Friday, November 29, 2013

{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.




***Last chance to enter the giveaway going on right here, stop on over and enter to win a copy of The Weather Watcher's Handbook from Mud Puddles to Meteors.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Gratitude


~ for the beautiful blanket of fresh snow that greeted us yesterday morning

~ for the ease of our days which allowed my little man to get outside as soon as he got up to play in it


~ for knowing I always have a choice

~ for afternoons in front of the fire reading aloud to Reece


~ for the childhood magic Reece brings into my life

~ for early darkness and candlelight


~ for random hugs, kisses and proclamations of  "I love you so much"

~ for this life I am so blessed to lead

What are you offering gratitude today for?

Inspired by November Prompt-a-Day

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Stars and Light



The movement into the dark time of the year is not lost on my little man. In the darkness at the beginning of each day he asks if it is morning and he notices the darkness coming earlier at the end of each day. He is aware that the world seems a little darker right now, and we have shared many conversations about light, the return of the light and how we can create light in our life. We have talked about our own inner light, and ways in which we can share it so our light shines on others and brightens their day.

We have taken the discussions one step further and shopped for food for our local food bank, we have been picking up some hats and mittens that we will drop off at a collection location next week and we have plans to stop in and help pack up Christmas hampers for those in need in December. While he may not totally understand how this shines our light on others, we will keep the discussions going, sharing with him how much joy these acts of kindness will bring to others.

At home we have been crafting with the theme of light the last few weeks, and Reece has totally surprised me with his handwork. He has been doing embroidery for a while now, but I usually hand over the ring and some burlap and let him do his thing. Last week I decided to draw a star on the burlap and show him the basic running stitch. And do you see it, pretty darn awesome, eh?

This week I thought it might be fun to make a little star for his tree. He hand stitched the two pieces of felt together, and then stuffed it before finishing it. He was so pleased with his star and proudly displayed it on his tree.

We all have an inner light to share and I hope by talking, sharing and crafting, I can remind Reece of his, and he will joyfully step forward and shine it on others.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Weather Watcher's Handbook {Giveaway}


There has been a lot of talk about the weather in our home lately. As winter makes an appearance Reece has been keenly interested in what Old Man Winter is up to. Questions about icicles, snowflakes, how good snowman making snow is made and so on. So many questions.

And then just like that a wonderful e-book The Weather Watcher's Handbook from Dawn and Annie of Mudpuddles to Meteors landed in my inbox, perfect timing!

This is one amazing e-book filled with over 40 pages of fun information about weather science. Inside you will find information on the seasons, the water cycle, rainbows, wind, storms, ice and snow and more. I have to admit this cloud loving nature girl thoroughly enjoyed the section on clouds. Amazing.

And since Dawn and Annie know how much our kiddos love to explore they have included ten hands on activities bringing all the information to life right in front of your little ones eyes.

Dawn and Annie have generously offered one lucky Mothering with Mindfulness reader a copy of The Weather Watcher's Handbook...how exciting is that! To enter leave a comment below. I will randomly choose a winner on the evening of Friday November 29 and announce it in this post.

Good luck!

******************

And the winner is #11

Nenna "I´m so interested to read this book!"

Congratulations Nenna, enjoy the book.

And don't forget you can get your own copy right here if you would like to check it out. So worth it!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Celebrating Reece






Yesterday we celebrated my little man. Yes, his birthday was a few weeks ago, but with an impending birth I was on call for we decided to wait until the baby arrived to celebrate.

As always, we kept the celebration simple, filled with the things we love and the people we love. We meet my parents and Reece's god parents at a conservation area, not far from our home, for a very cold, wintery hike. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and Jack Frost was nipping our noses. We walked, talked and laughed, then headed back to our home for a late lunch.

There were a few presents to be opened, some memories shared and time spent just hanging out, celebrating our little man.

A lovely day, and the perfect way to celebrate Reece.

Friday, November 22, 2013

{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.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Make and Listen







Making:

~ inspired by this, I quickly knit up a little lantern girl for our Martinmas celebration a few weeks ago

~ Reece's Winter Solstice hat...a tradition I really love

~ a milo in the works for a little one who arrived on the weekend

~ a custom order for Schoolhouse Toys...school buses

~ a set of Waldorf math gnomes...another custom order

~ Reece and I have been experimenting with our wet on wet watercolour, adding a little salt when we are finished painting, kinda looks like snow, don't you think?

Listening:

~ it has been all Christmas around here lately and we are enjoying every minute of it

What have you been making and listening to this week?

Joining Dawn

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

It's a Pretty Simple Life

A late season milk weed pod, still sharing seeds

Not long ago I had a conversation with an acquaintance. Someone I went to high school with that I see every so often. We got around to chatting about where we are in life, and this person began to show a genuine interest in my days with Reece. There were questions about what a homeschooling day looked like for us, how we learned, how I knew what to "teach" and so on.

I am always a little excited to share our days, I do enjoy them and love the path we are on, so I chatted away. I finished my thoughts with...it really is a pretty simple life. I didn't know how else to put it, and those words really summed it up.

It is a pretty simple life we lead. We keep things slow and easy around here. We try really hard not to get caught up in the rush of life, and instead slow down so we can enjoy the moments, all of them. I will admit that there are times we find ourselves being pushed along in the rush, but as a someone who really dislikes the rat race, and the speed at which it travels, I am pretty quick to reign it all in, putting the brakes on hard so we can breath again.

Both Justin and I like being home. We love our little space on this earth, and we enjoy spending time here. When days get too busy and there is less time at home we feel it, deep inside, like a gnawing ache, reminding us to return to our roots, to our home, to the simple life.

It's a pretty simple life, and we like it that way.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A Quick Walk in the Woods



It was meant to be a quick walk in the woods.
He didn't want to go,
but I coaxed him along with promises of
throwing rocks in the creek,
following animal tracks
and searching for nests high up in the trees.
It wasn't long before he was running along the trail,
happy and free.

We walked along the creek,
he threw rocks,
I sat and watched.
We meander through the bushes,
climbing over fallen trees,
searching for forest fairies.
We sat for a minute,
watching leaves dance
across the floor of the forest.

Then we spotted him,
a black squirrel,
leaves in mouth,
on a mission.

He looked a little nervous,
our presence threw him I am sure.
He scattered around for a bit,
we waited and watched
in silence,
glancing at each other the odd time.

He scampered up a tree,
then jumped to another.
Then Reece saw it,
he pointed to the top of the tree,
a nest.

The squirrel was cautious,
slowly making his way to his nest,
looking around every few steps,
being sure no one was following.
Then he made his way inside,
to add the leaves to his home
we guessed.
He popped back out,
sat on a branch,
staring out at the world
for quite some time.

We sat still, side by side,
taking it all in,
amazed at this rare opportunity
to witness the squirrel
working on his nest,
creating a home for his family.
A place of warmth and love,
for the long cold winter ahead.

When we left the squirrel
he was still sitting on his branch.
We think he looked our way,
maybe his way of saying good bye,
but we can't be sure.

The quick walk I coaxed him on
was longer than we both expected
and filled with so much more
then we could have hoped for.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Our Weekend


The weekend got started Friday morning, little man went to visit with his nana and papa for a few hours and I hit the coffee shop for a little reading and some writing. I needed this time more than I realized and I savoured every moment. Lunch was being eaten when I returned to pick Reece up, and then the two of us hit the trails for a little hike before heading home. There was a quick tidy up at home so we could move into a slow, simple weekend with not much to do.

An early morning phone call on Saturday found me dressing in the darkness and sneaking out to a birth, a beautiful home water birth. Arriving home late morning I found a tired little man, he apparently didn't sleep much while I was gone. The three of us had lunch and took in a few Christmas open houses at local green houses, and I managed to sneak in a little trip to the yarn shop, there is a milo that needs to be knit for that new little baby. The day finished early in our home, all of us a little tired, but before I turned off the lights for the night I finished reading this book, thanks Amanda for the recommendation, and finished knitting my little man's Winter Solstice hat.

We woke to a dark and rainy Sunday morning without power. Breakfast was cooked on the barbeque and we enjoyed our meal by candlelight. The plan for the day was to get the Christmas decorations out, and there was no changing our minds as a certain little man was super excited. So we grabbed the flashlights, hit the back of the storage closet and found the decorations. Although a little Christmas music in the background would have been nice as we decorated, we still had fun. Once the inside was done we headed out to decorate outside. With the exception of our Christmas tree, we are ready for the holiday season. The rest of Sunday was spent playing, reading and crafting.
 
How was your weekend?

Joining Amanda

Friday, November 15, 2013

{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.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Gratitude


~ for time to walk in nature...no clock, no schedule, nowhere else to be

~ for snowflakes that fall slowly, glistening in the rays of the sun, before gently landing on the ground


~ for my dad who dressed up against the elements to put a new roof on part of our home before winter arrives...thanks dad!

~ for moments of stillness in busy days


~ for a little man who asks to come up into my arms so he can give me a kiss and a hug

~ for the growth and change that comes with motherhood


~ for making myself a priority and scheduling in time for writing, reading and making

~ for friends, near and far, I am one lucky lady to have so many wonderful people in my life

What are you offering gratitude today for?

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A Mail Day Like No Other

From Dawn in New Mexico


From our nature exchange partner in Israel









From my gratitude buddy and very dear friend in England


It was one of those epic mail days yesterday. The ones that make you smile, warm your heart and just make you feel pretty darn good.

The first package we opened was a surprise package from Dawn, a blog friend, for my little man. Inside...rocks! Not just any rocks though, there is one from Nova Scotia, one from Colorado, one from New Mexico and a piece of pyrite, also known as fools gold. Reece was just a tad bit excited about the package and quickly showed off his new gems to Justin and my dad, who happened to be at our house when the packages arrived. Big thanks Dawn, you made my little man's day!

The second package we opened was from our nature exchange partner in Israel. About a month ago we signed up to participate in a nature exchange with Mud Puddles and Meteors. We were asked when we signed up if we were willing to ship internationally, and of course I said yes. We ended up with a family from Israel. Reece and I started gathering nature treasures to send off to Israel and last week we sent it off in the mail. Next step was waiting for the arrival of our package, and it came yesterday! It was a ton of fun opening each little package, reading the little note about each nature treasure and exploring each piece. We have carefully package up each piece while Justin makes us a shadow box to display all these beautiful and unique treasures. You can be sure I will share it once it is finished.

And finally the third package. I could see from the return address is was from my dear friend Renee across the ocean in England so I waited until I had a quiet moment to myself to open it and I was filled with such love and gratitude when I did. A lovely book, a magazine about natural parenting, some green tea and dark chocolate, packaged sweetly with a lovely little note. This was an unexpected package, and those really are the best kind. Thank you my dear friend, it was lovely, and made my day. Big hugs to you.

So there you have it, a mail day like no other, and one that filled us all with so much joy.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Martinmas

"My lantern
My lantern
Shining near and far.
Shining like the moon,
shining like the sun,
shining like a silver star.
My lantern
My lantern."


Our preparations for Martinmas began last week. There was lantern making, learning new songs, preparing our spice cake and talks about our own inner light and how we can share it with others through acts of kindness and love.

There is so much I love about this festival and this year being able to share it with some other families was wonderful. We gathered at our home on Sunday afternoon for a little lantern walk in the backyard, singing songs as we walked. We moved inside to enjoy hot apple cider in front of the fire and I shared a story about our inner light with our guests. Then as the children played I worked in the kitchen putting the final touches on dinner. We sat down at our little table, all 11 of us, shared a blessing and a meal together. I could feel my inner light growing brighter by the minute as I looked around the table, a truly beautiful moment.

Yesterday, in the spirit of St. Martin, we took Reece to the grocery store to shop for food for those in need. A gesture I am not totally sure he understands, but one that will come to have meaning as the years pass. Together the three of us dropped off our donation here before heading home.

This festival speaks to me on so many levels and my hope is one day Reece truly understands how beautiful his inner light is and that he will let it shine bright on those who need it most.

Monday, November 11, 2013

I Dared


I dared to forge a path,
my own path.
To listen to my heart,
to follow my gut.

I dared to put myself out there
without fear,
but with hope.

I dared to keep walking forward,
with that hope,
even when insecurity crept in.

I dared to step out of the box.
The box that felt
claustrophobic and limiting.

I dared to let go
when holding on was too painful.

I dared to be me
in a world that can be
judgemental and unforgiving.

I dared to accept myself,
flaws and all,
with the confident knowledge that
I am enough.

I dare because
it brings happiness.
In that happiness
I find contentment.
When I dare,
I do so from the
deepest parts
of my being.

I dare
because who I am,
who I really am,
matters.

Inspired by November Prompt-a-Day

Lest We Forget


With love and gratitude,

I will never forget.

Friday, November 8, 2013

{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.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

His Day




It was a simple day, a normal day from all accounts, with a hint of extra specialness as we celebrated his five trips around the sun.

He woke up, rubbed his eyes, looked at me and asked..."Am I five yet?" Yes, I answered and huge smile appeared across his face. We snuggled for a bit, I wanted to savour those first moments of five. After a bit of snuggling he got up and peeked out his bedroom door and then ran back to the bed. You see sitting outside the bedroom door was his gift, a beautiful hand crafted stable and animals, made with love by his dad. He tip toed back to the door and walked out, beaming at the gift waiting for him.

It didn't take long before my living area was transformed into a farm. The new stable was joined by the chicken coop and myriad of animals excited to play and check out the new digs.

It was hard for Reece to leave his new toy, but friends awaited us at the conservation area for a morning hike. And what a hike it was. We found bear droppings, deer prints, what we think might have been a bear print, some feathers that we have yet to identify and had a ton of fun playing and running on the trails.

My parents joined us after our nature adventure for lunch at a lovely local cafe and then we headed home. Home to relax, play and enjoy my little man. It was a quiet day as far as celebrations go, but it kinda fits us well, don't  you think?

We do have plans for our usual celebration with Reece's god parents and my parents, but I am awaiting the arrival of a little one, and since a doula never knows when she will be called we have decided to wait until the little one arrives before we make any plans.

It was a wonderful day celebrating this amazing little man who came into our lives five years ago.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Dear Reece











Yesterday was a special day for me, it was your last day as a four year old. We started the day with our normal rhythm...breakfast, clean up, morning circle and then I changed it up a bit. Instead of heading into the woods across the road for a nature walk, we loaded ourselves into the car and hit the trails from my childhood, the ones I used to run, ride and play on. I am not sure why I felt a pull to go there, but I felt it and we went.

And I am so happy we did. I felt so at home there with you. Connected to the place, to nature and to you, my little man. I watched as you ran down the trails, a sparkle in your eye and the biggest smile on your face. I witnessed you stop and fox walk towards two squirrels, one black, the other grey. You got down low and crept so quietly towards them, hoping to get as close as you could. I sat in silence on the rocks as you played by the water, just watching you, pinning it to my memory and savouring the moment.

There really are no words to fully explain how you have changed my world. You have taught me so much about myself, about being a mother and about being a better person. I am honoured to walk your path with you, to guide you, to help you, to hold your hand, to laugh with you, to cry with you and to love you, unconditionally.

As we celebrate today, I won't look back with regret at how fast the time has gone, instead I offer gratitude to you. For it is you who brought slow and mindful into my days. It is you who fills my days with love and laughter. It is you who can bring a smile to my face at the end of a rough day. It is you who makes mothering the most amazing journey I have ever taken.

You are an amazing little man and I am so very proud and honoured to be your mom.

I love you.