She's One!!

My baby is one. I missed Wordless Wednesday, so I'm making up for it today.

525,600 Minutes

A year ago, Drew was putting Miss Moo to bed and I was checking the clock again. They were coming closer together.

In a little over 12 hours our family would grow as would my heart.

Tomorrow we celebrate many Firsts- First smiles, coos, giggles, words, and almost steps. We will celebrate a year of living and loving. We will spend time as a family. We will be filled with joy.

But I can't help but ponder, how could my Little Roo be a year old??

Moments old. 4/24/11

My heart grew.

With Mama.

With Daddy.

Closely Knit

I took a knitting class with a friend from college in March and it was great. While apprehensive at first that I would find knitting frustrating and counter productive, I find it quite the opposite. Knitting has become one of my outlets. It soothes me on days (like today) when I have not been in a room - yes that includes the bathroom - by myself all day. It helps me process when I'm upset or concerned. It helps me wind down at the end of the day. And it helps me feel like I can make something from the simplicity of some yarn and two sticks.

To say I've become a little obsessed in an understatement. I've knitted:

in the van...

in the floor during tantrums...

on the back deck during naps...(by myself!)

in bed.

There have been a few other locations, but I think you get my point. I seem to have knitting projectS with me no matter where I go.  Miss Moo is asking to knit. (There's a story there later). Drew finds it "Neat!" (He's a man of few words so that's a pretty good one.) NanaPop are prepared for a slew of knitted gifts at Christmas.

I am also thankful that knitting is a gift in many ways. Sure I can knit something for someone in a hurry and it's a "gift", but the time I put into things that are gifts for others are precious to me as well. Knitting gives me a sense of myself. Knitting gives my husband a wife who is sane. Knitting provided me the opportunity to make Roo a blanket for her first birthday. (Yes, her blanket was KNITTED. I am registering for a crochet class tomorrow. ) That's an heirloom in the making I hope. Knitting provided us that chance.

Moo sees me sitting quietly and calmly knitting and she sits down and is calm too. She picks up yarn and twirls it in her fingers. She watches what I do and listens as I explain my loops and twirls.  Daily I am reminded that there are so many skills, so many crafts, that will be lost unless we take the initiative to learn them and teach them to our children. In five years I want children who can knit, cook, grow, and create. I want children who take joy in slow creation and uniqueness of their fruition rather than having something that carries a particular label. I strive to not only create things but to create a legacy.

I'm planting that seed with Roo. 

Roo's blanket a few hours before completion.

I'm a Contributing Writer!!

I'm very excited to announce that I have joined a fantastic group of women and am now serving as a contributing writer at Modern Alternative Mama!  If you haven't checked out her page, you should! Here's a little teaser of what I wrote. Head on over and check her out!!  (If you wanted to know about my beeswax wood polish, you'll find out there ;) )



 Rainbows and Reuse: DIY Birthday Ideas


In less than a month, my youngest daughter turns one. While my mind is spinning with the thought of my baby leaving babyhood, I am slowing charging into full party planning mode. As with every party or holiday, there will be gifts for the birthday girl. Frankly, I'm terrified of more plastic junk entering our house. We are trying to move towards having less (which in itself is a chore with two under 3), natural and green living, and using up before getting new.
This concept paired with Miss Roo's love of color has driven the direction of the birthday theme -- Rainbows! How simple and natural is a rainbow?  She will play with anything wooden or airy for hours at a time which has been an immense help in trying to plan a party for a wee girl that won't cost a ton and will help us be earth friendly.  We are planning to celebrate Miss Roo's party at a local park. It is our hope that our location will encourage outdoor play in all our guests, provide a connection to nature that a lot of us simply are not enjoying, and will support our locality rather than some big business and all their waste.  While I will be purchasing invitations due to my severely lacking Graphic Design skills, there are plenty of things that we can make at home to make the day color and bright.  So here are some DIY idea for decorations, gifts, and the favors to create a great party while reducing, reusing, and buying less!

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.

Party Planning Mode

Recently introduced to Pinterst, I have been sitting here tonight between loads of laundry gleaning ideas for Miss Roo's First Birthday party. The bittersweet reality that my second baby has almost reach a year on this planet is still settling upon my heart. The enjoyment of brainstorming is a nice way to distract myself from the impending transition into toddlerhood. Miss Moo's First Party was at our home with food, favors, and a lot of stress on this then pregnant Mama. Our house was new, we were announcing our pregnancy, and we were still adapting to a new city.

Roo's first birthday comes at a very different time in our lives. This birthday is in the spring, so we're planning on having the celebration at a local park that we used for Moo's last party. The "Happy Birthday Park" is small, toddler friendly, and part of our county parks and recs system so we won't be giving money to some fancy pants money pit. This event will also be the first that is centered around Roo and not Miss Moo. I am trying to be sensitive to the notion that Miss Moo may be jealous of her baby sister while acknowledging that big sisters sometimes have to step aside so their siblings can shine. Still on a learning curve myself, I can only pray that we will all be able to experience, celebrate, and evolve.

This birthday will also be an attempt to spend less, reuse more, and create elements at home. I've been looking into ways to have healthier foods in smaller amounts. Decorations can be made from our stash of construction paper, tissue paper, and scrapbook paper. "Favors" this time will be a little token of appreciation created by the birthday girl. Roo seems to favor all things rainbow and monkey these days so I am trying to compile some ideas and consider what would be the most fun for her.

I also want to be sure that we all take something away from this celebration. Too often we come together for special moments in life far too worried about the decor, gifts, and quantity of visible wealth. I know that I won't be able to prepare for this party without some degree of materialism, but I pray that I won't focus on it. Instead I want to not only watch my children play but to really see it. I want to listen to their laughter and hear it. I want all of those present to benefit from being part of the community cultivating these young lives.

This birthday we are at a different place. We are standing at the center of a village that my daughters have built.