lately

anniversary flowers 

joyeux

photo by my lovely sister  

a birthday girl!

Over the past weekend we celebrated my daughter's 5th (!!!) turn around the sun. A little bit of the shock has worn off but man! My little baby is a KID! She amazes me at the charming, silly, witty little lady that she is. People comment frequently on how full of personality she is and they're so right. This girl is so vivacious and passionate. It has been so cool to see her grow into who she is.

Each day for the past two weeks she would look at the calendar to countdown how many days until she was five. There was a lot of build up to this birthday! Isn't that how it goes when you're a kid though? 

 Because I get to spend the days with her, my husband has always done bedtime. But every night, after her teeth are brushed and stories are read and she's all tucked in, she says, "Tell mom to snuggle me!"And so I do. Admittedly sometimes begrudgingly. I'm realizing though that those days may be over soon so I'm really trying to make sure I soak it in. One day I'll be the one asking (begging?) her for snuggles.

 We spent the day before her birthday with lunch at Vertical Diner (a vegan restaurant) and at the Natural History Museum of Utah which is such an amazing place. Especially to see artifacts from people who lived right where we do but many many moons ago, it's just awe inspiring. 

 

 We made this cake and spent a lovely Sun Day at home. We like to keep it simple but meaningful. For the past two years, rather than a big party, we've made birthdays be family days. We all agree it's such a pleasant way to spend the day!

The days may be long but the years are without a doubt astonishingly short. The consolation is that I'm her mama and can join her on this journey. 

She makes me laugh; she makes me cry; she made me a mama.

And I love her so.

One day old!

a glorious weekend

:: butternut squash soup for breakfast

:: searching for the perfect pumpkin

:: papa & henry

:: mama & hen

:: bumping along on the hayride

:: my boy

our advent calendar

I'm a little late in posting this, but you can still do this project! Just shorten it by a few days, maybe 12 Days of Christmas-style.

I've never made an advent calendar before but I kept seeing so many great ideas on other blogs & on pinterest.
I knew my four year old would love it too so I figured, why not?
This is such an easy and inexpensive project. I had a friend use her Cricut for the numbers and I found some pretty snowflake stickers to decorate the paper sacks. Each bag has a little activity, treat and/or small gift. Some, such as the bird feeder project contain the supplies needed.
Here are the activities that are in our bags this year... {advent}.
I am so excited about this and five days into it, so is my daughter! Our first activity was dancing around to Christmas music, so after dinner, we lit a candle & shimmied. Now she thinks every bag has a "party".
My hope is that this becomes a tradition of ours. It's a great way to focus on our little family during this otherwise hectic season.

being present

With a shocking frequency lately, my daughter's various requests have been met with no/later/in a minute and so on.

Dishes need to be washed, laundry folded, the baby fed... 

I am making time for everything but her.

I've turned down board games, park trips and yes {regretfully}, even cuddles.

I admit, I find sitting on the floor playing trains or dolls a bit tedious but when did a clean sink become a higher priority than cuddles?

Undivided attention and affection are such a basic needs and surely have great impact on our children's lives. Yet how often do we find ourselves too "busy" or simply bored by the idea to spend time with our children.

I fear that one day, my "no" will be the last because she'll never ask me again, having been turned down so many times. Apologies then will be too little, too late. 

The thought literally turns my stomach and aches my heart.

My children awe and inspire me. I have found joy in motherhood... it's where I belong. 

It seems silly that I have to consciously choose to make this effort but I am committing to myself and to my babies to be fully present for them and take the time to truly meet their needs... to quit brushing them aside for another time.

So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have a tea party and snuggle my girl.

{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.

Inspired by SouleMama

from the library

for the littles
:: Toot & Puddle- Hollie Hobbie
:: Wish You Were Here- Hollie Hobbie
:: You Are My Sunshine- Hollie Hobbie
:: Henry in Love- Peter McCarty
:: The Tiny Seed- Eric Carle
:: Pancakes, Pancakes!- Eric Carle
:: You're All My Favorites- Sam McBratney
:: Guess How Much I Love You- Sam McBratney
:: Gingerbread Baby- Jan Brett
:: The Hat- Jan Brett
:: Ladybug Girl- Jacky Davis & David Soman
:: We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season- Wendy Pfeffer
:: The Seven Silly Eaters- Mary Ann Heboerman
:: Where the Wild Things Are- Maurice Sendak
:: Pete's a Pizza- William Steig
:: Madlenka- Peter Sis
:: My Garden- Kevin Henkes
:: Zen Shorts- Jon J. Muth
:: Zen Ghosts- Jon J. Muth
:: The Snowy Day- Ezra Jack Keats
:: How to Catch a Star- Oliver Jeffers
:: De Vuelta a Casa- Oliver Jeffers

for me
:: Aleph- Paulo Coelho
:: The Attachment Parenting Book- William & Martha Sears
:: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- Barbara Kingsolver
:: The Language of Flowers- Vanessa Diffenbaugh
:: Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating- Mark Bittman
:: The Power of Intention- Wayne W. Dyer