Watkins Every Flavor Beans

A Moorish Feast

2012-02-07T19:47:00.001Z

We're still loving every minute of history lessons. Jonah was so excited to surprise Daddy with a moorish feast last Friday when he got home from work. And I must say, lounging and eating was a lot less messy than I expected!

Spanish Tortilla or omelet - really yummy and simple - potatoes, onion and egg!

Thomas Aquinas

2012-02-06T21:05:00.000Z

For Christmas I received Volume 7 in the Godly Play series, which has a lesson for one saint each month of the year. I decided that I wanted to make dolls of all 12 saints and tell the stories through the year. We'll see how it goes.

January 28th is the feast day of Thomas Aquinas (we celebrated on sunday the 29th) and I finished up my first doll that day and told (ahem... read) the story of Thomas. Reading about the saints got me really excited about sharing their stories with the boys. My only disappointment is that these lessons (like the enrichment lessons in volume six) are more about talking and setting objects down as you tell the story, as opposed to, telling the story with the objects. With younger children moving the figures and telling a story seems to be more engaging. And, from this storyteller's perspective it is more fun!

You can see the godly play sets to buy for volume seven here. These have wooden cutouts for the figures, but I think having the dolls will be more fun (plus the sets are super expensive!)

We had a good time with our first story and Rowan loves playing with the Thomas doll. The next saint is Valentine and we have a few friends slated to join us, so I'd best start work on doll number two.

In this photo you can see some other items used in the story. The ox is because Aquinas was known as the silent ox and he is holding two small books - the Bible and Aristotle. You also use some straw (I used a felt bale I made a while back for Rowan's farm set because I didn't have any real straw around) to represent how Thomas realized at the end of his life that all he had written about was like straw - the most important things to know about God can't be written.

Crafting Notes: He is made on a 15 cm bendy wood and rope doll like these. I bound his body with some old wool socks to make it rounder (he was a big guy and the doll is really skinny). His tunic and cape are wool and his sash and hair are wool yarn.

Candlemas

2012-02-05T20:17:00.001Z

Candlemas is always celebrated on February 2nd, but while we had groundhog cookies on Thursday, we celebrated Candlemas today. We went to the cathedral in Dundee this morning to see two beautiful baby girls baptized. Seeing our friends and their precious wee girls was a treasure, and being in the cathedral with incense and a procession of candles on this day, when the church celebrates Candlemas, was a huge bonus. I was so grateful that I had done the godly play of Jesus being presented at the temple with Rowan last week as that story was woven through the whole service beautifully. It really is a perfect day for a baptism, a day when we remember the presentation of the Christ child and that his light has come and is given to each of us.

todays responsory...

Eternal God, here we bring to an end our celebration of the Saviors birth.

Help us, in whom he has been born, to live his life that has no end.

Here we have offered the Church's liturgy of praise.

Help us, who have received the bread of life, to be thankful for your gift.

Here we have rejoiced with faithful Simeon and Anna.

Help us, who have found the Lord in his temple, to trust in your eternal promises.

Here we have greeted the Light of the world.

Help us never to forsake the light of Christ.

This Moment

2012-02-03T20:25:00.000Z

joining with soulemama...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

RRS Discovery

2012-01-30T20:50:00.000Z

We spent Saturday thinking about Antarctica. Yes, it was a cold day, but we also went to visit the RRS Discovery. Discovery was built in Dundee and it now rests there. The Discovery museum was great and extremely kid friendly. There were video games, magnet fishing, coal throwing, large foam blocks to build an Antarctic food pyramid... St. Andrews friends, I would highly recommend the museum!

But, the best part by far was taking a step back in time and walking right onto the ship. The ship is open and one can go through the crew quarters, store rooms, sick bay, kitchen, and explore the deck.

Note: We finished off the day with BBC's Frozen Planet and popcorn. We were also hoping to get in a game of Antarctica, a cooperative game Jim's grandparents gave Jonah for Christmas and we've been playing a lot!

In Black and White (or A Few More for the Grandparents)

2012-01-29T20:31:00.003Z

For the past month I've been desperately trying to take a good portrait of the boys - a promised christmas gift for the grandparents and great-grandparents. But finding a time when all three are awake, fed and amenable to that idea is difficult. I have yet to get 'the picture' that I'm wanting. But here are a few out-takes from our last session when they were playing in their play silk fort. (Oh, and by the way, play silks and play clips are the best toys ever - capes, forts, hanging mobiles... the possibilities are endless!)

Also, if anyone has great tips for getting three children to look at you and smile, I'd love to know them. "Cheese" and bunny ears just aren't working!

photo by Jonah (who loves using my camera!)

For the Grandparents...

2012-01-28T20:25:00.000Z

We are gearing up to say goodbye (in April) to this place we have called home for the past three and a half years. Jim and I have lived here, in this foreign land, longer than we have lived anywhere else together. Our family has grown from three to five and we've been blessed with community and some amazing (and hopefully life long) friendships. We have loved the history that surrounds us and that a simpler greener lifestyle is so much more common (making it easier to live that way!)

But, all that said, we are ready to move on. We feel ready to embrace the next adventure. But more than ever before, I have hopes for our next adventure. I want to be closer family. I want to be able to attend friends weddings. I want to feel a greater sense of permanence (please, can I just have all our stuff in one place?)

Most of all I want to share these little boys with our families. For there is nothing more reassuring than having my very calm husband's mother tell me that he threw tantrums too (and lots of them, from what I understand). And there is nothing sweeter than seeing my baby sit snugly on my Dad's lap, because I know that feeling of security and I want my baby to know it too.

There is no one who delights in my babies smiles and chuckles more than their grandparents. And I long to share that in person! But until then I am grateful for this space where I can share glimpses of our lives and glimpses of these amazing little men with them (and all of you).

This Moment

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001Z

We're painting so much these days. I must remember to order more watercolor paper, we used a whole pack this week.

Big Brother, Middle Brother, Little Brother

2012-01-26T20:27:00.000Z

I remembered posting these first two pictures after Rowan was born and thought I'd go for a third. Definitely brothers. And, while they've all had good heads of hair, Isaac definitely gets that prize!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

2012-01-25T11:55:00.000Z

:: Lighting a candle in the kitchen every afternoon as the sun dims.

:: All your sweet comments in this space! Thank you, they mean so much in these very busy days. (And, I'm sorry I haven't been responding as I would like to be - but rhythm is finding us... soon I'll be more present here... I hope!)

:: Sleep! This baby seems (so far) to like sleep. He was only up once a few nights this week!!!!!! (after Rowan, who is still up at least once most nights, this seems miraculous!)

:: Solo afternoon runs/walks on the Lade Braes a couple days a week.

:: Simple, tasty, heathy meals.

:: Stories of Saints that are new to me and the boys - discovering together is such fun!

:: Baby grins and coos.

:: Being alone. Heaven knows it isn't happening very often these days!

:: Mild January days and lots of playing outside.

:: Finding the first snowdrop on the Lade Braes.

:: Continued progress on the Thesis. It feels like a fourth, and very demanding child right now, but we are close... so close!

:: Two new good shepherd figures and sheep - one for home and one for church.

:: Babies in overalls!

(This is an old photo - January 4th)

A Monk's Supper

2012-01-17T20:28:00.001Z

We are beginning our medieval history unit and I'm loving it. I'm particularly taken with learning about the saints as we watch how Christianity spreads through Europe. I think it is because so many of the stories are new to me and yet, they make the stories of the Bible come alive for me in a new way. We've been enjoying lots of books on the saints to supplement our curriculum and had a monks dinner a few nights ago.

Dinner was candlelit and was supposed to be entirely silent while scriptures were read throughout. We were quiet while a couple chapters were read and, because I turned out the lights, dinner did have a more hushed quality. We ate lentil soup, cut apples and pears, and crusty bread (with no butter or jam). But, as Jonah pointed out, aside from the absence of butter it was a very normal meal for us. But, they liked their monks dinner so much we've now had three meals by candle light with Bible reading at their request. We'll see how long this lasts, but I'm loving it!

A few books on saints we've enjoyed in the past week...

The Holy Twins by Kathleen Norris illus. Tomie dePaola

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola

Augustine came to Kent by Barbara Willard

Early Saints of God by Bob Hartman

"Back to School"

2012-01-12T13:56:00.000Z

Baby is six weeks old and after two months of not 'doing school' we've begun again. Oh this homeschooling thing is such an adventure. I love learning together and 95% of our learning just happens. The boys ask to play with the coin jar - sorting and counting, we read great books over lunch and afternoon hot chocolate, we explore outside - sharing awe over paper thin birch bark and the white rocks scattered in our back garden... But then there is skill time while the little boys nap. I go back and forth on what I think about skill time at five, but overall it seems like a good idea for Jonah and, in general, we have a good time at it. Granted, spelling, language lessons and handwriting are 'gotten out of the way' so we can get to history and music theory, but watching Jo grasp history and working on maps together is such a joy.

Note on Photo Above: Saxon math, though raved over by some, doesn't work for Jonah (though I would certainly try it with a different child - I have no problem with the curriculum, it just doesn't work for Jonah). He wants new concepts and problems and I'm currently looking for a more condensed curriculum (any recommendations out there???). So for the time being, I'm making math up as we go. Above Jonah is playing math memory where his facts match their answers. Funny how flash cards weren't fun, but we played this memory game six times the first day I made it.

The End of the Twelve Days

2012-01-07T19:28:00.001Z

I really do love celebrating the twelve days of Christmas. It isn't feasting every day and making every moment of every day feel like Christmas. There is lots of real work on these days and lots of what feels like ordinary time. But, there are moments of every day that we set aside to bask in the newness of Christ's birth. Sometimes the moments are planned and sometimes they just happen and sometimes the moments that are planned don't happen. But, in the end it feels like we've really been welcoming a new baby, a new joy. Yes, it was a lot of work to fix turkey dinner for our Epiphany feast with three kids underfoot and I wish Jim could have taken more time off, but it was good enough.

When each of my babes has arrived I've hoped for serene time where Jim and I can just bond and soak in the newness of this little person we are welcoming into the world. But, never are all the moments serene, there is too much work and too little sleep for that. And welcoming Isaac this time around, I counted on this reality, and it wasn't as hard. I've just felt grateful for the moments when we all delight in his newness and often at the same time, delighted in the gift of all three of these little men.

And learning that lesson this time around in my own motherhood, has given me a whole lot of peace these last twelve days. No, we didn't think about Christ's birth every moment, but there were moments when we did ponder Christ's arrival. We found moments to celebrate the gift of the baby born in Bethlehem and it was good!

-------

I think that one of the highlights of the twelve days this year was the book The Thirteen days of Christmas. I'd recommend it highly, just as a fun story for Christmas time, and especially for anyone who wants to celebrate the twelve days. I'm not sure how many of the traditions were local or even made up, but it helped me see how all the days hold together and how many of the days have a particular focus (i.e. Holy Innocents Day, St. Stephen's Day, Adam's Day, Eve's Day...)

So, I can't find much about Adam and Eve's Days online, so perhaps they were local or made up, but I liked the idea. We ate apples on Adam's day, the boys got special treats (these first two were traditions from the book) and we read the story of the fall from Genesis after dinner.

Our apple dip is a favorite snack around here - some cream cheese, a wee bit of honey and a dash of vanilla.

Twelfth Night we left our shoes out with grass for the camels and the Wisemen filled them with a sweet each, and a book for the boys. Well, that was the plan, and then a few days before Epiphany Jonah said "I hope the wise men bring me one of those video games that you can hold." (I have no idea where he even saw one of those!) Anyway, for multiple reasons I have no intention of buying him a video game system of any type, but I did break down and buy the boys one pound calculators. I couldn't bear the thought of Jonah being disappointed, and he was thrilled! We gave him math problems all day and Rowan thinks his is a phone, which was fun in another way.

And now, I'm looking toward plow monday. The treats are being disposed of (mostly eaten), the decorations are being put away, and I'm making lists to help us get into a new routine. I'm feeling a need for a more structured rhythm now that I'm trying to keep house and care for three little boys.

Happy Epiphany to you All!!!

The Center of the Room

2012-01-03T14:43:00.000Z

I love the way that a wee baby can command a room and do absolutely nothing to gather his or her observers. And then that baby starts to smile and coo and it is all over!

The past couple weeks, if Isaac is awake he has an audience, because we all want to be the one to coax the next smile or hear the next story of coos. And we were all in love with this little guy long ago, but if there was any question we are all goners now. Oh, those baby smiles!

These Twelve Days

2011-12-30T20:17:00.002Z

Celebrating the twelve days of Christmas has revolutionized the holiday for me these past two years. I suppose one could use the twelve days to try to squeeze in more presents and more meals making it even more stressful. But, I've felt the freedom to spread out traditions, meaning that I don't feel like everything has to be done by Dec. 25th and if it doesn't get done by Epiphany, then it probably wasn't that important. It also feels so much more appropriate to be working through advent to ready ourselves, not for a single day, but for an event that spills over into 12 days.

A friend ask recently if we buy presents for all twelve days and while there are a few family gifts of used books or games and maybe a craft supply or two, mostly we just work at marking the time. A trip to the aquarium (we have a membership), a Christmas story book to share, a christmas movie with popcorn, juice in the fridge, lots of Christmas songs and books, a trip to our favorite hot cocoa spot, treats to make together to share with others... We are slowing down, drawing together and rejoicing in the newness that Christmas brings. Last year we did giving quests and I loved it, but this year, while the 12 stockings are hung, our daily mission (which isn't always about giving, unless you count spending time together as a gift to each other, which it is... but not in the same way the original idea intended) hasn't actually made it into the stocking yet and its been just fine. Daddy is working, which means that mama is busy working too, but we are still finding time to slow down and mark the time. There is something fun each day and we're rejoicing that Christ's light has come.

This years 12 Days looks a little like this::

:: We've been really enjoying The Thirteen Days of Christmas by Jenny Overton. I happened on it by chance when looking for another book illustrated by Shirley Hughes. There is a chapter for each of the twelve days (and st. Nick day, Christmas Eve, and Epiphany.) We are also loving Emily's Runaway Imagination, The Blue Fairy Book, and The Green Fairy Book (because we need more than one chapter to read aloud on these cold dark days)

:: I'm loving every christmas tree light and candle I see. I love the thought of Christ as Light on these dark days.

::Solstice pjs for the boys became 4th day of Christmas pjs (stacked in photo below). They are flannel lined and oh so warm - they may just need another pair or two.

:: We're all enjoying our new Christmas books. I'm loving the godly play book 8 on the saints and have some projects in mind! Jonah is reading like crazy and only half way through his books - hooray for a huge stack of new reading material!

:: I'm planning home ed for the winter (to start next week). Mostly I've been going through History of the World book two and picking the literature we will read to supplement (and bemoaning the lack of books in our library system.) I get so excited about new books to share.

:: The boys are designing a winter village with new "Christmas Blocks" that appeared on the third day of Christmas.

:: I'm loving some longer naps from the wee one and can't wait until we have a bit more of a schedule. I forgot how wearing it is to be on call 24 hours a day with very little predictability. And, my goodness my baby boys are hungry ones!

:: We're letting Jonah have extra computer time over the holidays so that he can look up dinos on wikipedia and he is thrilled. Such a little nerd, and I love it!

:: We're all enjoying BBC's Frozen Planet.

:: Mum and Daddy are loving Lindt and Gardners Chocolate and two new seasons of Star Trek!!

:: New games and toys make the days seem a little shorter for all of us.

... so far these are good days!

extra ordinary

2011-12-21T19:45:00.000Z

Just as I was finishing my little photo shoot with baby under the Christmas tree Jonah came in the room, and did what he always does when he sees Isaac awake and accessible. He is totally in love with his little brother and I'm reminded of it daily when I catch glimpses like these or I hear him extoll the babies virtues once again. Oh, we are busy, the laundry is amazingly piled up, the dishes are often unwashed, I've been wearing unmatched socks and I feel so tired, but this is what I want to remember from this time. We are all falling in love with this new one in our life. I want to hold this awe and learn from it. This is the kind of love and awe I want to carry into our twelve days of Christmas every year - all of us slowing down and falling in love with the newness that salvation has come!

Busy Days - Moments of Still

2011-12-21T09:24:00.000Z

Well, we finally, after nine days of having it up, managed to decorate the tree. Everything is taking more time than I could think possible right now. There is so much that I would love to think about and write in this space during advent, but, as with so many things right now, it will have to wait.

But, to keep the grandparents happy here are some photos of the sweet babe.

Time to put down the camera mum and snuggle in! Okay.

Great Joy!

2011-12-20T19:22:00.000Z

I love Christmas pageants and this was the first year that the boys fully participated. Jonah was so excited about being a shepherd and Rowan surprised me by walking up on stage without me (though I walked up to the stage with him). I suppose pageant is a strong word for kids walking onto stage through verses of a Christmas carol (our church opted out of parts this year as so much of advent can be focused on preparing the production of a full play and not on advent itself), but it was lovely just the same!

Edinburgh Outing

2011-12-19T20:39:00.000Z

Last Wednesday, between sick days (we've all had a 24 hour bug in the past week and in four different 24 hour periods) we made it to Edinburgh to apply for Isaac's US citizenship and passport. While we were in the city the Christmas markets beckoned and we had to take Isaac on his first trip to an art gallery. The market was fun and the boys loved each picking a ride to try. Hot chocolate in the gallery cafe while I nursed a very cooperative babe (he slept in his wrap the whole time, except to feed!) was delectable! And, Rowan and Jonah were so excited to find baby Jesus fourteen times in pictures throughout the main floor of the gallery! Jonah rode his first (mini) roller-coaster and the older boys were delighted with the train ride. Overall, it was a successful outing with three children (my, oh my three seems like a lot these days, but two used to seem like plenty too...)

It is December

2011-12-13T10:47:00.000Z

December means making to me... making garlands, cookies, presents, cards, traditions, tree decorations, fudge, and wrappings. This year, my making is taking a backseat to caring for a newborn and two little boys while daddy tries to finish his thesis up (oh, we are so so close!)

Friday night I found a large package in our shed that had been left during the day. Grandma had sent a box of craft supplies. Wooden beads, postboard letters, wooden ornaments, paint, shell beads, twine, two sided scrapbook paper were all waiting to be made into something! So Monday morning Rowan and I redd up the school room table, covered it with white paper and I set out all the new craft supplies, some that Jim's parents brought last month, the salt-dough ornaments the boys made Sunday and a few basics.

We've spent the past two days at the table. Jonah is beading up a storm, Rowan is painting and painting and painting, and I've been stringing popcorn for our tree. It isn't the crafting I normally find myself doing in December, but it is delightful to be joining in with my two older boys and making together!

Getting to Know You...

2011-12-12T19:52:00.000Z

Wee babies are a bit mysterious. These first weeks I find myself wondering "who are you?" often as I snuggle my wee babe.

Isaac is a pretty content little guy, but also often hungry! He is quiet and very intense about looking around when he's awake, but overall he is pretty sleepy. And so far, when I read him books he manages to turn around to watch me reading instead of watching the pages. So that is a little of what I know about this little guy at two weeks old and I'm so eager to watch him grow and to get to know him in the coming weeks; he is such a snugly little mystery.

And the baby mug shot (We are going to Edinburgh Wednesday to get his passport and citizenship paperwork done.)

Be Still

2011-12-09T14:49:00.000Z

Each afternoon this week, I've found myself sitting in my rocker with a sleepy babe for a couple hours. He needs to nurse, but keeps falling asleep. Rowan is napping and Jonah is listening to audiobooks and doing workbooks. I sit there and eventually think "there are so many things I need to get done" and then I tell myself "No, this is exactly what I need to get done." I snuggle my wee babe on my chest and feel his soft hair against my chin. I smell his sweet scent and feel his small body inhale and exhale. I remind myself to be still. It is so hard and so good.

Right Now

2011-12-04T20:14:00.000Z

:: we're all trying to get sleep

:: a few Christmas toys and decorations have emerged, but it will be a slow process this year.

:: there is a lot of reading going on around here. Christmas books have been brought out. Jonah is enjoying Mrs. Pepperpot Stories, The Wise Enchanter (he's read this book so many times!), Carole Marsh mysteries and, as always, a lot of Magic Treehouse rereading! I just finished Artichoke Hearts (on the Carnegie Short List), The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey (Lovely collection of essays on a child's spiritual development), and Moon over Manifest (Last years Newbery Medal), which is WONDERFUL!

:: we are feeling warmed and grateful for meals from friends. So much yummy food through the past week as we adjust to life as five! Thank you dear friends!

:: Advent has begun and we're enjoying the Jesse Tree (though we are already behind), The Light in the Lantern stories (I wrote about this last year here and hope to write a bit more later this month as I love this collection of stories!) and a bit of advent godly play.

:: and mostly, I'm just trying to soak in all the baby goodness I can. These first days are so precious and I'm trying to keep life slow and quiet so I can enjoy the little moments.

Welcoming Isaac Rinn

2011-11-28T20:54:00.001Z

After two full weeks of intense prelabor I was feeling exhausted and rather numb. Contractions had come and gone for a week, but baby still wasn't making his entrance. I woke up at two am Friday morning and snuggled up to Jim, tears in my eyes. "Is this baby ever going to come?" He reassured me that he would come and that it was going to be okay. We fell back asleep.

Two hours later I woke up again this time with a contraction, after an hour I woke up Jim and after setting out sticker books, a trail of stars through the house and hanging up Isaac's star painting, we quickly left to meet our midwives in Dundee and arrived at 6 am. On the way there the stars shone brightly in the clear night sky and we watched a meteor blaze across the sky right above us (rather appropriate for our baby star!)

When we arrived they skipped assessment and led us straight to our room - I guess it was obvious that he was on his way. Labor was slightly more intense than I remembered it being with the other two boys. And much to my surprise, by the time I got in the water it was time to push. At 8:43 I caught Isaac and pulled him from the water, filled with wonder that he was here.

After seeing a pediatrician and doing a few routine tests we headed home for lunch later in the morning. The older boys were so excited for baby to arrive and welcomed him with enthusiasm. After dinner we shared a birthday cake the boys had made for Isaac during the day with Gammy and Papa, the big boys enjoyed mama made goodie bags (with stars of course) and sang Happy Birthday several times (at Rowan's request - he loves that song!)

So, that is the short version of Isaac's coming. I've included a couple pictures of the Dundee Midwife Unit for the soon to be St. Andrews mamas who have asked what it looks like.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

The Name Isaac Rinn

2011-11-27T11:40:00.000Z

First, many thanks to all of you for your thoughts and kind wishes through the waiting (it was getting pretty rough at the end) and your welcome for our wee boy. Each comment, email and thought has been encouraging and we are grateful for each and every one of you who have cared for us during this time!

Now, the story of the name...

We chose Isaac's middle name in the Spring, long before we were settled on a first name. We wanted something with a nature symbol like the other boys (Jonah's name story is here and Rowan's is here) and we wanted at least one of his names to be gaelic or Scottish to connect him with this land where he was born. So when we came across the name Rinn we loved it immediately. It is gaelic and means star. The first image that came to mind and that I have held through this pregnancy was Abraham looking at the stars which numbered the people of God. It is our prayer that this little one will recognize and accept his place among the people of God and be part of the covenant made with Abraham so long ago. It wasn't till earlier this month when Rowan first saw the stars, after a long summer of going to bed when it was still light out, that we also realized how perfect the image of a star is for a baby born into the long Scottish nights this time of year. And of course, we also love the epiphany image of wise men seeking the star and pray that Isaac will seek Christ with wisdom and love just as the wise men sought Him so long ago!

The first name was harder to settle on and we only chose it recently. We have always loved the name Isaac and the meaning 'Laughter' seemed perfect as we anticipated our third son, for our lives are full of laughter with all these little boys around (and thinking of our grocery budget when we have three teenage boys at the same time makes me laugh already!) But, on a more serious note, we liked that Isaac, like Rinn, connected to the Abraham story. I reflected on Sarah's laughter (I wrote more on this here) and how Isaac was such a blessing and such a change of her expectations. Lately, it seems that parenthood and life as a whole are about adjusting my expectations. We don't know the path ahead and want to face whatever is to come with faith and laughter. Likewise, our prayer for Isaac is that he will always face life's challenges with laughter and grace, and that he will bring joy to those around him!

Giving Thanks: Isaac Rinn

2011-11-25T18:43:00.000Z

After a swift and safe delivery Isaac Rinn joined us at 8:43 this morning. He was 8 lb. 15 oz and just over 21 inches long. We were home for a late lunch and have spent the day resting and adjusting. I'll be here soon with the story and thoughts on his name.

Thanksgiving Tree

2011-11-22T09:05:00.000Z

(We're still waiting... but enough on that.)

This year we are giving thanks for nouns on our thanksgiving tree. We've been using Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind this year as our language arts base with Jonah. The first 50 lessons have done a lot of work with nouns. I knew that we've really hammered it in when after dinner the other night I said "A noun is..." and Rowan replied "the name of a person, thing or idea" and of course Jonah chimed in to let him know that he missed 'place', but the fact that Rowan has heard the lesson enough to give a pretty good definition made me grateful that we'll be moving on to verbs soon.

Anyway, as a final review we made four birds from Rowan's wet-on-wet paintings with the words 'person', 'place', 'thing' and 'idea' and then I cut lots of leaves (again out of wet-on-wet paper) and wrote 'person', 'place', 'thing' or 'idea' on the backs of these as well. After dinner some nights we've been pulling leaves out of the dish and writing something we are thankful for from the category on the leaf. Jonah then hangs them near the correct bird. Its been a fun way of keeping up with school while we are taking a break from formal lessons while family is here and we are transitioning to a family of five. And most importantly we're practicing gratitude, which is a much more important lesson than nouns.

Still Waiting

2011-11-21T19:50:00.000Z

Yes, I will post as quickly as I can when there is news to share, but at the moment we are all still waiting.

Gammy and Papa are playing a lot of baseball and Go Fish with Jonah. Rowan has found the bag of Christmas books to his great delight. And Daddy is trying to get some work done, which is tricky when you expect to be interrupted for some time at any point. I am just trying to stay sane and somewhat comfortable, both of which are becoming increasingly difficult as the days go by.

But, we're all hanging in there waiting for our wee lad to arrive. And, I just can't help but hope that his entrance won't interrupt Thanksgiving dinner (ideally he'll be here before it!) - because this pregnant and soon to be feeding mama is looking forward to turkey, stuffing and all all the goodies!

In Advent...

2011-11-19T19:31:00.000Z

Well, the waiting is getting harder as the days pass by, but we're still doing fine - waiting for whatever is to come. Advent means to come and my thoughts have been on the advent season the past few days, as well as, our own little one who is coming. And, these comings have inspired a couple crafts over the past week.

Friday, while the boys went on a fun adventure to the castle and cathedral with Gammy and Papa, I used decorating wax to make a candles for advent. One is for the Christ Candle for our godly play at church and the other will be our dinner candle through advent.

And for our own 'coming' Jim and I painted our boys symbols onto canvases (sorry, this picture isn't very clear). Jonah means 'dove' and Rowan is named for the rowan tree. And yes, we painted a third, but you will have to wait as it is tucked safely away to appear when our third little guy arrives.

In waiting...

2011-11-17T19:21:00.001Z

We're waiting. As this afternoon passed this little man became the 'latest' of my babes (Rowan was a day after the due date and Jonah was two days after). And yet, I'm feeling quite relaxed, for really, he isn't late at all - he'll come when the time is right. This peace has been such a blessing as I really struggled in the last couple weeks of my other pregnancies feeling emotional and impatient. It has certainly helped to have Jim's parents here the last few days, we've been out every morning and then to lunch, which makes the days full, not giving me time to pace the house and focus on all the pre-labor that has been going on for a week now.

I mentioned last Friday that I 'needed' our room clean before baby arrives. I am also 'needing' flowers. As the cold and dark (oh so dark!) of winter sets in, a small sprig of flowers here and there seem to help the house seem a little brighter and a little more alive. A large bouquet of Mums is only a couple pounds at the store and can be spread throughout the house quite nicely, especially as I add flowers and leaves we've found outside to the mix. It has become a bit of an obsession in the past week, but it certainly lifts my spirits and helps me to slow down and focus on these wee bits of beauty through these days of waiting.

A Spot for Mama and her Babes

2011-11-16T19:42:00.000Z

In the past week 'my spot' has emerged. You may remember my spot on the sunporch in the last house when Rowan was born. This time Mama's spot revolves around my rocker again, but is in a corner of our room by the window and the heater. I wanted it to be a spot for the baby and I, but also a spot where my other babes felt welcome. So we added a wicker chair (a cushion for this would be nice...) and a bunch of books to read with Mr. 2 and a few read alouds to share with Mr. 5.

There are also some books for mama around and some handwork to be done while feeding. Over the weekend a few friends gathered to bless this transition into motherhood and they brought along things for 'an alter' and to help in labor. So I now have a palm cross, candles, stones, prayer cards, poems, incense, lavender spray, and other goodies.. all tucked around my little spot. Reminding me to be still, reminding me of some very lovely friends, and reminding me of the bigger story this birth and our lives are part of.

It is truly a spot to just be and I already love grabbing a few moments there during the day, often holding my cross and trying to be still.

And over the weekend I finished up a quilt for Mama and her babes. The fun flannel is from Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks Line. It is two layers of flannel and a layer of cotton batting, so it is warm and a square just the right size to fit over mama's lap and a babe (0, 2, or 5).

Note: On the wicker chair in the photo are our collection of 'getting ready for baby' books. Some are about the entrance of a new baby, but others are simply about babies and Rowan and I have been spending lots of time with this stack in the past few weeks. A few of our favorites are There's Going to be a Baby by John Burningham, Hello Baby by Jenni Overend, Baby Dear (now titled The New Baby) by Esther Wilkin, All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan, The Baby's Catalogue by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, The Baby Who Wouldn't Go to Bed by Helen Cooper, Babies by Gyo Fujikawa, and Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers

With Gratitude for Autumn Walks

2011-11-14T16:23:00.000Z

It has been a mild November, perfect for lots of Autumn walks. These boys of mine need a walk every day or by the end of the day we are all feeling it. That isn't to say there aren't exceptions, but it is true that the more time they've spent outside the happier they are (even if they would rather stay in and read a book - a daily occurrence... and sometimes a bit of a battle around here).

I've been so grateful for our walks the past couple weeks. The colors, the smell and the crunch of Autumn are all so wonderful. But, I've also been working really hard to just soak in these two 'big boys' of mine; their smiles, discoveries, sense of wonder, drive for adventure and sheer silliness at times.

Martinmas

2011-11-12T21:23:00.001Z

We celebrated Martinmas (the feast of St. Martin) last night for the first time. The story of Martin is a wonderful one. A young Roman officer in France, Martin sees a beggar in the cold so he takes his sword and slashes his own cape in two giving half to the poor man. I painted figures during nap time and made two simple capes with elastic through them - they can be worn as one cape and then one can be taken off to be shared. The boys loved the story and it was especially appropriate as we we've just finished studying Rome.

After Dinner we headed out on a lantern walk - a Martinmas tradition. The boys had such a fun time walking on the Lade Braes with their lanterns in the dark. They are begging to do it again soon.

I was inspired by lantern images I found online. We used some sheets of watercolor paper (the boys have been doing a lot of wet-on-wet painting) and then modge podged tissue over holes I cut with an exacto knife. It was a simple and fun project. Next time we will all use electric candles. I like real candles, but Jim and mine blew out in the first minute of walking through the gusty Scottish night (the boys luckily had electric candles so their lanterns worked well).

Gratitude for a little organization...

2011-11-11T19:36:00.001Z

As I mentioned in yesterday's post the master bedroom has been cleaned and tidied. It was the one thing that I 'needed' before this birth. And, when I was redding off our dresser I found not 1 or 2... but 5 kinds or currency, so a little creative organization was called for. Yes, I know I could have found paper sacks, but instead I whipped up little bags (we're talking super simple - all edges are pinked and unfinished). And it made me feel a bit more organized, which is always a wonderful feeling!

For a little bit of readiness...

2011-11-10T19:32:00.000Z

I'm feeling grateful that baby is taking his time, giving us the space to finish up what we need to be ready. And I think, as of today, with Jim's rough draft handed in, a clean and fairly tidy master bedroom, and a few sewing projects completed, we can be ready now.

Oh, there is still laundry to be caught up on, and a half finished quilt for my rocker, a baby wrap that is cut and not sewed, the study still needs rearranged to fit in grandparents who are coming along to help, the boys seem particularly bent on making forts and using their toys creatively the last few days (in other words - they are making huge messes!) and as baby has descended, Mama isn't able to scrub the floors and pick up as I usually would... so 'ready' is relative, but lets be realistic, we aren't ever going to be ready if that means having everything tidy and in place... life just doesn't work like that around here.

But, we are ready enough.

And here are a couple projects that have rolled out of the study this week.

The new diaper bag: I used one that was free from the local chemist (drugstore) with Rowan and really wanted something else this time around. Simple, functional, and from the fabric I used in the stroller redo; it is just right to pop onto the stroller and head to town..

And in our room there is a desk that functions as a changing table. We haven't had a changing table since we moved here and it is really nice to have everything collected. But, with Rowan we were using an uncovered changing pad, so it needed a soft flannel cover and then a couple mats (so we hopefully can just wash that and not the whole cover when necessary).

You can also see my new nursing shawl folded behind the mat. My old one was looking tattered and I wanted a fresh fabric - something with birds. I don't use a shawl all that often, but do find it handy in certain situations especially when we've needed to introduce the SNS to supplement with our first two boys.

On Illustration

2011-11-09T09:00:00.005Z

I'm at Transpositions today with a piece on illustration, story and incarnation. It is part of a Children's Literature symposium they are hosting this week.

Giving Thanks: Autumn

2011-11-05T20:11:00.001Z

My Bible study looked at Isaiah 40-44 this week and I came away reminded of how important it is to practice seeing and hearing God. I thought of this space and my camera, because they are often instruments that make me slow down and recognize the beauty around me.

I suppose right now I particularly need this. We are busier than normal and I know that our routines are all about to shift with the entrance of our third little man. We are also looking into the unknown. After this year we have no idea where we will be or what life will look like. And so, right now, it is good to be practicing seeing and hearing, because should life take unexpected and even difficult turns, this practice will hopefully prepare me. It is easy to see God in the good things that happen in life, but much more difficult to understand where He is when things are out of sink.

So this month I'm hoping to write some simple posts dedicated to seeing and hearing - dedicated to finding beauty in chaos - and dedicated to practicing gratitude.

Autumn Days::

The school room has this perfect little nook, that has become our nature space. I always love the nature table best in Autumn. The postcard hanging is from Jonah's godmother and is of St. Francis in honor of his feast day in October. I of course love it because of the birds! We have had some lovely autumn walks lately and the boys have enjoyed the coming of the dark (Mum isn't as sure about that), but they don't see darkness for the summer months, so rediscovering stars has been very exciting.

All Saints Day

2011-11-02T20:31:00.000Z

All Saints Day is something I've wanted to celebrate with the boys for the last few years, but it just hasn't happened. At the Godly Play training I was able to look through book 7, which is the stories of the saints. And I have a dream of making up story bags for several different saints (like the one I made for St. Patrick) to share through the year and to delve into on All Saints Day. I love the idea of sharing stories of those who have gone before us through history and celebrating their love for God, others and creation.

Yesterday I woke up thinking that I would love to make doughnuts to celebrate and that I wanted to tell a story with figures. Well, neither of those things happened, but we did go to the bakery to buy doughnuts and took them to Daddy as a surprise at work. And we made a saints game, which was a lot of fun (more fun to make than to play I think!)

We were at church in the morning for a play group and looked at a stained glass window of St. Leonard, which we see every week and always makes me wonder who he was and what he did. We came home and read his story in a book of Saints we have out of the library. Later in the Day Jonah helped me make a paper chain (St. Leonard's symbol because he is the patron saint of prisoners) and then the boys and I made or found symbols of a couple other saints we knew (heart - St. Valentine, clover - St. Patrick, dragon - St. George...) and then we read some stories and looked up the symbols (this website is very helpful) for saints we didn't know much (if anything) about (St. Ambrose - beehive, St. Gregory - dove, St. Brigid - cow...) We collected all the symbols in a bowl and had a bit of a quiz for Daddy and a friend after dinner to see how many they knew.

So, for a first attempt it was a lovely All Saints Day (they are still talking about the doughnuts!) Do share in the comments if you have (or have heard of) any fun All Saints Day traditions!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:56:00.000Z

There are lots of different ideas about Halloween out there. I think there are valid questions to be asked and I hear my friends concerns about celebrating death and the rights that go on October 31st, but in the end I just come back to thinking of Halloween as fun. I remember dressing as Laura Ingalls, a fairy, a princess, and snow white as a child, most of the costumes were made by my mom - often late into the night (thanks mom!) - and it was wonderful creative fun. And so that's what I want for my boys. We've certainly enjoyed some halloween fun this year, from a Halloween literary tea to some planned trick-or-treating (there aren't many houses that welcome trick-or-treaters here) and a party at the botanic gardens.

The boys costumes are old trousers and wool felt made into dinosaur capes. I was a little concerned as I knew Jonah had something a little more grand in mind (think full costume and mask), but there are so many projects that need done right now and making a dino costume wasn't overly exciting to me. But after asking where the arms and legs were, he soon adjusted to the cape idea - because who doesn't love wearing a cape? The promise of face paint helped quite a bit too.

And, you may recognize some of the artwork below from last year. I'm attempting to keep things simple (not a gift of mine in general) and organized (also a bit of a struggle), but a new bag for some favorite Halloween books helps with organization - right?

Onward through Genesis: The Tower of Babel

2011-10-30T06:22:00.000Z

The boys loved cutting bricks and building a city and tower of Babel. The game on the table is called 'Turmbau zu Babel' (Tower of Babel). I found it in a charity shop and we can't read the instructions because they are in German, but we enjoy building the tower.

Right Now

2011-10-27T18:20:00.001+01:00

Right now I'm...

: trying to get ready for a new babe

:pondering advent - both because of my Isaiah Bible study, our own families impending babe, and the practicalities of having some meaningful advent time with that new babe in my arms

:wishing our house wasn't so damp (washing the 0-3 month clothing turned into washing all the baby clothing as it all smelled of mildew - and this is quite a task without a dryer)

:feeling grateful for a new dehumidifier and some (new to us) heaters to try to dry out this wonderful old home

:watching my two boys becoming true companions for each other - it is precious

:having some halloween fun (more on this to come)

:trying to give Daddy as much time as I can while he works on finishing his thesis amidst it all

:experiencing mild chaos in our home as I try to juggle all the above

:feeling grateful that life is full of little boy energy, great books, real work, good thoughts, and a whole lot of Grace!

Away

2011-10-19T19:10:00.000+01:00

I'm in Paisley, just outside Glasgow for three days. I'm doing a three day godly play training and accreditation course and it is good to be busy by day (10 hours each day at the training) and have a little bit of quiet evening space. And, I'm already looking forward to heading home to my boys Tomorrow night. But for now, I'm carrying my new bag (because you need a new bag for a trip away - right?) , getting uninterrupted sleep and enjoying some time with no one needing me to take them to the potty, find their favorite book, or fix a snack... yep, another day will be just fine.

And the conference itself has been enjoyable.

Today, as we told the godly play stories, listened to them and I reflected on W.H. Vanstone's reflections on story in Fare Well in Christ, which is the book I brought along. I've felt grateful for the way the particular in stories draws us into deeper truth than a statement can. What a gift the imagination is as we seek to understand God and his world.

I loved reflecting on the Abraham story in a full godly play session. Sarah laughed when she was told God's plan and often, I've thought about how it was a faithless response (and she was asked "Is anything impossible for God?"), but today I was imagining what her response could have been, or perhaps, what my response would have been. Here was a woman who obviously longed for a child of her own. She probably grew up assuming that she would have children and as the years passed she came to the painful realization that she could not have what she had expected and wanted. When three men appeared out of the dessert and told her that she would have a child by that spring she laughed. I don't think I would have been laughing - I think I might have told them off. How could they give me any expectation that I might have a child? It might have felt like a cruel joke.

I long to laugh when God's plans aren't my plans. Now I know that there are laughs of malice and sarcasm that are unhelpful, but the fact Abraham and Sarah named their son after that laughter makes me believe that maybe it was an open laugh. A laugh that was perhaps coming from a place that lacked faith, but also from a place that lacked bitterness. A laugh of disbelief, but that perhaps led to even greater faith. As our little family stands in a place of having no idea where we will be next I need that kind of laughter.

Favorite Noah Books

2011-10-18T07:12:00.000+01:00

There are so many books about the story of Noah. And for awhile, I was collecting Noah books in particular, so I have over a dozen, but only a few joined us in Scotland - our very favorites. So here are the ones we read over and over.

:: Noah's Ark by Jerry Pinkney: This book is beautifully illustrated. I love Pinkney's style and the text does the story justice. I love the way he fills the page with animals giving a sense of chaos and giving a sense of what having all those huge animals piling onto a boat might have felt like.

:: Noah's Ark by Lucy Cousins - Lucy Cousins' bright, childlike illustrations are so popular among children (as seen with the Maisy series) and her Noah's Ark is equally appealing. Simple and bright it is the best Noah's ark I've found for a very young child. Pictured below is the board book, but I highly recommend buying another version, because the board book is abridged and some of the most literarily fun pages are omitted.

:: Noah's Ark by Peter Spier - This is my very favorite! I love Spier's illustrations! The book begins with a poem, but is otherwise wordless. He asks so many questions with him images and really engages the reader's imagination. We have spent so much time pouring over this book, looking at the owls eyes staring out from blackness, wondering what all the animals would eat, and generally marveling at the story. I also love that Noah is shown tending the 'garden' at both the beginning and the end, showing God's original intent for mankind to be keepers of creation.

:: On Noah's Ark by Jan Brett - This is certainly NOT the first book I would recommend buying on Noah, primarily because she gets the story all wrong. I don't mind that Noah's granddaughter is telling the story, after all, it is quite possible that there were grandchildren who just aren't mentioned, but I do think the fact she forgets to mention God changes the story considerably! So why do I mention this book? Because, I have found it a wonderful teaching tool. After telling children a good acount of the story where God is seen as the rescuer and promise maker it is a lot of fun to read this beautifully illustrated (I love Jan Brett's work) version ending with the question, so what did the author leave out? The few times I've done this someone first points out that she only has one bird go out, then the fact the granddaughter is telling the story is discussed, and then, someone realizes that God isn't in the story. It is a wonderful discussion to have with older children asking "How does that change the story?, Is God an important part of the story?, What is the big idea in the Biblical account and how is this story different?"

Do you have a favorite Noah book? What do you like about it? Please share in the comments.

New Smocks and Wet on Wet Painting

2011-10-13T19:41:00.002+01:00

The main mama-made for Rowan's birthday was painting smocks for both boys. Rowan loves to paint and is notoriously messy, so it was the perfect gift. I found the tree fabric when I was home this summer and used old sheets (that had been cut up for another project somewhere along the way) for the sleeves. Jonah's is from some dino pillow fabric and the sleeves are sheets again. Jo chose the dino fabric from my stash and loves it, and even though it wasn't my favorite fabric to work with, he is thrilled and, I suppose, that is what matters. I used the pattern from the Little Things to Sew from Oliver + S, which is such a fun book (you'll be seeing more from it in the future). I did omit the pockets, because I know my two year old and pockets when he is holding brushes full of paint really aren't a great idea!

Both sets of grandparents sent Rowan wonderful art supplies for his birthday, which we are so excited about! And this week, in the midst of potty training and with no Daddy around (he's at a conference), it was the perfect time to try out the stockmar wet-on-wet watercolors. We've only ever used pallet watercolors, so this was a wonderful discovery! Even Jonah, who isn't typically overly excited about art projects was begging to make picture after picture (note to self: must wishlist lots of watercolor paper!). Wet-on-wet painting is a true exploration of color and even mama had to make one, because it looked so fun!

Yes, he is using both hands at once, Jonah still hasn't declared handedness and writes and draws equally well with both hands... go figure. I'm pretty sure Rowan is a lefty as he switches to his left a lot, but we'll have to wait and see.

"Its like being up high in the sky or down on the ground and looking down or looking up" (at autumn leaves) - Jonah

"A Mangrove Swamp" by Jonah - I was just going to introduce two colors today and make autumn colors (thinking maybe we'll cut leaves and pumpkins from their paintings), but after his first painting Jonah really wanted to use blue to make water.

In my Kitchen

2011-10-12T19:41:00.000+01:00

My kitchen is a mix of things right now, there are a lot of dirty dishes stacked at moments and the apples haven't gotten out of their bags and into the basket (as you can see below) as this mama feels more and more tired at the end of pregnancy. But as the nesting sets in fully, homemade food seems so very important, so there has been a burst of trying new recipes, hanging fresh basil to dry for my winter soups, and kneading bread with my little man. Of course, Jim left for Rome this morning, so this week my kitchen will be churning out a lot of PB&J, honey and greek yogurt, and ramekins of frozen peas.

Courgette and Tomato soup with Foccacia bread - simple and good.

Sweet and Spicy Mackerel from the Fife Diet Autumn cookbook - so yummy (and easy)!

Celebrating our Boy and all things with Wheels

2011-10-11T13:37:00.000+01:00

We had a few of Rowan's little friends (mostly the mama-baby tea folks we've met with most months since the six of them were born with in a few months of each other two years ago) to celebrate two years for our little man. And like our other boy who wanted a busy town birthday at two, this little guy wanted something with cars and trucks (Mum was really voting for a gnome party... but, oh well!)

His cake was based on his favorite book "Don't Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus" by Mo Willems. We did some circle time with some songs and books, which is one of his favorite things. We ate snacks and played with a train set and road system that Dad and Mum set up. It was simple and fun!

Happy Birthday Dear Rowan!

A Rainbow Sort of Day...

2011-10-07T21:44:00.002+01:00

We've been reading through Genesis as a family (starting with creation, which I shared here) and we just finished up Noah's story. So we've been thinking about God's promises and, of course, rainbows. The above verse has been the verse we've been sharing and memorizing (and we'll continue with it through Abraham, because this theme of promises just keeps going through Genesis). I cut the watercolor above into a puzzle for Jonah (but it was frustrating as the watercolor paper didn't want to stay together well - next time perhaps I should back it on poster board before cutting the puzzle)

The boys attend a 0-5s group at our church every Tuesday morning and they spent the past few weeks studying Noah. We were able to time it so that finishing our reading of Noah and the 'Rainbow Party' at their church group coincided. Jonah made a card for the leader with wet on wet watercolors and we attempted to make Rainbow cookies. I just used our normal sugar cookie dough and food coloring to make the colors (I used liquid dyes as I didn't have paste dye available - I'll bet the paste would work better). I was pretty disappointed with the colors and then they totally faded when we baked the cookies. But the boys were thrilled with them and very excited to share them at the rainbow party, so they were a success even though mama wasn't thrilled with the finished product.

Glimpses of the Second Birthday

2011-10-06T21:44:00.000+01:00

Our celebration of our little man yesterday was simple, but special. There was a trip to the candy store to buy a gummy, some cupcakes (his 'real cake' will be made Saturday when a couple little friends are coming over), a few gifts and some fish and chips (the most appropriate birthday meal for a scottish born lad).

I was excited to give Rowan some wooden figures that I cut this summer when we were home (Jim painted the penguins below and I painted the bird.) I also used one of the numbers I cut for the birthday ring for the first time (I totally forgot about them on my birthday) and we also added Daddy's owl and Jonah's Dove for the first time. (I've been using a wooden owl figure that goes with their farm and a little bird we painted white in the last year, so it felt so good to have proper figures.) These figures were the reason I borrowed my uncles saw this summer as nowhere seemed to sell a dove or owl (we found the swan and tree at Myriad toys). I know that different families have varying traditions with the birthday ring. Our tradition is to tell our family's story emphasizing the birth and blessing of the birthday child with wooden figures at each birthday and the birthday ring has each of our symbols (Jim - owl, Jonah- dove, me - swan, Rowan - Rowan Tree) to remind us of that story and how God has blessed us with each other. I would love to add a seasonal fairy for each birthday and a few other things eventually, but for now sticking with our symbols is working well.

TWO!

2011-10-05T08:46:00.000+01:00

Yes, our little man is two today. I can hardly believe it. We are so grateful for our Rowan and all his antics, his joy in life, his love of dirt and all things outdoors, his contagious smiles and his infectious giggles.

We're celebrating today and will have some memories and handmade gifts to share in the next few days.

This Homeschooling Journey

2011-10-03T07:32:00.002+01:00

In some ways this year doesn't seem like our first year of homeschooling. When we were growing up my mom always said "we homeschool, you just go to public school too" and in that sense, no matter what age our children are, or what schooling choices we make, they will always be home schooled. We will always be learning together because that is what we love.

But, at the same time, this is the first year where I feel a greater responsibility to Jonah's education. There are certain skills, like handwriting, that I need to make sure he acquires. And this is where we are learning and growing together. There have been so many surprises along the way, like discovering that skill time works a lot better in the lounge or kitchen (where there aren't oodles of toys and resources) than in the school room. When we moved to this home I was so excited to put together a school room and in reality, that still is where most of the boys learning takes place, just not in a formal sense. The more we watch Jonah learn and work at home schooling the more convinced I am that un-schooling really works to a large extent, at least with this boy. That said, as I mentioned above we are also committed to certain skill work and he begs for classical history lessons, so that is given time too. And this has been the learning curve for me - figuring out what works and what doesn't, being willing to let go of long-scripted curriculums and just teach the skills, being able to give up our 'circle time' as I envisioned it and learning that ten minutes here and another five there sometimes works better than a long period of sitting and doing work. I originally pictured doing school three mornings a week, but that limited the play groups, play dates and other outings we could do, so we are currently doing four or five days of skill time, but shorter and in the afternoon. It still doesn't feel perfect and there are days when we shift and turn what we are doing, but overall it keeps getting easier and better as we learn what works and what doesn't. I keep reminding myself that flexibility is the beauty of homeschooling and allowing myself to rest in the fact that he is learning and growing every day no mater what we 'study' formally. It really is a journey and I'm loving that in many ways it is more about the process than the outcome.

This Little Boy of Mine

2011-09-30T13:04:00.000+01:00

I've been noticing this little boy of mine lately. Perhaps it is that his sentences are getting longer and longer, or maybe it is that there is another babe on the way, or perhaps it is his new confidence in encountering situations on his own, maybe it is that he calls himself a 'big boy' now and is asking to dress himself and use the potty, or it could be that I'm aware of his birthday just around the corner... but, whatever the reason (and it is probably a bit of all of these) I'm noticing that he is less and less baby and more and more little boy these days. It is sad to be saying goodbye to my jolly baby, but it is oh, so exciting to be meeting this little man with a sparkle in his eye, and such ideas, creative energy and grins (even the mischievous ones are oh, so cute!).

And this boy of mine is a bit like his mama. He loves to use his hands. "What you making? What you making mama?" is the most common phrase to hear in his sweet toddler voice. And he isn't just curious, he wants to join in. He bakes with me every chance he gets, loves to draw and craft and will even play with mama's fabric...

My mom sent me fabric for my birthday (thanks Mom!) and this little man saw me unfolding it, folding it, staring at it, checking its drape in my hands and pondering possibilities (those of you who share a love of sewing and fabric know what I mean) and this is what I found a few minutes later on reentering the room.

He checked it and snapped it just like mama and then to my delight he laid the pieces down and explained that one was water and one was land and his landscape unfolded. Oh, for the love of fabric and fabric loving little boys!

Giving thanks for 29 years

2011-09-29T19:54:00.000+01:00

Giving Thanks... (and I confess some of these numbers are estimations... at least in the 20s)

::for a 29th birthday full of my favorite things - my boys, chocolate, an evening with a couple friends, an afternoon at the beach...

:: that the 28th of September was one of the most beautiful days of the year, so my afternoon alone at the sewing machine and with my books was exchanged for an afternoon at the beach (with my books).
:: for 27(ish) beautiful flowers in the middle of the table
:: that there are 26(ish) blackberry bushes from our house to town, which we are enjoying on our daily walks.

:: for 25 colored leaves gracing our nature table reminding me that my favorite season has come.
:: for 24 cards or gifts or emails or calls or other greetings from friends and family reminding me that there are so many wonderful people in my life.
:: that Jonah is loving reading the new Bible Grandma and Granddad sent him (He's on Genesis 23).
:: for these words in Isaiah 22 that gripped me as I prepared to teach our first Bible Study on Isaiah today "but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago." Do not trust in weapons and power, but in Him who is king over history and nature.

:: that tomorrow afternoon is to be over 21 degrees again - I think we need another trip to the beach - don't you?
:: for 20 years of schooling that I am appreciating more and more as I get farther from it and it gets harder and harder to find time to study.
:: that the boys go to bed early (19:00) giving us long evenings to ourselves (of course the flip side is they are up at 6 am - but it is worth it.)
:: for a trip away in 18 days for three days on my own to do some godly play training.
:: that our 17 minute walk to town is on the most lovely path with leaves falling all around.
:: that daddy is currently at the park giving me 16 minutes between putting dinner in the oven and getting it to the table.

:: for 15 minutes that passed so I could pour the melted chocolate on my Autumn Harvest Cake - a birthday tradition.
:: for 14 books that Rowan and I read in a row - I love that he is reading stacks of books now!
:: that yellow poppies appeared in our garden this week (perhaps there are 13?)

:: for 12 months of wonder and growth all around us
:: for a late night out with Jim and a couple friends (oh and it was well past 11 when we got home, which I'm paying for today)
:: for a 10 minute bow-tie that I whipped up and Jim wore to the murder mystery evening he planned for my birthday yesterday.
:: for 9 new library books to keep Jonah entertained for the rest of the evening.
:: for ripping the zipper out of a size 8 dress and adding a panel of cotton knit so I had a formal to wear to my evening out last night.
:: for 7 small vases, shot glasses and spice jars with a flower or two scattered around the house.
:: for a celebration in 6 days to celebrate that my little guy will be two years old.
:: for these waffles with 5 eggs made by Daddy for a special birthday breakfast.
:: for 4 pieces of new fabric waiting to be sewn into something (and thinking about what is so much fun).
:: for my 3 boys who enjoyed the waves and the unseasonably warm sunshine with me.

:: for the 2 little feet that keep kicking my ribs and reminding me that this next little man is getting ready to join us in a month and a half
:: for 1 day to reflect on twenty-nine years of life filled with blessing.

Our Favorite Creation Books

2011-09-26T14:03:00.000+01:00

This is my favorite creation book. When I first read it to our little class at church they all oohed and awed as I turned the vibrant pages; the illustrations are amazing (and great templates for doing art work with kids). But, I think my favorite part of this book is that the text is a poem. The original text of Genesis one is a poem and this book does a beautiful job of putting words together playfully.

This is the Beautiful World that God made.
This is the light, brilliant and bright,
   that formed the first day from a dark, endless night
   and started the beautiful world that God made.
This is the heaven, so skillfully framed,
   a glorious firmament God breathed and named,
   that glowed in the light, brilliant and bright.
This is the land and God-gathered seas,
   the grass, ferns and flowers, the fruit-bearing trees,
   that sat beneath heaven, so skillfully framed...

It continues in this manner through the seventh day of rest and then turns and comes back again ending with ... and started the beautiful world that God made.

The boys love Wonderful Earth by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen. It has lift the flaps, half pages to turn and make silly creatures, pop-ups and the text is really fun. The first part of the book delights in the amazing things that God has made and the book ends with a heavy environmental message. I typically don't like books that are too finger-pointing/moralistic in their message for young children, but this one is such fun at the beginning and I care so deeply about the message they are trying to promote that it remains one of our favorite creations books.

I love this book. The illustrations are simple and lovely. The book is aimed more at an older child and requires a comfortability with metaphor. God is seen as a young artist in the book creating the world. The end of his work (and the book) is creating human kind. (And I've been known to tear up at the end.)

...he worked all night long. And by morning he had made a new artist in his own image. Shyly pleased with himself, he made another one. He loved the company. He made one more.

The world began filling up with artists. These made new ones and the new ones made even newer ones and, of course, they all loved to daydream. Living among blue water and green grass, they have daydreamed the most beautiful things in the world.

The first young artist, still a dreamer, has always called them his children.

And they in turn, have always called him God.

Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden moves into Genesis two and three, but it also does a good job (through illustrations) of delighting in creation. I always love Jane Ray's illustrations and the only thing I'm not crazy about in this book is the giant eyes that represent God's presence with them in the garden. I'm not sure how I would do it differently, but something about the eyes staring down seems impersonal to me and lacks the image of God walking with them in the garden.

Do you have a favorite book about creation? Do share in the comments - we always love new books to look for!

(more) Warmth

2011-09-24T19:00:00.000+01:00

Warmth continues to be my theme right now. We didn't discover the wonders of the hot water bottle till last winter. It is such a brilliant thing - pop one in your bed and you are toasty all night. It doesn't help when you are trying to get out of bed in the morning, but we'll take one battle at a time. And in this drafty old house we are finding that a hot water bottle is a great companion when you want to cuddle up with a book or project. I had fun making simple flannel slip covers for the bottles - nothing fancy, a pillow case of sorts. The boys are double flannel (Pooh and trains) and Jim and mine (trees and circles) are single ply (I wanted to be sure they weren't too hot when we pop them in bed with the boys).

The search for warmth continues...

Autumn is Upon Us

2011-09-21T20:17:00.000+01:00

I love Autumn. It has always been my favorite season. The crisp air and crunchy leaves, the drawing into the hearth and handwork, the autumnal colors and the holidays approaching... it is always refreshing and restful after a full and active summer.

To begin Autumn we were given a rainy day and so we snuggled up with hot water bottles, a few of our favorite Autumn and season books, and some yummy hot cocoa. This Autumn will hold three birthdays for our family - one of them a true birth day, a lot of warmth seeking, a couple trips for mum and daddy (alas, one at a time), and some leaf-crunching hikes around our little town. It sounds good...

Welcome Autumn!

Warmth...

2011-09-20T14:19:00.000+01:00

The theme of my life right now is warmth. This old house is cold. Hot water bottles, hot chocolate and wool socks are all making their way into our routine.

And my little boys needed some warmer trousers (or, in Jonah's case, just some trousers that fit). So flannel lined corduroy was a start. Mr. 5 is resistant to trousers with buttons and zippers - I mean stopping what you are doing to go to the bathroom is hard enough with out the complication of extra steps! And mama isn't so into sweat pants, so these trousers are a compromise. They have an elastic waist, but can go with a collared shirt too (not that we wear those very often, but every once in a while I like to make an effort on sunday morning).

This Moment...

2011-09-13T20:36:00.000+01:00

A Blanket for Baby

2011-09-12T18:22:00.002+01:00

The nesting instinct is slowly waking up. I have to say, that this time, it has come sneakily. It isn't baby things that I'm thinking about, but planning Advent and Christmas. With a mid-November baby the reality is, what doesn't get done before he comes probably won't...

But there have also been a few simple projects for baby. Most of which are cut and awaiting sewing (I find the planning and cutting to be my favorite part of the making process). With our third baby boy on the way, there is very, very little we need, but with that comes some privledge. I've handed on all our clothing and blankets that aren't made from natural fibers (linen, wool, soy, or cotton). We still have enough, but when I saw a wintery pale blue cotton flannel at the remnant shop in PA, I bought a yard. I backed it with white wool for warmth and used some wool yarn to blanket stitch around it. Another blanket in our chilly house will be welcome... in fact Rowan has already curled up with it a couple times. Big brothers need warmth too :o)

Seven Days of Creation: Day Seven

2011-09-11T21:05:00.000+01:00

:: Rest

It looks different for each of us. When Jim and I were in college we began to attempt to be intentional about taking a sabbath - a day of rest. I must admit that it looks very different now that taking care of two small boys is still part of the day, but we still try to maintain a quiet afternoon after church on Sundays followed by breakfast for dinner. It is really quite scripted - today the afternoon looked like this...

Jonah - We don't have a tv and Jonah gets to watch a movie (typically a nature documentary) once a week - on Sunday afternoons. He looks forward to this time all week.

Rowan - a nice long nap!

Mum - time in the sewing room, a cup of tea, and a ginger chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven

Daddy - a book, coffee and a couple of the aforementioned cookies

Rest!

Seven Days of Creation: Day Six

2011-09-10T00:00:00.000+01:00

:: Animals and People too!

Enjoyed: Creepy crawlies and frogs at the gardens; reading animal books, some animal play, a couple favorite creation books

Seven Days of Creation: Day Five

2011-09-09T19:18:00.000+01:00

:: Sea Creatures and Birds

The past week and a half has been full - in the very best sense of the word. Full of extra children while parents worked or had a baby (hooray!), full of meals for others, full of friends for play dates, full of fun outings, full of learning and laughing. And by yesterday afternoon I was ready to crash and so when I woke up today to rain, it was with a sigh of relief. With no looking back I nixed plans of bird watching in the morning and heading to the aquarium in the afternoon. I wore my PJs till 2 and we spent the morning snuggled in ~~bed~~ our ship while learning all about sea creatures we could find in the Atlantic Ocean. I didn't plan it, it just happened. Then on this blustery day I decided to bust out the hot chocolate, which we haven't enjoyed since last winter, and read some of our favorite books about birds. It was fun, and more importantly, I felt a bit more rested at the end of the day than I have in quite a while.

Book Note: Above Jonah is reading the Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia, which both boys are crazy about! The bird books we enjoyed were Count the Birdies by Matthew Porter, The Prince of Birds illustrated by Amanda Hall (adapted from Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra), Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni, The Cuckoo's Haiku by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Stan Fellows (this is an all time favorite!) and Usborne's First Nature Birds.

Seven Days of Creation: Day Four

2011-09-08T20:17:00.001+01:00

:: Sun, Moon and Stars

Enjoyed: making a mobile for baby (from two sticks, some yarn and shiny embroidery floss, and two sided scrapbook paper); reading a few verses

Seven Days of Creation: Day Three

2011-09-07T18:25:00.000+01:00

:: Plants and Trees with Dry Land

Enjoyed:: A trip to the botanic gardens where we did the activity trail in the 'Friendly Wood' and visited the greenhouses; some plant identification and lots of tree book browsing; 'God Makes the World' in Ella Lindvall's Read Aloud Bible Stories 3 (My boys love these retellings - despite how much I dislike the artwork, the rhythm of the text is perfect for toddlers.)

Seven Days of Creation: Day Two

2011-09-06T17:51:00.000+01:00

Sky and Sea ::

Enjoyed: Jack Grunsky's Water Cycle Song; The Usborne Geography Encyclopedia with Complete World Atlas (above); and some oil pastel drawing (of sky and sea of course).

Seven Days of Creation: Day One

2011-09-05T20:26:00.001+01:00

Light and Dark::

Jonah has moved up to the 'big kids' sunday school class. And while I'm a little sad that he won't be having godly play each week, I'm also glad. He is so very excited to be doing his own thing and this week he came home with a dinosaur made from an orange juice carton, egg carton pieces, straws and sticks - creative to say the least. They are studying creation this month, so I decided to follow up at home. In fact, I think we may just go through Genesis this fall. This week we are going to go through the seven days of creation - one day at a time. Today was 'God created Light and Dark'. We read some favorite creation books (which I'm hoping to share later in the week) and the scriptures, as well as, had an art lesson on light and dark with some paint (a bit of a stretch, but sort of related).

I'm also keen to memorize some scripture with Jonah this fall. We've done some scripture memory through songs and the liturgy in the past couple years, but we haven't been intentional about memorizing verses and the time seems right. So, of course, this week we'll begin at the beginning with Genesis 1:1. Does anyone know of a good outline of verses that it is helpful to memorize - especially one that includes OT verses?

Some Greek Olympic Games

2011-09-04T21:06:00.000+01:00

We're still plowing through our history curriculum, which Jonah begs to do every day. This week we began learning about ancient Greece. Along with reading Mary Pope Osborne's Greek Myths and Hour of the Olympics and raiding the library for books about greece; we decided to host a mini greek olympics and greek dinner. It was low-key and fun. We've been asked, by an excited five year old, if we can do it again next week (I said maybe next year - the ancient olympics were an annual event.)

On the menu: grape leaves and olives (from the farmers market)

hummus, tzatziki and veggies

pilaf

greek salad

homemade baclava

Yum!

Reading Quietly about Reading Aloud

2011-09-03T12:55:00.002+01:00

In the first couple days back from the states we were jet-lagged and I needed some quiet time. The boys were delighted after almost six weeks to see all their toys, and so in the matter of a day I read Reading Magic:Why Reading Aloud to Children will Change their Lives that Aunt Connie gave me. I need no enticement to read aloud to my children - we're a bit obsessive about books around here - but, I found the author's description of the 'learning to read process' compelling and it described, better than I've ever been able to, how Jonah taught himself to read at age three. Lots of reading aloud, some simple games with words and letters on the page and more reading aloud. I've had lots of people ask how I taught Jo to read, to which I always reply "we read a lot and played some games, but mostly he just figured it out. Some kids do some things early and others do other things - Jonah's thing was reading." Now I can simply point them to this book (this is why I am posting this, because several of you, who visit this space, have asked).

Mem Fox is the author of several picture books (we love her Time for Bed). And she has obviously done some research on the reading process. She makes a compelling argument against phonics based approaches (at least at first), which now makes so much sense to me. Reading isn't about making sounds, it is about decoding meaning. Granted Jonah and I are now going back and doing phonics work because, while Jonah can read anything he picks up, he can't spell much of anything. Fox's approach claims that a child should first learn to read books, then words, then sounds... it can sound backwards, but really it makes sense. I'll let you read the book if you want a better description or some proof (aside from the ridiculously small sample size of my one small boy).

I certainly am no expert on teaching reading (as I said, we did very little teaching and used no readers, programs, etc.), but what Fox says makes sense to me. Perhaps the most important thing she talks about is that children shouldn't be pushed to read until closer to 8. And her proposed reality is that most children will figure it out by then if we give them the tools - which just means read, read, read! It really is rather magical to watch!

Last Moments on the Farm

2011-08-29T17:31:00.000+01:00

Making Hay while the Sun Shines

2011-08-27T20:55:00.000+01:00

We went on a hay ride when we were in Pennsylvania. And granddad, being the farmer he is at heart, didn't just want the boys to ride on a wagon with hay. It needed to be a real hay ride - complete with picking up and stacking hay bales. Jonah loved his job of making sure Granddad didn't miss any bales and Rowan was bound and determined to help pick up one of those bales...

trying so hard to pick up that bale...

Fun at my Fair

2011-08-26T19:11:00.000+01:00

Yes, I think of the Dayton County Fair as my fair. After all, I spent the week there every year for as long as I could remember. I showed my first sheep when I was four and was the Dayton Fair Queen before I headed off for college. I have such fond memories of this place; the time spent with my Dad working with our animals and discussing showmanship techniques, my great-aunts pies, an afternoon every year on fun rides, and heading to the building to see what ribbons my sewing, cooking and baking had won. Oh, I love this place!

I couldn't help myself as Jonah and I sat watching sheep showmanship; I just had to tell him what they were doing wrong and what the techniques are for correct showmanship. It made me wonder if there will there be 4-H lamb projects in our future - this mama hopes so.

My dad and I reflected as we watched the 4-Hers running around on their busy show day how some of the happiest memories in life involve a lot of work. I loved the work of the fair: baking, making, showing... The things I still love in life - I guess some things never change, or maybe, it is that one can learn to love certain work and never forgets that lesson. Either way, the fair felt like home and I do hope there is a county fair for my boys to feel at home at in our family's future.

A Doll for Vera Rose

2011-08-25T20:02:00.002+01:00

When we were home I finished up a doll for my littlest niece - Vera Rose. She is oh so soft and huggable, filled with organic wool. There are some more of these soft dolls in my sewing future. Though, she isn't nearly so sweet to hold as Vera Rose herself - oh, such a sweet baby girl!

Sewing Note: The body and hat are from Anna Marie Horner's Folksy Flannels. The face fabric and stuffing are from Myriad toys, which has a great doll making section (not to mention tons of other amazing toys.)

Home Again

2011-08-23T19:03:00.001+01:00

It was wonderful to be with family, but it is also so good to be home! I love cooking in my own kitchen, seeing the new fabric for the boys fall trousers (among other things) stacked on the fabric dresser, wooden toys waiting to be painted and waxed (my uncle lent me a scroll saw when I was home and I'm totally enamored with this new hobby of mine!), and a few more projects waiting around for time and creative energy to come (jet lag has certainly zapped the later).

And after arriving Saturday night we were up early the next morning to go to our Godson's baptism at the beach before hurrying off to church where I led the story of Jonah for the young church. We are so excited to be godparents and Samuel is the sweetest little man I can imagine. The baptism was the most beautiful I've ever been too, set against the backdrop of the North Sea, which we all waded into while scriptures about the sea were read!

Right Now::

2011-08-19T23:14:00.000+01:00

:: I'm sitting in the airport waiting for a delayed flight - we've been rather unlucky this trip with flights, but at least nothing is cancelled this time and we have a chance of making our next connection.

:: I'm watching Rowan delight in all the airplanes taking off outside the window. And I'm smiling as he names all the different vehicles and his whole body dances as he makes airplane sounds. (Oh, and I highly recommend the Usborne "50 Things to Spot at an Airport Cards" they have been hours of fun over the past few weeks.)

:: I'm smiling at the made-by-mom bag filled with books from a surprise baby shower that was all about books a couple nights ago. Such fun books to share as a family and such a wonderful time to celebrate this coming babe with family and family friends. Oh, and did I mention that there were some sewing books for me in the mix of gifted books... I'll share more from them soon I hope; I'm feeling inspired!

:: I'm feeling like we are in the home stretch. Our time in St. Andrews and time for thesis submission are all a matter of months now... oh, we've loved this adventure, but I'm ready to be done.

:: I'm thinking I should give Jim a chance to check his blog. There have been some really fun post lately. I highly recommend Philip Ryken's post (president of Wheaton College - our alma mater) on Art in higher education and the video of Aaron Belz's poetry reading is highly entertaining.

This moment from Seattle

2011-08-16T11:44:00.000+01:00

exploring the arboretum

Last Day in Seattle

2011-08-16T09:00:00.002+01:00

Saturday was our last day in Seattle and we boated across lake Washington, docked at the Salmon house and had a picnic on the boat. Delicious!

Seattle was wonderful - another city we love filled with family and friends who all welcomed us joyfully. Jim and I even managed a couple dates while we were there - Harry Potter in 3D at the IMAX and a trip to Victrola, our favorite coffee shop that had amazing live music, fresh roasted beans and beautiful swirly designs atop our lattes. (Oh Scotland, you have so much to learn about coffee!) The boys played tee-ball everyday, swam, played games, enjoyed train sets, explored the arboretum, went to a huge bookstore (where the 'just-out' Magic treehouse book was acquired), found so many new books to enjoy on our shelves (which are still stored with many of our books on them in Jim's Grandparent's home where we stayed) and spent many hours with aunts, uncles, and grandparents. It was wonderful.

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo to see a Tree Roo, Roo, Roo

2011-08-16T01:09:00.000+01:00

And a Red Panda Too, Too, Too.

We spent a day at the seattle zoo where there was another dinosaur exhibit and we had a behind the scenes tour of the tree kangaroos and red pandas, which are quite possibly two of the cutest animals in the world. The tree kangaroo has a seven month old joey, which is why they aren't out to see the public, so it was such a privilege to sneak a peek at such a tiny creature.

Seattle Science Center

2011-08-16T00:58:00.000+01:00

We arrived in PA after a full day of travel yesterday, but there are a few more outings from Seattle to share before I move back to photos of the farm and soon to Scotland.

We took the boys to the Seattle Science Center to see dinos and engage in some toddler water play. It was a hit. The best photos are from the butterfly house, but the most time was spent reading every plaque in the dinosaur exhibit (well, Jonah read them all - though the rest of us passed on such thoroughness).

Vancouver

2011-08-14T01:53:00.000+01:00

We took a quick trip to Vancouver last weekend with a drive-by of the house Jonah was born in, beach visits, a stop at Regent (where Jim and I completed our masters), a day spent with Rowan's god parents, a breakfast of cinnamon rolls at a favorite old haunt, and seeing some good friends. We love this city!

Maren's Party

2011-08-11T08:00:00.001+01:00

One of the highlights of our trip was Maren's party to celebrate the end of her treatments. My brother's daughter Maren is four now and it was just after her second birthday that she was diagnosed with leukemia. It has been so difficult to see how much this little girl (and her family) have gone through, but we are praising the Lord that she is well and that life can slowly grow into a new normal - a normal without "cranky medicines, jabs and frequent trips to Children's hospital. The party was a wonderful way to celebrate and to salute Maren and her family's bravery over the past couple years. We are so very grateful.

I didn't get many photos on the day as there were so many people to see, squirters full of water and taco bars to visit (YUM!)...

Maren and Liliana

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

2011-08-10T22:54:00.000+01:00

Pittsburgh Zoo - July 27th, 2011

At Grandma and Granddad's House...

2011-08-09T18:12:00.001+01:00

We are in Seattle now and I have access to a camera cord and now that Jim has joined us (after his own set of cancelled/delayed flights and misplaced baggage) I have the computer as well. So perhaps I can catch up this space to our adventures.

The two weeks at my parents' house were wonderful and hard. It was hard because Rowan and I both struggled with sleep, which was a bad combination without Daddy to help. And it was wonderful because life with my parents was full in the very best sense, for all of us. Jonah played so many games and while Grandma played and played with two happy little boys I found time to sew and begin a new hobby (more on that in a future post).

Here are a few of our favorite things...

There was some apple picking - not to mention blueberries, currants, blackberries, raspberries, green beans, squash, corn, and peaches. Oh, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing my two wee boys excitedly picking healthy fresh food and seeing juice dribble down their chins!

Some time to sew and mom's well stocked pattern files to raid. Did I mention a trip to the fabric store... oh, you'll see my finds soon I hope.

Rowan helped bake every day. Muffins, Zucchini bread, pancakes... this boy loves to make things.

Music with Grandma - Jonah really enjoyed a couple piano lessons with Grandma and began spending time on his own practicing simple songs using fingering charts. I think we may need to continue to pursue this interest.

Cousins :: Oh, my nieces and nephew are so much fun and the boys spent many happy hours playing with these fun friends.

Watching sports with Granddad :: As well as going to a real baseball game (photos to come later I hope), Jonah enjoyed watching world cup soccer, baseball and golf with granddad. We don't have a tv, so he's never watched a full game of anything. He really enjoyed it and also enjoyed playing soccer and baseball with Uncle Jeremy, Elijah and Granddad in the yard.

Rain :: This may seem funny as we live in such a rainy place, but just as there are many types of snow, there are many types of rain and I have missed the warm summer downpours where it is fun to run around splashing in puddles and getting drenched head to toe. I didn't get many photos, because I had to leave my shoes (and camera) behind and join in the fun.

Family :: Grandparents, Great Aunts and Uncles and cousins were all well loved and it was amazing to see how comfortable the boys were with them almost immediately. They must sense my comfortability and the love that binds them. This was such a gift as I grieve that they don't have these wonderful people whom I love surrounding them daily.

Games :: I wish I had counted how many games were played at Grandmas. So many.

Here

2011-07-22T01:05:00.003+01:00

We are here, but I forgot my camera cord in Scotland, so I'm working on getting some photos uploaded, but it might take a bit.

The trip here was eventful - an air sick child, grumpy old men, a cancelled flight, extra legs to the trip, staring ladies, lost baggage, sleeping children to get up stairs onto a plane, 7 extra hours, a bouncing baby on a long flight... All I can say is if you are considering traveling with two small children alone when pregnant - think again. And if you decide to go for it it, don't feel bad about lots of gummy smurfs (for boys) and chocolate bars (for mum) purchased at extremely high prices in the Paris airport while you wait for three extra hours. Oh yes, it was eventful.

But we are here now, over jet lag, with luggage (after the better part of a week) and enjoying walks on the farm to find berries of all kinds, fresh corn on the cob, Gus (oh, these boys love this dog), good books, lots of game playing with grandma, yummy food, american hotdogs, baseball games, a new sandbox, sewing... oh we're having good times!

US bound

2011-07-12T18:49:00.000+01:00

Well, we leave the house tomorrow at 3 am to begin our (Jonah, Rowan and my) journey to Pittsburgh. Jim will meet us there in a couple weeks. So right now I'm packing, thinking about hemming the maternity jeans I'm wearing tomorrow and hoping that I'll get to bed at a reasonable time.

I'll hopefully post some photos from the farm along the way, but I'm not taking the computer so it might be sporadic. Cheers!

Sewing Day

2011-07-08T19:10:00.000+01:00

I needed to sew today. Not that I have deadlines, but I just had that creative itch, so I tried to entertain the boys in my sewing space.

First came simple activities like putting buttons on circles.

Then came a bit of free play with buttons.

Which, of course resulted in a big mess. But I did get some sewing done.

First, some burp clothes, my fall back baby shower gift. They took longer than usual because Jonah worked the backstitch and the presser foot for me.

And then two bags with a simple button closure. These are for my 19 hour (door to door) journey with the boys next week - and that's if all goes as planned. Because I'm on my own I'm feeling a great need for organization - carrying less but entertaining more. Jonah is pretty easy; a new workbook, book, sticker book (we love the line of sticker art shapes books), brain quest cards and in-flight movies and I'm pretty confident that he'll be well entertained and a great traveler (he always has been). But the little man is more of a wild card, so here's hoping his bag of tricks pans out.

In all our travel I've realized that bags within bags are key. One backpack for mum to carry, but once on the plane there will be separate bags of snacks, activities for Jonah, activities for Rowan, and an easy diaper change bag. It keeps everything together and I'm less likely to be scrambling after random items under seats and rummaging through the backpack. Not to mention I'm less likely to leave things in the seat back pockets as we exit (ahem... not that I've ever done that before.)

Right Now...

2011-07-07T09:15:00.001+01:00

::I'm sewing up some soft Waldorf dolls. (This tiny doll was for my nieces birthday.)

:: Feeling grateful that the tending of the past few days has passed and baby boy is well again. Now, if mama can just catch up on sleep...

:: Beginning to think about packing and am planning for a five week trip to the states that begins next week.

:: Sorting some baby boy things to see what else we might need (and the answer is 'not much').

:: Wishing that Jonah wouldn't wake at 4 am because he wants to read whatever book he is into at the moment. It doesn't bode well for later in the day. (Today it was "The Indian in the Cupboard")

:: Watching home education unfold. It is so much more organic and un-schoolish than I ever imagined and I really love seeing how it forms and journalling what we are talking about and reading.

::Playing lots of legos and singing lots of songs with our wee man.

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T13:28:00.001+01:00

A day when it is fun to have American friends in Scotland. (We actually celebrated yesterday so that the guys could work today.)

Jonah put the blueberries and strawberries on to make a flag cake. It is good to see him making some connection with the USA. When asked where he is from he always replies "I was born in Canada". And while he is a Canadian citizen and has spent four of his five years outside the USA, he is an American and I'd like to see him have some connection with our homeland. What a funny life we lead.

One of my places

2011-07-03T21:01:00.004+01:00

Last week we did the creation story in Godly Play and I loved revisiting the story. I was particularly struck by the last creation card...

"On the seventh day God rested and gave us the gift of a day to rest - and to remember the great gifts of all the other days"

the storyteller places the 7th card, which is blank

"There is nothing here, because people go to different places to remember the great gifts [God gave us in the days of creation]. You can put something there to show your favorite place to remember. It might be in the mountains or by the ocean or a lake. I don't know where your place is. Only you know."

(Godly Play Volume 2, 48)

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And so today we didn't go to church, because while church plays a special role in our lives*, it is not always the best place to give thanks for God's great gifts. And in this rugged climate, days like today are not to be taken for granted. It was beautiful and we headed to the beach. Before moving to Scotland I would never have said that the beach was a place where I particularly met God and was reminded of his great creation because 'beach' conjured up pictures of masses of tourists sunbathing, which is simply not the whole truth about beaches.

Living by scottish beaches I've discovered tidepools, rocky sand, and cold north sea waves, which are beautiful and awe inspiring. So today, we went to Elie to the beach. We found fish, crabs and jellyfish. We played with sand and felt slimy seaweed. We splashed in the waves and had sand ooze between our toes.

And I felt so grateful. So grateful for a beautiful world and for two silly little boys who had such a good time putting sand on each other's heads I couldn't stop them...

No one can tell you where your place is and perhaps there are many places - some of them yet to be discovered.

* because of some feedback on this post I want to clarify that we believe it is extremely important to be involved in and regularly attend our church. This day was certainly the exception and not the rule. I am grateful for the freedom we have as Christians and the support we have from our Christian community to occasionally make choices to worship creatively in creation.

Summer's Gratitude

2011-06-30T07:55:00.000+01:00

The days are so long right now (think four hour nights) and the sunshine has finally come. There is much to be grateful for...

::Summer Reading

::Summer treats - Oh, Scottish strawberries are amazing! (And the cheese cake was pretty amazing too - I chalked my need to make cheesecake up to pregnancy cravings. It's at least a good excuse.)

:: Help with making dinner and some pattern practice too.

:: This smiley boy who loves mornings when I say we are headed to the beach.

:: Weather warm enough to wear his chicken pants I made during the kids clothing week challenge in May. (They are the Huck Finn Pants from Weekend Sewing)

::Shades of Blue - that's right folks we are expecting boy number three. The pregnancy has been so different that I was sure it would be a girl, but no, there must be some other explanation. Jim and I knew before being told this time - it was rather obvious (especially because we've been shown the same little part twice before on a scan).

Getting Just a Little Bit Ready...

2011-06-29T08:00:00.002+01:00

Well, we're half way there (though my, oh my, I'm pretty sure my bump wasn't this big till about seven months with Jonah) and I'm beginning to emerge from a somewhat rough and long first trimester. I know technically I've been done with the first trimester for a while, but with my first two pregnancies all the tiredness and morning stomach-emptyings magically disappeared at 14 weeks. Here we are at twenty and I am finally beginning to feel a bit more normal, though my energy level still has a ways to go.

When we moved into this home almost a month ago now there was a little dresser in our room that became baby's and I'm loving this nook that reminds me that we are waiting. A few blankets and some tiny clothes my Mom and Sister chose for baby sit there waiting (are babies really that small? I seem to have forgotten).

To be perfectly honest it is really just sinking in that we are going to have a baby. These first little kicks the ever-growing bump are forcing me to emerge from my sleepy haze and realize there is a baby coming to us. Oh, there is some preparation to be done, but this time more than the others I feel in no rush to get to the end, and I also have no great 'to do' lists in the mean time (though that may change if we find that we need some little dresses sewn and leg warmers knitted). It is good to be waiting.

Mediaeval Pageant and Banquet

2011-06-27T22:10:00.000+01:00

St. Andrews University is celebrating its 600th anniversary. There are all sorts of plans for the coming three years (there is dispute on exactly what year the university was founded, so they are just celebrating for all three years). This year is devoted to respecting the past and the university hosted a mediaeval banquet. We happily took part.

We shared the meal with friends - four other couples and our 15 children (18 if you count the unborn babes we're expecting).

The New Godly Play Space

2011-06-27T09:42:00.000+01:00

With every move comes the challenge of finding new spaces for everything and making a new system that works. I love this part of moving. That said it is often hard to let go of what we had before and it is also exhausting.

Sometimes this remaking of a space takes lots of tries and the system takes a while to set in. But, our godly play space moved brilliantly this time. The boys honestly didn't spend much time with the godly play table in our last home despite trying new locations and setting up stories for them. In our new home I decided to opt for the story table and use a wee set of shelves (that were in our furnished home) for the godly play materials. I think because they can see the materials (before they were often covered by the seasonal cloth) they are much more intrigued by them. Jonah has been building lego mazes and rafts for Jesus and friends and I am grateful to catch moments of this play and see him internalizing the stories. Rowan is continually taking all the figures out and considering how much he is loving the fables we are sharing right now I think he is ready for some more stories.

The shelves neatly organized...

How they look most of the time...

The Story Quilt

2011-06-25T07:00:00.001+01:00

We now have a story table, which is something I've been dreaming of for a while now. The godly play supplies are on a small shelf and so this story table will be for those stories, but also for playing with fables, fairy tales and whatever else we can come up with.

When my mom was visiting I spent a morning sewing... and not hemming that stack of maternity trousers, making the cushions for the book nook, finishing my nieces baby gift, or any of the other started projects laying around. Instead I went where inspiration led and made a simple mini quilt to be a base for some stories.

We've been starting each school morning with a story (in the circle, not on the table). So far I've been telling fables and Rowan is particularly intrigued with them, asking to hear them again and again. Above is the story of the dog and his reflection, which is his favorite.

I've been eyeing up some wooden fairy tale figures and other wooden pieces to tell some more stories. Not to mention the felted figures and paper stand-up designs that are floating around in my head... we shall see what comes.

The School Room

2011-06-24T08:56:00.001+01:00

I'm loving having a school room/play room in this house. I found that toys in bedrooms leads to chaos and, while I like having a few beautiful wooden toys in the living room, it is so nice to have a space for the stacks of games, puzzles, books, bins of train track, marble run and legos that can have moments of chaos without effecting our main room. It certainly isn't the tidiest room in the house, but it is full of life and learning and I do believe it is my favorite room for that reason.

There are still fairy lights to be hung over the shelves and fabric to drape in the nature nook, but I still would say this room is 'moved-in'. Really the whole house is feeling that way, there are a couple cushions to cover here and some pictures to hang there, but overall it is feeling put together.

And there is space for books. My idea and education books, their picture books, chapter books and Jonah's stack of school books. We've started his lessons and he loves it. We start the 'school' (aiming for three days a week) with a story and songs on the circle rug and then finish with some written lessons at the table. So far this has taken just over an hour and then we go to lunch where I read a chapter or two from whatever book I'm wanting to read with Jonah. He reads so much on his own now that for the first time I have to be intentional about reading to him - he isn't asking.

Deciding what we would do this year seems to have been the biggest challenge and now the course is set it seems to all fall into place. In the end we've mostly gone with a classical approach. Mostly because it suits our little guy. That said, we spend a few hours a week at 'school' and the rest of our time is much more waldorf inspired un-schooling, which works so well with this little man who is so driven to explore academic subjects.

One of the best things this week has been seeing how easily Rowan fits into our lessons. He loves circle time; he sings the songs with gusto (in his 1 1/2 year old way) and asks for me to tell the stories on the story mat over and over. And while Jonah works on writing and math, Rowan does puzzles, plays with trains and legos, does sticker books and even gets to look at Jonah's rocks. This was the part of doing our own little school that I couldn't quite get my head around, but so far, so good. Now to think of adding a third this fall... or maybe its better not to think about it just yet.

June's baby lineup

2011-06-19T19:50:00.000+01:00

Well here is June's ~~baby~~ toddler line up at our mama baby tea (a couple weeks ago - I'm a bit behind). We were missing one sweet girl, but here are the five.

They've Grown a bit haven't they?

And a couple more of Rowan from the day... (yes, same play date and two outfits - this boy is notoriously messy and loves dirt) Oh, and he isn't burnt, just rosy from running around (just in case the grandmothers worry).

FIVE!

2011-06-17T07:51:00.002+01:00

We let Jonah choose between a party with friends or taking Grandma to the aquarium on his birthday. I have to admit I was pretty sure what he would chose and I simply don't have the energy right now to plan a big party, as much as I love hosting children's parties. So we spent a quiet morning at the aquarium followed by lunch at the aquarium cafe. After naps Daddy came home early and we threw new frisbees through hoops and enjoyed the beanbag toss daddy made the night before.

Of course, the birthday was dinosaur themed and Jonah loved helping to decorate the cake. Opening presents is always fun with Jonah and it takes forever. The first thing he opened was a Dinopedia from grandma and it was at least ten minutes until he stopped reading to us all and went on to the second present... it was a pattern that lasted through the gifts.

After opening presents Jonah was off to build his new lego house and Daddy and I wrote Jonah's birthday verse (a little last minute I know) before the birthday story and cake.

Year Five:

Sir Jonah the Brave with a sword and a book;

For truth and for knowledge you'll continually look.

And where ever you go and whatever you seek,

Child of God, work for justice and be ever meek.

Red Hot Pentecost

2011-06-14T09:30:00.002+01:00

As I trace my finger around the circle of the church year (see photo at the end of this post) the children always wait in anticipation for me to come to the red square "Ouch, this one is hot, it is red hot Pentecost." Then they each eagerly wait a turn to touch the 'red hot square'. They get a bit goofy and put their fingers in their mouths to cool them.

Sunday we celebrated in red - so simply. I had in mind to try a red velvet cake like last year, but the strawberries are in season and strawberry pie was too yummy sounding to pass up.

In other news, I think we are finally feeling settled. Baking and cooking as usual the last couple days has helped me to feel that normality is coming. And in the last couple days, we set up the godly play shelves and the nature nook, which were among the last touches in our school room and I do believe we are beginning to feel at home.

First Glimpses

2011-06-12T09:04:00.000+01:00

Moved.

2011-06-06T19:59:00.000+01:00

Well, we are in the new house. We have internet and phone (after 6 days). We are tired, but beginning to feel more together. My mom arrives for a visit tomorrow, which will include a special 5-year-old birthday.

I can't wait to share some moments from our new house, but for now we are easing out of moving chaos and the camera has remained in its case for the past week (I think that is a record for me).

Happy Ascension Sunday (a day late).

Bags for the Move

2011-05-28T20:39:00.000+01:00

We were given keys and the go ahead to move into our new home today. Oh, it is lovely - freshly painted walls (no more shiny white old lady wallpaper!), beautiful paned glass windows, and lots of lovely old furniture. There are some practical drawbacks to this new home (i.e. no gas heat), but, being the romantic I am, I fell in love with the idea of living in the servants quarters of a 1900s Scottish mansion. I've been wondering if it was the right decision until today. Oh, we all love it - from the fresh new school room to the tiny room just right for a playhouse, and from the big back yard to the guest room with space for a sewing and a computer desk. But, enough on that for now, there will be photos to share in the near future and you can see some of the special moments in this new home.

For now I'll share a photo of what I'm seeing most of the time this side of the move - stacks of boxes, bags and odds'n'ends.

Last week I stayed up one day instead of napping (the second trimester must be here - if only my stomach would realize that in the mornings) and made a few bags. The first two are from a piece of IKEA fabric (which is quite orange, but not as vivid as in the photo) and I based them on my favorite shopping bag. I've also added a few huge drawstring sacks to our collection (behind the orange bags) for storing clothing while waiting for the next kid to grow into it. I have a sack for each size and then one for diapers and one for shoes, for I'm learning that feet and bodies grow at different rates in different kids.

And then I made a second Christmas book bag - our holiday books were overflowing out of the red book bag someone gave us that has been designated the Christmas book bag. I have some fabric I'd like to use to make a couple more for the Thanksgiving and Halloween books too once we are settled.

Santa was randomly laying beside me as I took this photo and I thought it appropriate that he make an appearance with my christmas bag made in May.

While Mummy Sews...

2011-05-27T09:04:00.000+01:00

Oh, the wonders of buttons. Both of my boys are entertained for long periods of time by a jar of buttons. And, yes, there have been a few moments stolen at the sewing machine in the midst of preparing for the move and I'll share eventually, but for now we are fully into packing and cleaning and changing our address and finding window cleaners, etc. I am weary, but taking it one step at a time. I'm grateful to not feel too overwhelmed, though I'm so looking forward to settling into our new home and having Grandma visit early in June.

I'll be back more regularly, but for now I'll share when I can and am grateful for all of you who check in on our life and leave your thoughts - it really means so much.