Making camp

wildflowers

We spent a lovely few days camping this weekend. A lot of our friends have commented on our "bravery" for taking new babies camping, but it's something we've always done and enjoy doing. Over the years, we've discovered what kinds of camping situations work well for our family -- where we like to go, for how long, what we need to bring to make it comfortable and fun for everyone, etc. We have it down to a system at this point.

So we spent a lovely few days playing, enjoying one another's company without other requirements or pulls at our attention, just focusing on one another. It was perfect.

knitting in the tent

We did a little knitting,

hanging out

and a lot of lying around nursing in the tent,

played many games of picture bingo,

jumping off rocks

jumped off rocks,

campsite

made our campsite beautiful,

ground

listened to the sounds of our feet walking on a soft bed of pine needles,

reading in the tent

read some of our favorite books,

snuggled by the campfire,

marshmallows

ate just a few marshmallows,

listened to the rain falling on our tent,

rainbow (photo by elisabeth)

and then saw a rainbow,

walking stick

found a new favorite walking stick,

and so many other favorite things.

This year my husband is working on his dissertation and I'm single-parenting most of the time. So this dedicated family time was welcomed (and needed) by all of us.

Like anything out of the ordinary, it's hard to say goodbye and come home, and a little hard to adjust back into "regular" life, even after only a few days. But I also think that happy family times like these are what carry us when things get a little tedious or stressful on a daily basis. I feel like every positive thing we do with our children, no matter how small, helps to create that family "culture" that we really long for. That's why something as small as a weekend camping trip is such a special thing, and gives me so much to think about. It takes us a step out of the ordinary, and refreshes my parenting, reminds me of the small things that help to make a day special, helps me to recommit to things that had perhaps slipped a little in my daily interactions with my children.

Now the camping gear has been stowed on a shelf in the garage, and I don't think we'll get out to the woods again this year. But what a good time it was!

sunset

{I promised some shop news this week, and the news I have is a little disappointing -- I'm not ready to put it up yet. I don't know how I always think things are going to happen so much faster than they actually do! Anyway, I still have a lot of sewing left to do, but I really would like to get it all up and ready soon! I will be sure to announce it here in plenty of time. I'm thinking early next week. Thank you all again for your enthusiastic support!}

Nearly a month

Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for your sweet and supportive comments lately. There is just so much kindness around the blogging neighborhood, it really touches me. Thank you.

Our sweet wee girl turns a month old this week. One month? I can hardly believe it. Many things have happened in that time, including my newborn baby slowly transforming into what is apparently going to be a chunky infant, and I can hardly account for all that time. But one thing I can tell you is, it doesn't feel like it's been a whole month.

fingers

Lots of gazing at tiny hands and feet has transpired, as well as lots of holding and singing, and lots and lots of nursing. And we've been feeling growing pains -- all five of us. Balancing the needs of a newborn with the needs of my two older children, and a husband who works a lot, has been hard. I'd forgotten what a challenge it is even to get a shower sometimes.

fiona and mama

However, I wouldn't trade anything, not even a million showers by myself with the door shut, for one moment staring at this sweet baby.

asleep in amy's hat

I feel like there's a lot to share with you all, and that'll come. But I'm working hard at not making a lot of commitments, even to this blog, for now. Right now, in this moment, getting to know Fiona, finding our footing as a family of five, celebrating 4 birthdays and Easter within 6 weeks, and caring for and protecting myself (against PPD) feel like the most important "jobs" to be focusing on.

That said, so many of you have asked to hear a birth story, and I'm working on one, including just a few photos of those precious and intimate first moments of Fiona's life (nothing explicit, however) to share here. This is the first one of my children's births to be documented in this way, and I'm excited to put the words with the images. Hopefully it will be ready to share in a few days.

Until then, I'm back to cuddling on the couch with my sweet girl, her lambskin, and some knitting.

love,
Grace

2008

Before I completely bid farewell to 2008, a year full of blessings as well as struggles, I wanted to share a few of the handmade goods and highlights of the year with you all here. And then, I am so very ready to say hello to this new year, a year which promises to be full of excitment as we welcome the newest member of our family!

In 2008...

move

basement sewing

...we moved. A move which was complicated by the fact that our previous landlady had been forced to foreclose upon the property in which we lived, and then that the previous tenants in the house that we moved into left behind all of their furniture and food. It was a long couple of weeks.

test

...the first seven months of pregnancy went by. I'd say, from my perspective, that it's going somewhat slowly -- but quickly, all at the same time. I certainly cannot wait to meet our new wee one!

grace cello

...I went into the recording studio to record a few tracks on a CD project, which has since been temporarily shelved. :(

thank-you note

...my firstborn turned six, transitioning from being a very little child at the beginning of the year to a big, capable, reading, writing, knitting, confident girl of almost seven by the end of the year.

little one

...my wee one turned two, transitioning from what was really still a baby boy to a little fellow who is beginning to feel ready for his new role as big brother, and who is seeming so very three already.

...I had some very fun meet-ups with other bloggers. The first was with Kristin, who I don't have a picture of, who was such a sweet, sweet person and so generous with her time and recommendations for our trip.

alicia

Alicia and her entire family are the types of friends you only get to meet a few times in a lifetime. We all loved them.

While we were staying with Alicia, I had the chance to attend one of the famous KC blogger get-togethers. It was just as much fun as I expected it to be, and I laughed until I cried. It was at Rachel's house, and the eleven women there that night were each so funny and open and kind. I'm sorry that it is only out of sheer laziness that I'm linking to Rachel's post about the evening instead of to each of these awesome women's blogs individually. But seriously, they are all awesome, and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet them all!

erin

Erin is every bit as fun, inspiring, and real as all of you might guess from her blog. She described our meeting and time together as "easy", and that's just the way I would describe it, too.

(I wish I'd had more time with all of you!)

...And then, I made some stuff (click the mosaics to get flickr links to the individual photos if you'd like a closer look at any of these):

messenger bag

The Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag. The pattern was so easy to understand and I loved having this bag with me in New York. It did have a lot of pieces to cut out -- in fact, the cutting took several hours -- and I even had help!

I also lined it with fusible fleece to make it more protective for my camera, which made sewing through all the layers very difficult at times. But I love the finished product, and the very morning we flew to New York, a woman in the airport asked me where I got it, so I think it was a pretty great project!

doggy t-shirt

dog cape

James's birthday gifts. He loves dogs very, very much, so I made him a doggy cape and a doggy t-shirt. The cape was made of a fat quarter of velour that I had on hand -- I would have liked to have had a bit more for it, but this was sort of a last-minute gift. It's lined with some Heather Ross dog fabric.

james's baby doll

Elisabeth made this little dolly for him all by herself. She drew the pattern onto paper, cut it out, embroidered the facial features, and sewed it on the machine. It was a really fun project for her!

little butterfly

Elisabeth's birthday gifts. I had grand plans for this little baby doll, who has been named Little Butterfly by her little mama: A full wardrobe, diapers, towels, a diaper bag with changing pad, and so on. I ended up completing the doll, diaper bag, changing pad, and a sling, but her wardrobe hasn't been added to at all so far. I used a pattern for a 12" button-joint doll from here, and although it was a pretty clear pattern, I'd do it differently if I were to do it over again. I would probably just use the pattern from my favorite dollmaking book, instead. (Which I had misplaced at the time and no one had a copy I could buy -- it was on backorder from the publisher at the time! -- so I ended up buying a pattern for the doll instead. Of course I found my book about a month later.) {Edited to add: What I didn't like about the pattern I used was that the head and body are one piece. I generally make my dolls with separate heads and sew them together. Since that's what I'm used to, I'd probably do it that way if I were to make another button-joint doll.}

baby gifts

Baby gifts for the new daughter of a good friend of mine (she already has two boys, and they were excited for some pink!)

Birthday presents for some other little ones we know:

rucksack

I adapted the pattern for this rucksack from this book.

frog bean bag and t-shirt

A froggy beanbag (pattern also based on one from this book) and t-shirt for a little two-year-old boy.

spider shirt

A spider t-shirt and silly string (to make spider webs) for a six-year-old.

bonnet

And this super cute bonnet from Amy's pattern for one of Elisabeth's friends. This was a super quick and satisfying project! (I should make more of these!)

flower

2008 was a year full of changes, new things, adjustments, and real life. It was also full of so much sweetness, family togetherness, and most of all, love. All I can wish is that 2009 will be just as surprising, awe-inspiring, fun, simple, and joyful -- for my family, and all of yours.

Happy New Year!

Blessingway for Meghan

Thank you for your kind words and enthusiasm on my last post! I'm excited to be back, too.

We have a lot going on around here. I don't know that I've ever felt so crazy! Since I'm still not totally organized, or back into the swing of posting, I thought I'd share a few photos today from my dear friend Meghan's blessingway (which was in July). Her beautiful baby girl was born two weeks later.

amazing belly

The first blessingway I ever participated in was for my friend Melanie more than four years ago. I'd read about them, but had never attended one, and was so excited when Melanie's sister-in-law organized one. Since then, just about all of my pregnant friends have had one. My own -- two and a half years ago tomorrow -- was really special; James was born 12 hours later!

the bracelet

A blessingway (for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to attend one) is based upon the Navajo tradition of honoring people as they stand on the threshold of a life transition. In the last several years, the tradition has been adopted as an alternative to a "typical" baby shower.

christen embellishes the design

It gives the friends and family of a pregnant woman the opportunity to honor her, to support her at a time when she is probably feeling vulnerable, and to celebrate together as a community preparing to welcome the new baby. I have always felt like it buoys the mother-to-be with a bit more strength, knowing that she isn't alone on her journey to the birth of the new baby.

belly cast, bouquet, bracelet

Some of the blessingways I have attended have been very spiritual in nature, and some have been focused more on pampering the new mother. Either way, each one I have attended has been as unique as the friend it honored, and as beautiful.

flowers

Thank you, Meghan, for counting me as one of the women to join your circle. 

Edited: Here are a few resources on blessingways if you want more information!

*Mother Rising: The Blessingway Journey into Motherhood by Yana Cortlund, Barb Lucke, and Donna Miller Watelet is my favorite. I've used this book for ideas and inspiration a lot with the blessingways that I have helped to facilitate.

*I attended a talk given by Anna Stewart, author of Mother Blessings: Honoring Women Becoming Mothers, at the same conference that I spoke at in May. She had some beautiful ideas that I had never tried or seen at another blessingway.

*Blessingways: A Guide to Mother-Centered Baby Showers -- Celebrating Pregnancy, Birth, and Motherhood by Shari Maser has been recommended to me by a couple of people, but I haven't had personal experience with it.

*The best online resource I had seen for blessingways seems to have been removed. :( But it'd be worth doing some online searches if it's something that piques your interest.

A tale of three dollies

Hello, patient friends! I don't know where I've been lately! It's been a long week -- good long, I suppose, but very long!! Hopefully things will settle back to normal around here very soon.

Part of our recent trip was allotted for doll deliveries.

happy amy

Alicia and I had organized a swap of our dolls months ago, although the one I made went to little N, while I greedily kept Alicia's all for me! It was so much fun to exchange our dolls the night we arrived.

my dolly

I love her curly pigtails! Excuse the blurry photo -- I took this one at Alicia's and since we've been home, I haven't straightened up my creative space enough to do any photography in there. But that's where she'll be living! (I have my own room now! Yay!)

mary

My other doll was for a mama and little girl who had been waiting very patiently for a long time on a doll that I was having a hard time giving up! There was something about this doll that I just didn't want to part with. But, the family lived serendipitously near Cincinnati, and they drove to our hotel to pick up the dolly.

mary's apron & sleeve

I had some apron-making problems with this one, but I don't think her new little mama will mind. ;)

mary with her little mama

As always, see more pictures of my dolls here.

Reminders

I began this post more than a year ago -- in January of 2007 -- and for some reason, even after revisiting it a few times, I have never published it. But after my two weeks away from the computer, and stepping back into this space with fresh "eyes", I feel like there is something in this post that I want to share with you now.

quiet

One afternoon in January of 2007, when I began this post, our little family was sitting together in the living room, and looking around the room, I really felt struck by the fact that we were (and are) growing into the family I'd always hoped we would. As I sat in the chair knitting this hat, my husband and James built with blocks, and Elisabeth, in typical Elisabeth fashion, flitted happily between one very creative activity to another. (From costumes to hairstyles to art projects to movement and music ... she is the most alive person I have ever known.)

looking for fairies, ever so intently

Although it was not the first time the four of us were playing and creating side-by-side, it was one of the first times that I stopped to realize how important this is to me.

Despite many struggles with raising our children, with jobs & money, and lack of time, my husband and I have managed to create a space, or even a moment in time, where peace and creativity flourish. This is so very important to me, and the moments in which these values are truly captured are very special.

I am under no delusion that our children will magically circumvent becoming aloof, even disdainful, teenagers. (I can always hope, though!) But in this moment, while they are still so very little, I am glad that we are placing value on creating together, on working with our hands, and on making and doing rather than waiting for the next outside stimulus to come and sweep us along. I hope that this "foundation" will serve them well later, even when a time comes that they are ready to move on from our little family of four into a bigger world.

trailwalking

I'm thinking about all of this once again as I re-examine what it means for me to be blogging. I received the sweetest, most generous, honest, and inspiring email from a long-time blog reader the day before yesterday. Her words, and the fact that she has drawn inspiration from my life and my family in her own life, on the other side of the earth, humbled and moved me very deeply. Thank you, Iris.

not as tall as the grass

There is something amazing about the connections to be found through this medium, and the opportunities it presents to so many of us are kind of astounding. But, I also have found that the flipside of this (for me) can be a tendency to come across too perfect. I've read discussions around blogland about this, and I have never quite agreed with it. I think it's completely fine to keep the negative elements of my life to myself, and to choose to be positive here. And I am most definitely a perfectionist. I work very slowly, whether it's sewing, knitting, or any other "work." In fact, I think some of you might laugh at how very slowly I sew on the machine! This is to say that I do strive for perfection all the time, because I am a person who gets anxious about small mistakes.

off the path

But, I'm not perfect. I make lots of mistakes in my art, work, and life. I'm not a perfect mother. I struggle every single day with remaining present with my children, with balancing my own needs and wants as an individual with the often very disparate needs and wants of two children, and the everyday tasks of a household. When I started this blog, stepping out of severe depression, I started it for myself. My intention was to record one beautiful and positive thing about my life each day, when all the days seemed to run together. For a long time, I believe that I was successful at this. But after a while, I think my focus shifted away from my original intention and more toward "fitting in" with other bloggers. And not that there's anything so harmful in that (what a great group of women (and men, too!), artists, mothers, and creators to fit into!) but I feel like I lost my focus, and lost a little bit of what made this space so very special to me.

So, I am beginning again, reminding myself that the blog is for me, for fun, and for remembering that there are small miracles in every single day, not just the days when I have a craft to show off or a fantastic photo to share.

examining

Thank you to those of you who choose to spend a little bit of your own precious time here with me -- every day, or just once in a while. I hope you will keep visiting, and leaving comments for me. I hope that my new commitment to focus on the special, small moments in my day-to-day life (and crafts, too!) will touch you and bring a little bit of joy and beauty into your days.

love, Grace

PS: The photos here are from our trail walk today. I shared them here because of the peace that my children exude when they are free like this. Their squabbles seem to melt away on the trail.

Some Etsy love

{First, I wanted to thank all of your for your amazing and thoughtful responses to my request on Tuesday. This community just blows me away all the time! I will certainly give you all an update about how my talk goes -- it's actually in May, but I'm trying to get a head start on preparing for it.}

I am quite remiss in sharing some Etsy goodies that have made their way into our house over the past several months.

A lot of them have come our way from Erin's lovely shop. Erin and I have become such good friends over the last 6 months or so, and I find that she has the exact same taste as me in so many things (except the color pink, which I love and she doesn't). Her style is so simple, classic, and, well, exactly what I love, too. So, I've been buying pants from her for my wee ones at every turn.

bluebirdbaby cords

These two great pairs of cords were for James, with adorable pockets.

on the move

I don't find photographing pants on moving toddlers to be all that easy.

pocket

And then, Elisabeth requested a pair of jeans with matching pockets, and Erin obliged with beautiful results.

jeans

Both children also have some Christmas tree appliqued turtlenecks from Erin, but they are constantly in some state of laundry, so I wasn't able to get photos for this post. :(

Super Organized Wallet

This fantastic "Super Organized Wallet" came my way from Dogwood Lane about 6 months ago, and I rotate it with the lovely one from Erin. They are both perfect for different circumstances, so I love having both. Sally was so sweet to do business with, and I was her 100th customer, so she sent me an adorable "extra", as well. So sweet.

inside the Super Organized Wallet

And there's this Artist Tote from Alicia's shop. Alicia has also come to be a very dear friend, almost since the beginning of my blog. She was the first person to link to my site. :) I simply cannot say enough about the quality of Alicia's work. The tote is really amazing. And it's lined with a batting of some sort, so I've found it really handy to use for a simple camera carry when I don't need more than one lens. The notebook that she included (covered with matching fabric!?!) is never far away from me ... I'm constantly jotting something or other down. Thank you, sweet Alicia.

artist tote

I've also been picking up vintage buttons on Etsy here and there when I see some that I just need -- here are a few I've found around (there are always different ones popping up in all sorts of different Etsy shops -- they're so much fun to look for!):

vintage buttons

Finally, this print made its way to me (way back in September) all the way from France -- via the lovely Julia of lineanongrata. It's just waiting to be framed ... still ... and this photo does not do it justice in any way. It is simply exquisite.

Make Words Grow print

I also have to mention that my dear friend Rebecca has started her own Etsy shop full of her original handmade cards. Her work is beautiful and full of care, if I do say so myself.

one of my friend's offerings

So, get yourself over to Etsy and have some fun perusing some of the just incredible things that artists and craftspeople are creating. Amazing, amazing, amazing.

The Culprit

I really meant to have pictures ready to post today about Elisabeth's final costume. (And thank you all so much for your kind words about the others! They're really just simple, but she's been so happy with them.) But it'll have to wait, once again, because we didn't manage to take any over the weekend.

Remember my finger crisis of Christmas 2007? It healed up so nicely. Until, at the end of last week, I bumped it into the headboard of my bed when I was waking up one morning. Then it suddenly started hurting really badly again, and started to swell. Unfortunately for me, the skin had already healed over, so soaking it in epsom salts isn't going to do the trick this time around. I have to go to the doctor today.

g's t-shirt

Anyway, I thought it would be fitting to share pictures today of the thing I was sewing when it happened. The culprit, if you will. I was just happily appliqueing this little t-shirt for my littlest niece.

snowman

I have a hard time with satin-stitch applique anyway, finger crisis or no. I think it's because I don't have a clear-sole foot for my machine, so I can't really see what I'm doing. Anyway, it's not perfect. I could use some more practice. But, that Superbuzzy Snow Play fabric is so fantastic (I've decided that "fantastic" is my new word for 2008, by the way), and it just demanded to be appliqued onto a t-shirt for a sweet little girlie.

wrist

I loved the idea of this little wrist detail, but it didn't turn out as well as I wanted because I did it after the finger injury and I was really jumpy the whole time.

button bobbies

I also made these little button bobbie pins for both nieces, having seen them around quite a bit. They are so cute, and made perfect package toppers. (We opted for The Daring Book for Girls for our older niece, not an applique t-shirt.)

t-shirt on g

A shot of my little niece in the shirt.

Oh, and incidentally, I was just looking in my Bernina accessories booklet for the clear-sole foot, and I noticed that they actually sell a zig-zag foot with a guard on it to prevent fingers from being sewn over. Sounds like just what I need! Except the sole isn't clear. Too bad. ;)

Skating party

I know, I've been very quiet here over the last couple of weeks. I'm just a bit overwhelmed and stressed.

At the end of November, my sister's older stepdaughter turned seven, and she had the funnest little ice skating party.

skating

skating by herself!ornament at my sister's

pretty package

I made the Simple Tote from Bend the Rules Sewing for her, using some adorable Superbuzzy fabric from my stash. The tote turned out a lot smaller than I imagined it would (I think just because I am lame at picturing measurements in my head), but it was just the right size for three new chapter books for this little girl who loves to hear a good yarn. (The photo only pictures two because Elisabeth was looking at the other one at the time!)

simple tote

inside

I think Seven sounds Stupendous.

PS: The books we included were The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong, which was a favorite of my sister's as a girl, The Borrowers by Mary Norton, which Elisabeth and I selected because we love miniature people and things, and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, another childhood favorite of my sister's ... with illustrations by Tasha Tudor -- lovely. (Since my sister will likely be doing the reading, they might as well be books she already loves, right?)

A bit of R & R

Hmm ... is it really so late? I can't believe that it's taken me all day to get this post up. One of those days, I guess.

on my way

Last night I had the special privilege of spending the evening out at a pub with two awesome ladies. Both are so brilliant and funny, it's humbling to think that they're my real life friends. A night out with some girlfriends was just what I needed after a long weekend of nothing but coughing and dollmaking. Not that I'm complaining too much about the dollmaking! ;) Thanks for a fab night out, Meghan and Kim.

pub window

kim's bracelet

meghan's book

Equilibrium

candles

I know I promised to post on Monday. And I didn't. And then I was really going to post yesterday, and it didn't happen either. But I'm here today! And we've been busy and happy!

table centerpiece

After three lovely days with Daddy home last week, I had the opportunity to attend an inspiring parenting and homeschooling conference this weekend, which inspired and "recharged" me.

atmospheric

However, that made for a very late night on Sunday. And a sleepy day on Monday, reconnecting with my babies and trying to reestablish our rhythm.

pasta supper

Last week my serger finally died. I mean, it really died. So I've been looking into other options ... at this point, I've been so spoiled to have had a serger that going without was not a realistic option, especially not with doll commissions in my future. So I researched, asked around, priced, priced again, knew I couldn't afford what I really wanted, wished, looked for used ... and yesterday, amazingly, a local dealer had just had a trade-in only hours before I called. So we spent the afternoon at the shop trying it out, making sure that everything was in working order, etc., and, with the help of my mama, I came home with my very own Baby Lock! It's about 4 or 5 years old, but has never been used. The person who owned it finally decided, after years of non-use, to trade it in for a vacuum cleaner. I cannot believe how fortunate this was for me, because it's the machine I really wanted, and I would never have been able to afford it -- or any Baby Lock -- right now. But this was an incredible deal, and my mom was so generous to help me with it. I'm very blessed, I know.

new-to-me babylock

Monday night was our annual pumpkin carving "party" with my dear, dear friend Rebecca. We've been carving pumpkins together every year for 8 years now, and have never missed, even when we (briefly) lived many hours away.

grin

We have an annual tradition of having pasta and salad for dinner on pumpkin carving night. The photos throughout this post are from that lovely evening.

pumpkins

And tonight is Halloween! You'll pardon me for waiting to share costume pictures or even hints until tomorrow, won't you?!

Handmade for Us

dipe

My friend Gina made this diaper cover for James recently. It's a felted sweater that she cut up and sewed together on her machine.

diaper bum

We use only wool covers with our diapers -- I felt like if I was going to "go for it" with cloth, I should go all the way; and then there's that whole thing about wool being my favorite thing. And we have many that we just love. But despite being a knitter and crafty mama and wool-lover, I have never made my own.

climbing down

Well, I think this little cover here has converted me.

PS: My husband is on fall break this week and we have family time to enjoy -- and I have Halloween costumes to finish -- so I'll be taking the rest of the week off. I'll be back in this space on Monday. Have a fantastic fall weekend!

My weekend in photos

prayer

one member o' my posse

Friday: An evening out with two friends. Wonderful, and just what I needed!

pumpkin patch

ours

view

Saturday: Pumpkin patch with my husband and wee ones. Perfect weather, perfect day! Later, some sewing and movie watching with another friend.

first snow

snow

fireside

Sunday: Woke up to snow. Cozy day at home with those I love most.

I hope your weekend was just as sweet!

More photos of my weekend on flickr.

Yard Envy

laura's yard

My friend Laura has the most beautiful backyard. While she definitely has a talent for gardening, I love the small details in her yard even more. A little fairy peeking out here, some fun little stump mushrooms there.

As much as I moan and complain about not having a yard (we've only lived in a free-standing house with a yard for 10 months of our 8 year marriage), the one good thing is that when we finally do move to a place with a yard, no matter how big or small, I have a friend whose established yard greatly inspires me. Oh, and who has already agreed to help me plan and execute mine when the time comes. (Right, Laura?)

Oh, and look at the photo on the bottom right corner. It's one of Erin's twirly skirts, which Laura made beautifully for her daughter. Who is, might I add, in first grade this year. Where does the time go?

Late Birthday Gifts

One of our family's favorite little boys turned four in July. Between busy summer schedules, a gift that didn't arrive in time, a few cancellations, teething little ones in both families, and so on, we hadn't had the chance to give him his gifts until yesterday.

gifts for a 4 year old

Pelle's New Suit is a big favorite at our house. The text is simpler than in some of Elsa Beskow's other books. I love the story of a boy shearing his own sheep and then bartering chores with family and friends to have the wool made into a new suit, from carding to spinning to dyeing, and finally being made by the tailor.

the card!

I thought it would be great fun to pair this book with some raw wool, some hand carders, and instructions for dyeing with kool-aid. From there, it's up to him. He comes from a pretty crafty family, so I'm sure they'll make good use of their new fairy wool. Happy belated birthday ~ and wool working ~ little man!

Dog Days

kids' clothesline...

They call these the Dog Days of Summer.

"bucket of fun"

For some, including my husband, they signal the beginning of school/work once again. I am grateful to have the luxury with Elisabeth and James to savor each day of summer as it slips away without having school as a fixture in our lives right now. Someday perhaps things will change, adjustments will be made ... but for now, August is still summer for the three of us.

little friend with a ladybug

We are lucky to have other friends whose children aren't in school (either not yet or not at all) with whom to spend these days, playing, creating, and discovering.

new cousins

girls: cooking

When my sister got married a while back, two little girls joined our lives and family in addition to a new brother-in-law. I admit that at first I didn't know how to react to having two new nieces overnight. But it is turning out to be even better than any of us (adults) could've hoped. Elisabeth is so thrilled to have two new cousins so close in age (my husband's nieces and nephews are all a lot older than our children), and it has given my sister and me something new to share with one another.

These shots are from a recent afternoon when the younger of the girls spent the afternoon with us while my sister took the eldest to a birthday party.

stirring

It feels like it has been such a long time that I have been doing the "mama thing" while my three younger siblings have been going to college and doing the "20's thing." So it's been really fun to reconnect with my sister at the zoo, over sprinklers (that the kids are running through), and through naptimes and bedtimes. Her experience as a (new) step-mom is different than my mothering experience, but there are a lot of things about the day-to-day joys and challenges of being with children that we share.

happiness is ...

watching gigi

For Tara

Tara, Elisabeth & JJ

My best friend from college is expecting her first baby in January. She's in the middle of quitting her job and moving across the country as her husband begins a new job. Somehow, in the middle of all this, she remains creative, generous, and gracious.

We have not lived in the same state for almost seven years. I miss her lots, even though we have both grown and changed in such different ways over those seven years. I am so excited to see her stepping onto her own path of motherhood. It's hard to express to her how much having a baby -- such a small thing, in so many ways -- really changes everything. But I know that she'll be the perfect mother for her sweet wee boy when he arrives.

For Tara

She visited for a short time on her way to her new home, and I gave her these baby gifts. I made her a sling and a silk and flannel blanket (similar to these, minus the $60 price tag!). It's a bit hard to tell in the picture, but the flannel is blue and white striped (Elisabeth picked it out, and at first I wasn't too sure about it -- there was another flannel I liked better -- but it really ended up growing on me). I love the batik print I got (at JoAnn) for the sling -- so much so that I think I'm going to get some more for a summer wrap skirt for me!

Anyway, blessings to you, Tara: for your move, your birth, and your motherhood journey. xo