Updates to the learning space

Giveaway at Progressive Pioneer

http://www.progressivepioneer.com/progressive-pioneer/2011/03/giveaway-no-plastic-and-the-enchanted-cupboard.html#comment-6a01156f204526970c0147e359b2d5970b

Sorry to pop in after so long just to tell you about a great give away but... its a really great give away!

Go check it out :)

Friends for the Journey

Every year I gain a bit of wisdom about how I spend my precious Christmas money. This year I used it to buy two fun travel mugs I had had my eye on for a long time (anything to get this chronically dehydrated nursing mama to drink), a sweet beanie crocheted by a Somalian woman in my mother's sewing group, and then most importantly I bolstered my Madeleine L'Engle library with three new acquisitions; The Small Rain, Friends for the Journey, and Weather of the Heart. If you have never read her work go straight to Amazon and make an investment because these are not library type books that you read once and return able to check them off of your list. These are books to savor, to return to, to copy into journals, letters. 

    The first I have opened is Friends for the Journey; Two extraordinary women celebrate friendships made and sustained through the seasons of life. Long title but descriptive of something I long for. Once married it can be so easy to rely on that best of friendships to sustain us alone. Yet, that's not fair for either spouse. Living a rather transient lifestyle for the past nearly ten years now (I haven't settled in one place for more than 18 months) I recognize the difficulty in sustaining friendships through the seasons of life. I have let so many dear friends slip away as I prioritize again and again for the immediate; the demands of life that stand up and shout. As a young mom I often feel I am merely keeping my nose above water, and don't put enough committed energy into nurturing lifesaving relationships. So, to those of you that may describe I apologize. (Let's reconnect!)
    Ben laughed when he looked over my shoulder the other night and saw me doing something uncharacteristic - writing a list of New Year's resolutions. I know, I know, evidence is against them often truly changing people but somehow the very act of sitting and figuring out what I would like to change, where I would like to grow given the opportunity, was centering in and of itself. Two of the items on my list had to do with this topic of friendship. One was to simply write back and forth monthly with my close friends. The other was merely to relearn how to be a good friend. So, here's to 2011 and the strengthening of old friendships and the building of new ones!

Quotes

"Ummm... excuse me sir. My mommy needs to keep that piece of fabric because you see she is hoping to twy and gwow me a baby sister in her tummy, and she just might need that to sew her a beautiful dwess. (truth = 4 year old very much wants a baby sister. )

Rowan go back to time out!
You see mom, I was just talking to God and He taught me to be good and change  my heart, and He also said my time out could be finished. (how do you say no?)

(At Music Together from his teacher, in a very diverse group.) Rowan please tell us what your favorite song was this semester. (imagine his response belted out in a deep toned, gregorian chant style) "I love Jesus and the Holy Gho-ost... go in peace"

Rowan I'm sorry I get frustrated. Sometimes I lose my patience because I know its my job to guide you to be noble and help make your heart choose to be good. And when I can't do it I feel sad.
(In a very patronizing voice.) No, mom. It is not your job. Only God can make my heart good. You just need to wait with me until He's worked a bit more in my life...

Who would have known that little baby would so quickly be filled with such personality?

Kites + Stethoscopes = A Midnight Flight

Tonight we had some friends over for a bonfire, and I delighted in watching the magic of children's imagination unfold before my eyes. It can take so little to spark new worlds and adventures. Ben read the recently re-published Elsa Beskow book The Land of Long Ago to Rowan and his sweet friend. Then they spent the rest of the night trying to recreate the events of the book so that they too could enter into that magical world of mischievous gnomes, flying trees, princesses, trolls, dragons, and knights. We overheard adorable conversations, "Ok, so we just need one gnome, a fallen twee twunk, and a bwoken umbwella... hmmm... we don't have any of those... wait yes we do! we have a wood pile, if we pwetend we could make a whole world out of that!" The next half hour consisted of them disappearing into our home and reappearing with a huge kite that was attached to their backs with a stethoscope, then disappearing into the night and reappearing with corn cob skewers pilfered from the friend's home to use to ... get this... CLIMB THE SIDE OF OUR BUILDING SO THEY COULD GET TO THE ROOF AND THEN FLY OFF USING THEIR KITE. Can you tell their dads are rock climbers?

Such sweet silly things served to fill my heart, and re-delight me with motherhood.

Now Ben and I are fantasizing about midnight climbs and majestic flights. Isn't that what every kid thinks their parents do after they go to sleep anyways?

Handmade Holiday

Today I finished up Cedar's last Christmas present. Inspired by this amazing mama made waldorf doll, I wanted to make my lil guy a masculine doll that mirrored his sweet soul, that he could pour his love into. I want to nurture his growing ability to nurture. So I took my cabbage patch doll from the 80's and some left over felted wool I had from dissected sweaters and went to town. His hat is of an elf ish style with a wooden toggle closure under his chin so it stays put. He has a wool tunic belted with a leather belt salvaged from extra attachers for my bike basket. He also has wool sleeves and pant legs tied on. He has a little pouch attached to his belt to collect acorns and stones and a walking stick in his hand to help him on his journeys. I am quite pleased with how it has turned out even if his face is plastic and he can't have that great, crazy, waldorf hair. (My heart melted watching him carry around this same doll pre makeover in a play silk turned baby sling. Lots of kisses. Adorable.)

I also sewed some very simple wool longies today for lil guy from another dissected sweater. I just took a portion of the sweater near the waist band and sewed it into a tube and then sewed on the bottom portion of each sleeve and voila... pants. And then I made some socks.

I had a goal to do as much as I could by hand this year, using materials we already had and I am thoroughly enjoying the process :)

What are you making for Christmas?

No Mercy for Sweaters

Sweaters faced great peril in my home today. Struck by great inspiration I dissected two wool sweaters and made;, a gnome hat for Rowan, a stocking cap, a lavender pillow for Cedar's bed, an "herb collecting bag for healing the animals" for Rowan, and a pair of Long Johns!  I took a pair of my lil guys boxer briefs and sewed them to the arms of an old cashmere sweater . Result? Cashmere long underwear for free!  It feels good to have the (silly) yet creative juices flowing again.