Seeing the real gifts among us:

"Where society is rightly ordered children are regarded, not as an encumbrance, 

but as an inheritance; and they are recieved, not with regret, but as a reward"

C.H.Spurgeon.

I read this quote in a book the other day and it hit me right between the eyes.

Because some moments it's really hard to see your kids through eyes of grace and gratitude.

Cue those times of whining, power struggles, disobedience and all around mayhem.

Those moments when you shock yourself with how hot your blood boils, and how insane your thoughts whirl.

Motherhood can be really hard.

It can have you so discouraged you wonder how any of you will make it through another day.

That's just the honest truth.

 But it truly is a gift.

Children are an inheritance.

We mothers 'in the trenches' sometimes lose sight of that.

 The stick and grime of daily messes that require continual cleaning cloud our eyes to the sparkling truth beneath.

That little 'mess maker' is a beautiful soul entrusted to our care.

----

Sometimes we just need to step outside of the daily chaos and hear the voices of those with a clearer perspective:

The aged Grandma... who's eyes twinkle with the remembrance of tiny footsteps.

The empty-nest Mother... who wonders at how quickly her kids grew and moved away.

The friends/family who have miscarried... and long to hold such a gift in their own arms.

The Author of Creation... who knits the soul together in their Mother's womb.

----

These voices all say remember.

That precious child in your care is a gift.

Better than any parcel under your tree.

Opening layers of your own heart you didn't know were there.

I know my heart needs these reminders daily.

To treasure these moments 'gifted' to me.

When I look back at moments like these, how can I not delight in our inheritance?

Hope you squeeze the ones you love tighter today

(just not around the neck)!

mama Mel ;o)

 

fears, faith ...and all this heart feels in between.

I'm not going to lie... there are still those moments of wide-eyed panic about having a third child in our nest.  Those moments when I think "now we'll be outnumbered, and we just got good at this tag-team parenting thing"...

Sometimes I just want to cling to another mother's apron and say "how do you do eeeeeet??!".

Especially if they have three.. or seven kids... or any number over one, actually.

Because secretly, any woman with over one kid still seems like a super hero to me (granted, moms of one are still amazing too)... but you watch these mothers of multiples and wonder: "you don't even seem half crazy... how do you do it?"  "I still have last weeks mac & cheese crusted on my shirt... how did you get yourself AND your children all dressed neatly?".

I still have cold sweats about trying to wrangle three kids into clothing and make it out the door with any trace of punctuality (and we are punctual-obsessed over here kind of people!).

So, I know there's going to be crazy times.

The crazy good... sweet... fill your heart to over-gushing goodness stuff....

..and that other kind of eye-twitching "Mama's going to need a time out" cra-crazy.

The good news is (that I'm slowly learning) even when the waves of life experiences seem to tower overhead and threaten to capsize your small boat of faith... God's got that whole ocean in the palm of His hand. 

That's my anchor.

I'm not going to lie... there are also moments of eager anticipation about having a third child in our nest.  The delight of watching these little people grow and develop...

...and as witnessed here, even calmly enjoy each other's company!

Birthing little buddies for the book crib,

mama Mel ;o)

how to be GREAT:

I just had to share this amazing quote with you guys today...

...because living in this competitive culture, sometimes we start to forget what true greatness looks like.

We start looking for it in the 'successful' people.

The rich, or famous, or intellectual types.

We may even compare ourselves against the polished surfaces of others...

..and find our joy depleted.

Leave it to Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. to holler out the truth!

'If you want to be great, learn to serve".

----

Motherhood is my training ground.

How about you?

P.S... I still think you're pretty great!

Mel ;o)

here + there

Nothing beats a fresh box o' crayons.

Azriel drew 'mom + dad'.. nailed it!

play house + hoot

chopping + crock potting

cute crawler

sunrise + snuggles

The days keep rolling in and fading out... like waves crashing on the shore.

Sometimes the routines feel like utter futility.. building sand castles just to see them sunk.

Cleaning, Organising, Cooking, Laundering.. repeat.

Sometimes the routines feel like a content rhythm... the peaceful sound of waves rocking in and out.

Restoring, Rebuilding, Redeeming... repeat.

 ------------------------------------------------

Another week, another peek at the moments in our nest.

I feel like I'm really trying to be mindful of what my mind is full of lately.

Am I resenting my current role as a mama... or rejoicing in it?

(Just ask me in another five minutes... it's subject to change).

Overall it's been a lovely week here so far... and I'm eager to paint more today as my parents have abducted our daughter for another sleepover!

I'll have this cuteness to watch when I miss her:

(Um, no Hudson isn't drinking Coke.. it's prune juice water.)

How's your week going friend?

 Are you feeling submerged under the waves of life, or doing the backstroke lately?

Mel ;o)

year ONE son.

Yesterday I was gushing about my man.

Today - February 15 - I gush about my birthday boy.

What a year it has been!

I've lost sleep and sanity.

I've gained smiles and snuggles.

------

We'll be celebrating this big boy's birthday all weekend with friends/family.

I think we'll have to puree his cupcake since he still likes to gag on anything with texture!

Here's hoping that he'll soon learn to:

 * eat like a real boy.

* stand on his own two feet.

* sleep through the night.

* ween from mama.

* say more than "DA-DA".

* not pull the cats tails.

Here's hoping he'll never stop:

* smiling non-stop.

* playing peek-a-boo.

* nuzzling/snuggling.

* adoring his sister.

 * squealing "Da-Da"!

Happy #1 birthday Hudson!!

we love you lots big guy, 

and there's lots of you to love.

mama Mel ;o)

D.I.Y: toy drum inspiration!

Ok, I'm sure you've all seen the adorable toy drum tutorial by the awesomely talented Katie over at A Beautiful Mess blog... amiright?

I was eager to jump right in to this project.. (since, you know.. I don't already have a growing mountain of Christmas crafting on the dining table).

But it really is a super simple, fun project.

I just used materials I had on hand.

 Empty soup cans. (Or, for larger: coffee can)

Fabric of choice.

Glue Gun.

Vinyl (they recommend leather... and it makes sense..since vinyl will tear if pulled too tight).

 Wool/Suede straps

*Rice*  (my added ingredient inside the can for a synth' beat!) hehe.

I made one for our lil' drummer boy Hudson.. and just had to create a special one for our soon expected NEPHEW (being induced Monday!).

 --------------------------

Thanks to the lovelies at A Beautiful Mess for the inspiration today.

I'm hooked on how adorable these are.. and want to make a gazillion.

 -------------

Check out this cutie's mad skills:

I love how big sister Azriel 'shakes it' too.. what a great groupie she is.

Now, make like a drum... and beat it.

womp womp.

Creatively yours,

Mel ;o)

orange you glad...

...I didn't say 'banana'?

 Speaking of bananas...  it's about to get all crazied-up in here.

You can thank my blogger pal Nicole for this.

She tagged me in one of those "Knowing me, knowing you" quizzes that asks 5 questions for you to answer... and then.. pass on to the next 5 victims friends!

I told her I get grumpy with having to do such quizzes... but, because it's her asking, I will play along.  Just this once.  Got it? ;o)

I decided to answer in video form - less typing/reading for me/you!

 Sorry for that blooper/sloppy exit! hah!

Links mentioned:

Favourite gr.9 song: Jars of Clay - "Flood".

 Blogger bud (now in real life, too) Kirsty - "On loneliness as a 'loner". 

-------------------------------------------------

We'll now return to your normal broadcast blogging post haste here.

(Or, if you really enjoy hearing me drone on.. you can catch up on previous vlog chatter here and here - or just see how my hair is different each time)!

Thanks for getting to 'know' me.. silly bits and all.

Mel ;o)

D.I.Y : girl's haircut.

 Ok, mamas (and papas) out there... here's a funny little demonstration of how I cut our daughter's hair.

Since I'm always getting comments (in real life/on the blog) about how 'cute' Azriel's hairstyle is... I thought somebody out there would like to see how simply.quickly.crazily it's done!  Truth be told, I'm just a one-cut-wonder here, in that it's the exact same way I cut my own hair (post seen here).

Yes, we like our reverse mullet, thank you very much.

 --------

Disclaimer: I have no training.  This approach to hair-cutting is unprofessional to be sure.

Maybe it's the artist side of me... but I just keeping trimming until it 'looks right'.. and have been cutting my hair/friends/husband/daughter's hair for years!

Ready?  Here it is... in video first:

(Thanks to my other victim friend/mentor Deb for filming!)

The fact that I had just cut 'Aunt' Deb's hair inspired our daughter to quickly agree to getting her own trim.  Usually it helps to put a video on to keep them 'focused' though.

Here's the recap:

For the bangs:

I first do a 'straight cut' right across the forehead... curving down towards the ear.

Then I go back and do quick upward snips for a 'tapered' trim.

For the back:

I start at the high point (where the skull rounds at the back) and then cut in a swooping curve downward to the front.

I repeat this pattern on a few top layers along the sides too.

The scissors are always cutting downward if that makes sense (?).

Well, that's a different type of d.i.y for here... but now you know how I do the doo's I do.

Mama scissor-hands,

Mel ;o)

...a mama can dream?

 One of the biggest hurdles in parenting babies/toddlers has got to be sleeplessness... amiright?

We day-dream (because we sure don't get that luxury at night!).. of what a full 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep feels like.

Granted, we were pretty spoiled with our first child.  Azriel was happily sleeping through most nights by her third month.  Then came the big Hud, you may recall what a fitful start we had with him.  Co-sleeping, then bedside bassinet, then playpen... always stuck in our room, always squawking throughout the night.  We just kept waiting (for the last 7+months), hoping he would get 'good enough' to share a room with his big sister.

He could inherit her crib, she could have the 'big girl' bed... (though, she doth protest).

 Currently we're in transition mode.

First step: bring the good sleeper Azriel in our room (playpen).. let Hudson get used to his new space in her room (he's already sleeping longer now!).

Next step: figure out how to get them both to share the space and slumber time.  I've already tried to prepare Azi by saying: "If your brother wakes up crying in the night, you can sing him a song"....she's been practising in the day now. Ca-utie!

 Ben and I are dubious of having much sleep-success to start... but I'm still optimistic it will work... eventually.  Any tips?

The only part that worries me most is the impish nature of our gal.

Though she loves him, I fear her expressions of that s-mothering while left alone with him.

See?!  I rest my case.

I wonder how good those crib bars are at keeping the wild things outside of the cage?

I guess I'll just wait for when they're teenagers... then we can all sleep IN together.

A mama can dream, right?

Mel ;o)

D.I.Y: upcycled tank top = toddler tote

Goooood morning friends! 
Sometimes you just want a really super.fast. really stupid.easy sewing project to accomplish... amiright?  Well today's the day.

We're going to upcycle a tank top into a toddler tote (travel bag/backpack.. thing).

 Supplies needed:

One tank top of choice (try to avoid the nasty white ones with those yellow pit stains...ugh).

Sewing machine

.....

1. Turn the shirt inside out and fold lengthwise. SNIP a curved edge around the bottom, and cut out the top of the collar area.

2. SEW a tight seam all the way around the bottom, and the 'neck' area (seen here in blue stitching).

3. FLIP that bag right side out and marvel at creating something in 10 minutes flat! 

(Unless you want to be real fancy and line the inside, I won't stop you).

 

I wanted this to be a cute back.pack for my daughter... just stick her arms through the 'arm holes' and she's ready to go.  But how/what you use this for is super flexible:

beach bag

grocery tote

project bag

casual purse

diaper bag

etc.

She makes it look pretty darn cute, don't you think?

Happy upcycling friends!

And no worries if you're a sewing novice... you've got this one in the bag,

Mel ;o)

my mini.me...

 Well go figure... this daughter of mine seems addicted to painting!

It's not even like I tried to 'force' her to enjoy the arts... but ever since her first introduction to painting she just begs.whines.squeals to use it daily!

This is one of those 'supervised mess' moments... giving her the freedom to slop.slap.slip the paints around... even over her cute toes and fingers.

I really need to take the time to make some non-toxic homemade paints... for how often she wants to be coated in the stuff!

Yes, it's honestly like looking at a mini-me here... even sticking the tongue out to paint!

She also gets into a 'trance-like' mood when she's fully focused on her brushstrokes... quite something to behold.

I just had to make a video here... she's too beautiful sometimes.

Just so you don't think she's this 'calm' all the time, I'll have you know that shortly after this video Azi jumped up, tore off the paint shirt and ran around in wild circles barking because she suddenly wanted to "dance like a dog".

True story.

What do your kids love doing the most?

Colourful fingers mama,

Mel ;o)

I want to remember... or forget:

Azriel, my two and a half year old + wild wonder.

There's so much I want to remember about her at this stage:

How she nuzzles in to me in the morning, staring up at me with her big blue eyes, and I say "I love you"... and she whispers back "I love you too". 

The way her cheeks look rosy and flushed after her nap time.

Her daily greeting to Hudson: "Hi fat buddy, g'morning sweetheart!"

How she loves to help me bake muffins, or stir our tea.

The way she dances. squeals and shrieks to see our relatives and friends coming up the driveway.

The precise way in which she holds a pen and draws tiny intricate designs.

There's also the things I'd like to forget:

The daily melt-downs over any little thing that disturbs her calm.

The stealthy-ninja way she sneaks back out of bed every time we say 'goodnight'.

How every meal is 'torture' to her... crying out "please may.I.be all done" after one bite.

While begging us the rest of the day for 'rice cakes. marshmallows. or smovies (smoothies)'.

That she still hates the potty, though the tell-tale 'toot' has at least given us success in catching some poops in the pot.  Generally though, she sits there and moans "its too hard for meeee".

Then there's Hudson, our almost three month old + chunk of cuteness.

There's so much I want to remember with him too: 

How he's my koala baby.. cuddling into my neck (all 18lbs of warmth).

His cashmere skin, and peach fuzz head.

His subtle cologne of warm cheese. 

That manly triple chin.

The adorable dimple in one cheek.

His rascally flirtatious grin. 

Only a few things I'd like to forget:

Every evening is cranky fest.

Daily 'goopy' eye.. ick.

Burping up as much as he drinks.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I think it will be a sentimental, misty eyed moment when I look back at this post.

When I realize afresh how fast it all goes.

How quick they all grows... 

So much I want to remember,

so little I want to forget.

Yesterday's tomorrow is where I need to be.

Savoring these fleeting moments wrapped in the present.

Mindful mama,

Mel ;o)

to vlog, or not to vlog...

...I'm going to need your help with this one friends.

Getting behind the microphone is scarier than getting in front of the camera for this mama.

I've been 'meaning' to make a vlog (video.blog) for months now... I even promised a friend I would in order to introduce Hudson to you fine feathered folks.

Now, I won't go back on my word, but a few fears have me procrastinating this post:

1.  Hearing my own voice is annoying!  I sound like Eeyore on helium...

2.  The thought of film editing... this mama does not have the time!

3.  Boring/scaring you off with my ramblings (since the way we talk is usually very different from how we write it seems...) 

So I need you to weigh in on this decision... what would you like to hear me mutter on about?

This is the one thing I hate about blogging - how one.sided it is - because if we were in a conversation I would be asking you questions, getting to know YOU... but here it's just me blah blah blah'ing.  (Which is why I love getting to know you if you comment!).  Anyway, all that to say, I do appreciate you coming here, and sharing in our journey.

And, if you're a newer reader, welcome!  You can learn more about me here.

Ok. Deep breaths.

I'm going to step up to the microphone.

It may not be pretty... and it sure as heck won't be edited!

I'll post a vlog by next week... hold me to it.

Now, if there's a question you'd like me to respond to.. leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail: needleandnestdesign@live.com!

I think I'm game to answer most any kind of query (.... I think...maybe...?!).

Just remember, before you encourage me to vlog,

'Eeyore.. on helium'... got it?

I warned you.

High fives you guys,

Mel ;o)

P.S.. Check out my wee film crew... they've got some skills:

dance like no one's watching... but the cats.

Yes friends... we have a magical tutu in our home now.  

It gives our daughter Azriel the grace of a ballerina, the moves of John Travolta in 'fever'...

Every day when we go to have our 'dance party' time... Azriel has to pull out her tutu from the toy trunk (and usually take off her socks for some reason) and then she busts a move.  I really think we'll have to get her in some dance classes because she's a riot!  I find this age to be so fun to watch... she surprises me every day with new phrases.actions.attitudes (good and ugly!).  It's just amazing to watch these big.little personalities growing up before our eyes eh?

It's also a crazy experience to look at my daughter and feel like I'm seeing a mini-me (especially when she's trying out my glasses).  Is it wrong to secretly hope you're kid will need glasses... because they look so cute in them?!

Speaking of cute... how could I not throw another wee video in here:

You'll also find more cuties over at Mama Loves Papa today.. celebrating one year of Small Style posts!

Which reminds me... Azriel's outfit is all hand-me-down goodness from friends... and the magical tutu (Dollarama!).  :o)

Stay tuned for another dose of cuteness later today (featuring baby Hudson & Azi)... because I'm the mama, 

I can keep posting and posting these wee wonders!

Dancing in the daze,

Mel ;o)

slide.show.sunday.take 34.

Hello friends!  

Here we are at the close of another weekend, and here's another quick slide.show of what ours was filled with:

.. a lot of snuggles with our new Mr. Hudson.

...Azriel and I are competing for who snuggles him more ;o)

...a lot of laundry (le sigh).

 ...a lot of painting.

...a lot of cat-naps (Tinderpuff/Hudson/Mewsli sandwich!).

...and of course with Family.Dinner.Saturdays.... a lot of good food & memories!

Now it's Sunday... and the kidlets here are sickly...

poor Azi has been all coughs/sniffles.  Wee Hudson is sneezing his share too.

...so, a lot of sniffles & snuggles.. and cuteness here.

How was your weekend friends?

Mel ;o)