sunshine

Shucking corn on the front porch. New knight costume close at hand (brought back from an auntie and uncle who got it at a real castle in France.)

Going out after supper looking for rainbows. Walking through the sun shower, the light so bright and warm. Coming back inside without finding any, but feeling lucky just the same.

the giveaway is still on if you want to enter. I'll draw a name on Wednesday or Thursday.

free to a good home:rainbow

As I mentioned earlier, I have been working on a lot of projects for the new adventure- the preschool/playgroup I'm starting this fall. I was thinking through various traditions and rituals I wanted to create for the children and I figured a birthday tradition would be rather important. And since two of the children have autumn birthdays I knew I should have this planned and ready to go.

Birthday crowns have become an important tradition in our household, so this was an obvious first step. And thought it isn't particularly Enki, I do love the rainbow bridge story that is told in the Waldorf tradition, so a rainbow crown seemed appropriate. I searched etsy for rainbow felt and found none, so with Nicole's recent tutorial in mind, and finding myself with an empty house (save from a baby asleep on my back,) I decided to try to make my own. I cut some white felt using the crown pattern I made for Ari's birthday crown years ago, this time just one solid piece instead of several. I cut out two since this was an experiment.

I mixed up the colours from what I had on hand- a few Koolaid packets (from other dying projects, not drinking!) and some food colour. I considered steaming the felt in between each colour, but I knew time was tight so I risked them all bleeding into each other and just painted them on all at the same time. I did a silk I had on hand at the same time.

I couldn't remember how long Nicole had steamed her yarn for (and didn't have the computer on during this crafting blitz) so I faked it- probably about 10 minutes for each piece. I was worried about the colours running when I rinsed them, but no colour came out at all so I didn't even bother rinsing the others.They looked so pretty drying in the wind.
I backed the crowns with a layer of white felt and blanket stitched them together with some yummy blue linen from my stash for the elastic at the back. I was so excited that the experiment turned out.

It looks rather big on my model, though it does fit his head fine. I can squeeze it on my head too, so we'll call it one-size-fits-all. And since I made two- I will give one of these away. Just leave a comment on this post and I'll draw a name sometime next week.
Good luck!

big rivers and new friends

We are back from our camping adventures, and much fun was had. We spent a couple nights with my family, loving up aunties and uncles and grandparents, playing at the beach and eating gourmet camping food. No mac and cheese at our campsite, not when my mom is around.

Ari got that fishing rod at the beginning of the trip (thanks ma!) and he was incredible with it- practicing literally for hours until he had managed to master casting, then taking his new skills to the beach. He seemed quite content with the red plastic fish on the end of the line, which was good, because he did think that casting at people was kind of fun.
We drove on down the highway all the way to the coast, and got in in time to see Ali arrive at the Port Edward cannery. 28 days of swimming to raise awareness for the Skeena watershed. It was a powerful experience watching her come in to the sound of drumming and people cheering. We met up with Annie and her family at the swim, and we enjoyed their company so much. They are such wonderful folks, and Lily and Leif are shining, lovely kiddos. We felt so lucky to be welcomed into their home- and meeting a "blog friend" was pretty great. A nice reminder that being part of the blog world is worthwhile and important at this stage in my life.

Both Annie and I forgot our cameras for the Skeena swim party in the evening, so there are no pictures of our kids dancing, but oh! What fun they had! Dance parties with herds of kids are my favorite. I hope we have more dancing and visiting and playing together in our future.

And I know, I know. The giveaway, right? Tomorrow. I'll get it together tomorrow.

See you then!

dragon hugs

Yesterday Ari and I were in the garden picking the last few strawberries of the season. I went around behind the bed to pick the back ones and he called out,

"Mama, the dragons are there!"

"Oh no!" said I.

"Oh it's okay, they are friendly dragons. They don't eat people, just strawberries."

"Hmm. That's good. What are their names?"

"Toby and Filo. One is green and white and one is soooo brownish."

I just keep picking strawberries and smiling.

"They are so friendly mama. They love to hug people and snuggle them in their beds!"

"Oh wow!" I say. "I would love a dragon hug sometime."

"Mama!" he says with wonder and awe in his voice, "One is snuggling you right now!"

and so it is that I got a friendly dragon hug right in my own backyard.

I hope you all have such luck in your next few days.

And us, we are heading off for another camping trip and to attend the end of Ali's amazing skeena swim.

We are feeling pretty lucky all round and excited that we will get to meet up with Annie and her family while we are there.

As far as that giveaway I mentioned, I didn't get the post together so it will happen early next week. Promise.

behind the scenes

It's been busy over here, that nice kind of summer busy that sees us working together

and playing together and enjoying all the family time. I've been getting some time to work, which has been a treat- doing some volunteer work for Enki Education, which is so much fun and exactly right for me right now.

I also have big plans for the fall- I'm going to be starting a little pre-school/ play group at our house for some of my friend's kids. It will be based on Enki principles ( I am eagerly waiting for the teacher training program to start up again to call myself a true Enki teacher- I will be there with bells on as soon as the program is announced!) and I'm pretty excited about it and what it could lead up to.

I have been busily working to get ready- making toys and costumes and such, learning circle songs and rhymes, reading and making lists like a mad-woman. When I met with the parents at the beginning of the summer everyone was really keen on the preschool idea, and also excited to talk about the future- with the potential of starting a school which is the great big dream- something I've been thinking about for a very long time.

For now I am starting small- just 4 kids one day a week- making sure I don't jump in over my head or overwhelm our family rhythm. Besides, I don't think I could be away from my baby any longer than that!

And since the idea of trying to lead the preschool with a baby seemed a little overwhelming, we are really lucky to have my mom close by (for lots of other reasons too!). She will take him while I am busy with the other kiddos and I think he will do just fine. Today I even managed to attend a meditation and talk all by myself and he hardly missed me.

I have some projects that I've been working on for the preschool that I will share soon, and I plan to do a giveaway in the next couple days, so stay tuned!

good night.

fed

A full day of making and cleaning and playing. Can't go wrong with rainbows and fruit and fresh food from the garden. Even if it is food from your mom's garden because your own is wilty and full of weeds.

ten months

Oh dear baby, sweet joyful soul, how is it that you are ten months already?
This time has gone so quickly, and yet, you are ever a reminder to slow down and just be. You came to us filled up with joy, and every day we delight in you. You are pure sweet sunshine. I feel so blessed to have you here, and to have this incredible job as your mama.

You are growing so fast, crawling and pulling yourself up and cruising along, getting into all sorts of things. You love to make us laugh, and have this funny half-laugh you do to get us going, and of course it is adorable and always works. Sometimes you and your brother go back and forth until you're both really laughing. You are so busy these days, and so content to go off and play by yourself. Often after nursing you will just struggle to get down so you can go explore on your own. But you are so snuggly too. You give me sweet kisses and think giving raspberries is pretty funny. You sleep all cuddled up beside me. Often I can't remember how much you woke up, it is just a dreamy blur in the morning.

You've learned a bunch of new tricks lately- waving goodbye, clapping (is there anything so cute as a chubby, happy baby clapping?) and lifting your arm up high to show how big something is. You like to feed us your food and are just starting again to eat more yourself. But really? 98% of that delicious chub of yours has been built with mama milk. And I don't mind a bit, though it is fun to see you enjoying food after not wanting to eat at all while we were gone. We shared a nectarine today - and sometimes such a simple act can fill me up to brimming-your adorable self leaning unto the bites, juice dribbling down your chin, smiling at me your thanks. Every day with you is a gift sweet baby. I love you I love you I love you.
Mama.

catch up post

Apologies for the photo heavy catch up post. I am eager to start posting some present adventures, but don't want to skip over all the fun we had on our trip. So here is a bunch of photos to document some of what we got up to.There was lots of playing.

with friends at their houses.... (I am in love with this picture. D. with my dear friends' baby who is now on an adventure with his amazing mama...)
and friends at parks,and on balconies (and backyard dramatic productions, and community gardens...)
and jamming with musical friends... (a most amazing jam session led by A. on a kid sized guitar singing "bananaaaa breeeeeaaaad! With CHOCOLATE CHIIIIIIPS!" Incredible really.)

Playing with family (of whom there are many more photos, many of them adorable since they include our niece and nephew, but we didn't ask how they felt about being blogged, so I'll keep it to blurry back of the head shots...)
We played at a local Waldorf school,
A restaurant with the most amazing Waldorf toy play area,

In a cabin in a farmers field with a pool

And a collection of vintage toys.

We played in the ocean,

In the sand,
And in the hay.

There was even time for a little shopping.

Many fun adventures and ever so glad to be back.