Signs of Late Spring

I feel bad because I have missed taking pictures of all of the beautiful blooms in spring around our home this season, the winter blooming Camilla tree by our front walk way, the beautiful yellow Daffodils the purple, white, and burgundy Irises, the pink and white Dogwoods, the Tulip Poplar, the Honeysuckle, even the Clover and Dandelions were all missed in photos this year.  

We very much enjoyed them, I just forgot how quickly the landscape changes in Spring.  So here are a few photos of the exciting things going on right now and a reminder to slow down and enjoy each moment. 

I find that I am always looking forward to the next season, the next festival and holiday, plotting and planning to make sure it is special, that I forget that every day is special, even the most mundane of tasks are sacred when done with joy.

I have a very small raised bed garden with some greens in it, before the babies this bed would have been so small and manageable I would have barely even considered it a garden, however this year it is overrun with grass, I try to weed it when the kids are playing, but of course no matter what has captured their interest for the moment, what I am doing is so much more enticing, they toddle over, observe for a minute and then start ripping, just like mommy.  Occasionally they go for the grass or the weeds, but more often than not it’s a vegetable.

How are they to know which plant is a “good” plant and which one is not, I have no idea, and the look of pure joy they have while “helping” is priceless.  I give up and we move on to something else to do in the yard. 

So the little garden bed is over grown, it more than likely will be for the next few years, and that is okay. Everything around us is changing every minute, and my goal is to sit back, take a moment or two, and relish each and every moment.  

Wild Strawberries 

Woodland Garden starting to look good, those are the cutest little cauliflower heads towards the back.

Mandala Garden Blooming

The first tomato of the season, a Sungold.

Our Spring Nature Table 

Dandelions!  These are going to be tinctured but we fry them up to eat too.

May's Story has been the Goose Girl (modified for the littles attention span)

May Day Festivities

We had a whirlwind weekend, with Kiwi's school May Faire, and my best friends wedding, Mother's Day and a dinner party for 13.  I wish I had taken pictures but I felted her wedding slippers and made the cupcakes with beautiful crystalized flowers, it was a beautiful almost 100% homemade wedding even down to her gown. 

This is the pattern I used for the slippers:  http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L10468.html?noImages=0  Instead of knitting the strap we used a beautiful vintage silk ribbon and vintage mother of pearl buttons for a closure.

The Beautiful Bride

 

Here are a few Pictures from the May Faire

E's first time on  a swing

Kiwi likes to be where the big kids are

Dancing the May Pole

Hide and go seek with the trees

The staff was presenting a puppet show of Snow White and Rose Red, We tried so hard to last long enough to see the show but 2 hours past nap time was just too long, we had to leave with two very tired and cranky babies.

Back drop to puppet show waiting to be unveiled

Cloth Diapers

When I became pregnant I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers so I started researching which kind to get, and oh my!  I quickly became overwhelmed with all of the options and acronyms, websites etc.  I half jokingly thought someone should really teach a course on cloth diapering; it clearly was not as simple as I had hoped it would be.  

Well 15 months into being a cloth diapering Mama of two I feel like I have a little bit of insight I can share and hopefully make it a little less intimidating for other new moms.   

I started out with Grovia Hybrid Diapers, I was attracted to the idea they were one size fits all, that you had the option to use cloth or biodegradable inserts and that you could remove the inserts and reuse the shells.  Most of the shells I bought were hook and loop closure (Velcro) because that seemed to me like it would be a more exact fit and much quicker to fasten than the snaps.

Well I never used the biodegradable inserts, cloth has been fine even for outings I just throw the soiled cloth inserts in a wet bag and wash them when I get home.  I am sure being able to dispose of the inserts has its advantages while out; I just never have felt the need to use them.

I have never reused a shell, usually because the insert has leaked a bit and my children's urine stinks!

The Velcro was fine for an infant but with toddlers, I have learned the benefit of snaps, they love to take their own diapers off and I have found snaps prevents this from happening, also after 15 months of heavy use the Velcro closures have become less 'sticky.  If I could go back I would have purchased all snap covers.

When Kiwi joined our family I needed more diapers to make it through the day and Fuzzibunz was running a promotion if you bought 6 diapers you got 2 free.  I figured that was too good of a deal to pass up so decided to go with Fuzzibunz for Kiwi's diapers and Grovia for E.  

I fell in love with Fuzzibunz Elite One Size.  They leaked less and fit better than Grovia.  Then a dear friend gifted me with 12 more Fuzzibunz EOS diapers and it was settled both babies were now wearing Fuzzibunz as our primary diapers and I would highly recommend them.

I have also used Bum Genius (I bought a few on clearance before E was born) and they are fine, a little bulkier than both Grovia and Fuzzibunz and the insert doesn't feel as secure, Grovia snaps in, and Fuzzibunz are in a pocket, where as Bum Genius just kind of sits in the shell unsecured.   

I have also tried pre-folds with a shell and they are just difficult and bulky, I have only done this in a pinch (When we lost power for a week due to a hurricane).  

I am sure there are many other great diapers out there; I have by no means tried them all.  I just wanted to let you know what I have found works best for our family.

I use Rocking Green detergent on them, and line dry the shells.

Easy peasy, and I have saved a fortune in diapers, prevented tons of waste, don't have to worry about poop smelling trash cans, or late night emergency trips to the store for diapers, prevented countless diaper rashes, and hope that it is true that cloth makes potty training easier.   I really do love my cloth diapers, and cannot imagine diapering any other way.

(Not the most effective location for diapers but they do make cute hats.)

Bed Time Rhythm

Our bedtime song is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and as soon as I start singing it I have one child that literally runs to bed, banging on any closed door in his path until it is opened, he grabs his blanket from a basket on his bookshelf and tries to climb into his crib, where he sleeps peacefully though the night and wakes up talking and laughing to himself until I come to get him.  My other child runs in any direction she can away from her room, and tries to hide to avoid the dreaded bedtime.  Although she is 19 months old she has yet to sleep through a night usually waking at least 3 times, with blood curdling screams.  We have tried a night light, the overhead light, a white noise machine, bedtime tea, lavender diffusers, amber teething necklaces, putting her dolls to bed, singing to the dolls etc etc, nothing seems to giver her a decent nights sleep (or me).    Does anyone have any ideas on what may help her?

She is an adopted child and did have a rough start in life we are not exactly sure what has happened to her, and what she has witnessed, but I do know she was often left with strangers and in and out of foster care before she came to live with us when she was 10 months old.  As of right now we start winding down after dinner, we have a story, then they are allowed to play for about an hour, then bath time (with lavender oil) another 1/2 and hour of quiet play then its "Twinkle Twinkle Time".  

Here's a few pictures of our day when we aren't fighting sleep:

Dinner picnic with the "chickies"

Helping in the  bunny's garden: (Yes, pulling the grass out of the bed is today's project)

Magically balancing brooms (she impressed me with this one)!

Tuesday is Sprouts Day

Kiwi and I have been attending the Sprouts program at our local Waldorf school.  It is a one day a week "mom" and me program but we have Dads, Grandmas, an Aunt and Nanny in our class too. I snapped a few pictures before everyone arrived this morning.

I think Kiwi is wondering where all of her friends are, she gets so excited when I say we are going to "school".

This is where we all sit for snack time, and then the parents stay here to craft toys for our children while the children have free play in the classroom.

This weeks nature table, it changes every week and it is the first place Kiwi goes when she arrives in the classroom, usually picking a toy off of it to keep with her for the day.  Today she carried around a fairy with her.

A few of the toy shelves, filled with beautiful natural, often handmade toys.

The first class we made these little treasure bags for the kids to add their treasures they find on their nature walks, Kiwi's currently is filled with river rocks she found.

Today we finished up the babies we started last week and had a naming ceremony for them at the end of class.  It was very sweet to watch the dad's lovingly sew their children dolls.

The teacher always introduces the toy we are going to make in the stories she tells at story time and then the kids get to watch the parents craft them.  It is very sweet to watch each child receive the toy they watched their parent make.

In Keeping with my "Grain A Day Challenge" today we had butternutsquash, apple, cinnamon, barley  porridge and some strawberries because barley is the grain of the day and red is today's color.

Keep Calm Craft On

I have read so many wonderful blogs over the last few years and wanted to join in the community of bloggers so as my first link up I chose, "Keep Calm Craft On” I always have a ton of works in progress so this was an easy choice plus I hope it will keep me on track to actually completing a few WIP in a timely fashion.  

This little lady just needs the last little bits of hand stitching on her neck, around her arms and to create her feet, her dress has been cut out and pinned it just needs a few minutes on the sewing machine and then I need to knit her shoes and a sweater.  I hope to have a completed picture to share for next weeks KCCO similar to the completed dolls pictured below:

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I am feeling accomplished today, I got the first of the mandala gardens planted and was able to do most of it according to Steiner's Biodynamic planting times.  I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of fresh fruits and veggies from the garden, man I miss tomatoes that actually have flavor.  Planting with the toddlers is still a little too hard, we tried but after a few patty pan and chard plants were trampled, it was time to call in the big sister to occupy the littles in the sandbox.  

Too make up for being occupied most of the day, we did introduce a new story ( we choose one a month) a day early.  The kids were so excited watching the scene being built, I think they forgave me from keeping them out of the garden.

Sweet Porridge (with a few twists)

The story is of a mother who has no food for her daughter, the daughter hungrily goes into the forest to look for food, but finds none.  She cries in despair when the witch of the woods hears the girl crying and goes to comfort her.  She gives the girl her magic cooking pot so the mother and daughter will never go hungry again.  All you have to do is say cook pot, cook and it produces all the food you can want.  To stop it from cooking all you have to do is command it "Stop pot, stop" but the daughter fails to explain this to her mother, one day while the daughter is out playing, the mother uses the pot, but does not know how to stop the pot from producing food once it is full, the pot spills over with giant fruits and vegetables.  The daughter arrives home just in time to stop the pot from burying their home under the giant fruits and vegetables.

The giant fruits and vegetables and the witch are a bit different than the original story, but I switched from porridge to fruits and vegetables because it was easier to demonstrate with the props (my audience is under the age of 2 so we rely more on the props than words to tell the story, and they laughed at the veggies taking over the scene.  I also use a witch instead of an old woman because I like imbuing the witch figure with a duality, sometimes she is sought in our stories for wisdom and help and other times she is the villan.

Keeping with my “Grain a Day Challenge”, we had butternut squash risotto for today's grain, rice and a side of blackberries because today's color is purple.  E actually so enjoyed the blackberries he ate his entire bowl, tried to steal K’s bowl and then attempted to drink the juice from his bowl.  I now have a purple baby!