because we miss daddy

I decided to dress up with my girls at the last minute. I did it for Miss Daffodil. She called me "Maria" all night and kept asking me to ask her what her age was, at which point she would answer very maturely, "Sixteen!"

Happy Halloween, Daddy! XOXO

blog inspiration- remembering who I am

I think this song helped form me into the person I am today. It has so many poignant and powerful lines. I will forever love Jewel!

"I'm Sensitive" by Jewel

I was thinking that I might fly today
Just to disprove all the things that you say
It doesn't take a talent to be mean
Your words can crush things that are unseen
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive
And I'd like to stay that way.

You always tell me that is impossible
To be respected and be a girl
Why's it gotta be so complicated?
Why you gotta tell me if I'm hated?
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive
And I'd like to stay that way.

I was thinking that it might do some good
If we robbed the cynics and took all their food
That way what they believe will have taken place
And we'll give it to anybody who has some faith
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive
And I'd like to stay that way.

I have this theory that if we're told we're bad
Then that's the only idea we'll ever have
But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty
Someday we will become what we see
'Cause anyone can start a conflict
It's harder yet to disregard it
I'd rather see the world from another angle
We are everyday angels
Be careful with me 'cause I'd like to stay that way

A Knitted Garden

All the mothers in Miss Daffodil's Parent/Toddler class got together to exchange pieces to make a Knitted Garden. The first time I saw the concept I was in love with it. Mine is very simple, but I am okay with that. At least it's done! There are some gardens I found online which are absolutely beautiful!

If I do it over again, I think I might do it just like this one.

Image via The Knitted Garden

Image via Thriving Too

Image via The Violet Hours

I'm almost embarrassed to show mine! There are things about the one that I made for my girls, though, that I love.

I love that the big blue "ocean" is the first square I ever knitted, with it's holes and all! And I especially love the brown square that I turned into a "log".

Nature Cures

It feels like we've been bouncing-off-the-walls-busy lately! We went camping in Sequoia National Park- which was both awesome and exhausting- and then dealt with one sickness after another, with family guests in between. Today felt like the first day in a long while in which we could get back into a semi-regular schedule, even though I was the one who was now under the weather and felt like doing nothing but staying in bed. So, as we tried to get back into normalcy, as always seems to happen, my Daffodil rebelled! All day all I heard was, "What should I do?" or whining to watch T.V. It was exacerbating!

I finally pulled myself together enough to go outside- which hasn't been very enjoyable much here in Southern California because of the heat- and clean up the yard at just about dinner time! And within several minutes, I was reminded how curing Nature can be, especially for little children! My little Anne, who is 7 months old today, was completely entertained by natures quiet movements, and I am always okay with babies eating a little dirt. And Miss Daffodil, for the first time today, was enthralled with a quiet activity by herself and the roly-polies. It was the kind of play that I am always so careful to never interupt, and kick myself when I do.

It wasn't anything fancy. It wasn't an ocean. It wasn't a forest. It was just a little spot of dirt for her to dig. She was in her moment, at one with the Earth.

Ahhhhhh... I can breathe :)

Summer Gardening

Miss Daffodil and I dug and dug (and sweated and sweated, might I add), and planted a summer Three Sister's Garden. I was actually quite impressed with the little three year old who was willing to go out with me almost everyday for 3 weeks to dig up the dirt and prepare the ground. (Yes three weeks! Have pity on me...it's hot here in California, and I just had a baby. Ok, so she's 6 months old, but still...) AND Miss Daffodil was actually a big help! Being novice gardeners, we decided on a Three Sister's Garden. What is a Three Sister's Garden you might ask?

It is an ancient method of gardening using an intercropping system which grows corn, beans, and squash crops simultaneously in the same growing area that is typically a rounded mound of soil, often called a hill.
Corn is the oldest sister. She stands tall in the center.
Squash is the next sister. She grows over the mound, protecting her sisters from weeds and shades the soil from the sun with her leaves, keeping it cool and moist.
Beans are the third sister. She climbs through squash and then up corn to bind all together as she reaches for the sun. Beans help keep the soil fertile by coverting the sun's energy into nitrogen filled nodules that grow on its roots. As beans grow they use the stored nitrogen as food.

And here is our garden 1 month later.

More pictures to follow.

Happy summer to you!

Waldorf

I was introduced to Waldorf Education several years ago, but just recently developed a real interest in its philosophies, mainly because of my 3 year old daughter. I stay home with her, which I am so grateful for, and I think she needs it. But, I feel that, like most people, I can use some guidance in making the time that I am at home with her more valuable.

The entire Waldorf world seemed so difficult to grasp for me at first. It was the same way for me with cooking. My sister-in-law told me one day that I was over-thinking it. She was right. And after perseverance, watching other cooks, and a few good cookbooks, I've grown to LOVE cooking and nutrition- not that I can stay away from chocolate, or anything! So it was the same way with Waldorf-ian ideas. I'm slowing getting the whole concept, I think. I realized that simply being with my daughter, reading and telling good stories to her, encouraging play, imagination, and creativity, limiting the television and computers...and actually doing and moving with her and around the house was the biggest piece of what the Waldorf philosophies were based on.

I found a really good blog, The Parenting Passageway, which has been a good resource. It is teaching me how to become a better, more respecting and patient parent. Our children teach us amazing things! Before I had my first daughter I thought I was the most patient person. Now I'm finding that I pray for more patience each night! Bless her!

Like anything though, I choose to take it in baby steps. Last week I decided a good place for us to start was on our daily rhythm. For me, it was hard to go to sleep and wake up at the same times. Did I succeed all those days? No way! Not even close! But at least I was aware of my actions and what I chose to be doing with my time, and I saw the effects that the routine had on my daughter, on days when we stuck to our routine better, and on days when we didn't. I also saw by the end of the week, huge spurts in her imagination! While I was cooking dinner one night with her in the kitchen with me, as usual, she turned a cup upside down and put a plate on top of it and started cooking some food on her "stove". I was so impressed! And call me crazy, but I think it had to do with the fact that I turned off the TV this week!

I also noticed that on the "better" days, I was able to more fully enjoy and just be in the moment of whatever we were doing because I knew that I didn't need to be doing something else at that time. I was in the moment and wasn't worried about what I "should" be doing instead. It was very relaxing to my mind and I think helped me connect to my daughter more in those moments.

This week I am still working on rhythm, but also focusing on watercolor painting. Excited to see how that turns out!

My New Favorite Thing

I'm still not very good at this regular blog thing, but to give myself credit........... I had a BABY!!!! My second most beautiful daughter was born in January......my little Penelope. She is precious! It's a new and very different experience to have a second child. I'm learning how to balance it all, but it's definitely a daily struggle for me. They are teaching me so much!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! I know it's a Hallmark created holiday, but I do like the "cuteness" of the day :)

I want to share with you my most recent favorite thing (besides my baby)... peppermint or baker's twine! My husband couldn't believe me when I told him I bought some "string" for $18! But I knew it would be well worth the money :) Here are how I used it at Christmas and for Valentine's Day, and my daughter has found countless uses for it. Hope you had a lovely day!