggs
corn

There are a few others too but I believe that these make up the majority of baby sensitivities.

The way I figure it, I'd like to be more healthy anyway, so I'll eliminate the dairy. I never drink milk anyways, I find it rather disgusting, but I do sometimes have soy milk with my morning muesli. I'll just switch to rice milk. And I do rather like yogurt in a smoothie or for a late morning snack with almonds or fruit, so I'll try the goat's milk variety..I've stayed away from peanuts and eggs since having Jude,, and as far as wheat, I'll search for some alternative bread. That shouldn't be hard to find here in California ~ The land of health food! (-: I've always loved that deep rich dark rye German-style bread..yum.

The truth is, I have never handled dairy products anyway. I've had a chronic nose-sniffle my whole life (except that one year when I ate only a raw vegan diet). It isn't easy to convert your eating habits but it does seem that I have no choice at this point. That does make the transition easier.

More fruits and veggies. And perhaps I'll grab some spirulina or green food supplement while I'm at it (-:

Hummingbird sandwich dream

Last night I dreamt that I was making Jason a sandwich and as I toasted the bread under the broiler in the oven I saw that a hummingbird was in there, eating the crumbs. Later, a sparrow flew in as well.

I wonder what that means?

Hmm..

More Gnomes!!

and they are out and about, it being Autumn and all (-:

sam + gnomes + first day of autumn = happy

12 weeks

That's how old sweet baby Jude is.

He is a happy little guy, smiling all day long...I feel so very blessed to have brought into this world the most absolutely wonderful children (-:

Isabella is enjoying her new school year. I recall fondly that fourth grade was my favourite...

Jason drops her off at her friend Sarah's house on his way to work each morning and she helps her and her sister get ready for the day and then travels to school with them. After school she spends an hour or two at her friend Obreah's house, doing homework, riding bikes and playing until Jason can retrieve her on his way home. I cannot tell you just how grateful I am that these two families have opened their doors and hearts to Isabella, who enjoys her time at both homes immensely! Since I am home now with baby Jude and we only have one car, this arrangement is a true gift (-:

She has been creating a small novel dedicated to the adventures of her doll Pipo, finger knitting, hand sewing, machine sewing, writing letters to her pen pals, reading reading reading and creating a kindergarten for her stuffed toys. So creative she is (-:

Jude is currently doing what he loves best, enjoying his milk (-: I cannot wait until our move to Canada, so that my mom can meet him! I'm sure there will be tears in her eyes from the beauty of it all.

^__^

happy happy boy (-:

Jude is an extremely happy baby. He smiles and smiles and smiles. Still he has not offered to entertain us with his first baby giggle, but it has to be coming, and soon (-:

At first, when Jason and Isabella went back to school after the summer break I felt slightly traumatized and abandoned, having had them with me since the moment Jude was born. We were not apart as a family the entire summer. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to cope, but really, I needn't have worried. Jude and I have developed this lovely rhythm to our day which allows me ample moments to work on my own creative endeavours, maintain our living quarters, drink lots and lots of tea and eat my meals peacefully. I have even been taking much-needed long walks around the city. Jude is such a lovely, sweet boy. He sits cozily in his Moby wrap and studies the trees, people, cars and buildings as we stroll, sometimes for up to 45 minutes before he is lulled off to sleep by my movement.

I recall achieving a similar level of peaceful flow with Isabella when she was a baby as well. I love my children with great intensity. I love that I see their ancientness and not just their dependency. I love that I see them as equals, as perfect beings with a reason for being on this planet, just as I am here. I love that as they they develop, I grow too, in leaps and bounds.

^__^

Mothering

There is an absolutely lovely blog that I peek at regularly for wisdom, inspiration and such and it just so happens that she is holding a "Mothering" magazine giveaway! Yay!

Go to Garden Mama's blog to see! It would be awesome to win a subscription if you're into such a thing (-;

^__^

In my own world, sweet baby Jude is sleeping on my left arm at this very moment. Bliss.

I love this..

Have you seen these? Probably you have (-: I love the work of Shannon Duffy from Helicopter Studios.. I take a peek at her clever designs every now and then, but this one, called 'In the Garden' is by far my favourite. It comes as a pretty yard and you can grow the felt flowers wherever you wish. Very sweet. I don't think I have ever posted the artwork of another etsy seller before (besides my wonderfully talented husband Jason) but this piece of hers is just so lovely, I have to. It makes me happy (-:

Gnomes!!!

Fresh out of the oven and for sale in my etsy shop!

my very first blog

on my bran-new fancy lovely shiny laptop!

I am happy (-:

I spilled water on Jason's laptop a week ago (It was an accident of course) and it was actually cheaper to get him a new one than to get it fixed. And since I don't have one (mine was lovingly given to me by my sister but it was ridiculously old and finally died a couple weeks ago) I got one too! Yayyyyyy!!! I am happy. I have never owned a bran-new laptop before.

I felt really bad about killing Jason's old laptop with that water, but you see, sometimes bad things happen but in the end, it turns out that they really aren't bad things after all.

(-: