January 05, 2012
December 29, 2011
A Room for Sweet Nell
When we found out we were pregnant, I was a bit nervous....I mean, we had given most everything away or it was so darn nasty after three, you wouldn't want to use it again. It felt like we were starting over a bit. I had given away maternity clothes and such. We found out our crib was illegal...not that any of our kids ever slept in it much anyway (apparently the slide down ones aren't to code). It was a bit overwhelming. No bouncy seat to be found....
But amazingly, through sweet friends and family, this little one has ended up with more than the first three. I had saved all of Campbell's clothes as I just couldn't part with them (ahem, why in the heck would I keep a stained onesie?). I actually had to turn down a car seat. And ended up with two of those exersaucer thingies, three slings, a baby food maker, and cloth diapers galore. And actually, the funny thing is, you don't really need much. I walked in Babies R Us and that is nothing but a racket preying on new moms.
So, without further ado, here is sweet Nell's room. I used mostly what I had, added a few vintage pieces and fabric, and I'm most pleased with the outcome. I hope she likes it...not that she'll probably be in there much. Oh, and a few knitted items I finished just in time.....
December 28, 2011
Catching Up
I can't imagine why, but I've been behind in my blogging posts yet again. I'm due to have this little one any day now, and since I'm longingly staring at a bottle of castor oil, I decided to catch up my little happy space and get my mind off of birth and when the the blessed event will happen. However, I must show you one pregnancy picture...My dear sister Millie was due three weeks before me (you wouldn't know it from this picture), and her little Harris is here and well and beautiful.
I guess maybe the fourth child pops out quicker in terms of belly size. Or that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I'll admit...I'm not my normal self these days. I've been trying to really pare down my to do list and understand the difference between mandatory items and "let's skip that out this time" events. It's been refreshing, but at the same time, I feel a bit disengaged, like I fell off my wagon. I've been eating out a lot. Craig says the baby is going to come out with red pigtails, wearing striped socks and holding a Frosty. I've craved Wendy's most of this pregnancy....yikes! And so darn emotional. I mean, I cry at the movie Elf (actually I do that when I'm not pregnant...every time that darn sleigh finally flies). But still, at Christmas, Craig's extended family surprised me with a baby shower, and I cried like a baby.
A few holiday pictures....tipis for Thanksgiving (I don't care what the tutorial said, these were hard to make), Christmas tree shopping with cousins, making cookies for Santa, and our gingerbread house that seemed to lose decor daily....
I'm hoping tomorrow I'll be in labor and off to the Birth Center to meet sweet Nell.
November 04, 2011
Apple Harvest
I have this thing about going to the mountains every Fall to pick apples. Quite honestly, it is never a convenient time (when is it ever?), but it's just this experience we have to have each year. And from my neck of the woods, it is a five hour drive. But in the end, it's always so worth it. Unfortunately, this year, Mother Nature had other plans. Due to a storm and whatnot, there were no apples to pick, but we still had fun at the apple house.
Some words of advice--do not let your kiddos drink homemade apple cider unless you plan to be very near a bathroom. Just sayin'....I will not go into any detail here. You have been warned.
Farmhouse Apple Pie...yum!
November 02, 2011
Spooky Fun
Bat cupcakes made with Peppermint Patties (cut in half for wings), M & Ms, and Andes Mints (cut like triangles for the ears). Thanks Betty Crocker!
So, yeah, I know I"m not a fan of the video games, but what a Mama does for her little one....He was dead set on being Luigi, and a friend of mine found this adult Mario suit (with a blow up belly I didn't need since I'm 7 months pregnant). I couldn't resist. It made Sawyer's day.
Henry's like "what the heck is going on?" He wouldn't dress up last year and this year, he was in the zone. He ran up and down the streets with such intensity and asked the next day if we could go do it again!
Good old fashioned apple bobbing, hay rides and door to door trick or treating-that's what I want to see at Halloween.....
Pumpkin cupakes made by the kiddos. I used this as my secret ingredient. Tasted like carrot cake.
Hoping you and your family had a wonderful, spooky Halloween! And not too many upset tummies (Mama needs to stay away from the stash)!
October 05, 2011
September 28, 2011
Giving
I have become keenly aware lately that we've got a case of the "gimmees" and the "wants." I know this is typical at my kiddos' ages, but it's made me very conscious of the fact that my children lead privileged lives. Truly, most kids in the U.S. do in comparison to other countries. And while we are by no means rich, my children have a comfortable lifestyle....maybe too comfortable.
We have a chore chart. It's a loose version, but it works for us. Basically, the kids each have 8 blocks. They get a star for each chore they do, and when their blocks are filled, they get $1. It isn't necessarily by the week as our schedules are so hectic that trying to be rigid with it didn't seem to work (it isn't worth it to stress over Sawyer putting up the utensils on Wednesday instead of Thursday if we've got a soccer game or some other activity that fills up the evening). It's really helped them with counting money and understanding how much things cost. But these things are all for them....things they are saving for, not necessarily instiling an attitude of giving and awareness for others less fortunate.
I decided it would be a good idea for the kids to sponsor a child. The majority of their friends are just like them, and I don't think they realized that some kids really don't have enough food to eat, or clean water, or parents, or books, or toys, or anything except a hut with a patched tin roof over their head. After a bit of research, we decided to go with Compassion International. There are many non-profits that serve the needs of children, but I liked the fact that the children could actually pick a child of their choice, send letters, and really develop a relationship with someone across the globe.
They got really into it (especially Campbell). She seemed heartbroken to think that the little girl we chose, Rosalie, didn't have parents. She lives in one of the poorest parts of Africa. Sawyer wanted to choose Rosalie because she likes to play games like him (not video of course). Ah, the mind of a five year old. Campbell wrote her a letter immediately and grabbed a glass jar out of the kitchen. She started emptying part of her savings into the jar. Sawyer wasn't quite so willing to relinquish any of his quarters, but the ever persuasive Campbell finally talked him into it.
We also decided we would raise a little money for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. Campbell put together a smaller jar together for that cause (our main focus is on Rosalie). We spend a lot of time on the Georgia coast and one of their favorite places is the center. They can watch sea turtles receive care in the "hospital." These endangered species have cracked shells and damaged flippers due to boat propellers, as well as other injuries/sickness due to pollution and improper fishing practices. Very few hatchlings even make it.
Ah, that felt good. Really, really good. Not that it is about that, but it is so much better to give than to receive.
September 26, 2011
Campbell Jumps Bale
As you most likely know, the John C. Campbell Folk School is one of my favorite places in the entire world. I'm headed that way in November to teach another soap class. From time to time, I have taken Campbell with me (yes, she is named after the school) when I head up that way to teach. She thinks it is her school since it bears her name. She had a ball this year at the "Little/Middle Folk School."
A few classes back, I noticed a gentleman standing by the door to my class. I thought he was one of the many visitors that stop by to check out the classes taking place. To my surprise, he pulled out a partially finished painting of my Campbell. I was awestruck. It seems he was inspired by this particular day.
He had noticed her a couple of classes prior. Right outside the classroom is a beautiful field framed by the Appalachian moutains. A few hay bales were in the field, and Campbell was jumping from bale to bale. Apparently , she made an impression. "Uncle Bert" as he is called in Brasstown, NC, snapped a few photos and felt inspired to paint her.
One of the photos from that day
He kindly asked if I minded, which of course I did not. I remember that he had tears in his eyes when he asked me. I don't think I realized at that point what an impression she made on him that day. That was probably a couple of years ago. To my surprise, I found an enormous box at my front door a few weeks ago. I had not ordered anything online, and couldn't imagine what was inside. I found this...
Painting
This is what he wrote to explain his painting:
Campbell Jumps Bale-Original Oil Painting
One spring Sunday morning, I walked over to the Folk School, camera in hand, looking for an inspiration for my next landscape painting. Imagine my surprise to to see this little girl playfully jumping from hay bale to hay bale. Campbell's (most likely named for the school) mother was nearby teaching a weekend class.
Besides the painting, he also included copies of all the pictures he had taken, as well as a mounted posterboard of the picture and greeting cards with the painting on the front. I stood transfixed, staring at these beautiful images of my daughter, my Campbell, in her element at her school. She obviously touched his heart. And he mine.
It's funny, Campbell is such an embodiment of the Folk School. She is so aptly named for the place she calls her own. She captures its spirit, as I'm sure you can see from this treasure. She begs to go, has such a love for art and the types of crafts taught, and seems to almost be a light when she is there...building fairy houses, making cornhusk dolls, and truly loving the creativity of it all.
September 19, 2011
Nesting and Fuzziness
Well, I had emergency surgery about a week ago. Baby girl is fine and so is Mama. But that was kind of nuts. Having surgery when you are pregnant is a bit of a different experience.
Since that time, I've had a small party for Henry's 3rd birthday, accidentally erased all of the video footage of said party, got someone to help me clean out the attic, switched two kid rooms to arrive for the coming little one (also with help), taken no less than 18 bags to the Salvation Army (oh, it feels so good to "purge" your house), and knitted. Well, honestly, most of the knitting was done prior to the surgery, but I guess what I am saying is that I'm not the best at slowing down. I only took the day of the surgery off (which is my fault entirely) from work. I "nest" terribly when pregnant, and I have a whole list (not as long this time) of things I need to do before SHE gets here. I'll admit--I'm a little scared of the chaos of four kiddos. I mean, I feel like a train wreck most of the time NOW....so I guess nesting is our body's instinct saying "let's try to control things a bit." You feel this urgent need to get all kinds of things done that before you were okay with putting on the back burner. Like organizing your photos or cleaning out a sock drawer. Crazy, huh?
But my body is telling me, "uh, no, I don't think so." So, I'm trying to listen and let people help when they offer. It sure is different being pregnant at 37 than 29....
Fueling my nesting instinct is a wonderful e-book called "One Bite at a Time (52 Projects for Making Life Simpler)" by the author of the blog SimpleMom.net. I like the way she takes things one "bite" at a time. So, basically, you take on a project a week. Hey, I can do that. And all of the projects are geared to make life more simple, not add another thing to your "to do" list. I was pleasantly surprised that I had about a fourth of the projects already in my routine, like downsizing your email. I think I've unsubscribed from about 25 email lists and newsletters recently.
But back to the knitting (off on a tangent again)--here are some of my projects for the little one. I have enjoyed the book Welcoming Home Baby the Handcrafted Way (so has my sister who is due three weeks before me). Everything is knit on really big needles, so it serves me well....Knits up fast and I feel satisfaction at having finished something. I love these cocoons to swaddle her up in and take precious pictures. The bottom photo shows two of the hat patterns in the book. All of the projects in the photos were done in a night or two each. My kind of time line!
