Bliss Beyond Naptime

Twelve Days of Squish-mas

Thank you all so much for holding my hand while I was hyperventilating about seasonal type preparations! Gorgeous points were brought up, healthy perspectives shared and glorious reminders of what's truly important this frantic time of year. Something else that really inspired me is the always inspirational Tiff from Dottie Angel who has the sweetest post on her twelve bits of joy to celebrate this season and so I thought I would kopy kath her on those and make my own little list of Twelve Shticks of Bliss. And here I present to you  twelve shots of Kale in his balaclava for perhaps the last time due to his cheeks getting to big for his face britches and his allergy to wool that I'm still not able to talk about!

The First Day of Bliss

Kale's cheeks of course. I can kiss them all day. I start with his cheeks and then he looks up so I can kiss his chubby little chin and sweet patch of skin between his chin and neck.

 

The Second Day of Bliss

Kale's and Edie's cheeks squished up together. These two are the best of friends reminding me very much of the dynamic happening between my little brother and I growing up. When I was still pregnant I was calculating the age difference and felt what a shame that there will be four whole years between them remembering how my little brother and I were so tight with only a year between us. Not to gloat but these two play the whole live long day in peace and cuteness overload like they were in utero together. Lucky mama!

The Third Day of Bliss

I found my soulmate. I'm talking about Craig, yo.  I won the life lottery that beer google-y halloween party night so many moons ago. Look at those cheek genes he carries!

The Fourth Day of Bliss

The beauty of our surroundings. Just like me meeting my soulmate we found us a community and town that sings to our hearts. Sure, it's a long way to town where all the action is but I think I don't think my nerves can take much action these days anyway. And I'm not ready to give up my morning lattes to sooth them yet! Let's keep them on their toes a bit.

The Fifth Day of Bliss

On that note, I can't believe the bond that has formed between me and Miss Daisy the last year and a half. The first year we were just kind of getting to know each other. Now I can see I'm totally in there with her. I remember at the beginning she would shuffle, whack my head with her tail, pee, poop whilst I milk her. Now we have a really romantic routine; she stays put and halfway through milking I let her suck my fingers. Craig thinks it's gross because he sees her lick Meatball's butt but I think it's okay if you keep it in the family.

 

The Sixth Day of Bliss

We're halfway to twelve and I'm halfway to eighty. I turned forty this year and am grateful for feeling so fabulous. I think sleep's the ticket! All I can say is my face don't bounce back like it use to after a rough night.

 

The Seventh Day of Bliss

 

I love my little office I'm sitting at now. Is that superficial? We had thoughts of moving, long story, but probably won't be anytime soon, but have been thinking of how wherever we live I need me a corner of a room at least. I love writing here, creating here and just kind of being in my recharge zone. And then I just look over my shoulder like this (looking over my left shoulder) and I can see Daisy out the window giving me the hairy milk me now already or else I'll shuffle and poop" eyeball.

 

The Eighth Day of Bliss

My lady friends. I'm a homebody whose energy levels plummets once the kids are in bed causing me to decline a many a Thursday night knit sesh. I think I caught on to a trick that gets me out there though. Meet the ladies for a quick appy at the local restaurant before heading to the designated knit house for desserts. Then I bypass the lethargic let's just sit here and watch Weeds mode I tend to switch to after I read Edie some chapters from her book de jour. And then the laughter and catching up that happens at my ladies circle? Hoo wee! I love me my ladies. Funny, gorgeous, inspiring crew. And of course my besties that I can only catch up with via telephone or who don't knit - I love you too. Thank you for being in my life.

The Ninth Day of Bliss

My cross country skis. I'm starting to sound a little material me thinks! I'm just blown away about how even a half an hour of this at lunchtime makes such a difference in shifting my perspective on things, getting me out there surrounded by and deep breathing in the beauty of what drew us out here to begin with. In the summer, my ninth bliss would be Little Prozac, my cruiser. Bliss on a few metal sticks. And wheels.

 

The Tenth Day of Bliss

The health of our family unit. Always, always grateful for that!

The Eleventh Day of Bliss

At least three generations of seamstresses and counting! I must have attempted to learn how to sew about six times in my life and I never really got what all the fuss was about until I had kids. Now that I love it it's tricky to find a whole day to really dive into a project. But I'm grateful nonetheless for loving it the way that I do now. And now Edie's turning into a regular sewing fanatic it seems. Kind of cool to see it pass on from generation to generation.

 

The Twelvth Day of Bliss

My love of communing here with you (ooo, that's sounds saucy!). I'm kind of living out here in luddite land so sometimes at soirees the neighbour folk have no idea what I'm talking about when I mention this favourite pasttime of mine called blogging. It's like you guys get me, know what I mean? Thank you so much for reading me (see, it's so weird, but you know what I mean!). And I'm going to take a bit of a breaky breaky until the new year. Until then, take good care of yourselves and your little units and have the happiest of holidays. Smooch!

Christmas Confessional

I hope you're holiday planning is going along swimmingly. Normally I'm on top of things in the Christmas countdown but this year I kind of lost count. Here I like to blame this on my new daytimer. It's all the Planner Pad's fault!

Want to share your self talk or tips on how you cope with any holiday freak out moments?

 

Don't Forget to Wreath

Though it's already the week of beasts we have only just hung up our front door's wreath with care and still have yet to make our trek up Grouse Mountain to seek out the perfect Charlie Brownish Christmas tree to adorn. I was pretty keen on making another felted rainbow of balls wreath like we did last year but Edie broke it to me gently that she didn't care for that wreath much.

See the distaste in her face from last year? So I bestowed upon her the title of wreath maker this year and in the end I don't think I ever seen her little face beam so hard from pride as when she finished this project.

I only helped out with the getting started bit; setting the wire frame with three rings interlacing each other, showed her how to weave the boughs through the gaps and let her in on where Mama keeps her secret stash of special ribbons. And then she was on her way while I skedaddled back on the couch to eat bonbons and continue celebrating the week of stones by reading a few more chapters from the new Keith Richards autobiography.

The second plant related story I wanted to share from the week stems (ha, ha) from a mishap earlier in the week. Edie was picking up her cross country ski shoes warming by the fire and in her haste burned her cute, still baby chubby little fingers on the wood stove. Ai, yi, yi – it looked nasty and I panicked because that’s the way I roll in moments of crisis. Mind you I was in a delicate condition at the time; minor life stuff that piles up until one of those full on ugly cries are called for and then all is well again. All I have to say is thank Sweet Baby Jesus for girlfriends (and Craig too of course).

A new friend I have recently connected with came over with an aloe plant because we still don’t have any plants in our home due to my subconcious fear of slowly killing them off.  And here it sits on the window sill, feeding Edie’s wounds with its miracle goop. Don’t you love the beauty of the healing power of nature and generous mamas? So, lesson learned:  keep an aloe plant in the house! And tell your girlfriends you love them today. Better yet, celebrate this week of beasts, and be a saucy one yourself ,and  sneak out for a glass of wine or dessert or a knit session, or all three, with a handful of your lovely lady friends. That's what I'm up to tonight anyway- rawr!

Ski Do and Ski Don't

 

We picked up a pair of second hand skiis for Edie from town this weekend (Not a purebred ;) Sorry. Couldn't resist. A silly nod to the mild daschund contraversy a couple of posts ago, which, by the way, has been put on hold due to Craig not totally (long) backing the idea at the moment). And what a chord it struck in me to see how she's really taken to it. I think its due to my growing up when it was the one outdooor activity my family participated in together. It's amazing how those moments can stick to the ribs.

And though I took a hiatus from cross country skiing between childhood and and moving out here five years ago, I'm surprised about how much I geniunely love it myself. I typically head out on my own when Craig comes in for lunch and eats with the kids and I head out with my ipod onto the rails to trails. Blissful mama time. And I come back feeling really glowy. It's not a streneous excersice (which, in the current newsletter I received from my accunpuncture suggests one should avoid in the colder months), at least at the pace I go,  but enough to stoke the inner fire and circulate icky toxins all around and out. At least that's what I'm imagining because I'm all about visuals when it comes to my health. And now that I see how Edie's digging it (Craig took her out on the trails shortly after these pics were taken and she loved it!)  I'm looking forward to our going out as our own family unit in which appears to be in the not too distant future by the looks of things.

Kale can't wait to join his sister on the fun. I found these cross country skiis for kids at an antique store about four years ago but Edie kept missing the necessary shoe size. Kale is just about there but not quite yet.

But that didn't stop him from trying. Or at least pretending.

And looking like such a cute at it! What a munchkin. This is a shorty today - just like my little man. I'm off to town this morning for some appointments. I hope this quickie inspired you to play in the snow if you can. Even if it's just pretend.

Creative Advent-ures

I knew Edie was recovering nicely from that flu bug this week when she emerged from her room with a craft project she's been making on the sly in her hand. She was inspired by the advent calender we just put on the nature table; we get one every year from Maplerose. They're so beautiful. Every day during advent the kids take turns opening up a window to see the new picture inside. We always like to practice our psychic skills and try to guess what the picture is going to be. It’s a little creepy (in the most Christian way possible) when one of us guesses right. It truly is the most magical time of the year.

Here we have the lovely Kale modelling the calender for us. Edie has gifted him the honor of opening all the windows to this one. And then she explains what the image is. The first one was a candle :)

Now we have an advent calendar making maniac on our hands. She just lovingly cranked one out yesterday for a little friend. What she does is she cuts out a door for each day and writes anumber on it (we just finished our first math block in which we went over the numbers) and then glues it onto a giant piece of paper, draws a drawing behind the door and then with a dab of glue, glues it shut. Not too much, just enough so it stays closed until it's magical day to open up again (very Anais Nin-ish, no?).

 I’m just so impressed with her ingenuitiy and moxie. And it's a jaunty day when I can use the word moxie. And it’s pretty cool witnessing how the kids always seem to emerge from an illness a little tweaked in a way. Like the sickness had catapulted them to a new level. Or perhaps it was the sheer boredom of doing nothing for almost a week, or eating super clean for that time (staying away from wheat, dairy and anything that reminds her of the very loose tooth in her mouth, like rice). Regardless, I've noticed her demeanor has changed subtly the last couple of weeks; she's more resourceful with her crafting, a little more even keel emotionally, going to sleep more peacefully. Seven is truly a magical age to turn. I think she's ready for a puppy don't you? Second one down specifially has my name on it. Literally. (Craig would appreciate it if you tried to talk me out of this latest obsession of mine in the comments below)

Simple Parties for Simple Kids

 

My little man turned three this weekend. This indicates we are approaching the halfway mark to the birthday season.  As you can plainly see we like to conceive children during Valentine’s Day weekend so it’s back to back birthdays around here; first it’s Edie, six days later it’s Kale’s. But then two weeks later it’s Craig’s, shortly after that it’s Sweet Baby Jesus’s and then a few weeks later it’s mine.

So with much experimentation and it being my third year of birthday bootcamp I think I got the simple kid birthday celebration thing nailed down to a framework I’m comfortable with and brings the maximum amount of joy and minimum amount of meltdowns:

• The kids are awaken with a gift, usually a hand knit item finished at midnight the night before, and their usual morning verse but with a saucy twist:

Day is breaking,

Birds are waking,

Calling Birthday boys (girls)

To wake from their dreams.

• I love the classic guideline of number of guests not exceeding the age of the birthday girl or boy. This is easy to implement here due to my kids not running in the hugest social circles being Backwoods Mama loin fruit and all.

 

• They wake up to the house decorated with streamers hanging over the breakfast table in their favourite colour, balloons in same colour, and their designated birthday banner hung up. I made Edie’s pink, Kale’s blue, Craig’s green, Sweet Baby Jesus’s red, and mine purple and hang them around the kitchen so by the end of birthday season there is a rainbow of buntings that will stay up until Whitsun when the white ones go up for summer. Portlandia enough for you?

 

• The kids’ parties I like to have right after lunch because that way I don’t have to worry about serving a meal and instead  offer a simple snack like hummus and carrots, guacamole and a low sugar beverage like a herbal tea and apple juice combo – with  just a splash of the latter. You call it punch and the kids get all excited and you get to witness a fascinating placebo effect style sugar high.

• When Edie turned six we started with party ice breaker activities (Kale’s too young. He was just super stoked to have the big boys over.).  Last year we traced out her full body outline on a big piece of paper and then had the girls colour her dress with watercolours when they arrived and this year it was a treasure hunt with yarn and a crown for each guest waiting at the end of the tangled throughout the house strings. After that we  open the presents.

 

• After presents we play games, and again, being homeschool, living in the boonies, this is a novelty for my offspring so is a big highlight. I keep these super easy though I attempted this complex tie a potato to your waist and drag it around the ground behind you game that got a lot of giggles but was logistically challenging. Sardines is always a hit – remember that one?

 

• Then some free play time (which is the part my kids loooove) while I get cake fixin’s ready and then it’s cake time! My stand by cake recipe is the one from Heaven On Earth which is low sugar, super easy to make and seems to be pretty much fool proof.

• And as the coup de grace – the puppet show. Every year until this one I told Edie the story of her coming over the rainbow bridge  but this year she requested something a little more sophisticated than my limted puppet stash can manage so I called in an expert (Kale still got the amateur show) Next year I’ll be more prepared – if she is still into puppet shows that is.

 

• And then it’s tata time to our little buddies, maybe  give them a goody bag that contains a little handmade gift from us (this year we made mini bunting banners) and we walk them out to their cars and frolic in some fresh November snow. Yes. Snow!

And there you have it, my current recipe for a simple birthday party. For more ideas and inspiration check out the Birthday Book. But even with keeping it simple like this I still manage to get pretty uptight for a couple of days leading up to the first one.  I guess that comes from wanting things to be super magic and golden. I just try to be prepared well in advanced, get lots of sleep, lay the whole family low for a few days prior to the festivities (because I’m anal like that), remember that they’re mostly stoked about just having their friends over and enjoy the party myself (and a piece of cheese and a little glass of wine beforehand. Thanks Cheech for that timely suggestion)!

Seven Year Old Wonder

 I totally remember being seven. Six is still a bit hazey, my entire twenties are a complete blur, but seven – crystal clear. And here’s my little crystal child, with freshly lost front teeth, stretching out into a  graceful , shape shifting faced, thoughtful, smart, hilarious little girl entering into this year of many never to forget golden moments.

 

 This has also been the first time Edie has been pretty particular about birthday party details. Many pictures drawn of how she was hoping things would be; all the  friends she wanted to invite, the birthday crown in specific colours and even a to scale replication of her pink birthday cake; including interior shots. Done! With help from my infamous baker friend Peggy I concocted a super clean pink icing.In the food processor I blended:

1 can of coconut milk

1 tbls coconut powder

¼ cup honey

2 tbls beet root powder

Then I slowly drizzled in one cup of melted coconut oil and 2 tbsp of lemon juice. I stored it in an airtight container overnight and iced the cake right before the guests arrived. It was amazing; like pink, unrefined sugar heaven! Only one sweet little girl didn’t care for it much; she whispers her unfinished piece of cake apologetically to me “I don’t care much for coconut”. Cute! But if you care for such things as coconuts you'll love this recipe!

 

For the party favours we got caught up in a bit of a crafty roll. First I made Edie her birthday crown to spec and then thought it would be fun as an icebreaker to have her guests go on a treasure hunt leading them to monogramed crowns. Then, in their loot bag, a teeny weeny bunting was waiting to be hung on their bedroom wall so that Edie will be the last thing they think of before they fall asleep and the first thing they think of as they wake (I call this subliminal friend marketing).

Edie was so thrilled to help me make these. She picked out the fabric from my scrap collection and cut them out into little triangles which I then stitched right sides together, leaving one side open, turned right side out, top stitched and attached in to prefolded bias tape in no time at all.

And then came the request. I usually do a puppet show for Edie’s birthday of how she came over the rainbow bridge (complete with a puppet of Craig with the cargo pants and goatee he was sporting when Edie was sliding down said bridge) but this year she was hinting for a bit more of an elaborate production. I had to call in a professional.

This lovely lady runs a Waldorf homeschool enrichment program in town. She is magic and I notice lately I’m smitten by women with accents; Goddess Leonie, Dottie Angel, my Simplicity Parenting Training coach, Patsy from Ab Fab. Isn't that odd (imagine me saying that in the British accent I’ve been working)?

So there you have Edie’s birthday in a rainbow silk wrapped nutshell. And this is just the beginning of the birthday celebration season for us. This Sunday’s it’s Kale’s (Valentine Day kids!), then Craig’s two weeks after, then Sweet Baby Jesus’s and then finally mine in January. Then I can kick back and resume my sitting on the couch consuming bon bons position once again!

Witch Way to Costa Rica?

Who's this scary cute little duo? We participated in the Waldorf school walk again this year. See how they're holding hand and paw up there? Pretty much the whole time we went on that magical journey that was happening, warming my minus 40 degree designed down jacket-covered cockles. The school wouldn't allow for pictures there so you will have to trust when I say it was so stinking cute how Edie was being his little Mama allowing Craig and I the option to linger in the shadows of each station and make out when no one was looking (kidding).

My favourite moment happens in mid-September when I ask the kids what they want to be for Halloween. Edie wanted to be the scariest witch on the block. I traced the source of that inspiration to a photo in the baby album my mom brought out with her of me, seven years old, dressed up as a witch. Kale claimed he wanted to be a bear cub. Perhaps due to the extensive 'bear aware' lunch and learns we've been having all summer long? Or maybe it was the bear spat lableing sessions  on our morning walks; mama bear or baby bear poop?

The bear costume pattern called for filling in the belly area and I decided that his tummy's squishy enough and mommy time's a ticking. But then I squished the belly of the penguin costume my friend made for her little guy. The regret!

So I let out my squishy belly envy out on the  abdomen of the bear on his Halloween bag. I got the idea for these treat bags from this Etsy blog article. I figured this would be a great way to commemorate the year's costumes of choice and all the lovely memories they trigger.  I used scraps from their costumes and appliqued super simple shapes on quick to whip up muslin bags with long enough handles that could slip over one shoulder plus the many, many layers piled on for the outdoor journey. You guys definately did not land anywhere near Costa Rica after the long slide down the rainbow bridge! But if it brings you any comfort I don't even think it's celebrated down there.

Lose Tooth and Loose Change

My little girl lost her first tooth! It's been woobley for a few weeks now and ridiculously wobbley on the weekend. So I pleaded with her to keep it in her head until I was done whipping up a loose tooth cozy to help the tooth fairy to find it (of course, the Tooth Fairy is pretty wiley at finding teeth under kids' pillows but let's make things a little easier for the busy lady!).

Edie told me she'd try her best and then that evening I was reading on the couch while I was waiting for her to get into bed so we can read the next chapter of Ramona the Pest  when I heard this sproing! And then the wail; "Maaaaa-maaa!". I knew by the sound effects what had happened. When I walked into her room I saw a mildly traumatized little girl, pointing at her face crying that her tooth flew out while she was flossing and it felt weird. Thank goodness for Rescue Remedy. I know it helps me with the trauma of things, namely children, come sproing-ing out of my body.

So we put the sweet, perfect tooth away in my studio buying me one more night to quickly needle felt away on the tooth pouch that will rest on the door handle, cradeling the first evidence of her shedding her child form. Crazy! I never cried when my kids were born like I thought I would but seeing the first tooth erupted I lost it. With the lost of this tooth I didn't bawl like I was imagining I would but I did get somewhat misty eyed.

As for the pouch, I used the instructions from this book I've had for eons. Edie was always enchanted by the picture of it in Complete Feltmaking which happens to be perhaps my favorite ever felting how to book. So sweet, the fairy's bag is where the tooth/goods transaction happens.

And the goods? Lady Tooth Fairy slipped in a looney, a tooney and a teeny weeny crystal angel (for internationals readers, a looney= $1; tooney=$2). What to do with all this hard, cold cash now? We haven't officially introduced the concept of money to her yet so I saw this a fitting opportunity to bring Miss Piggy the Bank into her life. I found her this weekend while having Momma time in an antique shop. While I was dusting her off when I brought her home I explained to Edie we will put these special gifts into Miss P the B until she is full, then we will undo the secret latch under her belly (aka as packing tape), count out the coins and she may spend the money as she wishes. Or put it away in a grown up bank for something uber special; whatever she wants. Pretty sweet, she ran off and grabbed the toonie that was tucked into a Halloween card from Grandpa and Grandma, and slipped it in too. And then placed Miss Piggy the Bank in the perfect spot on top of her dresser. Everything's magic like that in a little girl's world!

Boing Boing Bliss

Thanksgiving dinner was divine with such a wonderful crew to enjoy our bounty with. The day before I was a busy bee trying to get as much prep work done as possible so I can tidy up the house big time, with time to spare to relax, on the day of. While in the kitchen I can see Craig and Kale hard at work planting garlic; Kale helping his dad make a new bed using little scoops from his shovel. And there Craig was looking all manly. Sans shirt. Wiping his brow. Where was I?

Oh yes. It shortly dawned on me I haven't seen Edie out there with them all morning. And with us in the midst of peak bear season my adrenaline levels took a nose dive dip so I soon went flying out of the house screeching, in the most singy songy voice managable in the heat of the moment, "Where's Eee-die? Laaaaa, la, la."

To my relief I see Father had her strapped, in her full body harness, to the slackline behind the house. And there she was happily bouncing away. Kind of like a giant baby in an outdoor jolly jumper. I guess it's payback for depriving her from one of those gadgets in her tot days.

"Are you okay?" I ask her; just incase this was some kind of banishment from garlic planting for being naughty and she needed some Mama loving. She said she was having fun so I let her be. And there she boinged for another good long while.

So I went back to doing what I love and makes my time zoom; cooking a mega-feast for beloved family and friends (while listening to Parisian-inspired lifestyle podcasts) with the flavour enhancing knowledge that the rest of the family unit was in a similiar state of bliss.

I just had to trust that bears aren't attracted to bouncing objects. No matter how cute they are!