5 reasons...

... I'm feeling overwhelmed~

1. With the clock ticking away, I have approximately 2 hours to choose paint colors for the house. A cozy house with a tan roof that has certain needs when it comes to paint. Nothing too light, nothing too dark but something somewhere in the middle.... whatever that may be. And with 1320 colors to choose from, this is no easy feat.
2. A pile of birthday crown pieces are patiently awaiting assembly. Leave it to my daughter for being the responsible one in this situation as she carefully chose the fabric, felt and jacquard weeks ago. Did I mention that I need to make 3 by Monday?
3. My blog life has become all consuming and although I love being a part of this realm, it is taxing on my day to day life. I can see it in my children's eyes and wish I had the energy and time to be everything for them and also have a fulfilling creative outlet.
4. We just returned from San Diego and as with any vacation, we always return home to a mountain of laundry, extra needy kitties and a reminder of all of our daily work that we left behind.
5. I have a cold which makes numbers 1-4 just that much bigger and more dramatic.
   

... I'm incredibly grateful~

1. My mom is visiting from California. It is nice to have someone around that truly gets everything about me.
2. We will be spending the weekend with friends, old and new.
3. The kitchen is fully stocked and ready to prepare some savory meals. Tonight, sausage with multicolored peppers and basil. Tomorrow, blueberry pancakes, chicken soup with rice, and millet and yam burgers.
4. We have planned a long overdue trip to see our Nana. We miss her terribly and are looking forward to an easygoing afternoon with plenty of catch up.
5. For all of my Bloggee's who are so loyal and inspiring. Thank you for all of your kind words that bring such beauty to my life. Because my children are in need of a more mindful and present mama at the moment, I will be posting only when my absence is not affecting them in any way. Please continue to check in from time to time, but know we will probably be much more present on our Flickr site for now.
   

Blessings to you and remember to take time for yourself and those you love.

new adventure

We are, yet again, off on a new adventure. A search for the sun, the ocean, pink flamingos and koala bears. Details to come....

Enjoy your week - see you here on Friday.  

crayon pouches

Crayon pouches are a traditional Waldorf accessory. As children enter 1st grade they are given blank drawing books, an empty crayon pouch and their own desk where they store their goods. The children receive their crayons one at a time to fill the pouch as each color is introduced through a magical story. The crayons come alive to these children as do their drawings and imaginations. 

Well, at our house, our crayons live in a basket together. All piled on top of each other, they at times crave freedom and mischievously fall out and roll away. Their paper wrappers bear the colorful marks of their neighbors as they get tossed around from day to day. 

When I see these lovely beeswax wonders, I think, "free them now!". After making 13 crayon pouches for the 1st grade last fall, it was obvious what needed to be done. Nothing like a little bit of organization in the art room - a room that never rests and rarely sees a tidy moment. 

Jasper's handmade lovelies

I still have sick children at home. How sad for them that they will miss their Valentine's Day celebrations at school. Jasper has been nursing an ear infection while Samantha has had a fever on and off for the past 2 days. The good news is that our valentines are done and ready to hand out as soon as we get the clear. 

These are Jasper's valentines. I was surprised by how much of this project he actually did himself. His favorite part by far was cutting out the hearts and choosing the perfect vintage button for each one. A magnet attached to the back made these treasures a sweet little keepsake.

Have a warm and lively day today and may you be blessed with some handmade lovelies of your own.

a gentle giant

Elephants walking under juicy-leaf trees

Walking with their children under juicy-leaf trees

Elephants walking like time

Elephants bathing in the foam-floody river

Fountaining their children in the motherly river

Elephants elephants bathing like happiness

Strong and gentle elephants

Standing on the earth

Strong and gentle elephants

Like peace

Time is walking under the elephant trees

Happiness is bathing in the elephant river

Strong gentle peace is shining

All over the elephant earth

-Adrian Mitchell

What is strong? How does one become strong? Two questions that I have asked myself over and over in my life. I feel that this poem sums it up beautifully. Strength stems from confidence, stability and a healthy rhythm of life. But more importantly, what I believe makes a person strong is gentleness, empathy, and acceptance. A person will never be strong in an environment where they are constantly ridiculed or where ignorance exists.

My friends, strive to be "an elephant" and live life in perfect balance.  

we've been noticing...

Flocks of birds gathering in our trees for their annual reunion. Daffodils and crocuses peeking out from under the moist, dense soil. A hazy sun that greets us at the breakfast table and remains glowing longer into the evening. Magnificent camellias in pale pink, so welcoming and full of life. A new found love for pastels and linen. Days filled with outdoor play. Rebirth all around us and birthday celebrations aplenty.

You would think with all of this loveliness, I would have a photo that better depicts my interpretation of spring. Instead, I have the picture that I took early this morning (hence my lack of light) when I found that Samantha would be going with a friend to a birthday party after school. This was my only chance to capture a moment with this birthday crown before it went on it's merry way.

I do hope that spring is showing it's presence in your lives and that it's freshness and vibrance inspire true greatness. Breathe it in...

a date with my pirate

All right, I have to admit I really didn't want to expose my children to the world of pirates until they were at least 18! but this one just fell into our laps. Good ol' Captain Bogg and Salty, the pirate band from lovely Portland, OR. We first stumbled upon one of their shows 2 years ago at a local park and have been following them ever since.

These scullywagg's sing about everything from preventing scurvy (EAT A LIME!) to dancing the pegleg tango through fun, energetic "sea chanteys". When Samantha and I found that they would be playing in our neighborhood, we jumped at the opportunity to see them - as good groupies do.

The show was a blast. Samantha and I sang along with our hook fingers fully engage. Although, there were multiple times that we thought of dear Jasper, sick at home with Daddy. He is a huge fan too.

We did feel a little underdressed today as children and parents sailed into the theater in full pirate gear. It is so nice to see these local artists bringing a community together. So inspiring really. Sam and I came right home and started working on our pirate costumes for the next show. Maybe we'll see you there, Mateys!

samantha blogs: clay class

Hi, this is Samantha and I have been going to clay class. I have been making bowls, a plate, a cup, a dessert plate and magnets.

This is a corner of my big plate. I put a stamp into the clay to make a butterfly. Green and blue are two of my favorite colors.

After we did all of our lessons, I made magnets. I took a cookie cutter and cut them out. Then I put lace on them to make prints.

I made a cup. We cut a circle and a straight line. We rolled the straight line into a circle and we put "slip" on the circle. Then we attached the two circles and let them sit and dry. I decorated the straight line with sea stamps. I chose the color orange because it is my brother's most favorite color.

I love clay class. I get to make things that I get to bring home and use. I like taking clay class with my friends and I hope I can take the class again.

Love, Samantha

it's not fun to be...

I realize that I have not shown my presence here for a while. It seems after our eventful weekend, the little ones came down with the flu. Nothing to out of the ordinary for this time of the year. Fevers, sore throats, and coughs have been taunting them through their days and into the night. It is so heartbreaking to see these children who are usually full of spunk and adventure melt into my lap with blankets in tow. Although I would rather see them feeling well, I have to admit that I am beyond grateful that we are all home taking sick days together.

Our winter book basket is looking a little worn out this week. We have been spending our days snuggling, storytelling and reading.

These books are our favorites at the moment:

SNOW by Uri Shulevitz

THE STORY OF THE SNOW CHILDREN by Sibylle von Olfers

STOPPING BY THE WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING by Robert Frost

THE MITTEN adapted by Jan Brett

We have also had brief moments of crafting time. Our valentines are officially done and we have found a new passion in popsicle stick art. There is nothing better than to place something random out on the craft table and allow the children to create to their hearts content. I give no guidelines but simply act as a facilitator. After nearly a dozen popsicle stick creations, Jasper chose one as his favorite {in which he entitled “hexamid”}. Samantha chose to make a fan for Tulip, beautifully adorned with a golden star, rick rack and hot pink ball fringe.

It is nice to see the children forget about their fiery throats and sweaty brows for just a moment and to see a hint of a smile and a spark of light in their eyes.

Be well, friends…

humbling moments

How blessed we are to have such an empowering influence around us. A group of friends and family that bring amazing warmth and acceptance. An email from a distant sister-in-law, dinner with good friends, an endearing call from my mom, and a birthday evening with a newly 6 year old and her family and friends. These moments make us humble and forever grateful of the beauty around us. In a world of chaos, this is what keeps our hearts pure.

Thank you all for the wonderful moments, whether big or small. You have touched us...   

Think Like a Tree

Soak up the sun

affirm life's magic

be graceful in the wind

stand tall after a storm

feel refreshed after it rains

grow strong without notice

be prepared for each season

provide shelter to strangers

hang tough through a cold spell

emerge renewed at the first signs of spring

stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky

be still long enough to hear your own leaves rustling.

 ~Karen Shragg

Have a lovely weekend.

See you back here on Monday, if not sooner.

a day

Do you ever have a day when the shower just won't get warm, you find that your cats have been eating the thread in your sewing room, your gargantuan stack of fabric has fallen over and your children have set up fort in the middle of it? Today was that day for me.

Because of my morning of misgivings, all I really wanted to do was sew. Just have a moment to push that pedal full throttle to the floor and create something. Anything...

My sidekick joined me in the sewing room. He and Bobby Acorn (his squirrel) drew pictures of rainbows and trees full of juicy red apples. While my budding artist was busy at work, I was making pants... finally.

The creative energy in the room was exuberant and raw as Jasper and I sat completely engaged in our craft. Although we spoke not a word to each other, we were one, connected in our crafty madness.

Then the silence was broken, "Mama, I want to stuff something. Something with wool. I want to use this fabric. Bobby Acorn needs a pillow." Jasper's otherwise sweet voice sounded like the roar of a lion as I fell out of my meditative crafting state and back into reality.

When I hear the words "I want to make", it is my natural inclination to drop everything and facilitate the creating. Jasper chose all of his fabric from the scrap basket. He cut his own "patches" for the front of the pillow and stuffed it full of wool and love.

Bobby Acorn was overjoyed at the sight of his gift. After a cup of chamomile, he sunk his head deep into his fluffy pillow and quickly dozed off. We were sure that he was dreaming of rainbows and climbing trees full of juicy red apples.

As for the pants, there's always tomorrow...

beachcomber bags

A little "love in the mail" for our shell collecting friends in Ireland. I told myself that I would not post about these bags until they arrived at their new home, but honestly, I am so excited about them, I had to share.

The inspiration was a Kathy Kruse shell bag that Samantha received for her birthday (pictured at the bottom). As I opened the closet in Samantha and Jasper's room, the bag (full of walnuts and rocks) clocked me in the head. At that moment, I had an epiphany... "What a perfect gift and what fun they will be to make."

The fabric used was all from my stash. I did, however, have to visit the local hardware store for the screen material for the bottom of the bag. Oh, the look on the clerk's face when I told him what I was going to do with it; unforgettable... I'm thinking I should go back and show him as he was unsure I would be able to pull it off.

Here is our collection as of today. After Jasper saw the gnome bag, he requested one for his very own. Samantha is perfectly content with her birthday bag but has been eyeing the new fabric that just arrived from Superbuzzy. I'm sure more beachcomber bags will be in production soon.

dinner date with daddy

magical soup

This winter has been a season of soups. The coldness has brought many pots of carrot ginger, split pea, garden veggie and chicken with barley to our table. Today, we decided to delight our taste buds with a new recipe from the Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen cookbook. With so many delectable recipes to choose from, we settled on this Yellow Pea with Coconut Milk soup.

With the perfect music to set the mood, the children and I began preparing our meal. Jasper was in charge of spices. A little turmeric and cardamom sent our senses into overdrive and had us giggling with delight. Samantha helped chop the cilantro but quickly fled the kitchen as the onion rolled into sight.

The preparation brought such warmth to the house. The exotic smells and the anticipation of our meal had the children dancing and singing. On a couple of occasions, I was greeted with songs and gestures from Jasper's nursery class. How I love to get a glimpse of his school life.

The soup was poured and garnished just as John walked in the door. The children and I were excited to share our afternoon's creation with him. The conversation was light as we inhaled the food in front of us. That was until it happened.... First a scream, then a little blood and then a huge smile.

With Samantha's second bite of soup, her tooth fell out onto her spoon. She was so delighted that she turned to me and said, "Mama, we made magical soup. Soup that makes teeth fall out". We did indeed...

diversion

So, here it is. The pile that has been calling to me for a few days, "hey Lisa, remember us?". If the fabric is not reminding me that I really need to focus and start sewing, it is Jasper each day as he trots around in what I call his "knicker bockers". Is it possible for children to grow inches overnight? Well, today was my day to make pants. The fabric was washed, a new pattern was made and I had ideas flowing out of every crevice, but again, life took over.

It was the holiday that kept us within arms distance of each other today. It is not very often anymore where I have both children together at home all day during the school year. I truly cherish these moments and how they empower and connect us.

Rather than try to get my sewing done as the children played around me, I thought it would be so much more fun to get some fresh air and head to Multnomah Falls outside of Portland. We had never been to the Falls in the winter and were delighted to see a rather frozen world around us. Small mountain streams had turned into ice palaces, steep trails became slides (no kidding, people were actually sliding down the trails on their bottoms), and the bridge an ice skating rink.

Today, our goal was to get all three of us to the bridge with everyone carrying their own weight up the trail. Despite the conditions, we all manage to make it to the top. As we faced the waterfall, the fine mist tickled our noses and froze our cheeks. Samantha said that her mouth was so cold that it would be the perfect time to pull the tooth that is literally hanging by a thread.

Soon after we reached the bridge, the chill set in and we headed down the trail. We left the Falls with great pride, a warm steamer and one extra loose tooth still intact. Sammy thinks that tomorrow will be the day..... stay tuned.