Notes From a Small Town

Spring!

It's a bit late for a post about Spring, but because "Spring" is such a beautiful time in Florida, we usually spend all of our time outside. Thus, very little computer or TV time. We have to soak up all of the nice weather before it gets too hot. (Like the last couple of days...in the 90s!)

Painting. A very nice activity that was recently introduced to Calum. Outside. And, smoothie pops. Also, an outside activity. I do have a few cleanliness rules.

Ronan was very excited to be able to paint since he usually only has a chance to do so while Calum is taking a nap. But, this time, they both shared the watercolor set and Calum "helped" Ronan with his picture. They both really enjoyed it and I enjoyed the time spent sitting in the chair nearby. This will definitely be a repeat activity - assuming Calum has sinced learned that we do not drink the cup of water near the paints.

We've also been spending a lot of time watching our garden grow. In February, our plants bloomed and we have been eating salads daily.

(late February)

(early April)

The gorgeous bluish-purple bushes are red cabbage.(In the top of the above picture). They needed more light than they were getting with a winter sun, but they are really taking off now. But, our lettuce is bolting. However, we have just planted a few other "plots" with summer veggies. Bring on the tomatoes, okra and eggplant. (Hopefully).

WIth the nicer weather, the kids are on the back porch much more often. One afternoon while Calum was napping and I was hanging out on the porch with Ronan, he drew this picture. He started with the ant hill and the ants going below. Then, he decided he needed to draw the ground (so we would know the ants were below the ground) and he added the grass for effect. Finally, there needed to be more ants (I think to symbolize the large amounts in our backyard) and those are the dots everywhere. I was thoroughly impressed.

 

summer scavenger hunt

I'm fortunate to be a part of the summer edition of a great online magazine, Rhythm of the Home. This magazine is dedicated to articles that discuss mindful parenting, conscious living and activities that work within the Waldorf and Montessori educational frameworks (all things that are on my brain quite often). I was lucky enough to be able to share one of our outdoor adventures...the scavenger hunt.

Our scavenger hunts were designed to get us out of the house - a little jump start for a boy who is quite engrossed in his morning work. But, sometimes, we need no push, just a breezy day and a willing parent.  On a recent family walk, we stumbled across a fantastic find :: a reddish egret (quite rare for these parts). We all took it in stride as Ronan quietly observed and then suggested that we go on over to the poster depicting the park's wildlife, in order to make a proper identification. His excitement continues to spark my own sense of wonder in this wondrous place we are lucky to call home.

Monday Morning Walk

Monday mornings are the beginning of the week for me. I immerse myself in the previous week and revel in the whirlwind of family time that is the weekend. And, so, on Mondays I awake with a fresh week in mind and a (semi) blank slate. Ronan and I take the morning to discuss the week, including our obligations and the week's possibilities. But, this morning, the outdoors beckoned and we took off on a short journey.

We listened to the birds and the sounds of cars rushing by :

We observed the sky and the everyday goings on:

I appreciated the fact that a familiar walk can yield so much excitement - and yet provide a calm presence as well :

It's funny how looking through a camera lens provides such a different view.

I hope your week starts just as nicely.

Inspiration from everyday

This book has been making the rounds on the crafty blog circuit and I was curious to get my hands on it and thumb through it. The projects look fun and I'm eager to get started on a few, but it was her words that resonated much more with me.

"I think there is no better way to honor the children in my life than to give them my best, most beautiful, most heartfelt handwork, my hopes and dreams for them gathered into the seams, my love tucked safely into every fold."
                                                                                                    - Alicia Paulson

Um, hello? Did she read my thoughts? I feel a bit like Clark Kent when he realized he wasn't the only one. (Yes, I am a bit of a geek too).

I understand that not everyone will love or appreciate the handmade goodies I make - and that's okay. I enjoyed making them and it really is the thought that counts (I was thinking of you while I made it). Besides, I am lucky that I have my own personal cheering section - a wonderful little boy who loves his handmade pajama pants and thinks his mama can make almost anything.

And, while this book will be returned to the library, I plan on borrowing it again in four or five months to get started on some very useful, everyday projects. Her book contains a lot of these projects - the ones you use everyday and treasure. These are kept out in the open, not tucked away in an acid-free box (although, a few of those are important too).

Before I opened this book, I have to admit that I had never visited her blog. But, her views on blogging and life in general have inspired me by recognizing that it is the everyday that is special, not just those extra-dressy occasions.

"The best thing about having a blog is that, if you do it every day, you start to see every day as an opportunity, not just to take a picture of and talk about jam, but to look at things differently. An opportunity to gain some perspective on the prosaic aspects of our lives, those we tend to take for granted."                                                                                         - Alicia Paulson

I have found inspiration in the everyday things and I wonder (daily) at how lucky I am to be blogging and gaining awareness from the gifts that are constantly presented before me. I look forward to creating more with my loves and appreciating even the boring, utility sewing that has to happen around here. Because, every time I see or touch those projects, I know it was made with thoughtful love and inspiration. What's inspring you these days?

A list of reflection

I have to admit - I love lists. I get great joy out of crossing off items and completing projects. Making lists often grounds me and it works well with my personality. And, yet, when I first wrote my "before-baby" list it was with a healthy dose of skepticism. Would I really be able to finish these projects? Did I want to? And, more importantly, did I need to complete these items?

Over the last few months, I have been diligently crossing off items knowing that with each completed project, I was that much closer to welcoming our baby boy into our physical world.

Yesterday, I found myself with free time. There were no bills to pay, no last-minute errands to run, and surprisingly, only one load of laundry to finish.  Ronan spent the day at my parent's house and I unexpectedly had nothing to do. I twiddled my thumbs...I grew anxious...and I looked for something to fill my time. The overstuffed, unorganized office cabinet that has been taunting me for the last year caught my attention, and so I cleared it out with little enthusiasm.

(Over 2.5 years of the paper trail, taken to the recycling center)

But, it was during the mundane task of paper shredding that I thought about how much joy, excitement, and happiness Ronan has brought into our lives. How is it possible that what was such a difficult transition when he was a baby - the letting go of "my" time and "my" schedule and "my" work - became so effortless in the last year?

I thought about how I now view the world. I thought about the way I seek out projects for us to do together. Whereas, before I saw my crafting projects as "mine," now I see all of them as ours. A way to work together, or sometimes, side by side.

(Ronan's knitting/sewing basket - a thrifted find)

This unscheduled break - with no list to occupy it - provided me the opportunity to relax and reflect on the time I've been fortunate enough to spend learning and growing with Ronan this year. A time that will soon be filled with baby-gazing and a bit of sleep-deprivation. I realize how lucky I am to be a mama - his mama. Our relationship will change and grow as we welcome our new family member, but we will be navigating this new path together. As I stumble through this parenting journey, it has been quite a blessing to have some quiet time and be able to leave the lists behind.

The view from here

I. am. tired.

Really, really tired.

But, there are some really good things going on here, despite my lack of energy.

And, if I have been enjoying them from the rocking chair/couch where I have been sitting, well that's okay, right?  And, oh my, I have been sitting a lot.

Example #1: another handmade project in the finishing stages.

This project could not have come at a better time. I am finding that I get quite anxious without a hand-work project next to me AT ALL TIMES. I hope that's normal.

And, really?

Resting with a three-year-old, um, not quite as productive as it was while awaiting his birth. But, thanks to this post, we ordered some popsicle molds and filled them up with our strawberry-banana smoothie and were richly rewarded (albeit, a little skeptical at first).

Next up: pudding pops! Yum.