this week

 

right now I'm:

listening: to the pounding rain outside my window and settling in to Oregon winter as it arrives on my windowpanes.

treasuring: every sweet smile that Silas so freely gives these days. Almost 10 weeks old and he is such a happy little guy. There is nothing I love more than to fall asleep with him in my arms but unfortunately this now means that he won't sleep anywhere but my arms (including during the day when I have much to do).

delighting: in finding a new bff with every new blog I visit. How I love all the friends I've made here and how much smaller the world feels when I am connected with new friends in far off places through similar hobbies and interests.

planning: the girls' 4-H club, Silver Creek Homesteaders, that I am starting up next month. Sewing, cheese and candle making, felted goods and other old fashioned crafts are on the agenda.

preparing: to get serious about losing the extra baby weight. Two babies in a year and a half mean I have a lot of work ahead of me. I've been consistent at the gym the past few weeks, now I just need to cut back on the calories.

reading: books about homeschooling like For the Children's Sake and A Charlotte Mason Education as I try to refocus on school starting up next week.

waiting: for some absolutely wonderful yarn I've been coveting (and I received money for Christmas to buy) to arrive in the mail this week. 

thankful: that my girls are so happy with their humble Christmas presents. We have so many toys already and not much money these days, that we tried to just give them stuff to do like craft supplies and books to read. A felt kit, American Girl craft books, Lamplighter Theater audio books and Little House on the Prairie Season 1 were under the tree for them this year.

excited: about the girls' upcoming theater classes with Christian Youth Theater in Portland. They've been wanting this for so long and are so excited about the upcoming audition for The Wizard of Oz.

making: lots of felted crafts including little felted people. We tried the "felt in a baggie" technique a couple days ago and West wasn't content with just rubbing the bag as instructed. Oh no. He, of course, had to try to open it to see how this felting business works. 

playing: with the children as much as possible and taking time to do some special things with them this week. Yesterday the girls each invited a friend to come with us to the Kroc Center to swim. It was just the girls and I (and baby Silas of course). It was so much fun to be together with these four girls and I loved that they included me in their girl chatter during the long drive.

laughing: at how much time I spent knitting a gnome. Last night I said to Shane, "I can't believe I have 101 million things to do but I'm siting here knitting a hat for a gnome." Shane, aware of my stressful day, said, "maybe knitting a gnome hat is exactly what you should be doing right now." 

* knitting along with Ginny at Small Things this week.

merry

preparing

Yesterday we baked cookies for our neighbors but little West (and his mama) had a hard time keeping their hands away from the gingerbread cookies. In between cleaning and the dreaded Costco run and other errands this week we also managed to make some magnets and paperweights for gifts, watch The Nativity Story and attend a potluck and caroling party at some friends' barn out in the country. Oh, and remember those little advent packages I stuffed with Shane's socks and other stand-in items until I finished knitting the real gift? Well yesterday while I was at the gym I realized that I forgot to put the real gift in that day's advent package. And well, you guessed it. I came home from the gym to some very disappointed and confused kids. It is kind of funny but I sure felt like a terrible mom!

crafty (and a finished yarn along project)

These days I'm constantly vacuuming up glitter, sweeping up fabric scraps and delighting in all the goodies coming from the kitchen. Also this week:

1. I ordered these simple (and inexpensive) wooden toys for West on etsy and yesterday the girls and I painted the rainbow stacker and all the little houses and trees. That's all he's getting for Christmas but I know he's going to love them.

2. We've been baking lots of goodies for Christmas baskets. Mustard, granola and mini pumpkin breads are just a few of the goods. And I LOVE these Cath Kidston labels. I want to make more stuff just so I can use these labels.

3. Recently a friend used my oven mitts when bringing us a meal after Silas was born and she was shocked that I only owned two pot holders. This week I finally used a pattern from Handmade Home by Amanda Soule to make these sweet little pot holders.  Think anyone will know that two of them are made from our old duvet cover? Shane refuses to use those; he thinks it's sort of weird that our bed sheets are now pot holders in the kitchen.

4. The Sculpey clay is being used up faster than I can afford to buy it, but who can resist such darling little figures as these babies Mira made?

5. Snowflakes are now adorning our front windows.... and threatening to take over our house. I'm trying not to express my frustration at the constant stream of paper scraps littering the floor from this never ending project.

6.  I vaguely remember nodding my head a few weeks ago when Mira asked if she could throw a winter party at our house. Then a few days ago we started getting RSVP's and I guess a party was in the works. She planned, set up and prepared for it all her self including the ornament craft, the gift exchange, winter themed games and a lunch complete with "snow" dip for the fruit. I just sat back and enjoyed the party and marveled at how big my girl is getting.

7. The little toadstool and the other forest critters are being set up in countless little winter scenes (with the Playmobil of course).

8. My latest knitting project, a Tuesday Night cowl for my mom, was finished last night. Hopefully she isn't checking this blog before Christmas. It's super warm and cozy and I'm happy with how it turned out.

weekending

Happy weekend! Silas and West have both been extra fussy and needy the past few days so I didn't get all the gifts and things I had planned on working on finished this weekend, but still our weekend was filled with many happy moments:

1. The theater and a beautiful performance of The Nutcracker
2. A special mom and daughter date to a favorite cake shop
3. Lots and lots of knitting, sewing and crafting. Oh, and mustard making.
4. A new butcher block island we finally moved into the kitchen. My father-in-law made this from a step that was once in a local house. I can't begin to tell you how much I love it.
5. And an advent Sunday evening at home, reading from our Jesse Tree devotional.

{this moment}

 

{this moment} – Joining with Soule Mama for this Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

saint lucia day ~ festival of light

Growing up in Denmark, Santa Lucia day (December 13th), was a big deal. Girls would wear white dresses to school and one lucky girl would get to wear the wreath of candles while we all sang the traditional song. I wanted my girls to also experience the fun and traditions behind this holiday and learn a little about the history of this young martyr.

We did our morning bookwork by candlelight and then had fun with some crafts and activities I'd been planning. First we read books about Saint Lucy and the history of the holiday. We then made wreaths out of rosemary (the only kind-of appropriate green thing growing in my yard) and small candles. I had planned to make wreaths similar to these (scroll down) but had to improvise as I just didn't get to it. I know, new baby and I couldn't find time to make elaborate felt crowns? Go figure. You could also buy wreaths fitted with lights like these and these, but lacking money for such frivolous things as fancy candlelight wreaths, the rosemary and wire crowns had to do. Little West also had to get in on the wreath making even though boys usually wear tall cone hats with stars on them (he refused to wear his cone hat, demanding a wreath like his sisters. Oh the joy of having a toddler!)

We also made traditional Lussekatter (saffron buns) and beeswax teacup candles as part of this holiday's observance of light and Christ as the light of the world. We played with these free Santa Lucia paper dolls and planned to make these cute little Santa Lucia peg dolls but ran out of time.

While the buns baked, the girls dressed up in their white dresses and we then took the bread next door for a little party at my mom's house where my sister, grandmother and uncle are also staying this week.

It was a fun day and it was nice to break up the usual school work with something a little different.