Grass stained knees

playing catch up...

Seeing that October has come and gone and I have not had a minute to sit down and document anything in this space, I am seizing the opportunity to post a plethora of photos showcasing what we have been up to.

I do realize that this type of blog update feels purely selfish and not entirely fair, but this is at least a chance for a visual record to be placed in this space so that years from now we will be able to look back and be reminded of just what was happening during the fall of 2010.

There was an excellent soccer season for the big brothers. We shared a wonderful family trip to the apple orchard, complete with all the tree climbing two big brothers could wish for. We spent a sunny Saturday at the pumpkin patch. We carved pumpkins and spent an evening with our co-op friends, trick or treating and roasting marshmallows. We spent Halloween walking the neighborhood with our very best buddies. There is also a little random silliness and a little fireplace construction mess thrown in for good measure...phew it really was a busy month.

So without further adieu, sit back and enjoy what just might be the longest photo post in history...

 

a simple surprise

So I found a small treasure the other day at our local antique mall. I almost didn't pick it up. It caught my eye and I walked on without it but as I continued to browse, something told me that it needed to come home with us. I thought it might amuse the big brothers as a passing distraction.  

Turns out it was a major score.

The moment it's contents were emptied they attacked that pile, albeit in very different ways.

Samuel combed through sorting and finding matches, which were thankfully abundant. His piles grew and grew and each time he would spot another familiar acquisition there would be an exuberant "Oh Yeah!".

Caleb on the other hand, declared an immediate need for string, in his little mind, within the contents of that pile, a beautiful necklace lay in wait.

There we sat, just the three of us, under the shade of our tree sifting through that pile. We admired the colors and textures and wondered out loud about the previous lives of these little nuggets of goodness. It was easy to imagine each one having had it's own unique story of time and place and fashion trend.

I wish I could have captured an audio of Caleb's sweet little voice sifting through that pile, over and over hearing "Oh Mama, look at this one, it's soooo beautiful!" and together we would pay homage and admire it for all it was worth.  

Guess what? Turns out there was a beautiful necklace lurking in that pile. He worked long and hard, with so much heart completing that masterpiece. It's jingle around my neck has made me smile for the last several days. It is a treasure that I will keep forever. One that will remind me of my biggest boys and a special afternoon spent under the shade of our favorite tree.

a weekend full of cousins...

We shared some cousin love for the July 4th weekend.

Boy were people excited!

Saturday morning the big kids were up a few minutes before 6 AM. Here they are wrapped up in a blanket on the front porch steps after I threw them out considering their inability to find and maintain their "inside voices".  Nothing like a room full of loud, over-excited little boys to start the day off right!

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 Look at that little face, I could just gobble that up. Yes sir, little Josie is certainly a cutie and man is she ever loved by one certain little boy who just can't seem to smother her with enough kisses.

That's right, anyone who's met him knows that Caleb has always been quite the ladies man but his love for Josie is something special. Just look at that face, it positively lights up like that every single time he gets close to her. It's so stinkin cute.

And look at this bunch of sweetness. I can't get over these little people. They really had fun together, not like toddlers, but like little kids. Booo, where did our babies go? 

There was so much cousin lovin all weekend long.

Snuggling, wrestling, laughing, giggling, story telling, joking fun.

Camp fires and smores...

fireworks and sparklers...

Cousin love is a sweet thing to behold.

It was such a super great weekend. Everyone keeps asking when the cousins will be coming back to play again...not soon enough I can tell ya that!

home life

Ya know what I realized today? The kids and I have not left the house since we got home from our trip last Monday. That means that the car has not left the driveway, and we have been total homebodies for 10 whole days...and do you know what...it has been an excellent 10 days.  Mind you this wouldn't be possible without my wonderful husband who willingly does all of our grocery shopping. Of course, it also wouldn't be possible if we didn't enjoy each others company the way we do.

To make things more interesting, it has been unnaturally cold here this week, so much so that the kids have been reluctant to go out to play, which is confirmation that it has been really cold.

So what have we been busy with, you ask? Oh lots of things...train track building, lego construction, coloring, reading, today we even made peppermint scented, red glittered playdoh, which is wonderful beyond words by the way...but the best thing, by far, that has kept us busy, has been the trusty old favorite board game, Memory.

There was actually some resistance when I pulled it off the shelf, lots of "I don't like that game", "that one's no fun" but after I convinced them to try just one round...well, let's just say they were hooked. 

Honestly, it's pure hilarity. They get so darn excited. And while each guy is out to be the victor, there is the best spirit of cooperation, and coaching, and genuine excitement by each of them when the other finds a match. I mean pure hooting and hollering and actual jumping for joy.

It is an absolute riot to watch.

And I don't have any scientific evidence to support this claim, but I can't help but think that if these guys were T.V. watchers and video gamers, some of this unbridled joy, while engaged in such a simple activity, might be diminshed, at least a little. I'm super glad that's not the case!

Sunday afternoon

The weather was amazing today.

Warm sun, clear blue skies, temperatures in the seventies...pretty wonderful for mid November. 

We had planned on an alternate adventure today but decided it might actually be a bit too warm, instead we headed just up the road for some bike riding and lounging in the grass. After we arrived, I realized that we have not taken advantage of this great spot since late last winter, where does the time go?

It has been another week of continued sickness at our house. (unbelievable I know) this time myself and the babies. Turns out an afternoon like this one was just what we needed...

 

 

 

 

The little guys munched on crackers and the resulting mess required shirt removal in an effort to wipe them properly...which is how my babies ended up shirtless in November. I promise it was very warm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you all had an equally wonderful Sunday!

Signs of the season

Here we are at the very end of October. How did that happen?

I keep being struck by how different things are this year compared to last year at this very same time. How alive and happy and great the energy in our house feels now versus then.

 

Of course, the pace of our days now doesn't even begin to compare to our days one year ago. I'm telling you, it feels like I am running a complete marathon. every. single. day. But despite the physical exhaustion that washes over me at random moments, I couldn't be any happier to be living this incredibly blessed and busy life.

 

Yesterday was a really fun and productive one.

The boys and I mixed cookie dough and had it chilling in the fridge by 9:30.

Around 10:00 we had scratch-made pumpkin pie baking in the oven so that while we did our morning schoolwork the house smelled all warm and thanksgiving-y.

After lunch, the cookie baking began and went on and on and on. Amid the usual interruptions, start to finish, the process took about 4 hours, which felt ridiculous.

We successfully decorated the front porch for Halloween, cobwebs everywhere, bat hanging in the corner, while our ghost and rubber vulture found their way to the tree branches. The boys were very pleased with their work.

I was pleased that we got the job done.

I've got to say that Halloween was never a favorite for me, but as we return to all of these silly little traditions and watching the kids swell with excitement, well this crazy holiday has begun to win a place in my heart. 

 

The baby boys had their first experience with homemade sugar cookies after lunch...

 

I'd say that face says it all.

I thought I would include a shot of each of them just to capture their sweet faces right now.

All of a sudden they seem to be growing so fast, and looking less and less like babies and more and more like little boys. Is it the hair that makes the difference? I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it.

They are such sweet little guys.  We sure feel lucky to have them.

 

Happy Halloween wishes from our house to yours!

This week's co-op included...

little people running in the forest...

yoga poses...

 

meditation...

 

rearranging the woods...

 

leaf masks...

 

 

buddies walking arm in arm...

 

the gift of sweet, ripe persimmons discovered along our walk...

 

With each passing week, as our new friends and surroundings become increasingly familiar, I feel more and more blessed to be in the company of this special group of mama's and their sweet children.

Autumn Leaves...maybe even for you!

So it was a cold start for Waldorf co-op this morning. Some of the mamas were able to get a small fire going to help counter the chilly temperatures which I'm pretty sure set new records for this time of year in the Carolinas.

 

Most of us arrived bundled, but thankfully, the sun warmed things rather quickly, and just as fast, the layers were shed. This is a total aside, but why is it that little people desire to wear the least amount of clothing permissible, with little regard for current weather conditions? I feel like I spent the majority of a very chilly weekend repeating why shorts and t-shirts were not an acceptable choice for 50 degrees. Can't those little "skin and bones" arms and legs not feel that for themselves? Just asking.

        (above photo credit goes to Lora, thanks for capturing the moment!)

Today was my turn to lead circle. Oliver is on my front and Finn on my back, in the carriers that Carrie so graciously lent me about a month ago, which I still have not returned. That act of kindness has changed my life in unspeakable ways...Carrie, thank you again and I promise to give them back whenever you need them or as soon as mine show up, whichever comes first!

I just need to say that I think the photo above is both beautiful and incredibly funny. The sunlight and the color composition are so gorgeous, meanwhile, the smoke coming off of the fire and our hands frozen in mid-air, make it look like we are casting a spell over a bubbling cauldron. I think what we were really doing is a verse about falling leaves!

Our circle follows a format of seasonal verses and songs that change every few weeks, as well as the telling of a story. This week I told The Anxious Leaf. I can't begin to tell you how many times I practiced this story. In the car, in the shower, while eating breakfast. I was so confident and guess what happened? Mid-way through, I got distracted by the crazy boy sitting next to me who could not sit still and the whole story fell out of my mind like sand through a sieve. One minute I was in the zone and then, it was gone. blank. nothing. I got so flustered I didn't even know where I left off and I have no idea if the second half even made any sense. Everyone was unbelievably kind, I mean what could they possibly say... uh, you are the worst story teller ever!! Oh well, better luck next time, that is if they ever ask me do it again!  

  

The circle leader is also responsible for planning the craft for the day. There are so many great choices for leaves and Fall. I ended up settling on felt garland. It is an idea which I have seen so many times over the last few weeks, here, here, here and finally here. The boys and I were planning on making one for our family and then it ended up that I bought way too much felt, so it seemed like a good opportunity to pass it on. 

  

I believe I ended up cutting close to 150 felt leaves, in every spare minute I could squeeze out of the last several days. Believe it or not, it didn't feel daunting, but rather inspiring that I was able to accomplish such a task by carving out a few minutes here, a few minutes there. It left me with a renewed sense of confidence about my ability to squeeze crafting back into my life.

 

Here is a glimpse of our finished product. The boys and I are pretty tickled!

AND GUESS WHAT???

It would make me so happy to continue to pass on the leaf garland love...

It turns out that I have the supplies to make one more batch of leaves, complete with the yarn to hang them on. I am offering up the chance for your family to create your very own bit of felt, autumnal goodness to be enjoyed this season and beyond.

If you would like a chance to win the fixin's for your very own leaf garland, leave a comment on this post and a winner will be drawn at random. 

Comments will close Wed, Oct 21st at 9 pm. Good Luck!

Normal Day

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.

Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.

Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.

Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so.

One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

                                                                                - Mary Jean Iron

 

 

This quote was found last week on Ali's blog.

It stopped me in my tracks, and brought tears to my eyes.

What a gift...This Life.

Every. Single. Day.

An excellent day of rain

If a crisp, sunny, Autumn day is my favorite, a chilly, rainy one runs a close second. As luck would have it, this morning we awoke to a lovely steady drizzle. Unfortunately, sleep the night before was less than restful due to this little man and one incredibly stuffy nose. Poor guy could not understand why he couldn't breathe.

 

What's a mama to do?

Head straight to the kitchen and get to work.

First up was a pot of chicken soup to slowly simmer the day away. Then came favorite blogs over a bowl of cereal, and in that moment another piece of our day became immediately apparent... 

 

I mean, really, who could resist and why had I never thought of it myself? 

...warm applesauce with vanilla ice cream.

 

I am happy to report, it is as delightful as you might imagine. 

And if that wasn't enough, last evening the boys and I baked the pie pumpkin from our nature table, so we needed to make use of it's goodness.  We used this recipe to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and listen closely... RUN, Do Not Walk, to the kitchen and make them NOW (or as soon as humanly possible).

Oh My Goodness, they are so yummy, so yummy in fact that I have no pictures, because we ate them. all. gone.

In our defense we cut the recipe in half so we made 12 not 30 muffins, but in one day's time one dozen muffins were consumed by one mama and two small boys.

Ya know what's worse? Guess where most of them were consumed?

Well I don't think it ever made it to the pages of this space, but we turned our TV off way back in March, which I should really post about because it has made the most amazing difference in the life of my children and how they spend their time, but today's weather and the runny noses seemed like the perfect excuse for the boys and I to curl up in my bed, huddled around the laptop to take in some of this great program. If you have not seen it, or even bits of it, it is worth your time. Makes me wish for an RV and many months to comb this great land from East to West.

Anyway, that's right, we ate muffins in bed, while watching computer TV.

See, it was an excellent day.