tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89821854995165435182024-02-18T19:38:48.794-08:00The Owl's NestAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-68087364223948588972013-02-27T17:56:00.000-08:002013-02-27T17:56:07.340-08:00Long, long Winter...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter truly does feel oh so long, doesn't it? I look forward to it around Christmas; who doesn't dream of a white Christmas?! I can even appreciate it through most of January. Now, though, I just feel like I'm doing my best to get through it. Between my arthritis that seems to be flaring up more often than not, and a trip away that never came through, I'm just ready...</div>
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<br />Nevertheless, I can still enjoy it and keep ourselves busy. We've certainly done a lot of that in the past month or two (that have apparently kept me from blogging....). From crafting, to a bit of illness, ice skating for the first time (for Leah), bowling, a trip to the zoo, you name it! Winter has been fun, but I'm ready to move on, and I think it really is time! It's staying light out later and isn't getting quite so cold. We've been spending a lot of time outside this past week and it feels SO good. </div>
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And just look at what I found the other day.</div>
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Yes, I think it's time....</div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-52104421674273272112013-01-07T17:10:00.001-08:002013-01-07T17:10:14.098-08:00The past few monthsAs tends to happen, I've very much neglected this space, all while wishing that I didn't. Oh well. Such is life! The past few months have been oh so busy with Thanksgiving, a first birthday (and party), advent, Christmas, a new year... the list goes on and on! However, epiphany has come and gone, the tree has been taken away, all the new gifts are finding their places, and I feel as though it's finally time to hunker down and breathe. So with all that in mind, I'll simply post some ('many' may be more appropriate) pictures to give you a glimpse of what our life has looked like...<br />
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Wishing you a season of peace...</div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-46745753158667041782012-10-25T19:44:00.001-07:002012-10-25T19:57:47.145-07:00Sometimes all you need is nothing...<br />
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Staying in pajamas all day, loads of knitting, a movie while the girls napped, zucchini pie for dinner, and not bothering to have the kids clean up. Yup. Sometimes you just need a day of absolute nothing; and it usually turns out to be everything you needed...<br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-83365807925822758702012-10-09T15:23:00.000-07:002012-10-09T15:23:32.472-07:00Autumn Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It feels as though our days have just become a muddled jumble of activities. Not in a bad way; just a busy one. I've taken care of friends' children a few days, which is always nice. Leah loves her friends and it's so wonderful to see her play with them... learning new tricks on the playground and teaching in return. I'm still looking so desperately for children to take care of and trying not to lose hope that they are out there somewhere. We really need the money and I just wish I knew what to do...<br />
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Anyway, we've spent a good amount of time outdoors, and while we have had a few very warm days, the temperature is steadily falling. Our hats are spending more time with us and I have "splurged" on some slippers for myself. I stalked the windows all day long waiting for them today and I can happily say that I now have warm toes! I'm trying not to turn the heat on, as I'm terrified of an oil bill, but I've had to twice now. I think we might be able to squeeze a pellet stove in our house, and so this weekend may be a time to shop.</div>
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This weekend, despite Leah having a fall cold, we headed out to the farm to get milk, eggs, and yogurt. We brought a picnic lunch and had ever so much fun greeting the animals, running through the corn maze, picking pumpkins, and visiting the cows.</div>
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Yesterday was Columbus Day, and so I watched the two girls that I nannied for as they didn't have school. A local farm is usually only open on the weekends for pumpkin picking, but were open yesterday, so out we went! We all had fun on the hay ride, took our time to find the perfect pumpkins (which I then carried back to the car; my arms were killing me!), then played in a hay maze, jumped on hay bales, and visited with more animals.<br />
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Today was a day visiting with friends, and I am just exhausted. While I know that we should really stay home tomorrow, the idea isn't too appealing and I'm hoping to find some local walking trails. There's nothing quite like going for a walk in the autumn, is there? We shall see. For now, I need to get my two girls ready for bed, then Kyle will come home, we can eat some leftovers, and I can knit and watch tv.</div>
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I will end with just one more picture. There was a HUGE mama pig with her many piglets at the farm yesterday. Call me an extreme breastfeeding advocate, but I just love to see animals nursing their babies! It made me a little sad to overhear so many children wondering what the piglets were doing and so confused when they were told that the pig were eating. How have we become so removed from nature? At any rate, Leah was so excited. "Look, mommy! The piggies are drinking boobies! That mama pig has A LOT of boobies!" Ha! It was certainly a sweet sight...</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-86675379107005238962012-10-02T12:49:00.000-07:002012-10-02T12:49:17.220-07:00What I'm doing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Enjoying</i> autumn as I never have before...<br />
<i>Loving</i> our new rhythm of going to the <a href="http://kleinfarms.zxq.net/index.htm">farm</a> every week to buy our eggs, (raw) milk, and yogurt...<br />
<i>Running</i> through corn mazes...<br />
<i>Prepping </i>for the cold months ahead by buying new coats, socks, and slippers...<br />
<i>Knitting</i> constantly with ever so much yarn...<br />
<i>Making</i> Halloween costumes...<br />
<i>Wearing </i>skirts that I made myself with plans for more...<br />
<i>Buying </i>myself some much needed warm boots...<br />
<i>Visiting </i>the creek...<br />
<i>Baking </i>the very best pumpkin cookies...<br />
<i>Eating</i> cold weather comfort foods, especially outside...<br />
<i>Accepting</i> that it's football season...<br />
<i>Laughing </i>at Elyse's new tricks, like standing on her own and putting her hands over her head when you yell, "TOUCHDOWN!"<br />
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What are you <i>doing</i>?Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-62881282294142135082012-09-25T12:43:00.000-07:002012-09-25T12:43:13.657-07:00Visions of fall...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's certainly beginning to look and feel a lot like fall around here! The air has gotten cooler and the leaves are falling. Slippers, hats, and sweaters are all making an appearance and I have to admit, I'm enjoying it. This weekend was certainly one that screamed *autumn.* We went to a local organic apple festival for the second year in a row and had a great time. We got there earlier than we did last year to make sure we got some of the best apples! It was a great time, and now I'm looking for the perfect applesauce recipe so I can start using them!<br />
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I also keep thinking about how I'm going to miss eating outside now that the weather is turning cool... and then I realize just how silly that thought is! We've been continuing to eat lunch and dinner outside as often as we can, just the preparation is different. Instead of just running out onto the porch, I'm getting the girls in slippers (realizing that I need to buy a pair and find a pair for Elyse as well!), and sweaters, and hats. There's just something so beautiful about eating on the porch, listening to the crickets, and feeling the (now) cool breeze. And then dinner ends, the girls jump up and play. Elyse finds fallen balls from our sycamore tree to pop in her mouth while Leah does some crazy dancing. Yes, I think we'll be staying out as long as we can. Happy Autumn!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-61803500220668296602012-09-17T11:25:00.000-07:002012-09-17T11:25:34.701-07:00A good start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not going to say that I woke up today and the rhythm I want just fell into place. I'm not. What I will say, though, is that I woke up (very tired), and a pleasant morning fell into place. I needed to shower and clean the kitchen (and other parts of the house that have been forgotten as of late), but I stopped, and decided that getting to the playground first thing with my girls was more important. So I threw on some comfy clothes, got us a bit bundled for the crisp morning it was, put Elyse in the BabyHawk and we headed out.
It was perfect.<br />
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We went on the swings, Leah figured out some new ways to climb parts of the playground, and we just enjoyed. The sun got warmer and warmer and before long, Elyse was fast asleep on my chest. (Is there anything as wonderful as a sleeping baby snuggled up against you?)<br />
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After we were outside for about an hour, we headed in for a snack. I then got a phone call from a lady who was interested in child care! Things are looking up! While I may not be the right fit for her and her son right now (due to money, etc), she said she would definitely keep me in mind for the near future. At any rate, I may have a little boy to watch soon! Also, another friend has started bringing her daughter for me to watch once a week or so. It's not much, but it's enough to give me hope! I don't know what the future holds, but this seems like a very good start, indeed...<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-21755562781889446052012-09-12T11:57:00.000-07:002012-09-12T11:57:08.679-07:00Finding our Rhythm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm loving being home. While I do miss the girls I used to take care of at times, there is just nothing as wonderful as being at home with my children doing everything at my own pace. I love planning our days however I want. I love deciding on a whim that we're going to the park or the farm. I love changing our plans and being able to have an early or late night without worrying about the next day. I love having the time to take care of my home and enjoy it.
But that's the thing. Time. Honestly, what mother is truly good at time management? If you are, by the way, please let me know your secrets! I think I've discovered that in a sense, too much time causes it to disappear even faster. And so here I am, at home, with time to clean and play and cook... and yet none of it is being done. At least, not in the way I'd like it to! I think my struggle now is finding a new rhythm that fits our new life. I also think that I, well... I think too much, get discouraged, and then just think some more.
I've watched Leah and Elyse and tried to figure out what makes them tick. When are they hungry (other than ALL THE TIME, as they both seem to be going through growth spurts!), when do they need outside time, when do they need inside time? Planned activities, like painting? Free play? I work out a rhythm in my head, and then something happens: we sleep in. My arthritis is flaring up. The kitchen never got cleaned. And then my perfect rhythm is gone. And I get frustrated.
So here's to figuring something out. I think that I need to *let go* and watch it fall into place. I think I need to put forth some effort. I finally started looking at my day BACKWARDS and I think that will help. I know that certain things need to happen by a certain time; think naps and bedtime. I'm building around that. And I know that if (WHEN) I find children to take care of, that rhythm will need some adjusting, but that's the beauty of rhythm vs. schedule, don't you think? There's room for change. So, we'll see. I'd like to be that organized mom that has everything under control. Maybe she doesn't exist, but I'd at least like to try.
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-81211871069175301962012-09-05T18:25:00.000-07:002012-09-05T18:25:24.300-07:00DistractedI've been working as a nanny for the past four years. Every day I drove to someone's house where I took care of two little girls (ages 14 and 35 months when I started). Fast forward, those girls are now in school and I have two girls of my own as well as a beautiful house. I ended my job at the beginning of the summer and enjoyed vacations and being at home with my own kids every day for the first time! Reality has set in, however, and I'm in desperate need of a job. My plan has been the same for several years and that is to find some children to care for in my home a few days a week. I'm looking to start a Waldorf inspired child care/play school, but am having no luck. I know that there are children out there who need good care, it's just a matter of finding them! So, that being said, I'm starting to get distracted. I have days where I'm fine with our current situation, knowing that everything will work out. Yes, I NEED a job, but I do feel confident that something will happen. Getting a job outside the home is not an option, so something HAS to work out. Nevertheless, I'm starting to panic a little. Our bank account is quickly being depleted and with no leads yet, I'm panicking a little. Here's hoping and praying that some sweet children are on their way to me soon!
And so as not to leave this space on a nervous and distracted note, here are some pictures of my girls from <a href="http://bendingbirches2010.blogspot.com/">Rebecca's</a> wedding. It was a perfect wedding and, while I may be slightly biased, my girls were just the sweetest! Leah was a flower girl, but got a little nervous. She had ever so much fun after, though, and we all enjoyed the evening. The dresses ended up being adorable. The fabric I had originally gotten didn't work out and I decided that instead of freaking out I would just go buy some new fabric, plain old cotton, that I knew I could work with. They came out perfect. The skirt I made for myself turned out okay too (in the end), but almost killed me in the process!! Anyway, here are some pictures- thanks to my iphone as my camera battery ended up dying!
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And one more picture, because it's just too cute! It has been raining here the past few days and my girls LOVE to play in the rain. Rain boots, umbrella, nothing at all... it's always fun!
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-79932237846662797282012-08-22T12:02:00.000-07:002012-08-22T12:02:16.170-07:00A picnic dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday afternoon, as I finished cleaning up the kitchen from a baking endeavor, I decided to quickly pack up a dinner and surprise my girls with a visit to the creek and a picnic. Leah was very excited, and we headed off. There is a park about 5 minutes from our house and I can't believe we haven't frequented it more. With a quiet little creek, more rocks than you could throw, and a small playground situated on an enormous amount of grass, it's perfect. There's something about water that calls to me. At any rate, with Elyse on my back, Leah and I threw and skipped rocks, chased little fish, walked in the water, climbed "mountains" (rocks in the water), and ran back and forth along the bed of the creek. Then Leah wanted to run across the bridge and swing on the (very large) swings.
I wanted the evening to be "all about her," in that, whatever she wanted to do when she wanted to do it. The only thing was... I wasn't expecting her to have SO much fun and forget about eating! I finally was able to convince her that we could stop and eat our dinner and then go back to playing.
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Elyse very much enjoyed our picnic dinner! We then played some more, and with the promise of a popsicle (more on those another time) when we got home, we were able to leave. It was a beautiful way to spend an evening, and would have been made more perfect only if Kyle had been able to join us (darn work schedule!). Yes, I see many many more creek trips in our future...
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-62005070885176669522012-08-21T11:08:00.001-07:002012-08-21T11:08:55.945-07:00A canal and some balancing!Our church has two services during the year: a traditional and a contemporary (we go to the second). However, during the summer, they condense the two services into one traditional. While I miss our usual service during the summer, I greatly enjoy being done with church earlier in the day as it gives us a few extra hours to do something. This Sunday I decided I wanted to explore a nearby park that has a nice walk along the canal. We moved about 20 minutes away here about 10 months ago and still haven't checked out all of the "local" things. At any rate, it turned out to be a lot of fun. There was a playground (which is always a hit) and then we found a few access points down to the canal where we threw rocks in the water and saw some little fish.
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That night I had Kyle do some crafting. While I tend to at least try to stay on the "minimal" side of children's toys (that is, I don't have tons), I still love to get my kids 'new' things. Honestly, who doesn't? So I had the brilliant idea of building a balance beam. Outside toy, cheap, functional, different. Kyle went to Lowe's and bought a 10 foot pressure treated 4X4 (I think). He cut 12 inches off each end and screwed them onto each end. The result? Lots and lots of fun.
Waiting patiently in the grass for daddy to finish building...
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A hot air balloon was spotted
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And then the fun began...
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She had soo much fun, stopping only to run across the yard to "eat some weeds" (lambs quarters). In her night-time prayer she even thanked Jesus for her new balance beam. This morning Leah took Hemmah, her imaginary friend of the day, outside so she could show it to her. It was clearly a success and I highly recommend building one!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-896899167965240282012-08-17T08:14:00.000-07:002012-08-17T08:14:16.021-07:00The Color Purple... and some magic!In our family, we love purple. Well, Kyle loves purple. When we got married, our "color" was purple (lilac, to be exact). I thought it was only fair that on a day where, let's face it, I got what I wanted, he deserved to have his favorite color showcased.
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As soon as people find out that Kyle loves purple, and that's pretty easy since he doesn't go out without his signature purple sunglasses, they start buying us purple things. So of course when we started having kids, friends and family gave us lots of purple baby clothes!
Leah at 2 1/2 months old...
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Naturally, we now tend to just gravitate toward purple. Last summer I wanted to sew Leah a new dress so I bought some fabric that jumped out at me: purple, believe it or not. I never got around to it. Fast forward to now. A very dear friend of mine is about to get married (read about it <a href="http://bendingbirches2010.blogspot.com/">here</a> if you're interested) and I decided to make my girls matching dresses from a <a href="http://www.charmstitch.com/?p=1857">tutorial</a> I found on pinterest. I thought that it might make sense to have a trial run of sorts before I use the pretty fabric that I ordered. So last night I stayed up and made this lovely dress with that fabric that had been sitting so patiently in my stash. I still have to add buttons, but it turned out so well, although I will have to make some adjustments for the next set of dresses I make (it's a little too low for my taste, but I think the buttons may help- I will certainly make the straps shorter next time!).
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And then there was yesterday. Some friends gave Leah an adorable purple romper for her first birthday and I've started putting Elyse in it now. It's a little big, 12-18 months while Elyse is 8 1/2 months old, but it's so sweet I can't bear for it to not be worn again! At any rate, it was the outfit of choice for the day:
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Now I am the type of mother who lets her kids get dirty without worrying about the ramifications. That being said, there are still some outfits that I would rather not get stained. Well, as I sat knitting with Leah and Elyse as they finished their dinner, I clearly didn't think at all about what may happen if I gave them frozen berries for dessert. I looked up, and there was purple (and pink... and blue...). Everywhere.
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I had to laugh. And once I realized there was no going back, I went ahead and gave her some more berries.
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Once she was done, I started to clean up. I kid you not: Purple. Everywhere. Her face. Her hands. Her whole outfit. The table. The porch. And I was disappointed at the thought that the purple romper was stained forever. So I did the only thing there was to do: I googled it (what did mothers do before google?!).
So, friends, if you ever find yourself covered in berry stains and want to get them out, here it is. Boil water. Keep clothing taut (I taped it over a large metal bowl as there was no one to hold it for me). Pour water. I kid you not, I watched strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry stains disappear. That romper is now spotless. Magic, I tell you. Magic.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-71673991919712163432012-08-15T11:57:00.001-07:002012-08-15T11:57:51.488-07:00Beach DaysAfter living here for the past (almost) 9 years, I've finally made it to the beach this summer. Twice. And it looks like we're going again on Monday. There's nothing like a beach day with friends and little kids, I've learned. Leah had so much fun with her best friend Wesley while Elyse had ever so much fun, well, eating sand. It was a glorious day...
Leah laying in the sand
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Elyse eating sand (days later and I'm still wiping sand at every diaper change!)
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Best friends
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Beach puppies
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And my very serious attempt at getting a group shot of the kids clearly didn't work out so well, but certainly gave me a chuckle!
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As I said, a perfect day at the beach. Isn't it fun just watching children be children? Rolling around, laughing, playing... not a care in the world...Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982185499516543518.post-34943592837253892482012-08-14T16:50:00.004-07:002012-08-14T16:50:55.478-07:00A New BeginningI've always wanted to keep a journal. For as long as I can remember. The result? Dozens of journals and diaries with a few pages to a few months worth of writing. That's it. Then I tried blogging. I believe my last entry was over a year ago with the promise of blogging at least once a month. Fail.
So here's to a new beginning. A new time in my life. A new space to write. Here's hoping...Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13348513460318181744noreply@blogger.com1