Spring in Maine

Enjoying a sunny April day at Two Lights one of my favorite state parks.  The waves were amazing that day!

We have had some wonderful spring days lately.  Days that remind me that spring is probably my favorite season.  (Even though those nice days have been alternated with some pretty cold rainy days and one of the latest snowfalls I recall in April!) I guess it makes the nice days sweeter.

Taking it easy on our last snowy day (hopefully!!) A rare peaceful moment

Silliness

 I do love summer in Maine, but since I left here and moved back ten years ago I think spring wins.  Since having children I notice spring in a new way, as I point things out to them I see the magic through their eyes.  I notice the wonder of daffodils and crocuses blooming and the grass becoming greener each day, and I think one the best days of the year is that first truly warm day, sometimes in March, sometimes April where you can just bask in the sun without feeling the slightest bit cold.  I love to say to Claire 'Hey!  Look over there! What's different?"  And she'll report to me that the grass is even greener than the last time we were there.  It's the best when she points all the spring changes out to me.   However the other main reason I enjoy spring so much with young kids is that it is such a needed relief from the burdens of winter. Dressing them, trying so hard to get them outside, and finding things to do inside.  Ugh.  I'm always so glad it's over, not that I hate winter while it's happening it does have its own beauty, but I realize there is definitely more ease when it's nice out.  For the first times in the last few weeks my kiddos have actually gone outside without me dressing them, or when arriving home they have lingered outside and played independently instead of following me in begging for snuggles, snacks, water, boots off, all while I need to drink water, eat something and take the baby out of the carseat.  Those small moments feel like bliss, like there is some more room for me to breathe.  Who knows, perhaps some of that feeling of ease has to do with the baby getting bigger and napping more regularly (and longer!), and getting more sleep at night, but I think it's spring.  I can't remember who, but last fall when Maria was a newborn someone told me they thought October was a great time to have a newborn - that it would be a long winter but it would be an amazing spring with a bouncing six month old, ready to get outside.  Whoever said that was right. Spring is magic.

Some more pics of Maria just 'cause I love that smile

I have been really inspired this year to identify more and more plants and friendly, wonderful weeds and make more herbal medicines.  Last year I identified St. John's Wort at our new house and I made infused oil and tincture which was so easy, and that really boosted my confidence and desire to learn more about herbal medicine.  I have been re-visiting my two favorite herbal books Healing Wise by Susun Weed and this book by a Maine herbalist Gail Faith Edwards.  What I love about Susun Weed is how much she encourages becoming allies with the many weeds surrounding us, such as dandelion, violet and chickweed and the amazing benefits they can offer while also being extremely safe and nourishing.  It makes sense to me that the safest herbs with the most to offer would be everywhere!  I also like knowing that the plants that I've grown up around, that many people consider nuisances can actually do incredible things as medicines.  I have been so excited this spring to see what comes up around us.

It was fun to recognize violet right outside our door!  Once I did I found it everywhere in our yard

I'd also like to check out this book by Robin Rose Bennett and a book by Holly Bellebuono, I enjoy her articles very much in Taproot magazine.  One humbling thing at this stage in my life is trying to be present with my kids and love them up and enjoy them, even as my thoughts are full of all of these beautiful, inspiring things I'd love to do.  I'm trying very hard to remind myself that any medicine made, even just one, is a big accomplishment.  I will try to recognize my passion and excitement and pass this onto the kids and not get too caught up in the 'productivity' of it.  I do love being productive, so it's easier said than done.  Why make one jar of dandelion vinegar when I can make five?  I'm looking forward to watching something new bloom each week.  And I'm hoping for a nice warm May. 

Back to Blogging

I have been thinking so much about returning to blogging in the last few months and haven't quite made it happen, which it not surprising since Maria's arrival last October.  I felt stifled by not knowing what to say or what to focus on.  I have not been sewing at all, nor have I been taking very many photos.  I have also been questioning why I even wanted to write and post, and in the last few months it's been really clear to me that I just want to photo document my life for myself to help clarify the meaning and intention I have while being home right now with my three girls.  The intention is to be present and mindful, which is something that easily gets lost in the day to day.  I also want to do it for my future self, and when I just came back onto this space tonight it became so clear to me how wonderful it is to document these simple moments.  I was smiling and almost crying nostalgic tears looking at the sweet photos I took two years ago.  Claire was still such a baby, not even four!  Amelia really was a baby, barely a toddler!  I can't believe what big girls they are becoming.  Also while looking at those pictures I was actually able to give myself some much needed credit for being a good mom, something I'm sure we never do as moms. 
I hope to take more photos at home and post more and I'm feeling this need more now that I am working so much less after Maria's birth.  I have been working super super part time, just teaching four hours a week and childbirth ed once a month.  I feel so grateful to have this time.  For me personally I was having a hard time working the crazy nursing shifts and focusing as much as I wanted at home.  I always knew being home as much as possible was something I wanted, and while I'll always work a little, I am appreciating being home so much right now.  Of course having a third baby and staying home has not been without its challenges and there have been extremely challenging moments.  But I have grown and I am learning so much about myself and trying to focus a lot on mindfulness.  I am also learning to take better care of myself, the whole idea of emotional, physical and spiritual self care is actually kind of new to me and it is making such a difference. 
Little things I am excited about are my new prime camera lens, a treat for myself for my birthday.  It is already taking the shots that I always wanted, you know where the subject pops and the background is blurred.  I am excited for spring and planting in our garden in 60 degree weather this weekend.  I'm sure in my head, like always, I will have more planned that I will actually get done, but I'm getting better at being okay with that.   I am excited that we finally got a nature table set up in this house with things I had crafted previously (finally found that missing spring fairy after so much searching!  I think it was the spring magic...) It was so cute how much Claire pretty much set it up herself, I just did the hanging of the silks, and she also seems really proud of it. 

My big girl

Hard at work in her own little desk set up on the porch

General silliness

Seriously the hair.  Post tub hair is the best

Rockin her tea leaves sweater I did actually finish a couple months ago!  I always feel so happy when she chooses to wear it

I was very satisfied with this kangaroo wrap job

Always this happy.  Unless she's tired

First lost tooth!

Such sweetness

KCW: Sheep Ice Cream Dress

Yay!  I actually finished a dress during Kids Clothes Week!  The Oliver and S Ice Cream Dress to be exact.  I sewed it with the delightful Locally Grown from Marisa at the blog Creative Thursday.  My local fabric store ZFabric carries almost the whole line and I was so excited when I saw it.  I got immediately buy-in from Claire when she saw the fabric and was equally pumped to wear a dress that had farm animals on it.  Now she is begging me to make Amelia a 'chicken dress'.  As Claire gets older I try to make sure she is going to wear the dress I make for her before I sew it (it would just be too tragic to sew something up and have her flat-out refuse it).  She was definitely waiting for this dress to be done and because of Kids Clothes Week it was done in three sewing days!  When it was done she couldn't have been more enthusiastic and gave me a giant hug and kiss and I almost cried a little.  So sweet.  She even agreed to a photo shoot outside on a windy day, and was nice enough to take off her sweater to show it off.  To fulfill my end of the bargain I had to agree to spin her around and around many times without stopping, and I did my best, dizziness and all.

Kids Clothes Week

I have seen Kids Clothes Week online for a couple of years now and for the last year I have actually wanted to participate, and I am finally doing it this week!  The challenge is to sew one hour a day for a week for your kids.  It actually came at a perfect time because I have been buying a ton of fabric lately and my brain is swimming in inspiration, I find myself daydreaming and making virtual checklists of what I could sew, with what fabric, and when.  I tried so hard to finish a Washi dress I'm working on for myself this past weekend knowing I was going to be focusing on the kids this week, but with time management and all, I am trying to 'know when to quit'.  As in, 'I could finish this dress while Amelia is taking an extra long nap on a Sunday and it would be satisfying, but future me tonight will be super overwhelmed and irritable that there is no dinner plan and the house is a mess'.  I do better some days than others quitting appropriately (or not sewing at all) - when Greg was out Friday night I fell asleep at 8:30 with the kids, and literally dragged myself out of bed (and a good night's sleep) to sew the Washi and watch Call the Midwife on the laptop.  (It's my first time sewing with this rayon challis)! This surge of sewing frenzy happened to me last spring as well, I'm sensing a pattern.  I cranked out projects in March and April before burning out and I didn't sew much all summer.

For Kids Clothes Week I started on an Ice Cream Dress for Claire, this is also the third spring I have done a lot with this pattern, I blogged about another one here.  It got me thinking while I sewed for my one hour this afternoon how I was really only glancing at the instructions for a reminder, and I was brought back to the first one I sewed two years ago, and how long it took me, and all the seams I ripped out and did again.  It's fun to think about how much I've improved, and like so many other people who sew, I really have learned how to sew from my Oliver and S patterns.  I grabbed some photos of the work in progress, Claire is excited for her 'sheep' dress and I'm excited to finish it this week!  I'm thinking to stay with the spirit I'll try to sew during naptime and after bedtime one or two nights this week, because to be perfectly honest I think there are a couple days there is NO way I will get sewing in.  (Perhaps this Friday when I work at 12 hour shift a 3 pm??)

1.  I'm happy with the progress in 1+ hour!  I sewed both pockets and got the pockets sewn on the front of the dress!

 Claire was excited about the pockets - She said 'They're so clean inside, there's no dirt!' What a compliment.  Claire's wearing the first Geranium I made last year.

 We 'opened' up the sandbox today!  I couldn't get the tarp all the way off, some was still frozen on!  But we did enjoy the sun and 50 degree weather for a bit!  Spring is here!

Parsley Pants for Claire

These are definitely some dated photos, but I do love the Parsley Pants pattern!  I have since made a couple other pairs, another pair for Claire and I just made both kiddos some Christmas jammie pants, the most basic version of this pant. 

I sewed these back in October I think, and even with the little add-ons like the pin tucks I added to this pair they were a breeze.  I like having a go-to pants pattern that I can tinker with for a lot of different looks.  I think that's the point of her pattern!  I loved this fabric, I think it's an Anna Maria Horner flannel.  I love sewing flannel pants for Claire each winter.  A lining would probably be great with this pattern too, this fabric leaves them a bit on the thin side for windy winter days here.  I'm sure it is relatively easy to figure out, but it's one of those things I'm not very inspired to do right now, I tend to mostly just follow the pattern to get the finished product.  But I did follow Rae's instructions and finished all the seams on this pair of pants, something my over-excited for a finished product brain could barely slow down to handle.  But it was worth it.  Ten-ish extra minutes for a professionally looking finished pair on the inside?  Definitely worth it.  As for the lining, I just throw on some tights or leg warmers underneath and she's good to go.

These pants have been worn a lot this winter.  And just barely six months later she is already growing out of them, time to let out some of the hem!

A March Afternoon

 This afternoon, another cold blustery afternoon in the longest March ever, I was really motivated for some kind of craft project or activity to do with the kids.  I woke up in the early afternoon after a night at work, and began the strange rhythm I've grown accustomed to on the days after I work all night.  I have an hour or so of alone time before my mom drops off the kids (a little more if I feel like sacrificing on some sleep).   I'm always so happy to see and snuggle the kiddos, and today I felt really motivated to do some kind of craft activity or art project with them.  I spent a few minutes looking on the internet, was inspired by some more involved projects, and then realized I was crazy to be looking at anything slightly complicated, and decided to do some kind of dough project.  I always have to balance how I actually feel these days after working (overtired, but excited to be home, short on patience, kind of sluggish but hopped up on coffee) with how I want to feel (inspired, motivated, accomplished - this is usually the coffee talking and it's short-lived).  So I'm glad I tuned into my need for easy and simple with my desire for crafty fun with kids and settled on making cloud dough.  It's just flour mixed with baby oil, and it makes this cool silky mixture that can be solid and molded, but also kind of well, crumbly.  It is so easy to make and I just let the kids go to town.  It was really satisfying to see them BOTH spend time with the same project! Claire is at an age too where craft projects are just really hit and miss - I have definitely spent time getting something complicated together and she ends up being not interested - which can feel frustrating.  I find that when I go with my gut and stick with simple things I know SHE likes (play dough, water play) she and I both end up satisfied. 

This really helped take up a large chunk of the afternoon peacefully until Greg got home.  By that point I was trying to make a game with the kids where I lay in bed and close my eyes.  I am dying for some 50 degree days where we can actually spend the afternoons enjoying outside! 

Simple Christmas

I have been trying hard to keep Christmas simple this year.  I feel slightly more grounded than I did last year. Amelia was only six months old and I think I was still trying to adjust to having two kids, and she had just come out of her fussy phase.  That really did last a long time!   And on second thought I think I'm still adjusting to having two kids in some ways.
This year though I started thinking about Christmas in November, but not in a gift buying, Pinterest-frenzy kind of way, although I did start there.  Christmas has always been really important and special to me, and I think the last five years or so some of the magic has been lost as I adjust to having no Christmas vacation as a nurse and usually working either the Eve or the day.  On top of that I felt a little lost having a baby, another baby, and mostly just focusing on the gift buying and requesting (or requesting what gifts NOT to get the kids :)  It's like I haven't yet found my Christmas groove as an adult and a mama.  This year I felt really pulled to do that as I realized that at the age of 3.5 Claire is actually forming some long-term memories and she actually remembered what the deal was with this guy Santa that will probably bring her some gifts that she wants.  (Although we didn't encourage list-making it would entirely consist of these.)  I started off feeling kind of frenzied and overwhelmed, making lists and plans for various traditions, old and new. (Advent calendars!  Waldorf advent!  The Polar Express! The Nutcracker!)   I'm sure it would have eventually added up to too much until somehow, I stumbled across this new (to me) podcast http://raisingplayfultots.com/.   She had an amazing series called Crafting your simple holiday season and it was like everything I ever needed to hear.  (And finding a new podcast with boatloads of archived episodes is like Christmas in and of itself!!)   She had a list of questions in the first podcast to help narrow down exactly what is important and special to me and to us.  I answered them and wrote them down, and even did the exercise with Greg who did it with a minimal amount of eye-rolling.   Answering questions about what holiday smells are important to me, what foods do I want to eat, and what do I dislike or feel stressed about each year made it so clear to me and to Greg to just take it easy this season and keep it simple.  I feel the biggest 'A-ha' moment for me was the idea that it's the feelings of togetherness and connection that make the season so special, and these can only be appreciated by slowing down to actually, well, notice and feel them.  While I have still spent time making lists and checking them twice, and have certainly spent my fair share of time surfing the internets for gifts and craft ideas, I had no second thoughts about crossing things off my list that were going to create any stress or sense or busyness.  My crafting list was a wonderful motivation, but it continued to get pared down as the weeks went on, and I'm proud of myself that I was able to let so much go.  We have spent a lot of nights turning off the main lights of our house and enjoying candle light while we clean and read and play, and I have spent more naptimes reading and journaling in front of the tree with the lights on (in the day!) just really stopping and feeling quietness, peace and gratitude, instead of cleaning, online shopping and sewing.  And yes, we did go see the Nutcracker (which went sort of okay, but Claire definitely could have waited a year) and I did try out a Waldorf advent-y corner which didn't really take (maybe next year), and I was happy to try those things.  I was able to let go of the expectations of decorating and I did a few things that really spoke to me, which were to needle felt a Christmasey fairy, and make a very rustic, simple Advent wreath with candles for the table.  And by slowing down to listen to what was really important to me, and let go of the things that are not, I was actually super excited about those two crafty things and gave myself my own pat on the back when they were completed.  And even Greg was able to connect to his passions and values of the season when we had friends over for a Christmas themed dinner and he successfully cooked a duck, which fulfilled his holiday wish list of 'meat, wine and chocolate.' 

Attempted sister Christmas pic - this is the best one

Little gnome family I made for Claire

Eric Carle advent calendar - one of the craft projects I chose to say NO to - bought this on Amazon - the gnome family loves it!

First felted fairy.  Needle felting is so addictive!

Playing with dough