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brown paper packages / children and nature
Goodness! Where have I been? Actually, I wrote a post this week, but it stayed in the draft stages of my blog. It was one of those unloading posts, one of those, "I think I need a small break from blogging posts"…but I’ve fully recovered. I need to remind myself not to write posts when the laundry pile is taller than my oldest child, the breakfast dishes are being washed with the lunch dishes and both of my girls are roller skating in the kitchen! phew.
Anyway this week we welcomed our first day of snow. A beautiful, fluffy, all-day snow. "The whole WORLD is white!" was what I heard over and over. Mary barely made it over the threshold of the front door before assuming the angel position. Winter is finally here. Bring it on.
I’ve updated my sidebar with a direct link to all my posts at the babycenter blog. I couldn’t keep up with the daily updates, so I just made a generic link to the posts by me. I just reviewed a book over there, which I think many of you would really love–because I know so many of us share a passion for teaching our children about good food, eating locally, and our food sources.
I also have a few thank-you’s that are long overdue.
- First of all, thank you to Erin for sending Elizabeth a pair of
these. She wears them every day except the day they’re in the laundry! You’re a dear friend.
- Thank you to Tiffany,
my local blogging buddy who gave the girls a cute handmade bag full of
her limber letters. The girls play with them all the time. All the time. You can
find them in her etsy shop with a whole load of other cute things.
- And another big thank you to Michelle, who quickly jumped on board to
make my bare-headed baby a winter cap. I love it. And the extra goodies
in the bag were snatched up and carried away quickly, too–let’s just
say they involved horses and crowns. Good stuff.
Goodness! Where have I been? Actually, I wrote a post this week, but it stayed in the draft stages of my blog. It was one of those unloading posts, one of those, "I think I need a small break from blogging posts"…but I’ve fully recovered. I need to remind myself not to write posts when the laundry pile is taller than my oldest child, the breakfast dishes are being washed with the lunch dishes and both of my girls are roller skating in the kitchen! phew.
Anyway this week we welcomed our first day of snow. A beautiful, fluffy, all-day snow. "The whole WORLD is white!" was what I heard over and over. Mary barely made it over the threshold of the front door before assuming the angel position. Winter is finally here. Bring it on.
I’ve updated my sidebar with a direct link to all my posts at the babycenter blog. I couldn’t keep up with the daily updates, so I just made a generic link to the posts by me. I just reviewed a book over there, which I think many of you would really love–because I know so many of us share a passion for teaching our children about good food, eating locally, and our food sources.
I also have a few thank-you’s that are long overdue.
- First of all, thank you to Erin for sending Elizabeth a pair of
these. She wears them every day except the day they’re in the laundry! You’re a dear friend.
- Thank you to Tiffany,
my local blogging buddy who gave the girls a cute handmade bag full of
her limber letters. The girls play with them all the time. All the time. You can
find them in her etsy shop with a whole load of other cute things.
- And another big thank you to Michelle, who quickly jumped on board to
make my bare-headed baby a winter cap. I love it. And the extra goodies
in the bag were snatched up and carried away quickly, too–let’s just
say they involved horses and crowns. Good stuff.
MOTHERHOOD
morning snack.
Today Emma was asking me about my grandfather who passed away about two years ago. She was curious to know how old she was when he died: "So was I like walking and talking? And I could carry around glasses?" It’s funny to me how children mark time and milestones–walk? check. talk? check. carry fragile glassware around the house? check. But I think at the heart of it, she’s just trying to remember if she remembers him.
When we were out running an errand today, Emma was sitting in the back of the car waxing eloquent about horses, horse care, who she knew that had horses….She sounded so grown up and so mature. We were having such an adult conversation about it all. Then, I looked back in the rearview mirror at her and her mouth had a crown of chocolate smears around it from the cookie she’d been snacking on. And I thought, "you’re still just a little girl."
morning snack.
Today Emma was asking me about my grandfather who passed away about two years ago. She was curious to know how old she was when he died: "So was I like walking and talking? And I could carry around glasses?" It’s funny to me how children mark time and milestones–walk? check. talk? check. carry fragile glassware around the house? check. But I think at the heart of it, she’s just trying to remember if she remembers him.
When we were out running an errand today, Emma was sitting in the back of the car waxing eloquent about horses, horse care, who she knew that had horses….She sounded so grown up and so mature. We were having such an adult conversation about it all. Then, I looked back in the rearview mirror at her and her mouth had a crown of chocolate smears around it from the cookie she’d been snacking on. And I thought, "you’re still just a little girl."
LIVING WELL / MOTHERHOOD
I hung out laundry today. I wore gloves, but I still put my laundry up. There was just a bit of sun and too much good breeze not to pass up the chance. I’m finding that I catch my breath in the comfort of these mundane tasks. And a breath is what I really need today–home from traveling for the holiday, everyone recovering from the stomach flu, elizabeth still mourning the entrance of three teeth.
And I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. In one sense, time can complicate my life. In another, it can bring rhythm and order to my day. And more importantly I want my children to know that I always have enough time for them. To use a very tired saying, I want to be present in each moment with them. If I am getting them dressed–then that is what we are doing. I don’t want to be getting them dressed while tapping my toe at the other three tasks that are on my list next. If we’re putting away toys–we’re just putting away toys. No hurry. No multi-tasking. Just being. Just doing. Just keeping it simple.
Sometimes I face my day like I do cooking dinner. "Roast goes in the oven. While roast is cooking wash and chop vegetables. Start rice water boiling. While rice is boiling, heat oil in skillet. Sautee the vegetables. While vegetables soften in the skillet, set the table. Stir vegetables. Put lid on rice. Check roast. Unload dish drainer. Stir vegetables. Warm bread…." It’s a balancing act. And sometimes it’s quite an impressive dance I do to get everything perfectly timed and on the table warm and good.
It’s a good system. But a system is not what I need to raise my children well.
I hung out laundry today. I wore gloves, but I still put my laundry up. There was just a bit of sun and too much good breeze not to pass up the chance. I’m finding that I catch my breath in the comfort of these mundane tasks. And a breath is what I really need today–home from traveling for the holiday, everyone recovering from the stomach flu, elizabeth still mourning the entrance of three teeth.
And I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. In one sense, time can complicate my life. In another, it can bring rhythm and order to my day. And more importantly I want my children to know that I always have enough time for them. To use a very tired saying, I want to be present in each moment with them. If I am getting them dressed–then that is what we are doing. I don’t want to be getting them dressed while tapping my toe at the other three tasks that are on my list next. If we’re putting away toys–we’re just putting away toys. No hurry. No multi-tasking. Just being. Just doing. Just keeping it simple.
Sometimes I face my day like I do cooking dinner. "Roast goes in the oven. While roast is cooking wash and chop vegetables. Start rice water boiling. While rice is boiling, heat oil in skillet. Sautee the vegetables. While vegetables soften in the skillet, set the table. Stir vegetables. Put lid on rice. Check roast. Unload dish drainer. Stir vegetables. Warm bread…." It’s a balancing act. And sometimes it’s quite an impressive dance I do to get everything perfectly timed and on the table warm and good.
It’s a good system. But a system is not what I need to raise my children well.
