A Moment's Reflection

Making Cupcakes

2010-05-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Here we are making cupcakes for Easter :)

Mama Raaawr & Baby Raaawr

2010-05-15T19:50:00.001-07:00

We were at a friend's house a month or so ago and K did her first drawing with faces

(that she told me about, anyway!)

She did the center character first, and showed me. I asked her what it was and she told me it was a "Raaawr". This could mean a bear, lion, dinosaur, or anything else that she thinks may growl! lol I asked her if it was a bear though, and she said yes... a "mommy raaawr"!

And then, she ran off and drew the baby.

I was impressed. And realized that this piece of paper will probably turn into a much larger collection. And then I thought of the box of my drawings that my mom still has. Oh boy.

Flower Child

2010-05-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

K's little friend tucked some flowers into her ponytails.

So cute :)

Chasing Seagulls

2010-05-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Our friends came down from SC for a visit.

What a perfect excuse to head to the beach!

And chase seagulls...

And feed seagulls...

And chase them some more!

And then we went to lunch :)

I wish these friends got to see more of each other! They are so sweet together.

(I miss her momma too!!)

Mani/Pedi Time

2010-05-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, K got some non-toxic nail polish for Easter.

I thought it would be a good bribe for her to let me cut her nails.

She's getting much better at letting me cut her finger nails,

but she still doesn't let me touch her toenails.

Just have to do it while she's sleeping...

She does let me paint them though ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Easter: Sunrise to Sunset

2010-05-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Easter! A long, beautiful day.

We attempted to get to a sunrise service down by the water... but the sun beat us there.

It was still great though, and gorgeous out. A bit chilly, but such a nice start to the day.

We saw some friends down there and hung out for a bit.

Then we went home, ate, and had a family nap!

(since we got up WAY too early!)

We went to the in-laws after nap time.

K got her Easter basket then.

A new book about springtime, a block puzzle, non-toxic nail polish, wooden eggs for her kitchen, "magic" sprouting beans, nesting eggs, some snack bars, and other goodies...

Here she is enjoying one of the chocolate cupcakes she helped me make (and decorate!)

Checking out her loot.

She discovered the candy! A honey-sesame stick - yumm!

With the Grandmas, and her baby cousin.

And an organic lollypop! (no artificial junk in her mouth)

With her big cousin Zac - ready to go find eggs!

I love her little basket. Have I mentioned that before?

So cute.

I just found out that they have matching mommy baskets... I may need to get one.

With her Auntie K & cousin

They've got a fabulous looooong swing!

Next, we decided to hit the drum circle.

It always makes for a nice Sun evening at the beach, with a beautiful sunset to conclude the day.

I think everyone else around had the same idea! I've never seen it so crowded. It was the end or Spring Break though... I hadn't thought of that before.

It was still a nice time though. And a very nice day :)

Dying Easter Eggs!

2010-05-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd have some fun this year and dye eggs with natural "dye".

I googled to find out some things I had on hand that made some basic colors.

There's all kinds of vegetables, fruits, teas, spices, etc that can be used.

I just chose a few for this time, but would love to play around again some time.

Yellow onion skins = golden brown (I added a little turmeric for a deeper yellow/orange)

Beets = pink/red (or brownish if they sit too long :( )

Purple cabbage = robin's egg blue

Pretty already!

I boiled for a while and then added some vinegar to help the color take.

I saw some really pretty eggs online with leaf imprints.

They glued leaves and things on the eggs before dying them and then peeled them off.

K helped me pick all kinds of leaves, grasses & flowers.

She colored on some with pencils and decorated with stickers too.

While I spent WAY too much time sticking plants to eggs...

Unfortunately, they didn't stick once they were in the warm dye bath.

So, we ended up with solid(ish) colored eggs anyway!

It definitely went a lot slower than commercial dyes, but we ended up with a lovely batch of eggs! And when the dye leaked through to the edible eggs inside, I felt no guilt feeding K a "blue" colored egg!

Dress up at the Garden

2010-05-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

We went to the Children's Garden with some friends recently.

K is really starting to enjoy "dressing up".

She dances whenever she puts a dress on... very cute.

Lots of dress up clothes here.

And many too-big old, sparkly shoes. She loves 'em ;)

What's with the cheesy smile she keeps giving??

Makes me laugh...

And I'm realizing she wears this shirt all the time. She loves it. So do I.

It's so soft... and purchased at a little boutique from a local artist.

So.. she loves to dress up in fancy dresses, but she certainly doesn't need a Prince to slay the dragon for her. She's going to do that herself. Wearing a dress.

(Or at least she'll invite the dragon over for afternoon tea! lol)

Hiking

2010-05-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just a cute pic from a local state park :)

Dino-World!

2010-03-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

We went to dinosaur world with some friends recently...

A big woodsy place filled with life-sized dinos!

Raaawr!!

It was a beautiful day and the kids really seemed to enjoy running the paths.

Checking out the huge sculptures and stopping along the way to do things like hunt for fossils and do some digging...

I can't believe as long as I've lived near this place, and driven by, I had never been!

feeding the fish :)

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

2010-03-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Two naked babies in the tub!

Too cute... I just couldn't resist :)

Like Father, Like Daughter

2010-03-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

So, I was getting ready to go to an art show with a friend the other night. The dads were staying home with our girls for the evening. I had my camera, and decided to take a quick picture with my two favorite people before leaving.

First, went up to hubby, held the camera in his face with a "smile!"

This is the look I got from him.

Figures.

My sweet daughter would give me a cute picture, I was sure!

She knew nothing about her dad making silly faces in the next room.

So, I went up to her with the camera and the same "smile!" and what does she do??

Yep.

Just like her daddy!

Birthday Party Fun

2010-03-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

We went to our friend, Olivia's, 2nd birthday party a couple of weeks ago.

Balloons are so much fun (until they fly away, that is!)

Luckily, we had these ones on securely

(unlike the one that flew away in the Publix parking lot - that made us go back into the store, and in line again to get a new one for the distraught little girl)

Lots of good food - and cake of course!

I planned ahead and brought a wheat-free cupcake I had made for K.

I wonder how long I'll be able to do these "switches" without her noticing...

Everyone loved the bounce house - especially the big boys!

Sushi Lunch Date

2010-03-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

K & I met Auntie T for lunch the other day.

We went for sushi, so I had to dress her in her "sushi shirt" I made her, of course :)

K had fun trying all the new foods.

She spend a long time opening up edamame to eat.

The birds made out of carrots were fun too!

I need to start making our meals at home look more fun & appetizing!

My Little Artist

2010-03-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

We've been painting more often lately. It's the one crafty thing that's fast to set up & easy to clean up. Especially the watercolors. K still doesn't have a very long attention span, so I get a bit disappointed when I spend forever setting up/cleaning up a project, and she only spends 5 mins working on it....

Like the birthday cards we've made recently. I got out paper, coloring stuff, scissors, stickers, glue, glitter, etc. And then I tried to leave the room. Glitter everywhere. Still cleaning it up!

I think I'm going to start an "oops" file of photos.

I need to remember to take pics when I discover these fun messes :)

Here's a pic of K painting at a friend's house:

And these are her working on some masterpieces at home.

Too-Too Cute

2010-02-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

More dancing photos... couldn't resist.

K has seen some of the Winter Olympics going on, and loves the ice skating.

Or "ice dancing" - whatever they call it!

She's been grabbing her tutu, and then spinning and gliding across the tile floor..hehehe :)

Oh, and check out her first "back" ponytail. Adorable, no?

It had fallen out by the end of the day, but still looks good here ;)

I think the pink tutu looks good with the mis-matched pajamas...

And she always likes to throw a little yoga in...
at the end :)

Favorite Things

2010-02-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

Currently, some of K's favorite things include dancing...

She spins with her tutu & scarves to all kinds of music.

I'd really like to know where she learned some of her moves!
Another favorite thing to pay with is her big cousin's Legos.
I never would have thought she'd be into the small ones yet (she's got some of the large ones for toddlers), but she loves to sit down with them, and well, mostly pull them apart...

But, this time she put some together! She spent a good amount of time working on stacking all these heads with her chubby little fingers. She was very proud of it, running up to me and telling me she made a "choo-choo train" of the heads. Pretty creative ;)

Goldilocks...

2010-02-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

& the Three Beds

Somebody got caught in Papa Bears bed!

Somebody was then found in Granny's bed.
And finally, somebody found her VERY OWN bed... and stayed there.

Fast asleep.

New Years Eve & Slumber Party

2010-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

K had her first "sleep-over". Kind of... our friend's daughter was delivered to us to babysit after both girls were asleep. But, they got to wake up & play together the next day (New Years Eve).

Breakfast time

play time
heading off to the park time

and more play time...

There was a nap-time in there somewhere as well.

Two toddlers sleeping at once - what an accomplishment!

They do really well wearing themselves out though - guess I can't take too much credit.

Here they are on the way up to Tampa to ring in the new year with some friends.

(And I forgot to take any pictures after we got there!)

K was not happy about having her photo taken...

Oh, and the full moon that night was amazing!

Unfortunately, my camera skills in the bumpy car were not...

It was a "blue moon" - the 2nd full moon in one month.

These only happen on NYE every 19 years.... we won't see another until 2028!

A Cold Night in December

2010-01-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I tried to get all the 2009 posts done in 2009... but that didn't seem to happen!

Here's a few photos from the Nativity that we went to before Christmas...

Here's K with her grandma & daddy:

And checking out the camel...

And petting the camel...

And standing in front of the camel.

I'm not sure how we didn't actually get a photo of the whole camel though?
Hmmm..

We Miss You!

2010-01-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

Cousins hanging out before she went back to boot camp...

And yes, I made them wear the matching hats I made :)

Christmas Day!

2009-12-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is the last post of the year for me!

(It's New Years Eve & I'm trying to catch up on my 2009 posts!!!)

A couple of photos from Christmas Day

Kalina opening her stocking...

(by the way, Santa gave her some freeze dried blueberries that she LOVED and ate for days until they were gone!)

She also got a baby doll sling in her stocking (SO cute!)

And, she got her baby doll that I made! It was still naked & hairless (and faceless), but it was together in one piece! There will be more pictures to come... it is looking more "doll-like" these days.

Oh, and a vaccuum of course!

These aren't actually Christmas Day photos, but she is showing off some new gear.

When she's wearing baby on her back she says she's "like daddy" because he wears her on his back in the Ergo. I love it :)

It's been an AMAZING 2009!

Looking forward to the wonderful things to come in the coming year!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

Every year, we get together with hubby's family and do our Christmas with them.

That way, it's a *little* less crazy than Thanksgiving... trying to fit everyone into one day.

K was ready. Days before, she arranged and re-arranged the gifts under the tree... turning them into giant building blocks.

When the time arrived though, she had no problem digging into them!

checking with dad to make sure there's enough room in her closet (barely!)

enjoying the time with her cousin

and, the newest cousin, spending time with Nana

'twas a Merry Christmas Eve

Silk Scarves

2009-12-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

One of Kalina's Christmas gifts was silk play scarves.

Oh, and she got that cute little basket for Christmas as well.

A local momma sells them - fair trade & hand made in Ghana.

I purchased the silks un-dyed (white) and then dyed them myself.

I found a tutorial online and dyed them with Kool Aid!

(I knew there must be a purpose for that stuff...)

I did one square scarf for each color of the rainbow. And, then one long rainbow colored one...

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the coloring process. The little tubs of color were gorgeous, and the kitchen smelled fruity and divine!

Silk scarves are wonderful for children to play with. Dress-up, magical creatures, puppet shows, nature tables, seasonal lessons, princess hats...so many ways to use them!

(and as you see, they also make great dance partners!)

I think we'll get a lot of use out of these :)

Making & Baking

2009-12-31T11:24:00.000-08:00

I wish I had taken more photos of the Christmas creations, but I suppose I was too busy being in the middle of it all!

My niece was able to come home from Army boot camp for two weeks for the holidays.

I talked her into coming and spending some "quality" time with me... and then got her to roll a couple hundred peanut butter balls (for buckeyes) for me!

(What was I thinking? I am still trying to get those things outta the kitchen without eating them all myself!!)

Buckeyes

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

She's such a trooper. And a perfectionist!

Here she is rolling the little caramels that get smashed between pecans for my

Cappuccino-Pecan nuggets (those were yummy! More of 'em next year)

And this yummy stuff wraps around them before their chocolate bath... Cappuccino Pecan Nuggets

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee (dry)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark), chopped
12 anilla or chocolate caramels
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon whipping (heavy) cream
72 large pecan halves (1 1/2 cups)
10 to 12 ounces milk or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons shortening
Instant espresso coffee (dry)

1. Line square pan, 8x8x2 or 9x9x2 inches, with aluminum foil, leaving 1 inch of foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan; spray with cooking spray.
2. Heat brown sugar, 1 tablespoon coffee and the milk to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in candy coating until melted. Pour into pan. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until firm. Remove mixture from pan, using foil edges to lift. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.
3. Heat caramels, chocolate chips and whipping cream in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is melted and smooth. Refrigerate uncovered about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until mixture holds its shape and is cool enough to handle.
4. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. For each nugget, roll 1/2 teaspoon caramel-chocolate mixture into ball; press between 2 pecan halves and flatten slightly. Shape 1 square coffee mixture evenly around pecan cluster; roll between hands to form ball. Place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
5. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Melt baking chocolate and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Dip 1 nugget at a time into chocolate mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle coffee over some of the nuggets. Drizzle remaining melted chocolate over some of the nuggets if desired. Refrigerate about 10 minutes or just until set. Serve at room temperature. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

And here's some of the finished product...

I made some chocolate-peppermint truffles as well, but I'm still working on that recipe. Ended up being WAY too minty. But yummy. And would be a good dessert after a garlicky meal ;)

Oh, and here is our official taste-tester trying out her very first "real" chocolate Christmas goodie... a Buckeye.

I think she approves :)

And here she is decorating her own cookie :)

(I hid the tray of Buckeys & replaced it with a gluten-free pumpkin cookie with cream cheese/honey frosting and naturally dyed sprinkles... and she loved it!)

Oh, and I made a bunch of "soup" jars as gifts. We had Red Beans & Rice and Friendship soup.

Wish I had a photo of this project... what an assembly line I had going!!

A Birthday Gift to Share

2009-12-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Some friends came to visit us a couple weeks ago. We were able to use one of K's birthday presents with them - our family pass to the Children's Garden!We're lucky that our friend has such a lovely camera -

now we have many photos to narrate our wonderful time with them!

Such a great time with great friends...

Now, we will just sit & wait for them to move back to FL so we can go more often! ;)

The Man in the Big Red Suit

2009-12-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

We went to our local Farmer's Market on Wed to pick up some goodies.

We were pleasantly suprised by some live music, samples of yummy fresh produce, and SANTA!

I don't think K realized that santa is an actual "person"... she'd only seen pictures of him, stuffed toys, etc. So, when she saw him at a distance, she seemed excited but suprised.

We walked over toward the very large man standing there in red. My outgoing girl suddenly became shy! I held her while she burried her head in my neck, peeking out occassionally.

Santa tried speaking to her. Nothing.

Then... he pulled a tangerine out of his pocket and handed it to her! That did it! She looked at him now, thinking he must not be so bad after all...

She certainly wasn't ready to sit on his lap, but she was thrilled to go check out Santa's tractor with him and have her picture taken.

Such a cool santa...

Kitchen Helper

2009-12-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

K helped her Granny make some cookies last week...

She had a great time stamping them out, and made less of a mess than I expected! ;)

She wore her new apron that our friends made her as a birthday gift.

Kept her clothes nice & clean...
Sometimes though, she helps in the kitchen without an apron.
Sometimes, she helps without even pants!

Paint, Paint, Paint

2009-12-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

I just finished a last-minute painting commission.

It's for a friend-of-a-friend that lives in Connecticut.

They wanted a painting similar to the one I did for our mutual friend a few years ago.

And, here it is:

I hope it brings some color and cheer to the land of snow.

It's packed up and in transit to the chilly North as we speak.

Here's my little helper preparing it for it's long journey...

Another Day, Another Park

2009-12-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

We try to get outside every morning. Running around and enjoying the sunshine & fresh air seems to help with naptime (which has been hit or miss the last couple of weeks!)

So, I take K out to do things like ride motorcycles,

go bobsledding (minus the sled),
horseback riding,

bungee jumping,

and mountain climbing.

And me?
And the end of all that, she's pretty tired. And, apparently works up an appetite.

Yesterday, she went running for the picnic tables when she saw them,

yelling, "Snack time, momma!"

I really must start remembering snacks... luckily I had some raisins from the day before.

And water of course. Easy to please!

She's TWO Already?!

2009-12-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

Such a big girl! 31 lbs & 38" tall. AND she's just amazing!

K shared her 2nd birthday party with her Papa. His birthday was just a few days before, and he turned just a few years older than her, of course...

She got a great new book from her Granny...

It's the "bedtime" stories from the Gold Books collection... though we just like to look & talk about the pictures these days.

I wonder how many more years she'll be excited by socks?

Trucks are a favorite thing right now. Everything was a "fire truck!" for a while, but now we also differentiate "big truck" and "school bus". Airplanes and helicoptors are a close second!

And she is such a wonderful model! Showing off the crochet backpack I made her.

She makes her momma so happy :)

We had another birthday party at the park with friends the following Saturday. It ended up being a chilly morning - but we had a great time! We ate piles of pancakes and toppings, and drank lots of hot cocoa & coffee!

Our pink friends even came down from Tampa to celebrate.
And lots of other friends as well. Unfortunately, the batteries in the borrowed (thanks, Nana!) camera died, so we didn't get to document all the festivities, but we did enjoy a great time with our friends & family.

K's uncle even came along to help "guard" the food ;)

Remember That Pumpkin?

2009-12-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a pain in the butt to get open! Good thing I didn't care if it looked nice when I was through with it! It did taste delicious though.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the creations that came from it.

This photo was taken with hubby's camera-phone, on a weekend, when he was home

(right before he helped me get the knife the rest of the way through!)

I did make some goodies though:

Pumpkin Bars (gluten-free, with a nut-crust!)

Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup (yummm!)

Pumpkin Butter

Sweet & Cruncy Pumpkin Seeds

(even though these tasted good, I'm not sure I like the seeds with the husks on.. I'd rather buy the green shelled ones!)

And, it was all so much more satisfying than that which comes from a can...

though, next time I think I may try to cook it before cutting it!

1,000 Words

2009-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. SD400

2009-12-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

You will be missed

We went to visit my niece on family day, where she is stationed for boot camp. I am way too trusting, and left the camera laying on top of my bag on the bench next to me while people were milling about... and then, it was gone. *sigh*

I've been avoiding the blog with the excuse that I have no camera for pictures, but I suppose that can't go on for ever. So, I return, and will do my best to keep up with the holidays!

I did see that I can get this camera fairly chep on Ebay... but I think I may hold out for a pricier SLR camera. I really, really want one... "Oh, Santa!?"

Ina May in Town

2009-11-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Ina May Gaskin came to our little town to share her wealth of wisdom.

I have no idea how I didn't take more pictures than this!??

It was wonderful to listen to her. She is so full of knowledge of the process of birth.

And she's kinda famous too... so it was an honor to meet her ;)

AND I got a personally autographed copy of her first book... Spiritual Midwifery.

So very very cool!

Halloween AKA "80's Family"

2009-11-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

J & I recycled our 80's costumes that we wore to a friend's bday party a couple months ago.

This time, K got to join in the fun as well!

Adorable, no?!

K & I are wearing matching "best friends" guitar necklaces.
I'm sure she will wear her necklace until she's 16, at least...

Buzzin Through the Garden

2009-11-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

We went to the Children's Garden the weekend before Halloween. I put K's bumblebee costume on her - the same one she wore last year!

I can't believe she wasn't even walking just a year ago.

What a difference that short amount of time makes.

She had no problem at all getting around this year!

Her favorite thing was the pile of hay to jump in.

I think we must start saving the grass clipping for her play room...

Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-17T15:26:00.001-07:00

Today was a beautiful day! The high was in the 70's with a nice breeze. I searched online for something to get us outside today (wanted to take advantage of it, since it will only last a couple of days!), and decided we'd head downtown for the Arts Fest. We made a change in plans though, when I heard there was a pumpkin festival!

I think everyone had the same idea today - LOTS of people there!

Lots of fun though.

K even got to hold a donkey:

and her first time on a tire swing...

saw some chickens, pheasants, & peacocks

Jumped into piles of hay

this is what we do in FL since we don't have mountains of leaves :)

We searched through the pumpkins looking for the *perfect* one to purchase.

K got attached to a perfect toddler-size one. It's a pie pumpkin though, so I guess we will be baking it instead of carving it ;)

I'll keep ya posted on that...

Trial Bike Day

2009-10-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

I found this balance bike for Kalina a few months ago.

It's been in the garage, waiting for her birthday to roll around. Well, I couldn't keep waiting, so when I had a birthday, I decided I wanted to give it to her. (She doesn't understand birthdays yet anyway, right?) ;)

We pulled it out & showed her. She was very excited! Unfortunately, as long as her legs are, she's still a little small to use it properly. She should be able to sit on the seat comfortably while her feet are flat on the ground... and walk/run/glide the bike along.

So, we put it back away and will pull it back out at the end of November to suprise her again!
In the meanwhile, we introduced her to an old trike that has been in her daddy's family a while.
She hasn't quite figured it all out, but she's having a good time with it :)

October Beach Day

2009-10-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said that Fall had begun? Well, that only lasted a couple of days.

It's hot again!

K & I hit the beach last night. We enjoyed some sand and waves and the last of the sun.

Here's Kalina enjoying the Florida "snow"

I hear there's a "cold" front moving in this weekend though - a high in the 70's on Sunday!

I can't wait...

Until then, we'll enjoy running around half-naked on the beach, by the moonlight :)

Just Like Daddy!

2009-10-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

We went to a Firefighter Day thing this past Saturday. Normally, J is in class all day on Saturdays, but they let them out for a couple hours that day to partake in activities.

It was fun... though HOT.

(Seriously, does it need to be 90+ degrees and muggy in October!? On my birthday no less...)

And it was during naptime, so we didn't stay too long.

K hasn't stopped talking about fire trucks since.

She used to say "big truck". Now it's "FIREtruck!" :)

Celebrating the Mother

2009-10-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a friend's Blessingway or "Mother Blessing".

It was such a wonderful time - It's too bad everyone in our culture doesn't get to experience this kind of thing before having a child.

This is a ceremony that "showers" the mother-to-be with love, support, and encouragement instead of of baby gifts.

It is a time of celebrating womanhood, and motherhood.

A time of sisterhood.

A time of prayers and blessings. A time of reflection.

A time of BEAUTY!

A New Face in Town

2009-10-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

A new baby has arrived!

K has a little cousin - a baby girl :)

This baby girl has a head FULL of beautiful hair!

Just a couple of hours hold... with her proud momma!

And her excited big brother...

K was pretty happy too - can ya tell? lol

Our first FALL day!

2009-09-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

So technically, today wasn't the first day of Fall, but it was the first day that felt kind of like it! We had our first "cold" front come through - meaning it wasn't in the 90's for once! Don't think it will last long this time, but we took advantage of the beautiful day nontheless.

First stop was the park!

This was only K's second time at this particular playground, so it was fun exploring all the cool equipment they had. (I think Daddy was having just as much fun...)

Here is K on the... beaver? Squirrel?! Chipmunk??

and a merry-go-round!

I loved it!

This evening, I was wanting to get out of the house again, so we made a last-minute trip down to the beach. K gathered her bucket & shovels & was so excited!

We ran into some of our friends down there who were also out enjoying the gorgeous day. Evening now, I suppose...

The sunset was AMAZING!

I couldn't stop taking pictures because they just didn't do the sky justice.

It was all so big & my camera's eye is so small...

The moon came out to play as well.

We welcome many more beautiful Fall days!

This is brilliant!

2009-09-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

I am super-excited about this! I always feel like it's a bit of a "waste of time" when I'm blogging, since I'm assuming it will eventually disappear into cyber-space. But now that I find out I can turn my blog into a book, I'm thrilled! I can now let go of the mommy-guilt I feel when I look at K's mostly-empty "baby book" that I'm sure she'll want to look at when she gets older. It, at least, contains some footprints and height/weight measurements... and the dates of some of her first teeth. I never really got around to the picture printing/pasting part though *sigh*.

So, by turning the blog into a book (I figure I'll do one every year of that year's posts?), I'll have a bit of a journal & some pictures. Yay!

Unfortunately, I only started the blog when she was already a year old... so I do need to get around the printing out some baby pics for her book one of these days... yeah, one of these days.

But, in the meantime, I resolve to post more to this "virtual baby-book/journal-thing"!

(I feel like I've made this resolution before, no?!)

Ok, I think that's enough for one day... I love it when K goes to sleep early!

Henna Henna Everywhere!

2009-09-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I'm on a henna-design kick lately. I'm lovin' these cotton bags I just finished - especially the little beaded "bling" tied on to each one that makes a lovely jingle ;)

I dropped these off today at Everything But The Girl downtown (love that place! all local & handmade goodies!) along with some more henna-inspired baby onesies, but I will be making more soon for my Etsy!

So, now I'm wondering what else I can decorate with henna designs... Any suggestions?

The Safe Motherhood Quilt

2009-09-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to get around to mentioning this, but kept putting it off. My friend (who I like to think of as Wonder Woman in disguise) beat me to it.

I was honored to take part in creating a square for Ina May Gaskin's Safe Motherhood Quilt Project. My square was in honor of Rosario Bermeo who died in NYC 6/14/83 at the age of 30.

If you are near Sarasota, you can see the quilt on display in just one month!

We also have the amazing opportunity to hear Ina May speak at the

Maternal Health Care Panel - I can't wait!!

I truly hope it will bring some change to the area!

Check out the event calendar for more Ina May happenings

(like a chance to have dinner with her!) :)

Etsy shop open!

2009-09-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

So, I've finally got my Etsy Shop (WilloughbyJade.etsy.com) open!

It's a start... more to come, I'm sure.

Now, I'm just hoping I will sell some things so I can buy more supplies to keep creating ;)

Paint on the Wall

2009-09-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while, but I finally got to put my brush to a wall again!

My designer friend was helping her sister decorate her room today in her new apartment - it's got a great Moroccan/Indian vibe going on.

This tone-on-tone henna-inspired piece was a great fit & so much fun to do!

Was hard to photograph with the bright light coming in... but you get the idea ;)

Daddy Goes to School

2009-09-19T13:22:00.001-07:00

South Carolina trip

2009-09-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

K & I just got back from 5 days visiting friends in SC.

It was nice... weather just starting to change!

My friend we stayed with just had a sweet lil' baby. I also held two other friends' newborns!

Just days before, I thought I still had a *little* baby ;)

Here's one I've got in a wrap. I stole her away from her momma whenever I had the chance! Miss carrying K like that..

I also made it my job to be "baby holder" at the park.

Big Sister also carries her baby

& K too... We stayed busy! We brought our girls everywhere.

And they brought their girls too!

Here we are at the Zoo

And making some music at Library story time

Here they are doing some modeling for me:

And this may have been their favorite - playing in the rain downtown!
A little yoga in the park...

And drinking the water off the rocks?! Ewww..

K also reunited with one of her old boyfriends there...

She was all about giving kisses until I pulled out the camera ;)Oh, and she's modeling one of the tie-dyed shirts we made with our friends.

Not sure what happened to taking pics of our tie-dye fun!?

I also haven't run across pictures of my friend & I highlighting our hair...

but I don't mind if those photos stay missing ;)

And the trip wouldn't be complete without doing a little henna!

Gettin' Crafty

2009-09-19T12:18:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to spend more time doing creative things lately, and here are a few of the items I've managed to accomplish...

This hat is a bit small for K, but she looks cute modeling it anyway ;)

And some Mary Jane booties & matching hat for the soon-to-arrive new niece.

I've also started doing some henna-inspired shirts & onesies.

I love how they come out...

I did a onsie for my friend's daughter to match her belly that I decorated while she was pregnant

And one for big sister too!

Etsy shop coming soon!!! :)

Out & About

2009-08-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying being back in FL...

Our fabulous farmer's market had a kid's day last time we were there:

We've been spending a lot of time with our friends too.

Even the wild ones!

Chillin' with the girls by the pool...

...and snuggling up before bed.

And, it's great being near family again as well ;)

Legos & Stars

2009-08-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

We've been painting again...

Our nephew (who is starting 1st grade) moved into a new room to make room for his baby sister who will be joining us soon. I had painted a mural in his brother's room a few years ago, and I would be painting in the new nursery as well, so it was his turn for some artwork on the wall!

He chose LEGO people! LEGO video games, to be exact...

(btw, aren't those the cutest BabyLegs?! I love 'em... K's been wearing BL since she was an infant. Great way to keep little legs warm on your nekkid EC baby... and they grow with ya too!)

Anyway, this guy is from LEGO batman... two-face, maybe?

And, LEGO StarWars of course... complete with glow-in-the-dark paint on the Lightsabers!
And for his ARMY dad...

And here is the girly room... for the new niece who should arrive soon!

"Twinkle twinkle little star..."

I even added some real "twinkle" - gemstones and glitter paint!

Fun stuff!

Food, Inc.

2009-08-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

J & I went to see a movie yesterday. He picked last time, so it was my turn this time!

We went to Burns Court which is the cute lil' theatre in town that plays all the artsy movies... and you can get a wine or beer with your popcorn!

We saw Food, Inc.

I had been wanting to see it, and this was the very last showing, so I was glad we made it!

(K had a fun playdate with my brother, sister, and her husband.)

It is such an eye-opening movie. It touches on everything that I'm reading about (ok, so I'm actually listening again... lovely books on tape!) in The Omnivore's Dilemma, again by Michael Pollan. I really hope everyone sees it and then "votes" for the food they want to be eating with the money they are spending. Speaking of which, I was just reminded today that my favorite local produce stand is opening back up today! It's a looong summer when I don't get my yummy, fresh, crispy, organic lettuce & greens from there!

Discovering the Garden

2009-08-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

This was our first time back to The Children's Garden since K has been walking - a much different experience!

Of course she walked all around and through the Garden as if she'd been there a million times.

It's such a magical place...

It's like building blocks for the imagination.

I just read this great article on NPR that talked about all the benefits of "old-fashioned play" - before the commercialization of play - you know, the kind where you play for hours in the back yard or down the street, with that old-fashioned thing called make-believe. Not only is that stuff fun, but it actually does all sorts of good stuff for the brain, improving cognitive & emotional development, among other things.

Unfortunately, there aren't many places these days where children can run free and enjoy unstructured playtime. This is one of them!
I would LOVE for my back yard to be like this.

Honestly, I'd be happy with some trees and shade to make the summer sun a little more tolerable!

I think we will have to get a year pass here in the future. Luckily for now we have friends who have passes they are kind enough to share :)

FL Fun

2009-07-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Most everything we own is still in boxes...

But we've been busy making the most of our time together.

and crocheting time...
J starts fire school at the end of August, so we're taking advantage of family time while we can!

K needs to learn the art of basketball, afterall... (art? hmm)

I was spoiled by the amazing playgrounds in SC. This one isn't anything special, but it is super-close, so we usually walk or bike. K doesn't seem to mind though. She sticks to the swings most of the time, and then the slides...

We try and get to the park every day, but it has been SO hot that we usually go in the evenings (when the skeeters are out! ugh) Going early in the morning is also an options, but we're still waking up when it's early enough that the slides don't burn ya!

K has a sweet new ride too!

We LOVE the bike trailer! She gets so excited when we tell her we are going for a ride. We're still working on getting a bike for dad. Usually, I ride & he runs - gotta get him ready for fire school! :)

Sugar & Spice, and Everything Nice...

2009-07-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

... or Bluebirds & Flowers, and Two-Story Playhouse Beds?

Just ran across the photo of the gorgeous bed (handmade by the dad and grandpa) that I had the pleasure to decorate for two sweet girls. The girls "babysat" K while I painted...

Doesn't it just make you want to be little again??!

The Healthiest Foods On Earth

2009-07-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

The answer in short: whole food! REAL food...

I just saw this article, so I thought I'd share it with you. It goes hand-in-hand with the book I am currently reading, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan.

Ok, I feel the need to admit that I'm not technically "reading" the book... since I found it on CDs at the library - woohoo!! You should check it out... "reading" this way while doing some other fill-in-the-blank job at home is a great way to feel productive!

Alright, on with the article...

The Healthiest Foods On Earth Jonny Bowden, 07.07.09, 4:00 PM ET
What is the best diet for human beings?
Vegetarian? Vegan? High-protein? Low-fat? Dairy-Free?
Hold on to your shopping carts: There is no perfect diet for human beings. At least not one that's based on how much protein, fat or carbohydrates you eat.
People have lived and thrived on high-protein, high-fat diets (the Inuit of Greenland); on low-protein, high-carb diets (the indigenous peoples of southern Africa); on diets high in raw milk and cream (the people of the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland); diets high in saturated fat (the Trobriand Islanders) and even on diets in which animal blood is considered a staple (the Massai of Kenya and Tanzania). And folks have thrived on these diets without the ravages of degenerative diseases that are so epidemic in modern life--heart disease, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and cancer.
In Depth: The Healthiest Foods On Earth
The only thing these diets have in common is that they're all based on whole foods with minimum processing. Nuts, berries, beans, raw milk, grass-fed meat. Whole, real, unprocessed food is almost always healthy, regardless of how many grams of carbs, protein or fat it contains.
All these healthy diets have in common the fact that they are absent foods with bar codes. They are also extremely low in sugar. In fact, the number of modern or ancient societies known for health and longevity that have consumed a diet high in sugar would be ... let's see ... zero.
Truth be told, what you eat probably matters less than how much processing it's undergone. Real food--whole food with minimal processing--contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and healthful fats, and can easily keep you alive and thriving into your 10th decade.
Berries, for example, are phenomenally low in calories, high in fiber and loaded with plant compounds that improve memory and help fight cancer. Studies have consistently shown that nut-eaters have lower rates of heart disease. Beans are notorious for their high fiber content and are a part of the diet of people--from almost every corner of the globe--who live long and well.
Protein--the word comes from a Greek word meaning "of prime importance"--is a feature of every healthy diet ever studied. Meat , contrary to its terrible reputation, can be a health food if--and this is a big if--the meat comes from animals that have been raised on pasture land, have never seen the inside of a feedlot farm and have never been shot full of antibiotics and hormones.
Ditto for raw milk, generally believed to be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet by countless devotees who often go to great expense and inconvenience to obtain it from small, sustainable farms. Wild salmon, whose omega-3 content is consistently higher than its less-fortunate farm-raised brethren, gets its red color from a powerful antioxidant called astaxathin. The combination of protein, omega-3s and antioxidants makes wild salmon a contender for anyone's list of great foods.
Another great food: eggs--one of nature's most perfect creations, especially if you don't throw out the all-important yolk. (Remember "whole" foods means exactly that--foods in their original form. Our robust ancestors did not eat "low-fat" caribou; we don't need to eat "egg-white" omelets.)
There are really no "bad" vegetables, but some of them are superstars. Any vegetable from the Brassica genus--broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale--is loaded with plant chemicals called indoles, which help reduce the risk of cancer.
In the fruit kingdom, apples totally deserve their reputation as doctor-repellants: they're loaded with fiber, minerals (like bone-building boron) and phytochemicals (like quercetin, which is known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and to have anti-cancer properties). Some exciting new research suggests that pomegranate juice slows the progression of certain cancers. Other research shows it lowers blood pressure and may even act as a "natural Viagra."
Tea deserves special mention on any list of the world's healthiest foods. The second most widely consumed beverage in the world (after water), all forms of tea (black, oolong, white, green and the newer Yerba Matte) are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Some types (green tea, for example) contain plant chemicals called catechins which have decided anti-cancer activity
Finally, let's not forget members of the Alliaceae family of plants--onions, garlic and shallots. Garlic has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties; hundreds of published studies support its antimicrobial effects as well as its ability to lower the risk of heart disease. A number of studies have shown an inverse relationship between onion consumption and certain types of cancer.
A healthy diet doesn't have to contain every one of the "healthiest foods on earth," but you can't go wrong putting as many of the above mentioned foods in heavy rotation on your personal eating plan.
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS, is a board-certified nutritionist and the author of seven books on health and nutrition, including The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.

Christmas in July

2009-07-14T12:17:00.001-07:00

Chemoyo & her son with K's Christmas goat

The gift that keeps on giving...

K received a wonderful gift this past Christmas (from my sister & her family): a GOAT!

The goat is gifted to a poor family in Kenya in her honor.

She received the gift certificate and card on Christmas day showing a photo of a goat - with a promise that she would receive the the actual photo of her goat with it's new family as soon as it was gifted. We received word from them a couple times letting us know that they were having some problems with the purchasing and donating of the animals due to problems in Kenya... so we patiently waited, until today when we received the photo!

I'm amazed at how useful this one goat will be to the family that received it. There is severe drought right now in Kenya, so the goat is ideal for these struggling areas.

Apparently, goats can thrive in extreme climates. Unlike cows, goats that are not lactating do well on poor, dry land by eating woody brush, leaves and weeds and in extremes of weather. Even when lactating, they can be healthy with a diet of weeds, but the taste of the milk becomes much stronger than when goats have grass. They also need less space than cows and goats' milk is highly nutritious, so it goes a long way to reducing malnutrition. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. When they aren't producing milk, some of the goat's blood can even be taken and drank to prevent dehydration/starvation.

Besides the milk they produce, goats do work that is essential to farming, work that is very costly to take care of by machine. They clear brush and all the woody weeds that no other animal will touch, like Canadian thistle, multiflora rose, poison ivy/oak. Unlike sheep, they will not eat grass; they prefer vegetation that is off the ground, which is perfect for clearing land and transforming scrub land into farm land. Goats get the land ready for the sheep to come in and finish the weeding by eating the ground vegetation down to just a couple of inches. And of course, goats fertilize the land, eventually transforming unproductive land into highly fertile, arable farm land.

Goats also have 2 or 3 kids a year, so the family can easily sell, or pass on a goat to someone else in need. And yes, when the goat has given everything else, it gives its meat to nourish the family. *sigh* Bittersweet... like The Giving Tree.

Makes me want a goat. Maybe some day.... right after my chickens?!

For now, we'll print the photo out so K can see her goat it it's new home anytime she wants!

More Henna

2009-07-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

So, I've been playing in the "mud" again!

Thought I'd share some pics from the last couple months in SC.

(Just wish I'd remember to bring my camera with me more!)

Hands,

feet

arms...

The little people got some too...

And my favorite people to decorate... pregnant mommas!

I just got word that this last momma birthed her 10+ lb baby boy last night!!

Strawberry Picking in SC

2009-07-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

We decided to make a trip over to Happy Cow Creamery where they have u-pick strawberries grown organically. Ideally, we should have gone picking about a month before, since we were at the very end of strawberry season. It was still a great time, though. Since there was no longer an abundance of strawberries, it was reminiscent of searching for eggs on Easter morning. And it was like getting your brightly colored egg and candy all at once when you bit into the super-sweet berry warm from the sun.... Mmmm, wish I still had some! The grocery store variety is just NOT the same! Anyway, here's some photos from our fun day...

picking

inspecting

tasting

& more tasting of course

enjoying the scenery

Back in FL!

2009-07-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

If you've noticed, it's been a while since I've updated. We've been moving - back to FL!
Just wanted to let everyone know that while I've been slacking on updating & posting photos, I have been packing and moving and all the fun that comes along with that.

Now, I will try and get some old photos posted and just *maybe* I'll keep up with my life from now on and let you know what is going on ;)

Beach Baby

2009-06-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

23,000 words

Family Fun Times!

2009-06-08T21:44:00.001-07:00

We had bunches of fun with the family while in FL...

K had great fun haning out with her cousin

Chillaxin' in the pool...

and learning how to do 'big kid' stuff

a couple of art lessons from Grandma

waking momma up early!

Good times at Bounce U on a rainy day

and her favorite part of the place...

My little brother (who is a foot taller than me!) had his 16th bday

K's first chopsticks

and sushi

forget the chopsticks!

Back to the Beginning

2009-06-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

While in FL, we made a stop by a place that has been a second home for the past couple of years - the birthing home where we spent a lot of time while pregnant (and many hours in labor, as well as mommy/baby groups..)

I also did my first post-baby mural here, in the stairwell. My baby was just a few months old at that time, but it is amazing how much she now resembles the silhouette on the wall! I wish I could have gotten a photo of her standing next to the figure, but any time she stood, she was straight up the stairs faster than I could click!!

Our midwife also had a baby who we hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet, so we were sure to stop by while the little man was there - and he is ADORABLE!!

I crocheted up a little gift for him as well...

some vibrant wool & a hook

woven together

and felted

makes for fabulous clutching :)

Leaving, on a jet plane

2009-06-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

We flew down to FL a few weeks ago - it was our first flight as a family of 3!

I think the hardest part was showing up at the airport 2 hours early, and following little bit around as she took on the role of official greeter in the waiting area.

I can't get over how outgoing and friendly my daughter is... because, well, I'm not! ;)

It was a late flight & someone was sleepy, but kept herself awake until the plane was decending. Then she was out for the night! She did really well, overall...

I'm skipping ahead a bit here, but I think this photo is SO cute. This is actually the night we got back home from FL. Kalina was exhausted... fell asleep just like that while I was in the shower :)

Artisphere & Mother's Day

2009-06-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm retro-blogging.

I've been a big slacker lately... have bunches of photos of the star of the show that need shared.

I seem to take pictures and do a lot of "blogging" in my head,

but the sitting down-uploading-editing-typing-posting part takes a bit longer.

I'll try and do better!

Artisphere is an annual art festival here in Greenville.

We went on Mother's Day with some friends & had a great time!

Downtown is beautiful, and have I mentioned how gorgeous Spring is here??!

Street performers

Action painting, coreagraphed to music by the star of the painting

friends

piggy-back rides

ring-around-the-rosie

beautiful green park

This shirt she has on, by the way, is full of memories. The fabric was cut out & sewn on a white t-shirt for her to wear. It was originally on one of the shirts my mom made my friend (that other little girl's mom) and I when we were kids. The photo is of part of a painting my mom did... actually, I have the painting, too... hanging in the play room. :)

A wonderful Mother's Day it was...

Painting the Town

2009-05-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

One room at a time...

Here's a mural I finished in a bedroom of a cpl of Kalina's little friends:

And my assistant... sleeping on the job!

Nekkid Baby in the Yard!

2009-05-06T20:17:00.001-07:00

Helping Momma water the garden...

(and the house, and the grill, and my clothes)

Nana & Papa visit

2009-05-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on the posts... but I've been busy - promise!

Going to do some brief updates... and photos of course :)

Nana & Papa came to visit. Unfortunately I'm missing some photos that I thought I uploaded?! Cute ones like Kalina "hula-hooping" with Nana and being pulled around in the wagon by Papa. If I come across them, I'll get them up. In the meantime, enjoy!

Her FIRST ICE CREAM

(all organic, of course!)

She wasn't too sure what to think... though she seemed to enjoy it :)

Granny sent Kalina some new clothes - I think she likes the skirt! We went to a dog festival where I face painted...

and played, played, played!

(Tea Party, anyone?!)

EASTER - a day in pictures

2009-04-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

twas the day before Easter...

2009-04-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

...and I was procrastinating as usual. To-do list:

boil eggs
color eggs
go watch movie screening at Coffee Underground
finish crocheting "chocolate" bunny
get dirty
bath
you get the idea...

Kalina received a package in the mail from my sister (her Aunt Raquel). As soon as she saw the box, she knew it was for her and she went about opening it.

A fluffy white bunny!

And other Easter goodies - the perfect thing to get us in the mood to decorate eggs!

We've been getting our eggs from a local farmer and they are natually gorgeous! He's got a lot of different breeds, so we get white, tan, brown, speckled, and even a blue/green!

I toyed with the idea of not decorating them because they looked so nice, but then I realized that would be equivalent to not carving a pumpkin for Halloween... and I couldn't let that happen!

I decided to let lil' bit color them as much or as little as she liked. Because I hadn't planned ahead, I just grabbed something easy that I already had - watercolors.

We went outside & got busy!!

She is a natural, no??!

She needed no help figuring out what to do.

But that only lasted so long. We were, after all, outside... which means that there are sticks to play with!

Meanwhile, I worked on my Bunny... the one I should have started a week ago. Yup.

Kalina loves hugging trees... She will go up to every tree in the park and give it a hug!

She makes her new bunny friend hug a tree.

(Joe says she was actually saying, "Ok, now give me all your eggs and no one gets hurt" LOL)

Airplane!

She finds out the eggs, once opened, are edible! YUMM!

Playin in the MUD

2009-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

I've been dabbling in henna lately, in the process of expanding my face painting "business", so everyone I know has some variation of orange-to-brown-stain somewhere on their body... Here's a few photos I've been able to snap. More to come, I'm sure. By the way, if you are curious about henna, here is everything you ever wanted to know & more.

And just for fun... here's my prego henna belly when I was 40+ weeks :)

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate the Vernal Equinox - the first day of Spring!

I know my last post was full of snow, but that only really lasted a couple of days, and a few days after the snow melted, I got a sunburn at the park! It's been alternating - chilly, rainy, sunny, and warm since then, but hopefully we'll stick with warm from here on out!

We've had family and friends in town, so I haven't spent much time editing photos or posting (obviously) but I figured I'd try and get something up and show you what we've been up to while everyone is napping...

Goodbye SNOW ~

Hello FLOWERS!

FRIENDS

playgrounds...

road rash...

swings

coffee shops

Zoo

snacktime!

giant sock monkeys (!?)

beautiful cemetaries

SNOW day!

2009-03-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, we had our first snow fall! It was quite a suprise since I don't pay much attention to the weather, and it had been pretty warm out. It rained all night and morning, and got cooler. It rained some more, and soon the rain became white & fluffy! I looked out the window and couldn't believe it (and then I called everyone to tell them - It's snowing!)

My mom & niece were here visiting as well... can you tell we're from FL?!

Kalina was pretty impressed as well...

Daddy brought her a snowball when he got home... yumm

And some to play in too

It snowed all evening!

And the next morning it was time to go out & play!

(and yes, those are bags duck-taped to her feet... I didn't have any snow boots on hand!)

Isn't this amazing? It was so surreal.

crunch crunch crunch...

my angel

We made a snow man too, but I somehow lost the photo! I will find it and post it soon...

And what do you do when everyone decides that snow is too cold to play in all day?

You climb on Grandma's back and do a couple laps...

Birthdays & Beanbags

2009-02-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

(Just so you know, I realized I can post larger photos!!

You can click the photo to blow it up big and then right-click to save it if you'd like... )

So, our good friend celebrated her 2nd year of life this past weekend. Kalina & I decided that bean bags would be a good gift, so we got busy...
She worked so hard filling each little pouch with beans! (and if I didn't get them away from her soon enough, she had even more fun dumping them out & scattering beans everywhere!!)
(and if our friends ever get hungry, they can just throw a bean bag in some boiling water...)

Pinto beans....yummm!

Here they are - 10 bags complete with a matching carrying bag!

We made her a birthday cake too... pink & green as her mommy requested:

Happy Birthday!!!!

Ooooh... check out the checker board inside...

I'll share my secret:

(don't those layers look great on my Fiesta Ware?!!

This is the nursery I painted for her when we visited the first time. I think she was just 2 weeks at the time... and I was, unknowingly, 1 or 2 weeks pregnant with Kalina during this time!

Anyway, here's more proof that her mommy loves pink & green:

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

Happy day of love, kisses, silly lovey-dovey cards, sleeping in, heart-shaped french toast, hand-made gifts, long naps, historic sites, hiking, award-winning dairy goats, Boston Market, and chocolate martinis!

Kalina helps me pick out just the right buttons to finish her Valentine's Day present

(the birdy's eyes)

Oh man, you should've seen the floor about 5 minutes later!!

She inspects the sewn felt bird & crochet nest...

...and gives it kisses.

Helping momma make breakfast.

And eating...

heart-shaped french toast...mmmmm!

Good morning birds!

I think she knows exactly how cute she is.

Whattaya think?

We took a drive up to NC (that's where the closest Boston Market was!) and stopped at the Carl Sandburg historic home. I honestly didn't even know who he was, but we walked some of the glorious trails,
and took in the beauty and gorgeous weather.

We saw chickens that looked like the ones I used to have... and met a rooster too. We learned that roosters do not say "cock-a-doodle-do" and that they are quite loud!

Mrs. Sandburg had dairy goats and her own small dairy farm.

The goats are still winning awards!

We toured the old milking/bottling area & I loved this:

"Dairy Goat Milk: For Vigor and Vitality,

The Perfect Nourishment for Children, Adults, and Invalids"

Good to know :)

I have read that goat milk is much closer to human milk than cow milk is, so it's easier to digest. Problem is, it just tastes too "goaty" for me...

Stopping for a short break...

And then back down the trail. Kalina did a lot of walking!

And seemed to enjoy every minute of it...

Finally arrived... Boston Market!

It's our 9th Valentines Day eating Boston Market together. It's just what we do ;)

And back home for dessert...

Beautiful Breasts

2009-02-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

I just saw this and thought it was a beautiful story that needed to be shared...

Not only is Salma Hayek a sexy, talented actress, and a mother who is currently breastfeeding her 16 month old daughter, she is also saving lives with her boobs! Good for her for using her breasts for what they were made for, spreading the word, and not being ashamed!

This came from Celebrity Baby Blog:

Many of you responded positively to last week’s story about Salma Hayek nursing a starving baby during her UNICEF trip to Sierra Leone, after finding that his mother could not produce milk. Having her experience filmed for ABC’s Nightline, Salma explained that doctors in the country encourage mothers to breastfeed for two years, but this rarely occurs. The reason? Men urge their wives to cease nursing rather quickly because of a cultural taboo against sexual intercourse with breastfeeding women.

“It is the best thing you can do for your child, not only the bonding, that’s how you build the immune system, so in a country like [Sierra Leone] imagine how important it is for the mothers to do that,” Salma says. “But here, there is the belief that if you are breastfeeding you cannot have a sexual life so the husbands, of course, of these women are really encouraging them to stop and this is just a taboo.”

Her decision to assist one of these women by nursing her hungry baby boy hit home for Salma, 42, as she wondered if it was fair to daughter Valentina Paloma, 16 months. She shares,

“That was amazing. I’m in Africa, in Sierra Leone, and I was able to feed an ill baby that was very hungry. I thought about it — am I being disloyal to my child by giving her milk away? And I actually think that my baby would be very proud to be able to share her milk. When she grows up I’m going to make sure that she continues to be a generous, caring person, and I think that’s the best thing I can give her as a mother.”

What Salma did is called “cross-nursing.” Bettina Forbes, CLC, of the Best for Babes Foundation says, “cross-nursing has been critical to the survival of the human species and is more common today than people might think.” Andi Silverman, author of Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner’s Guide to Breastfeeding adds,”some moms do it, but there’s no way to know how many. And La Leche League actually discourages cross-nursing and wet nursing because the person feeding your baby could have a communicable disease.”

While we're on the subject, here are a couple of my favorite breastfeeding clips from kids shows...

First we've got good ol' Mr. Rogers (love this!):

Big Bird even gets in on the action:

So sweet.

It's really too bad kids today don't get to see this kind of thing. Many are clueless about such a natural & normal thing as a mother feeding her child. Something I recently learned from kids book illustrators is that the publishers don't want them to show any nipples. No mom nipples, no dad nipples, no cow nipples... well udders, I suppose. Don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. How strange. We are so backwards - in a culture of cleavage-lovers, women are still forced to sit in corners or hide under tents to feed their babies! What the world needs is more NIP!
An image that always sticks with me is a photo of an Arab woman covered from head to toe in modest dress, but sitting outside with her breast completely exposed, unapologetically breastfeeding her child.

So anyway, thank you Salma! Hopefully things will change and we will see Elmo nursing one of these days. And no, he isn't too old... The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Academy of Family Physicians, and the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding for at least two years and as long as mutually enjoyed by mother and child. Not to mention the numerous benefits to both as a result of nursing past infancy. So, c'mon Elmo - you, me & Big Bird need to have a talk!

Ok, getting off the soap box now & heading to bed... ;)

For the Birds

2009-02-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

Every morning, Kalina & I open up the blinds to see the birds out the windows while we eat breakfast. Usually we have quite a few colorful robins to watch, as well as some crazy squirrels. It was such a nice day yesterday that we decided to take a blanket outside and enjoy the company of the animals. I thought it would be fun to feed the birds too, hoping it would bring more into our yard. I didn't have any bird food though, so grabbed some sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds to share.

We soon realized that unlike the Florida seagulls who will attack you to get whatever you're eating, these well-mannered birds actually run away when you chase them with food!

At least Kalina enjoyed the snacks...

I then had a great idea. Since we wanted to feed and watch the birds, but they wanted nothing to do with us, we would build them a "bird feeder". I remembered making one in the past out of a pinecone, peanut butter, and bird seed. EASY.

I gathered the supplies, and we began the hunt for pinecones. We searched all over our yard and the neighbors, but unfortunately when you have no pine trees, you also have no pine cones. Too bad. We collected some sticks to use instead.

We tied some strings to the sticks and then found some peanut butter. I dug out what was left in my last jar of natural peanut butter. Not quite the consistency needed to adhere to sticks (hydrogenated oils must be the secret!), but we made do.

Next comes the bird seed. Except, we had no bird seed. Instead, we prepared these birds a gourmet treat - a mix of sesame, flax, & sunflower seeds, quinoa, and millet. This part was messy and fun and I was thankful that we were doing this project outside! Eventually our peanut buttered sticks were covered in seeds & grains.

I then adorned the tree closest to our dining room window with three beautiful birdy treats. I cleaned up the mess as Kalina spread the word about the new restaurant to our feathered friends.

So far, I don't think the birds have found it. We did, however, see a squirrel hanging upside-down by his feet to get himself a taste. He was camera shy though, so we didn't get that funny pic. At least we know that SC squirrels are no different than the FL variety!

We'll keep an eye out for the birds, but I am thinking that next time we'll just decorate the tree with some worms!

UPDATE: As we ate our eggs this morning, we watched a mockingbird eating from one of our lovely bird feeders! He held on and spun around some, and hopped off when I think he got too dizzy... then wiped his beak off on a branch (peanut butter?! lol) and was off ~

Fabulous Feet

2009-02-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the feet must be doors to the physical body, or something like that... There is a spot on the foot that corresponds to each area of the body. The feet can be used to absorb medicines you put on them, as well as to detox toxins from the body.

While we have been dealing with our colds, I've been reading and trying lots of home remedies & natural treatments. It's amazing how often the feet are mentioned in dealing with illnesses.

Here are a few things useful feet remedies that may be helpful to you:

For bringing down a fever (this really works!):

Put on a pair of wet cotton socks. Put a pair of dry wool socks over them. Your body will dry out the cotton socks and bring your fever down. Continue to wet the cotton socks as they dry out (the soles of your socks dry out first), until your fever is down.

How to clear a stuffy nose:

Put lots of ice cubes in a small tub of water and submerge only your toes. I haven't tried this one myself, but I'm guessing it's because your sinuses are at the tips of your toes (see reflexology chart above).

To stop night time coughing (this works great too!):

Put vapor rub on the bottom of your feet and cover with socks. (Rub some extra on the toes as well to stimulate those sinuses!)

Try this natural Vapor Rub (instead of petroleum-based Vicks) from Dr. Jay Gordon

1/2 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil

1/8 teaspoon peppermint essential oil

1/8 teaspoon rosemary essential oil

1/8 teaspoon clary sage essential oil

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix ingredients together in a glass bottle (not plastic as the essential oils will bleed into it making the rub less effective) and shake well.

Treatment for colds & clearing the lungs:

Crush some fresh garlic (let sit for a few minutes to release the natural healing properties) and add to a small amount of olive oil. Let sit for at least 30 minutes (you can warm it to speed things up) and apply to the bottoms of your feet and toes and cover with socks OR rub olive oil on your feet and apply a paste of crushed garlic directly to your feet and cover with socks (not for children, as the garlic may burn sensitive skin)
Alternatively, add the crushed garlic to boiling water, and then add the water to a small tub with enough cool water to be comfortable to put your feet in. Let soak for 30 minutes, or until water is cool. (Wear a towel over your head to keep the warmth from going out your head)

To prevent sickness:

Thieves essential oil blend on the bottom of the feet during the holidays or whenever you'll be around sick people (we did this during the holidays and never got sick! Wish I'd kept it up!!)

That's all I can remember for now - If I come across others, I'll be sure to add to the list...

Speaking of FEET, Kalina's feet got a new pair of shoes!

She has her first pair of Big(ger) Girl Shoes :)

She still wears her leather Robeez inside, but for the sticks, rocks, and weather of outside, she just got a pair of Pedoodles and loves them. They are still soft & flexible soles, but thicker to protect her own fabulous feet :)

Dairy Farm

2009-02-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

We've all been sick here the last couple of days, and decided we needed to get out of the house. It was a beautiful day outside. A month ago, I would have told you 66 degrees was a bit chilly, but after the temperatures this past week, it was lovely!!

We decided to visit a local dairy farm that I've been wanting to check out. It was perfect. We met the farmer, and the cows, and the chickens, goats, turkey & dog. We purchased some fresh milk & butter from happy, healthy, pastured cows. They were out of eggs today, but we'll definitely get some next time. It's so nice to see where your food comes from!

There were a lot of gorgeous breeds of chickens, though this lady isn't too exciting...

This calf was so sweet and playful. It made me want to get a cow!

Kalina had a great time seeing all the animals.

I think we need to get some chickens of our own ;)

(BTW, You can find your own fresh milk and other great resources here)

Goodbye & Hello

2009-01-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

We did it! We are moved into our new home (not quite all unpacked and organized, but at least we're all living in the same house again!) Now that we're back online, I thought I'd post some photos of the past week...

What is a going-away party without a "flip cup" tournament in the living room??!

So tired after a long day of partying...

The kiln just barely fit on the truck (woohoo!)

And the puppet theatre! (Life's necessities, right?)

Kalina gets her kitchen unpacked...

Checking out downtown... and finally wearing the hat momma made her!

And discovering her amazing new back yard...

Our first few days here were beautifully dreary... but the blue skies and sun are back out again

We are still working on the winter wardrobe... ;)

Daddy's Girl

2009-01-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

So, hubby left to start his new job in SC this week, and he won't be home until this weekend. We are missin' daddy & decided to post some pictures for him...

"MY DADDY ROCKS"

We played in the back yard for a bit, ate an orange, and I snapped some photos of the recently crowned "Queen of Goofy Faces".

Here's that sticky orange-covered face in all her glory - just for you daddy:

A special phone call before bed...

Sweet Dreams ;)

New Year, New Life

2008-12-31T10:36:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here, about 640 miles away from the place that I have always called home. Between the time of my last post and now, hubby has taken a job in South Carolina, and will be beginning work next week! We are scrambling around looking for a place to live, but in the meantime, I will head home to start packing, and he will be staying with our good friends who live in the same town where his new job takes us - a girl I've known since 2nd grade, and her husband and little girl (who is 9mos older than my lil' bit). We actually came to visit her when she had just had her baby (not knowing that I was pregnant at that time!). Funny thing is, she & I grew up together and always planned on living near one another, though we haven't even lived in the same state since high school. Her mom still has a paper she wrote in elementary school where she states that her plans for adulthood were to "be a mom and go on picnics with my best friend, Erin". So, that is the plan!

It has all happened so fast though. Driving around looking for a home in the hills and woods that are so different from Florida is a bit surreal. It is also bittersweet. While I am excited, I am also sad... I feel like I have finally found my niche where I have been living, and I now have to start over again. Also, Kalina is at such a fun age right now, doing so many things - it will be hard to be so far away from all of our family & friends during this time.

But Alas, it is a NEW YEAR beginning tomorrow.
We welcome 2009 and everything it brings us!

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace,
to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

~ William Arthur Ward

How did I get here?!

2008-12-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

So, here I am. Blogging...

I admit, I am a closet blog-reader. I have thought of starting my own before, but always told myself it was a waste of time (guess I wasn't listening to that little voice when I signed up for Myspace/Facebook!). Honestly though, I'm just a tad jealous. I read about all the things people do, check out photos of places they've been, drool over the handiwork of other mommas, and wonder how people do so much and have time to blog about it!

But then, I was sitting here thinking. The house is finally quiet after a long day of Christmas, and an even longer week of preparations. Baby Girl is in bed, and Baby Daddy is snoozing on the sofa. I should really be cleaning up the explosion that the house has become after weeks of baking and crafting and wrapping and running. But, instead I am sitting here reflecting and feeling nostalgic.

One year ago today I was holding a one month old newborn - a ragdoll in my arms, in awe of the twinking lights of the tree. Today, that same little girl was running, opening presents, rearranging everything in her new play kitchen, and squealing at her beloved wooden rocking horse. I now wish I had a blog I could look back at to jog my memory of the past year's events, and maybe I could be a bit jealous of myself!

I know that a lot must have happened in the past year, but on a day to day basis, I really don't feel like I get anything done! It's a constant cycle of making food/doing dishes, getting dirty/doing laundry, pulling everything out to entertain the little one/putting it all away (ok, that last part doesn't happen as often as I'd like...). Anyway, I know I have have accomplished a lot of things (I may have even finished one or two of the many projects I seem to be continually starting. ha!) But, due to a severe case of mommy brain, I can't recall much. (I have decided that breastmilk is called the best brainfood because the baby is actually sucking your brains right through your nipples!)

Anyway, back to what I was saying... I am a LIST person. If I want to actually complete a project, I need to write it down and tape it to my forhead. If I want to celebrate the completion of a project, I must write it down just so I can cross it off the list. Such a good feeling. So, I think that in this day of blogging, my love of journaling and photography will finally serve a purpose - self-gratification! I am envisioning photos of folded laundry mountains and hand crocheted spacesuits. Ahhhh...

Speaking of pics, I've got some cute ones from the day, but I have no idea how to post them, so that will have to come later. For now, I must surrender to the dishes.