Yarn Along

The scarf is done and I am hoping the recipient is happy to receive it on Christmas morning. I cast on a hat for Reece this weekend, it will be a little Winter Solstice gift for him. And while it does look like the same colour as the scarf, it is not. They are both knit with the same yarn, but the scarf is shades of grey and the hat shades of grey with green. I had plans to get a few bowls knit to be felted but time just seemed to get away from me this weekend. Hopefully I will have a few knit up to show you next week.

Doula reading is still ongoing and I also read through a great magazine, Pathways. I really love getting this one in the mail, so much great information in it.

What you knitting and reading this week?

Joining in with Ginny and Nicole.

Unfolding As It Should

His life is unfolding

Just as it should.

Full of

Magic,

Mystery,

Adventure 

And fun.

He is growing so quickly.

Slow down,

I keep saying.

I wish I could

Put a hold on these days,

And keep them

From going so fast.

I can't pause them, stop them 

Or slow them down.

I can only be present 

To enjoy them right now.

So I hold on tight

to each moment,

each day.

Enjoying the unfolding 
Of his life

Today.

Just Like That

Just like that,

The tree released a breath

And let go.

The leaves fell,

Slowly,

Softly

To the ground

And found a place to rest.

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.

Sharing

Yesterday Reece and I had the honour and privilege of sharing our love of nature with thirteen moms and dads and nineteen little ones, ages three weeks to six years.

It was the first meeting of a new group I have started called Touch the Earth, a monthly outdoor nature program for moms, dads and their little ones. Through this program I hope to foster a deep love and connection to this earth for parents and their little ones and create a community of like minded families. We sang songs, read a nature poem, explored nature, feed the birds, collected leaves, played in a teepee and shared time together. 

Photo courtesy of Shauna

While I was fully prepared to share my love, passion and connection to this earth, I did not anticipate how much I would receive in return.

Today I am filled with gratitude for:

:: the lovely autumn day we were blessed with
:: the joy of seeing children running free in nature
:: the birds who were actively involved in our morning (chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers all landed in our hands to feed)
:: witnessing the amazement and joy of a lovely six year old boy when a chickadee landed in his hand to feed
:: the smiles and conversations of moms and dads as they experienced Mother Nature, enjoyed the fresh air and made new friends
:: the amazing sense of adventure little ones possess
:: the stories shared among new friends
:: the magic of childhood
:: support from friends

Photo courtesy of Shauna

I cannot express my gratitude enough, it was an amazing morning and I am so happy to be able to share my love of this earth with these wonderful children and their parents.

The next Touch the Earth is a month away and I can't wait!

Yarn Along

Late Saturday morning as Reece and Justin played outside, I began the preparations for a family dinner we were hosting on Sunday. I had just started when I cut my hand. The first thing I did was grab a cloth and held it tight against the cut. Then I called Justin. My first thought was do I need stitches. He thought yes, but I really did not want to spend three to four hours in the emergency room waiting to get a couple of stitches. So he took a trip the local pharmacy and came home with these. They worked like a charm and I am on the mend.

The reason I am telling you this is because while he was at the pharmacy the only thing I could think about was...can I still knit? I figured it might take a while for this cut to heal and the thought of not knitting, well, can you imagine? So with Reece tucked in bed Saturday night, I grabbed those needles to see if I could still knit, and thank goodness, I can!!!! It was a little slow going at first, I was being overly cautious, but after awhile it was all good.

I did manage to finish up the cowl, and I love it. I added quite a few rows to the scarf and I visited the yarn shop to pick up some wool for Reece's Winter Solstice hat.

The goal this week is to finish the scarf, start Reece's hat and maybe get a few bowls knit and ready to felt.

On the reading front, still in doula mode. I do have a few books unrelated to doula training sitting here and I think I might crack one open this week. I need a little change of scenery on the reading front.

What you knitting and reading this week?

Joining in with Ginny and Nicole.

A Family Walk in the Woods

It has been six long weeks since Justin had knee surgery and I think the one thing I have missed the most is our time in nature together as a family. Although Reece and I spend a lot of our days in nature, Justin will often join us on the weekends for a family adventure in the woods. Sunday morning we woke up to sunshine and warm temperatures and I felt it was time Justin try out his knee on a little hike. I had been up to the conservation area by our home on Saturday for a trail run, so I knew how amazing the trail was right now with it's colours of red and gold. So after lunch on Sunday we hit the trails for a little family time in the woods. It was exactly what we all needed and although Justin was not totally up to it when we started, he thanked me half way through for getting him out. Sometimes I know just what we all need.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

With a weekend of rain and cooler temperatures in the forecast, we decided to take a little impromptu trip to the pumpkin patch on Friday afternoon. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and the thought of being outside to enjoy it was more than we could handle, so off we went.

We took a little walk through the petting zoo to say hello to the goats, chickens, llamas and rabbits, stopped to check out the pumpkins and then headed to the play area.

Reece enjoyed the tractor tires, the big slide, the corn maze, a little visit with a very big cow and a chance to drive an old tractor. Then it was off to pick out some pumpkins, big and small and some farm fresh vegetables before heading home.

A fun, relaxed afternoon on a lovely fall day, just what we all needed.

Joining in with Country Kids from Combe Mill and Naturally Crafted Mama.

Weekend Links

:: Reece has really been enjoying this story. You can listen for free.

:: This muffin recipe looks delish, can't wait to try it.

:: This has been playing a lot in our home.

:: This is really inspiring.

:: Really looking forward to attending this, if you live locally you should join me.

:: Found this site this week, love it!

:: Looking forward to this new magazine. 

:: Love this post from a friend.

:: These would make a lovely Christmas gift.

Wishing you a lovely fall weekend.

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.

Crafting Spiders

I love nature, you knew that, right? And combining nature and crafting, well that makes for a great morning of fun, don't you think?

On Tuesday morning as we headed out for our walk I mentioned to Reece that we had a little mission...we had to find pine cones for a little craft project I had planned. So we headed into the woods looking for pine cones. We found a ton, and also stopped to build a little twig teepee for the forest fairies, it is getting cold at night you know?

Reece was pretty excited about our plans for the pine cones and couldn't wait to get started. I dug out the supplies and we got to it. I really didn't explain too much, I just started working on my own spider and let Reece either follow or do his own thing. We had a great time and made up four spiders. Three of them are hanging in front of a window and the last one has decided to join the nature table.

I think there will be more pine cone spiders in the days to come.

Oh, and when I got back from a trail run later in the day I was surprised to see our nature table spider had created a little web...oh cool!

Yarn Along

It has been another busy knitting week. I am feeling a little bit of excitement as I close in on the end of the Christmas knitting, or at least I think I am near the end. There is always that extra something that needs to be knit up at the last minute, hopefully that won't happen this year.

This week the little Milo I have been working on came off the needles and I love it! It is just lovely and perfect for the little girl who will wear it soon.

The scarf I started last week is still on the go and I started another cowl, which I hope to finish up this evening.

I am slowly looking at the list to see what has to be knit up next. I definitely want to get a new scarf and hat knit up for Reece to celebrate the Winter Solstice. After that it is time to knit something for myself, and I think a pair of fingerless gloves will fit the bill perfectly. Anyone got a favourite pattern they want to share?

On the reading front, it has been all doula reading. I have a ton of it to do and am slowly making my way through it.

What are you knitting and reading this week?

Joining in with Ginny and Nicole.

Through His Eyes

One of the most precious gifts I have discovered on this mothering journey I am on is the joy of seeing life through Reece's eyes as he discovers the world around him. It is pretty darn amazing.

Lately, Reece has been very interested in my camera. He wants to take pictures of everything, and I mean everything. Yesterday morning as we were preparing for our morning walk he asked if he could bring the camera along. Sure!

What follows are just a few of the 165 images I downloaded to the computer last night, yes 165 images.

There you have it, a little peek from behind the lens with Reece. I was with him the entire time, quietly watching as he carefully decided what would make a good shot. He was focused, intense and full of joy as he snapped away. Life through his eyes is pretty darn good.

Wishing you a lovely Tuesday.