Splendid

The Ins and Outs

Here's my latest layouts this week.  The first one, "1234" is from a Ashley Wren Sistv class I'm taking. Those are my hand-prints. Of course I had to add the lines of my hands (for the gypsy lover in me) and then the lyrics to Feist's 1234 song.  For those of you who don't know the words to the song, she leaves out numbers 7 and 8 - I do have those fingers, don't worry...

"hoop" is from the hoola hooping dance class my girlfriends and I took a few weeks ago.

This one was also for Ashley Wren's SisTv class. We had to use a receipt in a layout.  Here's mine from Barnes and Noble. 

notice the receipt- ha! ha!!!

Then this one was supposed to be like a middle school collage, cutting out words that went with the picture.  Fast and easy, but fun to peruse through the magazines like we did in 8th grade. Rather therapeutic, really.  

I have 2 others I'm working on from the class this weekend, too. 

When we weren't inside this week, we were outdoors (shocking, if you're not indoors, you're out? Hummmmm???).  It hasn't been as humid this week and we're loving it!  We went hiking up in Fort Washington State Park one day (not too far from us really) (and only to to find a tick in Ava's head a day later, followed by Lyme Disease paranoia once the site of the bite became super inflamed...oh, east coast and the ticks here...joy...let me tell you, asking a 4 year old to get a blood test, not fun...) and to our lovely Beachcombers Swim Club a few times as well.  I love sitting under the big oak trees there, reading.  Summer seems like it's the only time I can get a few books in. This last month (not including August of course) I read The Mermaid Chair (excellent), Garden Spells (excellent) and the Sugar Queen (also very good). Today I'm reading Midwives and after Law of Similars. 

I recommend all you nature lovers to check out this website, The Children and Nature Network has some really great information about clubs that are forming all over to get families out into nature, hiking, exploring, unstructured playtime (I'm a HUGE believer in unstructured play!) Hooked on Nature is another good one for information regarding getting kids outside into forests and wild areas.  Just wear some tick repellent (stinkin' east coast ticks...) Oh, and Ava's test came back negative, thank goodness! Whew!

Well, bye...

Things I'm loving this week

*This book

Apples for Jam, written by Tessa Kiros, is wonderful, the pictures are as juicy and delicious as her recipes...

*This movie

Penelope with Christina Ricci is one of the cutest, happiest movies I've seen (from her) in awhile.  Adorable!

*Our small garden

While we did mostly container gardening for a few reasons, I'm still happy with our plants; 7 tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, basil, sage, parsley, oregano, and 3 pumpkins for Halloween carving.   

*This place

Bredenbreck's ice cream shop in old Chestnut Hill (in Philadelphia).  A great way to beat the heat. Even at 9 at night, it was really hot Monday in Philadelphia. 

*Picnics in the park  

While it was hot for sure, we made a picnic and went to Pastorius Park to watch fire hoop dancing.  Pretty cool, or hot, depending on which way you look at it.

 

*This children's book

The Fairy Tree house, given to McKaylah at her b-day party, she and Ava love it and I admit I do, too.  We highly recommend it for any child who is fairy-licious! 

*Reading poolside

(refer to first photo above...) yet add this book, Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen- totally awesome!

*Hanging out with friends

poolside

 God, I'm white still...

and porch-side

and kids' dance parties too!

(and look at my Manny with the kids!)

*Zucchini recipes

Monday night I made a spicy Asian zucchini stir-fry, Tuesday night I made zucchini/turkey enchiladas and Wednesday I made balsamic-zucchini-tomato-corn pasta with fresh basil.  My friend Ana has a wonderful organic garden and gave me the biggest zucchini on pseudo-steroids you've ever seen. Then I got more from the Pennypack Farm Co-op I belong to. But they are so yummy.  I think I'll make zucchini bread this next week. 

*Earth-wormories

A science project the girls are doing on gardening and soil (we made a little home for a couple earthworms to see how they make tunnels)

*This lady

okay, well, obviously I love my mom always, but this week I'm missing her more than usual-this picture was from her visit during Easter this year. 

*This blog, The Little Travelers', check it out.  Makes me feel more confident in our decisions/ponderings to live internationally.

*This skirt, purchased recently off of Etsy.  So stinkin' cute!

 

*You!

 

Hoola-ta-fun!

I'm taking a hoola (hooping) dancing class this Saturday!  Back in the day I was pretty good, you know (I won two contests as a kid, ah huh!) and watching this chick makes me excited to practice! Before you hit play, hit pause on the playlist on the side so you can hear the video.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6PEsM3rQpI

There's no place like home(schooling)

Then there's days like today that remind me of why I love homeschooling. I wish I could have had this learning environment! McKaylah is writing a short story and finishing another Oak Meadow book, while Ava is rolling out her ABC's in soft-dough.  We are drinking herbal teas and listening to channel 433 (new age music) wafting into our classroom with Tibetan bells or native American flutes.  Okay, not everyday is so Zen-ish I assure you. There are many days I am stressed out, worried that I am not providing the best for my girls, "Maybe I should have her in school?"  Maybe a teacher would be better suited to help her with her reading?"  But then I look at them, how happy they are to be here, and I am happy they are here with me, and I relax into the belief this is best for our family just now.  Maybe one day McKaylah will return to school, or Ava, but for now we are happy to do our morning routine of Oak Meadow lessons, with a bit of Treehouse classes thrown in, Hogwarts assignments once a month, and of course out full schedule of musical theater, art, tennis and swimming.  We also have been fortunate to meet so many other homeschooling families and attend playgroups a couple times during the week as well.  It's good to be home(schooling...) 

Ava rolling out her letters with soft-dough

Big sister getting to work

Ava's botanical letter cards

The classroom

Keeping the good vibrations alive with love notes

I can't remember where I saw this, but for a long time I wanted to write some good messages and anonymously leave them for strangers to find. My best friend Lainie is in town from San Diego and after our regular day of homeschool lessons we wrote out about 35 positive messages for our fellow Philadelphians. McKaylah thought this was so great, so fun and even though each message was a complement or a goofy saying, there was something so sneaky and mischievous about leaving them high and low for unknowing passer-bys to find.  In the coin slots of parking meters, in the napkin dispenser at Starbucks, in a bush by a storefront, tucked in a pipe against a wall, in the cracks of an old building. She (and I, too) loved it. 

This is my BF Lainie holding Ava.  Hopefully the next person coming to use this meter will enjoy the "good vibrations" we left them!

This little tree housed a special fortune for a lucky person.

It was funny to watch people notice the "Read Me" notes, but were scared to pick them up.  We tucked this one under a sugar shaker at Starbucks, and 3 people saw it, looked around, then didn't pick it up.  Finally a young teenager picked it up, laughed and put it back to keep the good vibes goin'!

Some notes were" You look fabulous today!" "You're having a great hair day today!" "Your butt looks great in those pants!" "Your lucky numbers for today are 4, 13, 28." " You have many special qualities." " Someone has a crush on you!" "Your smile is contagious!" " You complete me..." "I am Keyser Soze." "Thanks for always being you!" "The world is a better place with you in it!" "Peace and good health wishes to you!" and many more.

For a biker to enjoy...

in the newspaper stand

a crack in the wall

kickin' back for a moment to gather more strength to deliver more love notes...

We will hit the streets again soon to bring more love...

new year's me...

happy new year's eve everyone...hope you all enjoyed the holidays and had nice, heart-warming time with family and friends.  my kids have enjoyed the last couple days laying on the floor playing with their new toys and looking at new books.  we had a lovely celebration with the 3 of us on the solstice, it was especially meaningful for mckaylah since she'd been studying the solar system and upcoming solstice.  we treked outside through the rain and chilly breeze for a nature walk and then back inside to make more squirrel skewers.  we popped popcorn in the fireplace and read some books on the solstice.  however come xmas eve, once the fat man had left his booty of gifts for the young ones upstairs dreaming of sugar plum fairies and such, the stomach flu kicked in...not so fun for big sis and mom here.  dad and little sis had it the week before, i was hoping the acupuncture i'd received the days prior would have given me the immune booster i needed to ward it off, but alas, no....so through intermittent trips to the lu, we lay again on the floor, this time not playing, but staring at toys and books. luckily within a day we were all better and after another power immune booster via acupuncture, i feel 100% and the kids always seem to bounce back beautifully...

so the new year, a new me...i'm feeling more stead fast in my quest to find balance and have a calm, nurturing space for my family. a place not only to hang my hat, but to craft and sing and school and bake and sleep and exercise and love and lay on the floor and play with toys and read books.  i have been ready to move now for so long (I mean literally move) that now I feel so happy to be settling in. my new year resolutions are to have more me time, which i will still spend with my family most happily, but crafting and baking and going for nature walks, instead of waiting for the next big move.  can i tell you how happy i am to have my new home and a family that's healthy and a hubby that still pines over me and two sweet girls who still want to sit on me all-the-time!!! but with all that i still need to nurture that part of me that needs that quiet, focused me time, like when i'm drawing, sewing or scrapbooking.  i have all these ideas of things to make and i just need to put them in motion already!

speaking of hubby, we decided we needed at least once a month to escape for a few hours and have a date, even if it means going to the grocery store (but hopefully not!) and have some adult time.  he's such a great guy and has so much  love and warmth inside of him, he's always so generous and compassionate (well most of the time, let's not say he's perfect here) and i think in the hurried life we lead we've lost a bit of the romance we used to have. so at least once a month date night!

i also need to start exercising again on a regular basis.  i think i'll do mondays and wednesdays with yoga and leg exercises, tuesdays and thursdays with arm and back exercises with pilates. then at least 2-3 times a week a brisk walk around the block a few times or a quick jog to the train station and back, something people!!! fridays and the weekends are always too busy and full of friends and lessons and parties and classes.  if i can work out 4 days a week i'll be much more balanced... and get on a better sleep schedule!

which leads me to returning to my more wholesome eating. i roughly follow the eating with the seasons regime, more or less outlined in dr. haas book and with all that's been going on this last year i haven't followed it. hubby and i are needing that so i think it's time to get back on the whole foods, better diet wagon.  we actually eat pretty well most of the time, just these last couple months with holiday eating, oy!

so, to wrap things up, eat, stretch, breath, craft, love, sleep...in 2008.  see you all next year!