if my kids had super powers...

Name: Super Chunky Hudsy

 Power: He can convert a pint of milk into a pound of pudge instantaneously.

He can squash any villain flat by simply sitting on them.

Name: Sadistically Sweet Azriel

Power: She's a master illusionist... turning a gentle kiss into a terrifying bite, or a tender touch into a Vulcan death grip (not to mention the mind-meld seen above)! 

But wait, then there is the x-ray vision they both have too.

It's as though they see into my very soul... I gaze into their eyes and I'm undone.

Hudson's eyes are the perfect ultramarine blue... a deep ocean under an indigo sky with the waves rolling in.

Azriel's eyes are clouded cobalt... a morning fog dancing over heather covered hills.

More powerful than any magnet... they draw me in.

Hypnotic. Entrancing. I'm under their spell.

Then they smile.

giggle

laugh

...

Their final super power revealed... I melt into putty.

Now we all know who wears the cape(s) in this nest,

all.a.mush.mama,

Mel ;o)

...that secret seducer:

Did you feel it today?

The wind was a raging adventurer.

It carried the clash of swashbuckler's swords on a far off pirate ship.

It was thick with the perfume of newborn flowers.

I opened the windows and let it tear through the house.

It was electric, sending goosebumps across my soul.

I stepped outside.

It tussled my hair and absorbed me into it's strong embrace,

like a long forgotten lover.

 "This is a dangerous wind"

It makes my blood boil.

It breeds a wanderlust in my heart.

I want to pack my bags and find a gypsy caravan.

Nothing else in nature disrupts me so.

These wild winds.

This tempest of temptation.

Did you feel it today? 

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

Hiding inside for fear it will carry me away from this nest,

wind-torn mama,

Mel ;o)

D.I.Y: mason jar pin cushions

Ready for a project that will keep you on pins and needles?

Well, it's Monday.. so let's get our craft on!

I totally stole the inspiration for this simple idea from Pinterest... since it fits my style for super.fast.stupid.easy do.it.yourself projects. 

Supplies needed:

Mason jar with detached lids

Stuffing fluff or Steel Wool (which I hear makes your pins stay sharp!)

Cut circle of fabric

Glue Gun/Sticks 

 Hot glue the circle of fabric under the bottom of the mason jar lid.. gathering it as you go around.  Leave a gap to stuff your fluff - or steel wool - into the topside of the lid.  Then finish gluing the fabric down around the rest of the lid.  Done!

 Voila!  Fun pin cushion/sewing storage jar to go!

(I also use baby food jars to store baby thread spools).

 I know Hector the Hedgehog is delighted to be relieved of his duties now... 

(Funny side-note: my two-ddler thinks she's helping me sew by jamming him full of pins when I'm at my sewing machine!). 

Happy crafting friends,

Mel ;o)

slide show. sunday. take 35.

Hi friends, how was your weekend?

The weather was beauties here... so we wanted to be outside savouring each sun-soaked second! 

Here's the slide.show recap:

 Azriel enjoying the mini-merry-go-round at the zoo.

 Some favourite places and faces at the zoo... "Azi, don't lick the window!".

 Fabric shopping (a.k.a... justify purchases with newly invented projects to sew!) I'm in love with this kitty fabric... and the owls too of course!

 As usual, 'family.dinner.saturdays' up at the in-laws...

 ...also a great chance for Ben and I to sneak in a date/hike through our favourite woods nearby.

 I call this one: 'smoke on the water'.  

(Gosh, I love that guy - and his pipe.  Hazel the wonder dog is pretty cute too).

Oh yes, and how about a wacko family portrait?!

The Inglis 'invalids' theme since half of us have had surgeries lately... even the wee ones had towels wrapped around their arms/legs... but Ben in a flea cone is killing me... bahah!

We clean up pretty nice tho...  and us gals scored some pretty wonderful Inglis boys.

See you on the flip-side friends,

happy Sunday,

Mel ;o)

 

We.is.dumb spells wisdom...

I'm hesitant to write this post.

Why?  Because it's like walking into a maternal mine.field.

But I just have to share what has been such a dramatic.miraculous.sanity-saving change in our nest!

In one night our wee Hudson went from fussing, cranky, fitful sleeping (and feeding almost every HOUR)...

...to sleeping for three - four hour periods and being much calmer and content during the day!

Yes, the last month and a half of having this newborn were about to stretch our sanity to the point of breaking.  

We called it colic.  

We called it gas.  

We called it every other @#(%$! we could think of! 

We were wondering when this stage would ever end, and if we would be able to endure much more of it.  Wishing we could pack the luggage bags hanging under our eyes and run away.

What happened to the notion of a fantastic four?
  It felt more like a frazzled four in our crew.

What changed to make this family start smiling again?

Everything... every single approach to parenting I was trying with Hudson.

Why?

We (I should say Azriel) found the book.

The book that guided us in raising her from infancy... gave us confidence as parents to discern her needs.  She was even sleeping in her own room through the night by 3 months!

What book?

"On Becoming BabyWise"

If you haven't heard of it... it's pretty famous (for good and bad) some say it saved their lives.. other critics say its cruel and dehydrates babies even!  

But if you read the book you'd see that only a nut would deprive their baby when its hungry - and it clearly calls for balance between the two approaches of feeding:

 hyper-scheduling  vs. attachment parenting. 

I fear that Crunchy mamas (and if you're one you know the term) are likely aghast right now.

But this is just my personal experience saying... we were co-sleeping, feeding on demand, rarely letting Hudson cry (for various 'justifiable' reasons at the time)... and slowly going more insane.

What I love about this book is that I resonate with so many of it's goals:

Keeping your marriage the priority for your family... not being swallowed up in a child-centred home.

Letting your baby have a healthy cry when you know he's fed/clean/burped. 

Having a flexible schedule that assures mama and baby when the next feeding/wake time/sleep are due.

Flexible structure.
That's the oxymoron I want to shape our home in so many ways.
Like placing a lattice in your garden... I want to create a stable structure for our kids to freely grow up around.
To have a rhythm in our home they can 'dance' to.


So much better for my head space - and our family - then the chaos factor.
----------------------------------------------------
Sorry if that post sounds like an infomercial for this book (no, I'm not being bribed to endorse it by anyone).  I totally understand if it's not the way you choose to raise your babies, and I'm not judging others for how they approach this issue.


I just had to share this amazing transformation at our nest, 
especially if it even helps one other frazzled mama find the needed direction and resources to recover her sanity.


Feeling less dumb, more baby-wise.
Rested mama,
Mel ;o)


P.S... We're also referring to our ToddlerWise book for issues facing Azriel too! Ha.

s*mocking bird

Azriel came chattering downstairs last night and said:

 "I not sleeping...what watching?  I wanna see it?"

To which I replied jokingly:

"What are you... a twelve year old?"

"NO.  I thirteen" she retorts immediately.

Ben and I stared at each other in a shocked silence that then burst into laughter.

Oh, these two-ddlers say the funniest things!

She is quite the clown when she wants to be now.

This was her Easter dress for church last weekend... but while we got ready she found her old birthday outfit... and decided it needed to be worn too.

A smocked, woodland toadstool, bicycler - look out world!

Something in my heart hopes she sticks to this playful fashion style.

To not take herself too seriously.

To turn a blind eye to the billboards of cloned models.

To not be like a mockingbird who echos others songs... 

but to spread her own unique colourful wings and belt out the best tune she's got.

As the mama of this nest I hope to encourage her to fly.

 -------------------------

Outfit Details:

 Smocked vintage dress:: thrifted gift from Astrid & family (thanks!)

Toadstool skirt/Acorn hat:: made by me

Floral Pants:: thrifted

Rain boots:: Sears. 

Linking this silly fashion up with Small Style kidlets worldwide.

Have a fun day friends,

Mel ;o)

Pondering pain: practising a positive perspective...

Lately I've been extra-introspective you could say.

What with having a new baby, and that gall bladder surgery...and then being on 'house-arrest' to recover... well it's given me time to ponder.

How do I handle suffering?

Pain. heartbreak. trials. come into every one of our lives.

Does it break us... how do we respond?

What do we actually consider to be labelled suffering anyway?

There's a term over here called 'First World Problems:

some nut cut you off while driving your sports car.

some idiot made your Latte with skim milk instead of soy.

the price of gas makes driving to the corner store a hassle.

your kids want to play while your favourite show is on.

Yep, these 'trials' pale in comparison to a world suffering to:

find clean water, 

escape poverty,

fight diseases.

...

I wonder how often am I like the Princess and the Pea story...

buoyed up on layers of comfort, only to be enraged by the one particle of discomfort brought into my life.

For this home.maker that could mean:

a mountain of laundry.

a kitchen submerged in dirty dishes.

a constellation of toys around my feet.

the phone ringing while I'm busy.

...

 Every day is a choice.

A decision to see the positive in these 'pains'.

Or, as I've said before: to flex the muscle of gratitude in my heart.

Which translates as:

a wardrobe of clothing for our family.

meals enjoyed together with friends.

playful children I get to stay home with. 

kind souls who want to touch base with me.

...

By the end of the day is my heart filled with grumbling or gratitude?

Do I feel bitter or blessed?

God help me to see any daily trial as an opportunity to praise.

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

Now, at this point I feel the need to add a disclaimer: just because we live in a 'First World' culture does not mean that people don't face deep. painful suffering.

death

loss

unemployment

miscarriage

divorce

I'm not addressing these real trials here.  I'm not encouraging a stoic or naive approach to just 'grin and bear it'.  We weep with those who weep.  And I'm truly sorry for any who are facing these issues currently.

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

I'm just trying to remind myself (and maybe encourage you too)

to evaluate the difficult moments in our day...

and notice if that squeeze brings out the grace or the grime in our hearts. 

I know mine still needs a lot of growth,

heart.at.work.

Mel ;o)