Beth's Blessingway

Today was a blessingway circle for my dear friend Beth. She is expecting her third child in a few short weeks, and this beautiful gathering of women was a powerful experience. This will be her first homebirth. I had never participated in a blessingway before, and was honored and emotional throughout. The journey of mothering is such a personal path, yet this special ceremony connected each of the women in the circle, as well as reminded us of our connection to our own maternal lineages and that of our ancestors throughout time.

During the ceremony, we adorned Beth's belly with Henna and created a birth necklace for her to wear during her labor. Each woman contributed a bead and shared a piece of wisdom as she strung it on the necklace. There were other special elements, each with its own power. It was a beautiful experience and one that I hope to share again in the future. Isn't it a gift to be a mother...what a blessing!

a day in our life

Playing at a park near our home

Driveway painting with hosta leaves
Checking on the garden

Spring Skirt

I know how much my love enjoys seeing me in skirts, and as I feel that I neglect him far too often since becoming a mom, I've resolved to try to wear them for him more frequently. So here's one that I made this week out of some pretty fabric I plucked out of the Wal-Mart remnants basket for $1.50! It's got butterflies all over it, and I think it's lovely. The skirt is soo comfortable and I see more of these in the future!

steps to planting a tree

First, engage one preschooler, one toddler, and two hot and sweaty parents in said tree-planting activity.

Read lots of books to inspire excitement and motivation.

Start digging.

Parent #1 realizes that it will take him a long time to dig a hole "two times as wide, and double the depth of the root ball".

Parent #2 pulls out the big guns.

Yup, I rented a backhoe for my sweet one to drive. The boys were caught between excitement and hysteria. The thing was LOUD. But, we were determined to plant our meek little apple tree and finally give the baby's placenta a proper home. (yes I recognize that almost 17 months in a freezer is not appropriate. But - hey - we've got our hands full here!)

Next step: break child labor laws and encourage all availabe civilians to participate in the filling of the hole. This made for a sweet family activity, and I found myself crying a little bit (despite the heat. and the sweating. and the whining of the little ones). Planting a tree together is such a special thing...and even though we likely won't live in this home forever, I hope that this tree will be a marker of our time here...and the family we created here.

So here, is our humble tree:

Still Got It

Just when I thought the sling nap days were over (so over, in fact, that I scrapbooked about it...which I did because I really believed our littlest one was finished with them), I get the wonder of this. A sweet, quiet, head on the heart kinda moment. Everyone says it, and it really is true - these days go by too fast.

and now we are three.

Our big boy turned three a few days ago. I'm just becoming accepting of the fact now. In this picture, I think you can see so many parts of his active toddler personality...see how he's not totally smiling? That's his way of asserting his independence, since Mommy just said "Okay, everyone smile!". And the way his shoulders are raised, they make him look just a little bit taller. And bigger. Wow. It's remarkable to me that three short years ago, my love and I were just embarking on this amazing journey of parenting. We've grown up so much. And our baby has too.

It Might Be Love

I may have had some mild success with this one. However, while I might have sewed them, the Easter Bunny took credit for them. Dontcha just love that?? Regardless of who gets the praise, I can't begin to convey the joy that M. and I feel when we get to share some of our own holiday memories; and create them again for our wee ones. It brings us many smiles, and I think it also brings us closer together as a couple. It's fun to share these parts of our lives that we each did not witness for the other. After all, our childhoods shape such a large part of the adult we become, yet most of us do not get to experience our partner's early years.

It's amazing what a few pieces from the scrap bag, a couple hours of insommnia, and Hillary Lang's fun and simple pattern can create! The boys seemed to love their Wee Bunnys (pattern here) and I admit to feeling not a small twitter of pleasure at their reaction.

But as I update this I feel sadness and weakness in my heart, with the news today coming from Virginia Tech University. What is there to say?

Wishing you, and yours, peace tonight.