MAP March 2013 - Part One - Maximizing Your Room's Space with Baby

By Malissa, Contributing Writer

Our family is truly blessed. We have two great girls and a little Boy on the way. We have a house that has 4 bedrooms in a good neighborhood in our city. My parents are willing to visit often to help with the girls as I grow larger and slow down. Andrew's job has changed since our move in 2010 and he works from home 100% of the time now. Our children are surrounded daily by the adults that love them.

However, a 4-bedroom house with a Daddy that needs an office and a NanaPop that need a guest room presents a problem for Baby Boy. Where will he go once he arrives? The girls share a room and are waiting on the arrival on a set of bunk beds to replace the twin they share most of the time. The addition of a twin over full bed severely limits our space for furniture in their room. After much discussing, we decided to put Baby Boy the only logical place  - our room.

Read the rest of the article HERE!

Less is More

In two weeks and some change, Miss Roo will be one.

It is still difficult to comprehend that this little human has almost 365 days of existence under her belt. (Wait. It's leap year - so technically 366?!?) As a family we've been evolving for the past several years. We have been buying more reusable, earth friendly products. We cloth diaper as much as we can. We recycle. We buy locally. We are participating this year in CSAs - meat, fruit, egg, and vegetables. We "own" part of a cow and will receive raw milk starting next month. We compost. We've started a garden. We are using naturals in our home as much as we can. Plastics are being re-purposed or donated. Wood and glass are replacing them. We love our local organic restaurants and the resources our area has to offer. So far, we're improving.

But, a birthday presents challenges. A birthday calls for a huge celebration! Your gut tells you to buy buy buy!  Buy food that isn't healthy. Buy plastic toys that will be played with a handful of times. Buy decorations, invitations, stamps, etc. and use gas to buy, ship, and send. It calls for spending, wasting, and stressing. Ordinarily I would be charging full steam ahead to create an amazingly decorated and executed party. For a one year old.

She's one!! She cares about Mommy, Daddy, and Moo. She cares about friends, hugs, kisses, and giggles. She cares about seeing family that she doesn't see daily and seeing friends that she does. She cares about playing. She cares about kitties. She cares about eating REAL food. She cares about being outside.

I mentally suffered for a few months, considering what I should do about her birthday. Where should we have it? How many should we invite? What was the theme - decorations, favors, food, gifts. Lists began to form first in my mind and next on paper. Each item on the list suddenly had its own list. The tasks mounted. And I began to dread it all.

A few nights ago Andrew and I were talking about the upcoming milestone. I mentioned how I'd rather have a small party with a few friends and family and the ability to focus on seeing my children play and enjoy everyone rather than playing the hostess. As I continued my bleating I heard him sigh.

"If you don't want to do it, then don't."

"But, I have to! I mean, it's her birthday. I want it to be perfect for her."

It was then that I actually HEARD my words. This party was about her. It was about relationships, experiences, and enjoyment. It doesn't matter to her if the affair is catered or if I throw together a fruit bowl. What WILL matter to her now and in the future is that those who love her and who are contributing to her life and her rearing were there - that they toasted her life and her worth.

My lists have now evolved.  I will complete the invitations and send them out via email. I will make the small list of gifts I have for her rather than buy her. (I did cave and buy her a specially made wooden toy and a small purse whose pattern bears her name.) There will be no plastic toys, no wasted money on things we'll never use, and no junk (one of Moo's favorite words) to be sent home for others. We will feast on local fruit, cheeses, and freshly made lemonade.

We will have cake. 

I will continue to knit the blanket that I hope will become an heirloom for her children. And I will be content knowing that sometimes less really is more.

Sunny Spring Sunday

The girls (and Daddy) napped at the same time today, so I was able to accomplish some desperately needed spring cleaning. Our family room is 2/3 done and I have bags of gently used (and mostly plastic) toys to be set out on our porch for the Veterans tomorrow. Once they are asleep I hope to quickly finish up in that room to prepare for the week to come.

I also cleaned and vacuumed Miss Moo's old car seat in order to install it in the van for Miss Roo.

 It was a bit bittersweet taking out the bucket that has carried both of my sweet baby girls and accepting that we are creeping out of babyhood towards the toddling months to come. I am reminded daily how much Roo is changing. Each morning promises a new skill. Today she has mastered standing on the bed without holding on to anyone or anything and at dinner tonight she clearly asked for "Fish". Her personality flourishes as she attempts new things and acts silly with her sister. Seeing the joy shared between them always melts my heart.

We were also productive as a family today. After naps we went onto the back porch to plant some seeds to begin our garden. Moo helped me set up and plant lettuce, spinach, sweet basil, and beans as well as a one big pot for our tomatoes. We also planted cat grass in some foil loaf pans that fit nicely into our Easter baskets. ( I saw that idea at Pink and Green Mama- BRILLIANT!)  Having dirt under our fingernails felt great. Daddy was also able to work on our compost pile and we were able to talk about how we were going to make the soil even better for our plants by making new soil for them. Moo was very excited - and very messy.

As we spend more and more time outside and I see how engaged Moo becomes in all the beauty of nature. I have been researching the Waldorf style of education for a while as we do plan to home school.  I want to be sure to use a curriculum that suits us best as a family.  Moo does enjoy basic "academic" play but loves to be outside collecting treasures and finding ways to play with them. Dragons are also pretty cool to her. We need creative outlets and to focus on the process not the product.

 It is my goal this week to create a nature table in our family room with her help and to increase our shift at home to the Waldorf style.  Our table will help us study and discuss the seasons and begin to develop a rhythm together.  Perhaps we can use that momentum as a way to create something for Roo's big day!!

Ahhhh, Spring!

M is for Monogram

I am very fond of my daughter's name. Her first name is classic and elegant. Her nickname undoubtedly suits her personality. Her middle names represent her roots, her family, and two strong, special women. It is quite a bit of name for such a wee girl, but I have the utmost faith that she will grow into it. Yes, I fancy her name indeed. Especially because it starts with the letter M.

Growing up, my mother and I shared the same first initial. Although this was confusing to some, it was glorious for one very crucial reason- monograms. Monograms!!! I do love monograms. I have used this embellishment in any way possible during the course of my years and am fairly certain this will not change as I age. My mother and I sharing the same first initial was not only something that created a bond, but made the sharing of items easier and multifunctional. Multifunctional is an important expression to us ladies. When we have an item that is multifunctional, we have much more justification for acquiring said item for our mutual benefit and enjoyment. Having shared this privilege with my own mother, I was eager to share a similar bond with my own little girl.

The first of our shared monogrammed items is a simple silver enhancer with a script M on it. I obtained it a few weeks after learning that our little bump was a she. Totally flabbergasted that I was having a little girl, I was absentmindedly scouting for a bauble that I could one day place around her neck. Something that was ours. Something that meant a just a bit more to the two of us. Something classic and elegant. Something that suited..... pearls.

When I saw the silver M reflecting light from its station upon a strand of exquisite pearls, I realized that what we shared was that M. We shared not only an initial, but a lifetime of memories and moments that would forever signify the women we were and would become. My life began with that M, shared between my mother and I, and now blazed the way for my daughter to create her own story. So much - all from the tiny letter M.

I have worn our M proudly upon the pearls my mother gave to me. I am looking forward to the day when my little M is gussied up with our bauble upon her own pearls. I know it won't be long, for time passes too quickly. But when that moment comes to pass, my M will be ready. She already has her pearls.



Her first pearls from Grandma - 10.11.2009

M is for Monogram

I am very fond of my daughter's name. Her first name is classic and elegant. Her nickname undoubtedly suits her personality. Her middle names represent her roots, her family, and two strong, special women. It is quite a bit of name for such a wee girl, but I have the utmost faith that she will grow into it. Yes, I fancy her name indeed. Especially because it starts with the letter M.

Growing up, my mother and I shared the same first initial. Although this was confusing to some, it was glorious for one very crucial reason- monograms. Monograms!!! I do love monograms. I have used this embellishment in any way possible during the course of my years and am fairly certain this will not change as I age. My mother and I sharing the same first initial was not only something that created a bond, but made the sharing of items easier and multifunctional. Multifunctional is an important expression to us ladies. When we have an item that is multifunctional, we have much more justification for acquiring said item for our mutual benefit and enjoyment. Having shared this privilege with my own mother, I was eager to share a similar bond with my own little girl.

The first of our shared monogrammed items is a simple silver enhancer with a script M on it. I obtained it a few weeks after learning that our little bump was a she. Totally flabbergasted that I was having a little girl, I was absentmindedly scouting for a bauble that I could one day place around her neck. Something that was ours. Something that meant a just a bit more to the two of us. Something classic and elegant. Something that suited..... pearls.

When I saw the silver M reflecting light from its station upon a strand of exquisite pearls, I realized that what we shared was that M. We shared not only an initial, but a lifetime of memories and moments that would forever signify the women we were and would become. My life began with that M, shared between my mother and I, and now blazed the way for my daughter to create her own story. So much - all from the tiny letter M.

I have worn our M proudly upon the pearls my mother gave to me. I am looking forward to the day when my little M is gussied up with our bauble upon her own pearls. I know it won't be long, for time passes too quickly. But when that moment comes to pass, my M will be ready. She already has her pearls.



Her first pearls from Grandma - 10.11.2009