Enchanted Mama

And so...::

...it's Monday again.  Another weekend experienced.  We attended french class, hoop class, made a hike up a mountain, ate lemon zucchini muffins, biked at the park, watched a middle school talent show, and played Lego's in pajamas.  A weekend full of life and opportunities to get along as a family.  

The weekends never seem quite long enough.  The dust barely settles before we are off again with lunch making and "where's my gloves" and "No, you may not wear a short sleeve shirt even if it looks warm outside" typical-weekday mornings. Fluffing and shooing three or four children out the door with lunch, cello, violin, backpacks and water bottles. And hopefully, two matching gloves.

Today began as any Monday does. A few of us reticent to wake.  A few others wishing it was Sunday.  All of us eating breakfast and heading out the door.  Luckily, for the two adults, there was some exercise planned this morning and then lattes that really helped ease us into the day.  After the caffeine I felt ready to tackle the day. the week. The Year!  Well, at least the day.  

As I write this the dishwasher hums and my girlie draws throughout my calender, which I'm sure I'll regret later, humming happily to herself.  Earlier she sang a clean up song while putting away blocks. oh.my.

That's where things stand.  Projects to be completed. Photographs to be taken. Laundry to be folded. Meals to be planned.  Just a typical Monday morning around here.  

What about you?  

 

 

Today::

"It was on of those still days of intense light, when every particle of mica in the soil flashed like a little mirror, and the glare from the plain below seemed more intense than the rays from above.  The sand ridges ran glittering gold out to where the mirage licked them up, shining and steaming like a lake in the tropics.  The sky looked like blue lava, forever incapable of clouds---a turquoise bowl that was the lid of the desert."   The Song of the Lark

This book has captured my imagination.  I'm enjoying it so much I wish it wouldn't end though I do have a few other books to finish.  The knitting in my life is undergoing some airing out and re-thinking.  I had a number of pending projects and have recently gone through them and cleared out all those which I do not, for one reason or another, want to finish.  Wrong color. Wrong style. Wrong idea.  It feels good to have done that and I plan on chatting with you about that later.  

There is a knit project happily floating in a cold bath upstairs.  Soon to be dried and blocked. I'm anxious to share as this particular project hung out on the needles for way too long. There may have been a moment, when the last stitch was cast-off, that I took a deep breath and whooped.  A big loud whoop!  I love completing things.  My dear grandfather, a good 'ol Iowa boy, would smack his hands together when completing a project and say, "Okay, what next."  That was how I felt. Happy to have it finished and eager to further empty my knitting basket.  

I've journeyed out this past week, hence the radio silence, to visit a dear friend and her new baby girl. Such a sweet little one.  We spent time chatting, knitting, getting the mama's feet up and watching her two boys build fort after fort at the park.  We ate yummy soup and took care of the mama as much as we could.  Grateful that she let me come and spoil her abit.  Just what we all need once in awhile, don't you think?

I'm working on laundry today and reading books with my girlie.  There is a long list of things that tell me they need to get done, though with the cloudy weather outside I'm not as motivated as I would like.  

Maybe just one more book?  A few more rows?  Another latte?  

Love to know about any great books you are reading.  Always can use a good book recommendation!  

Have a lovely day, 

Kellen

 

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Knitting and gnomes::

A challenge::

Snow Angels::

Oh.my.goodness.  It's hard to say who had the most fun!  

Christmas day, before "the fever" hit, found us bundled and trudging off to the park.  Time filled with laughter, squeals, running, pouncing, frozen hands and "just one more".  I pulled the "photographer" card, thank goodness.  Though it looked like a tremendous amount of fun I was grateful to be warm and documenting it for the family.  Next time though, I will leave the camera at home because sometimes warm is over-rated.  Sometimes attempting to out-run a nine year old can be memory making.  Sometimes the snow pile is quite joyful to be in the thick of. 

Any snow in your part of the world?  

 

 

A challenge::

It started last year...January 1, 2012.  My oldest girlie decided that she wanted to read 100 books for the year.  She missed it by seven books.  She was so close that she wanted to try again this year.  

On December 31st, 2012 at dinner my girl sat with pen and paper and planned her next year of reading.  Her set of self-imposed rules.  #1 Books must be new, as in never read before.  #2 If you have started a book you can not be more than one chapter into it or it doesn't count.  #3 Do school books count or not? That was her achilles heel last year.  She read so many for school but refused to count them towards her total.  Claiming that she only wanted to count books she actually wanted to read.  She would have well surpassed her goal if she had used them.  But, like I said, her rules man.  

As I sat listening to her I realized that I had read an abysmal amount of books in 2012.  My reading time now effectively taken up by my knitting time.  Sad but true.  So, I did what any reasonable, crazy mama would do and signed on.  

Our goal is 100 books each for the year.  My oldest boy decided that he wanted in on the action and set his goal for 50 books.  The big daddy thought it a brilliant idea and set his goal at 50 books as well.

Together that will be 300 books.  My daughter and I have long-term plans for this.  When there are more readers in the house the potential is great.  In fact, numbers like a thousand books for the year, "even when she's gone to college", were mentioned.  Optimistic perhaps?

So the lists have been posted.  Side by side on the wall downstairs.  Not that we are competing at all.  Of course we aren't!  Not really.  Though, I do need to go read and read since my girlie just posted her second book and let's face it...I'm not one to be beat by a thirteen year old.

Any books you recommend?  I'd love to know... 

 

 

Roller Coaster::

This holiday break brought an unexpected visitor on Christmas afternoon.  "The fever" hit the first of the four children after a trip to the park and an epic snowball fight.  "Twas a mean one too lasting three days for each child plus recovery time.  

Our entire vacation has been an adventure of one fever ending as another started.  Many pots of soup were made.  Loads of vitamin packed fruits and vegetables were turned into appealing forms.  Books were read and naps taken.  As though to add to the adventure the big daddy flew out of town before New Years to be present for family who needed his help.  We are so grateful that he could be there though he was missed. The first turn of the calender year that we weren't together in sixteen years.  

Our new years included a quiet evening with neighbors and the children without fevers.  New Years day we ate black-eyed peas and cut out snowflakes to decorate the house.  The white confetti strewn on the floor proof of our efforts.  

I feel as though I have tripped and stumbled into 2013.  With so many posts planned and dropped as yet another fever spiked I've had to re-evaluate and be patient. Quiet. Recognizing what is right in front of me.  Tend the fever.  Stir the soup.  Read a pile of books.  Tuck the children into bed early. My mantra.  

I've loads of things to share.  I'm not sure whether I'm happy about the break ending so soon.  When was the part where we played?  Crafted?  Skied?  The lazy mornings and pajamas a welcome event, or the only event, as the case may be.    

Today we moved out the christmas tree.  The lovely lady who stood and sparkled since November 28th.  The walls now seem a bit bare but the open space has allowed a bit of breath. 

Slowly but surely I will live into the new year. "2013".  The feeling of being "behind the ball" will fade.  All the children will feel more themselves every day. 

Life is, after all, unpredictable and exciting all rolled together.  Truth be told I agree with the line in the "Parenthood" movie---I would much rather take the roller coaster of life than the merry-go-round every day. The adventure proves more about who we are anyway.

Grateful in this moment.