this moment {learning letters}

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this weekly ritual of pausing to savor a moment from the week.

Beautifully simple.  Extraordinarily lovely.

I love to see your moments too, so leave a link in the comments!

Wishing you a weekend full of wonderful discoveries!
Claudine

wedding worthy scones

The alarm is set.

The coffeepot is on a timer.

A blanket is ready on the couch.

My husband whipped up these incredible homemade scones.  Worthy of a wedding.

Yes, I will be up.

Watching.

Silly?  Maybe.

But to me, a lovely wedding, no matter the couple, is irresistible.  This one just happens to be on TV at 4:00 in the morning.

So, the coffeepot is on a timer, and I have plenty of homemade scones to go with it.

Baby Sister

It isn't often that I get to spend an entire day with just one of my kiddos. 

When all of the kids are about there is an energy that pulses and pitches and moves from room to room as they run and play and chase through the house.

When there is just one child at home, there is a quiet.  Not a silence, rather a quieting that comes when a child is simply self, not part of a sibling set.

It tends to take me a bit to acclimate to that quiet.  My mind and body is usually tuned to a level of accepting noise and commotion and movement.  Even when all in the house are sleeping, I remain alert to the call of "Mommy" or the cry of a restless child.

So my day spent with Lovey was quiet.  And calm.  And quite ordinary, though our sharing it together seems extraordinary to me now.

We looked at ants.

We fed the dog.

We arranged flowers.

We folded laundry (okay, I folded the laundry, she unfolded the laundry.)

We spent time in the windy outdoors.

We ran a couple errands.

We laughed.

And through it all we chatted together in ways we haven't before.  I got to direct all of my questions and ideas to her alone.  She didn't have to share the conversation with her big brothers.  She contributed a lot of "uh-huh"ing and head nodding, and confidently said words, even if she was the only one who knew exactly what those words were.

She seemed older somehow.  Maybe because there was no bigger kids around to be, well, bigger than her.

And I loved every wide-eyed "uh-huh," every ant discovered, every piece of unfolded laundry.

And I love her.  Being her bigger, quieting self.

 

making me smile

Things have been a bit, shall I say, crazy around here.  But amidst this crazy busyness I have found many things that are making me smile.

:: Homemade "Inja" masks. Yes, according to Munchkin the N in Ninja is silent.

:: Curls, curls, curls.  Fresh from the tub and hair dryer.

:: Buddy explaining the new game he made up "whoever kisses Mommy the most wins!"  Hmmm, I think I win that one!

:: Listening to "I Love You Sweet Baby" by Kimya Dawson.  Truly, you can't listen without smiling.

:: Bunny Ears.  Worn everywhere.

:: Chocolate bunnies.  As big as your head!

:: A sweet letter from my Aunt telling me how much she enjoys reading my blog.

:: A handful of colorful lizards.

:: The book "the not so big life" which talks about spending your time in meaningful ways.  Now just to find the time to read it!

:: A handmade birthday poster for Poppy.

What is making you smile today?

the basket bottoms

I fancy myself pretty crafty.   I can sew and have an eye for color and am blessed with creativity that lets me whip up fun projects and presents and cards with a few scrap materials.

But I am no match for my Mom.

Seriously, no match.

She made these Easter baskets.

Made, as in weaved them herself.

Somewhere along the line she learned how to basket weave.  So, being the Nonnie that she is, she has weaved an Easter basket for each of the grandchildren.  Nine in all.  Given to each on their first Easter.

{Big Brother's second Easter, pictures of his first Easter are hiding out with the eggs I think.}

{Munchkin's first Easter.}

{Lovey's first Easter.}

In each basket is a stuffed bunny my Mom had picked out.  A bunny is important, because her mother had given my sisters and I stuffed bunnies when we were little.

On the bottom of each basket is the child's name and year of their first Easter.  Along with "Love Nonnie."  The kids and I were reading those basket bottoms earlier today, as we get ready for Easter.  We were talking about how Nonnie has made baskets for all of the grandkids.

I think Big Brother described it best, "Now that's what I would call a lot of weaving."

You are right my dear son.  You are right.

A lot of weaving, with a lot of love.

Thanks Nonnie.

this moment

It is nice to be back!

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this weekly ritual of pausing to savor a moment from the week.

Beautifully simple.  Extraordinarily lovely.

I love to see your moments too, so leave a link in the comments!

Wishing you a wonderfully festive weekend!
Claudine

gone fishin'

Well, I am not really fishing.  I am, however, going to be away from this space for the next several days. 

I'll be back later this week.

Have a wonderful spring week, my friends and dear readers.

this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this weekly ritual of pausing to savor a moment from the week.

Beautifully simple.  Extraordinarily lovely.

I love to see your moments too, so leave a link in the comments!

Wishing you a snuggly-up restful weekend! 
Claudine

happenings

It is around this busy time of year that I regret not making my birthday-candle-blowing-out wish one that gives me an extra hour each day.

I would use that extra hour to blog.

Seriously, I would choose to blog over sleeping.  I already do most evenings.

But even I, queen of the night owls, have found that my posts are being eclipsed by the happenings of the warming weather and longer sun.  (And, I must be honest, watching some episodes of Arrested Development on Netflix.)

Though I quite enjoy those happenings.  So let me share.

Sinking: into this spring of mud and dirt 

Organizing: the garage, a sure commitment to spring's arrival 

Appreciating: the diligence of a boy who didn't want to get wet, but who took seriously the job of shelf-washing 

Greeting: passers-by 

Napping: but not every day, though I always remember to let sleeping dogs lie 

Marveling: at the practical wisdom of nature, open on warm sunny days, closed on cold cloudy ones 

Marveling More: at the intricate beauty unfolding just outside my doorstep 

Chasing: each other and the dog and the sun as it sets 

Celebrating: the chance to begin wearing my favorite short-sleeved t-shirt again and
Enjoying:  this great post by another breastfeeding Mama 

Daydreaming: what this scrubby patch of back yard might look like in several weeks after much much work 

Loving: every bit of dirt under the fingernails, a sure sign of a good summer to come.

Hoping:  all that is happening with you is wonderful!

Please, do tell!

we have a winner

The whole family got into the excitement of drawing a winner for the Loving Hands Pillow giveaway.

And chosen by old-fashioned, pull a name out of a hat way, Tonya from Whoopsidaisy is our lucky winner!  Check out her great blog where she writes about family life!

I look forward to making this for you!

Wishing you all a wonderful week.