Tracking Ripples

Last Wednesday, a dear friend paid me the most beautiful compliment.
I smiled for days.
So, on Saturday, when I needed new black shoes, instead of my usual flats, I came home with the three inch heels I've always wanted to try.
On Sunday, I let someone in.
On Tuesday, Mary couldn't remember the last time I lost my temper.
Yesterday, my head finally touched the floor in a wide-legged forward fold.
And I took Beth's advice and wore bright red lipstick.
She has been smiling for days.

A Day in Bread

5:46am The furnace just turned on.  The children are still sleeping.  I'm sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor blogging in the dark.  The cat keeps wandering by.  My list today is long.  I'm considering playing hooky.  Or, I could bake some bread.

 

 

 

 

 

10:04pm The children are asleep again.  Jared's reading beside me.  I'm blogging in bed at the end of a long day with my belly full of bread and jam and hot citrus tea.

 

Morning, Noon, and Night

This morning, I woke late.  The house was already in motion.  As I came downstairs, I saw little five-year-old Hannah sitting on a low stool holding Daniel on her lap and talking to him quietly about the day ahead , a calm centre.

As Jared and I were doing odds and ends around the house this afternoon, Jonah often found us to tell us about hatching fish.  He was given a package of eggs over the summer and he's been so excited.  Finally, he popped in to say, "I have something for you.  It's a triops."  He held out a little paper fish he'd drawn for us as a gift.

It was already evening when I turned to Mary, "If you hustle, you could do your math right now."  She responded quickly, "Good idea!"  Soon, Daniel was ready for sleep.  As I carried him upstairs, we heard voices from my room.  When Daniel saw Mary and Beth in my bed, he cheered.  They greeted him happily as he climbed under the covers with them.  Mary put her arm around him and continued her assignment, his curly head on her shoulder.

My Dinner Has a Timeline

Yesterday, I made some sushi and it was disappointing.  And inedible.  I thought.  Later, I found Jared in the kitchen, "Did you make these yourself?  They're incredible!  Do you think you could make some more?"  Maybe disgusting was too strong a word as was gross, foul, and wretched. 

This afternoon, I gave it another shot.  I made much better sushi.  I also answered my door to find a friend from church and bowl of potato salad.  She knows that I've been having a hard time and that I love potato salad. 

This evening, I ate a plate of eye of the beholder second chance, and a pile of I hope you know I love you, feel better. 

Timeline of a Craft Gone Viral...Relatively

Thursday, May 29, 2014

8:23 am--I find these God's Eyes on Pinterest.  They're simple to make, leave room for individual creativity, and I have all the supplies in my house.  Perfect!

1:06 pm--I call all the little darlings in from the tramp and we dig through my yarn stash for striking colours and textures.

1:22 pm--We start badly.  My instructions to the group are confusing and I end up showing each child individually how to hold and wrap the popsicle sticks and later how to change colours. 

1:36 pm--"These are so cool!"
                         "Rainbow is my favourite colour."
                   "I could make these all day!"
                            "I'm going to make a carpet of God's Eyes"
                         "What would happen if I used three popsicle sticks?"
                                      "I made it reversible."
                     "This looks like a turtle."
            
6:44 pm--Half the neighbourhood is in my backyard making God's Eyes.

Friday, May 30, 2014

7:49 am--Blogging about our little activity, I'm still amazed by my children's ability to use sticks and string to blow my mind, express themselves, teach a skill to their peers, and create community.




*This post is part of a series.  I've set aside Thursday afternoons to do fun activities with my children.  In an effort to work out why it both draws and repels me, I choose these activities from Pinterest.*

*All times mentioned in this post are estimates.  I'm okay with that.*

The Chronology of a New Family Staple

On Wednesday afternoon, a friend told me about the velvety texture of homemade moon dough.  On Wednesday evening, I scoured Pinterest for recipes.  On Thursday morning, Beth and I walked four and a half kilometers to buy two enormous bags of corn starch and two enormous bottles of hair conditioner.  On Thursday afternoon, we were 'ret to go'.  Then we played.

 

Pros which made more than enough for six children it feels peculiar  so soft and dry and smooth and smells like conditioner adding food colour makes sweet pastels it's easy to make there's no cooking and only two ingredients

Not Pros I spent about $11 it smells like conditioner but not vivid brights as it dries, it gets a little crumbly one of which is corn starch I have corn starch in crannies all over my kitchen

we made a lot of moon dough...seven times this...and we'll definitely do it again

*This post is part of a series.  I've set aside Thursday afternoons to do fun activities with my children.  In an effort to work out why it both draws and repels me, I choose these activities from Pinterest.*