Creating A Natural Life

Baby Chicks!

2012-05-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

From the left is Stoney (our Welsummer), Marley (our Black Australorp), and Mooney (our Cuckoo Maran)

After only a week of having the chickens, I decided to call the feed store to see when they were getting chicks. They said they had just got them in. So, within 2 days we were off to pick out our chicks and get our supplies. We got them at 3 days old and they are now 9 days. The growth rate is amazing! There are visible changes every day. We love these little guys.

We have been doing a lot of experimentation. The staff at the feed store told us to use pellets as their bedding, but we found that they were pecking at them. So I switched around some feeders and they were doing pretty well with those this first week. However, Daniel and I were reading not to use pellets alone. So we eventually switched to newspaper and then paper towels, which work great for absorption, cleanup, and the chicks' grip. Eventually we will use shavings.

They love to cuddle together! Mooney starts chirping super loudly if any of it's buddies are being held by one of us: "Hey, where is my friend!?" Actually, Lukey's theory is that Mooney will be a rooster. Probably true, because Mooney is kind of a spazzy loud one. The reason the boys picked this one out was because it was the prettiest, also perhaps a sign of a cockerel. We will find out within a couple weeks, I guess.

Stoney in the middle is Jared's baby. We are assuming she will be a hen. She is seemingly wise and all-knowing. She is also the biggest chick of the 3. Marley, on the left, is Lukey's bird. She was named after Bob Marley because she is the mellow, peaceful one.

You can tell they are a few days older here and there feathers are noticeably growing, as well as their bodies.

After a week, we changed to a different feeder and the paper towel bedding.

Nighty night, babies.

Look at those tails! It's so much fun watching them develop and flourish. I can 't wait til they become layers, because Stoney and Mooney (that is if she isn't a he), will be giving us chocolate colored eggs! So awesome!

Have a great day everyone.

Peep, Peep!!

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Signs of Spring Around the House

2012-05-05T07:30:00.001-07:00

Spring is finally solidly starting to do her thing. Around the property, there are a few things blooming and thriving. Here is a glimpse...

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From Just a Dream To Raising Chickens

2012-04-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

We have finally got our chickens!! Last fall I was discussing with a fellow mom at Jared's school about how we wanted to start our homestead by raising chickens once Daniel was back to work. I told her I didn't feel we could afford it at that time, so she held on to 4 of her 20 chickens for me. Well, she stuck to her word because just this last Saturday we went and picked the girls up. Thanks, Katie.

We wanted to be as frugal as possible, so I went to the library and grabbed several references on chickens. Self-Education = $0

Then, Daniel picked up some old fencing from his mom's house. We also had some boards laying around. Lumber = $0

Chicken wire, hardware cloth, and screws and nails were all things we had laying around sorta speak, as well. Other Needed Building Materials = $0

Wheels were taken from a rolling gardener seat that was not being utilized. Wheels That Turn the Coop Into a Chicken Tractor = $0

Chickens = $0

Hay, Feeder, Waterer, and a 50 Lb Bag of Pellets = $30

$30 Total (Not including gas)? Not too bad.

Chicken tractor in the making....

Here, we have it parked in the garden to get it tilled (from scratching) and fertilized (nitrogen-rich poop...Yummy). They love to roam!!

Daniel still has to complete the roofing. But, for now, it is sufficient. We plan on making a larger run and expanding the coop as we expand our flock in the future.

This is Goldie. She is our Araucana. She is special because she is the only one of our 4 that gives us light green eggs.

Rhody and Brownie (aka Brown Head, according to Jared), are our Rhode Island Reds. They are the friendliest of the 3 breeds, I have noticed. Rocky, our Plymouth Rock, is behind them.

Dust baths. They love it!

Here is a better shot of Rocky.

Goldie wedged her way in Brownie's dust bath hole. Heeheehee...

They really are quite amusing to watch and have very distinct personalities.

And in the first 3 days, this is what the girls gave us. :)

Chickens are awesome!! We totally want more now, but we will take it day by day.

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Easter

2012-04-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Easter. A Reflection of Spring. A Sign of New Life. A New Beginning. An Excuse for Celebration.

I used to always want a lovely, yet cheap bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece for my table on a sporadic, yet fairly consistent basis. So, I decided that we now get some calla lilies. They were inexpensive, hearty, and absolutely beautiful.

The boys dyed lovely eggs.

Egg decor I made from scrapbook paper.

Carrots. :)

Easter baskets. This year, each of them received a field guide for when we take hikes, a personal book (the 2 older boys received camping guides and Dylan got a vintage Easter Golden Book.) Additionally, Lukey received a trivial pursuit game, Jared had a game of Set, and Dylan got lacing dinosaurs. The boys were also given some cool gifts from Grandma. Simple, functional, fun!

On an egg hunt....Oh my goodness, Lukey was so wonderful and mature in leading almost the entire show. He made it so fun and magical for the littles. He kinda reminded me of me...really. :)

We just kept it simple without any frills, and it ended up being so....well, complete. We made it a fun celebratory day. We welcomed spring and the fertility therein, which is truly what Easter was historically recognizing. Really, we just made it our own thing and put our own twist on it, just like every individual family does. I hope you enjoyed your Easter, as well.

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Photos By the Kids

2012-04-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how, but the boys sneaked the use of my camera when they were outside in the back of the pickup. When I went through the photos, however, I discovered some pretty cool shots and perspectives. So, I compiled a few to share and changed them to black and white to add depth.

Apparently, Dylan took this photograph.

The rest, I do believe, are Jared's work. Pretty shot!

Love this! You can see Jared's shadow.

...And his reflection....

....Oh, a fallen acorn perched inside one of the crevices of the truck bed. Cool, Jared....Nice eye.....

Perhaps I will intentionally give him the camera in the future. He and Dylan come up with some pretty interesting work. :)

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Happy Birthday, Dylan

2012-04-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

My youngest boy turned 4 years old on the spring equinox this year. In fact, the actual time of the equinox and the moment he was born were only about 2 hours from one another this year. Sorry it has taken me so long to post...we get busy! I was going to go with a dinosaur theme, but I thought that would be too hard when making all of my decorations. So, I went with a mod, masculine spring flower theme, developed from scrapbook paper I have had for years.

On our mantle we have spring scene pictures, complementary flowers to the adjacent wall that I began the motif in the first place, and a matching flag banner.

I have included some complimentary books and fabric on the mantle, as well, to tie the colors together.

This was the main wall art I created. It ended up being 5 feet across. I love how it turned out!! It almost looks like a purchased wall decal.

Thereafter, I matched Dylan's cake to the theme...My goodness, those food coloring pens were a pain this year!

Dylan's birthday ring, with some painted inspiration rocks, and a center candle that Jared made.

The morning of his birthday, I made a short stack of pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup.

The birthday ring characters come alive....

Birthday cupcake decoration. Wow, that one was messy.

Make a Wish.......

His actual birthday was a school day, where they too celebrated his 4th birthday, so we kept it simple. However, I read him a birthday verse the night before and some on the day of. So, we made it special. The excitement happened 4 days later, when a few guests came to join the celebration.

Here, I made bags from garden fabric in my stash, and stuffed them with healthy treats and spring-inspired goodies.

Here they are, stuffed.

Presents.

Ooooh, Grandma's present was so exploratory right off the bat.

Just a little apron that Mama made......well, I painted it anyway.

This was the whopper. This time consuming creation turned out superb!! He loves it!! I made a road map from old green corduroy, blue corduroy, and dark wool felt. I hand sewed all of the streets and bodies of water. The blue fleece backing was machine-stitched, though. It even doubles as a cozy lap blanket. :)

Here is Dylan in action.

I did a vegetarian thing. Appetizers were homemade hummus and crackers/chips and a veggie dish my Mom brought, along with homemade soda (juice and sparkling water). The lunch was this fantastic tortellini salad I made and a green salad from Daniel's mom. Everything turned out perfect!

Ah, yes, the kids. They had a total blast!

Everyone painted their pots for planting their own seeds.

The girls stand back as the boys tackle the biggest boy.... ;)

Make a birthday party wish......

Oh, by the way, this was a monster canvas he received from our friends and he painted it quite well, if you ask me. Teehee!

Happy Birthday, Dylan. Welcome to a new year of life!

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Turquoise and Red: 2 Colorful Friends

2012-03-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't browsed Etsy for a while. You know, the handmade and vintage collective. I have been loving the idea of creating a vintage/rustic/eclectic look, well, everywhere in my home. But in the kitchen is where I see perhaps a lot of white color and natural wood, with several red and turquoise accents. Those 2 colors are so lovely and happy together. They incorporate warm and cool, they are nearly opposites, thus complimentary, and they just have a rich fun feel to them. So, I found some art and accessories that I just love from several Etsy sellers. I hope you enjoy my little collection.

This one is a photo of a rustic door in Venice. The locks and hinges are so cool. So is the blue bird that happens to be perched above the brilliant door.

Antediluvian Door ~ by Robertcrum

There are so many things I can imagine serving in this bowl.

A Turquoise Bowl with Flowers ~ by Kelim Pottery

I love beat up red barns. They have such history and silent mystery.

Abandoned Barn Photo ~ by Photography by Gbrosseau

When done right, altered photos can create a mystical version of what was already stunningly beautiful.

River Below Altered Photo ~ by Dahlia House Art Studio

These handmade throw pillows have such an authentic vintage feel to them. The fabric appears to have images from around the 1940s. So Cool!

Fun Turquoise Retro Toys Pillows ~ by Court & Spark

So interesting how one can create an aged, retro photo and it ends up looking better than the clearer, more accurate, original version.

Magic Berries Photograph ~ by Elle Moss Photography

This looks like a newer sign, but it still carries a heavily rustic feeling, especially when placed against bricks. I really like the little messages that would subliminally reinforce positive thinking when glanced at.

Subway Style Art Sign ~ by Words to Live By Signs

I can picture these staggered on a wall together with simple black and white photos of my boys. :)

Set of 3 Distressed Frames ~ by Delta Girl Distressed Frames

This is such an attractive little trinket box!

Rustic Wood Box ~ by VintageChichibean

Though I do not have a daughter, I still adore this darling little outfit!! Just So Sweet!

Retro Twirly Skirt ~ by Reimagined Treasures

These are awesome door hanging decorations. Cute. The kids would probably take them down to use for imagination play. :)

Fairytale Storybook Woodland Mushroom Door Hanging ~ by bezzab

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Springtime Reading

2012-03-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air. It is a fantastic opportunity to tune one's child in to the senses and the celebrations of the season. One way to do this is to collect several books over the years or visit the library. Checking local thrift stores and school book sales are other frugal, sustainable ideas, as well. Yesterday, I was browsing a favorite website of mine, Rhythm of the Home, and I discovered a fantastic list of springtime books for young children. Today, we just set up some of ours. They are so lovely.

(Notice the nests and robin eggs Dylan and Jared made today...super cool!)

Enjoy sharing the colorful illustrations and the innocent story lines with your children if you have them. These moments are priceless.

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Gone Bowling

2012-03-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a friend and I got together one very rainy evening for a couple hours of good old-fashioned bowling with the little ones. They had such a blast! In fact, they keep asking me when we are going back. We have just been so busy lately. Hopefully sooner than later. :)

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Dylan: A Piece of History

2012-03-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hands-on Cultural Activities: Japan

2012-03-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

As Jared studied the country of Japan and worked on his book, he also did a few hands-on activities representing the culture.

Zen Garden

Making Paper

Making Sushi.... Well, more like vegetarian rolls...

Nice work, Jared!

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From Tea Garden to Sushi

2012-03-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

We walked across the courtyard from the Japanese Tea Garden to the California Academy of Sciences because it was a special free admission Sunday. 'Twas a bonus to the day...

Amazing carvings.

Awesome outdoor stage. Very Romanesque.

I just noticed this is the same courtyard shown in the film, "Contagion," which we saw 2 days after visiting the place.

Always a tree hugger.

Whoa, this was essentially parallelogram architecture across from the museum. Cool!

We embark up the broad steps.

Ooooh, Jellies!

Look at the nose on that guy in front of Dylan.

"Excuse me while I get past you."

Stare down.

Beautiful chameleon!!

Pretty spider.

Some of the coolest poison dart frogs!

Tree frog on the glass...

Tree frog toes.

Double vision.

Amazing!!

The courtyard is more beautiful at night.

Practicing using chopsticks is apparently more amusing than drawing.

Someone was tired..

Apparently, everyone was wasted. Nighty night, boys.

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Japanese Tea Garden

2012-03-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Japanese Tea Garden was quite lovely on that temperate Sunday in the Bay....

The bridge was a hit for us all.

Actually, this was Jared's absolute favorite part of the garden, aside from the zen garden.

I always love getting shots of them ahead of me.

Oh yes, and the koi fish were certainly Dylan's favorite attraction.

I am always behind the camera, so I decided to capture a quick photo of myself. Silly, I know. :)

Jared had already played with his homemade zen garden, so he was stoked to see a real life size version.

Now off to the California Academy of Sciences and a sushi dinner.

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Asian Art Museum

2012-03-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Several weekends ago, we went to San Francisco for a Japanese field trip for Jared's unit study we were working on at the time. We visited first the Asian Art Museum, then we drove through Japantown, on to the Japanese Tea Gardens, spontaneously to the California Academy of Sciences, and finally to a sushi dinner. There are SO many images I want to share from the museum alone, that I have to keep that my focus for this post. We had a superb day with the entire family. I hope you enjoy the photos. Flash was, of course, not allowed, so I did my best. ;)

There was quite a line in front of the museum, so me and the younger boys wandered across the street to check out the Chinese New Year's Dragon. It's scales are made from recycled CDs. So cool!

The museum had a basic progression of Asia. It started with India and those southeast regions, then went on to China heavily, Korea a bit, and on to Japan.

Just Gorgeous.

Money tree.

I love how Buddha is a recurring figure through the Asian cultures.

Ergonomic Japanese Seating. Love it!

Japanese Tea Room.

Uhhh! This place was awesome!!! It probably would have been more awesome had Daniel and I been kidless...only in the sense that we could have spent a lot more time there absorbing and learning the history in depth. We had a great time with the kids, though, despite their waning patience at times. :)

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A Visit From Lucy

2012-03-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend came to visit nearly 2 months ago to allow me to meet her new daughter, Lucy, who was 8 weeks old at the time. Lucy was so beautiful and engaging. Her mom was really pleased that she slept so seamlessly both in the car on the ride up and all night long when they stayed over. I wanted to share a couple shots with you all.

From the moment they arrived, my little ones were absolutely intrigued by little Lucy.

Lucy with Mommy.

A shot of the boys and Lucy was truly difficult with the low lighting of my house, my refusal to use the flash so as not to blind the baby :), and the fact that they all could not stop moving. This one turned out pretty good, considering.

Fixing her gaze upon high contrast.

This was another blurry shot as Mom was putting on her wrap, but I just love the look on her face.

I am shown holding her as she stares up at the bright blue sky and the gnarly silhouette of oak branches.

Here are a couple of clear shots with the littles holding her. Clear shots....not from my camera, of course.

Wow, somehow Mommy looks like a proud Jedi in this photo. Hahaha!

I hope to have more of these visits as she grows older. What a delight to have them over. I am truly grateful for moments like these.

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Valentine's and St. Patty's Days

2012-03-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

It certainly has been a while since I last posted. Doesn't mean we haven't been super busy, though. I guess I will start with a holiday summary.

Valentine's Day was busy, but mellow. Dylan had a party at his Montessori preschool and the boys and I had a teeny celebration at the park with my dear friend, Shannon, and her children.

Jared made these Valentines from cut up magazines and paper bags. We love to be resourceful!

Mommy helped Dylan to sew these select vintage Valentine images printed from the internet. We glued fabric to the back of each and then he sewed them...well, some of them. It got pretty tiring. :)

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St. Patty's Day was fun for all the boys. We dressed in green, listened to some Celtic music, smelled the scent of Irish stew in the crock pot, made some crafts, and just had fun.

This vegetarian Irish stew was awesome!!

This was a fun fruit rainbow with a cloud and a black cauldron of gold, aka banana slices. I am glad I have a photo of it because the boys looked like a pack of wolves and the platter was empty within a minute.

All in all, we had some lovely celebrations and I am sure more to come.

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A Light Moving Across the Room

2012-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.......... My oldest son Luke noticed this picture among the several other odd photos shot on this evening. This one stood out among others, though. Not only were the photos saturated with "orbs", but this one caught some sort of movement of light. All I can say is what the heck is that on the left? Peculiar and yet so intriguing!! I love it..... It gets better and better..... :)

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:: Moment ::

2012-01-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

This moment, inspired by Soulemama. A captionless photo. A memorable glimpse. A Friday Ritual....

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Asian Influence in Our Kitchen

2012-01-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

Lately, we have had a craving for Asian dinners. They have proven to be quite balanced and delicious. Even the kids approve.

This image is my son's bowl of Spicy Asian Stir-Fry with Whole-Wheat Linguine. Simple, yummy...

This was a thrown together red quinoa mock Asian dish from things I had left in the fridge. It was a hit! Flavorful and complete.

This is probably a poor representation of a delicious dish we made called Gaeng Khae (Spicy Thai Vegetable Soup). It was both therapuetic and savory.

This is our Citrus Salad, slightly modified from the recipe, but super refreshing and delectable.

This dish was based upon the Bamboo Shoot, Mushroom, and Long Bean Stir-Fry recipe in the December 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times Magazine. I can't find it on their website, though.

This Sticky Rice with Carrots, Shitake Mushrooms, and Peanuts dish was also in the same article, "Buddha's Delight" as the above recipe. Likewise, it also is not yet listed on their website. We always seem to change things here and there. Instead of sticky rice, we used wild rice and jasmine rice. Mmmmm....

We were feeling under the weather for a few days, so we decided to try some Ginger Tea. Both potent and soothing.

Try these if you like or get inspired to try some Asian cooking that is light, yet filling, balanced, and often medicinal. Enjoy.

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Homemade Gifts

2012-01-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas season, I made a few handmade presents for a few close friends and the boys. The boys saw me as I progressed through the process of knitting their warm hats, so it really was not officially a surprise. Plus, I have yet to complete Jared's.

I started out with knitting a beanie for Dylan. I thought this bright green Andes Wool yarn from my stash would be complementary to his red hair. It turned out pretty cute.

I made this hat in Firecracker Heather (also wool) and black stripes. I would have probably done a black beanie with red stripes, but I had more of the later than the former. He loves it anyway. Besides, it unintentionally matches his snow jacket he received for Christmas. Perfect!

Somehow, I still always make him laugh. Maybe it is because I myself am such a goofball. Yeah, Luke, hold it back....we can't tell you are not trying to crack up here.... ;)

I decided to make some select friends and mothers some creative necklaces/ornamental decor for the holidays with supplies I already have on hand.

Talk about slacking......some of these I have not given to my friends yet. My goodness!

This gallery of orange pendants on hemp and a matching sunshine painting were given to my dear friend, Shannon, who quite apparently loves the color and sun-shininess itself. I painted this below out of impulse one night. Other than on the table the boys and I made, I have not painted anything for years. Though amateur, it didn't turn out too bad. :)

Love to create! Wish I had more time to do so at this point. But I am enjoying just being much of the time.....being a mother, being a teacher, being a chef, being a woman, being an active human being...

Catch you later......

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Christmas At Our Abode...Though a Bit Late In Posting It...

2012-01-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have been more unplugged lately than I have been in a long time, which is wonderful. I am obviously with the kids more, enjoying this insanely sunny winter so far, and since Xmas, I have lost about 13 Lbs! So, I finally loaded a month-and-a-half of pictures onto my computer today because I have been super busy...even too busy to worry about quilting. So, here is a collection of photos from Christmas time.

The boys and I made ornaments with some friends out of little cloth dolls that my girlfriend found at the thrift store. Here is my silly little elf. He reminds me of a court jester.

On Christmas eve, the grandparents stopped by to give the boys their gifts. They were awesome!

Jared has since had fun making some of his Eco Crafts...

All I can say is that this is one of the coolest things a 12-year-old can receive as a gift!

Dylan got a little tree home with three finger puppet forest pals, two of which him and Grandma are playing with. So dang cool!

Lukey is drawing a winter forest scene...maybe he was trying to summon the snow...

For Christmas Eve dinner, I made a vegetarian meal, both because turkey and ham are expensive, and because we are eating meat and poultry less and less frequently. Above is an apple butternut squash torte before it was baked, so that you can see the yummy innards.

The torte was baked with cheese on the top, and the meal was accompanied by green beans with shallots and sherry and a bowl full of garlic mashed potatoes.

We also had veggie jambalaya to round out the whole meal. It was fantastic!!

Christmas morning was mellow and super exciting for the boys.

Santa really spoiled them this year. I think next year the "old jolly man", a.k.a. Mommy, should flex better skills of frugality. They made out like bandits. Also, Note to self: we need to get our tree later on than last year. Getting it the day after Thanksgiving is not conducive for a small home that constantly has the wood-stove running. It was pretty dry by Christmas. Oh well.

Dylan showing off some of his stocking stuffers...

Lukey was excited about his hats and his skinny jeans and his funny pajama bottoms and.....

Dylan sporting some serious fashion here.....Jared getting stoked off of his many Barefoot Books...

They all got some super cool games and puzzles.

Lukey checking out his Official Handy Game for Boys....

The Littles playing with their new Connectagons....

Mickey Mouse pancakes for Christmas morning. I totally forgot until recently that my mother used to treat me to these when I was little. :)

Jared helped make flax seed meal shortbread cookies.....

Here are his finished cookies.... They were buttery and delicious!

Dylan was so cute when playing with his dinosaurs on the grasslands with a river and mountain range.

And lastly, for Christmas we indulged in an enchilada recipe that I am consequently unable to find, and I am not wasting anymore time looking for it right now. It was in one of my Vegetarian Times magazines. And, of course, mine never looks as good as the photo in the magazine. This was accompanied by avocados, lime wedges, sour cream and we served sauteed kale on the side. It was superb!

We drove to Tahoe, but unfortunately there was no snow and almost everything was closed so it wasn't as fun as it could have been. That is okay. We already figured that before we went there. Other than that, we stayed home and enjoyed each others' company. Merry Very Belated Christmas!

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Christmas Creations

2011-12-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't exactly been frequenting my blog much lately. The holiday season and the growing demands of my growing boys has stretched me slightly thin. However, I do now have a moment to share with you a few reflections of Christmas time in our home.

This wreath was a pain in the neck and I nearly gave up out of frustration as I was making it. We recently had quite a wind storm. So, as a result, there were branches on the ground everywhere. We piled several together and I started overlapping branches and tying countless times until it was long enough and thick enough to compete the circle.

Still, once completed, it wasn't holding together as had envisioned to begin with. I then decided to cut some strips of red fabric and tie the fir needles together externally in 5 places. I completed the hanging by doubling the thickness of the fabric strip to strengthen it, as the wreath ended up being very heavy. After hanging it, I trimmed the wreath and added pine cones. Voila!!

This pillow beautifully matches the incomplete quilt that I made (I have been so busy that quilting has been very hard to do, so I am letting go of perfection and accepting the fact that we will have it absolutely ready next Christmas). I love the array of fabrics!

And here is the back of our Christmas throw pillow. As you can see, it is a pillow sham essentially, so the cover can be washed and the pillow itself can have interchangeable covers representing all seasons, holidays, and general decor. I didn't follow a pattern on this one. It was more on a whim. :)

We simply made this Advent calendar by cutting a rectangular piece of burgundy felt, several olive green triangles suitable for the given squares made by using black permanent marker, and some small rectangles for the month label and for the pocket holding the "Christmas trees". Every day, Jared pulls out the corresponding tree and places it on that day of the month. Ah, the magic of wool felt... It just sticks to itself. Less effort on my part. :)

A while back, when I received all of that fabric and quilting supplies from my aunt, I noticed this "Coca Cola" cool polar bear fabric. Usually, this is not my kinda thang, but it is definitely reminiscent of my father, who passed away almost 10 years ago. He is so special to me and I haven't enough to sufficiently remember him by. So, being that him and my also deceased Grandma were so absolutely into the Coca Cola thing (seriously, they loved it!), I decided to quilt a stocking in their honor. Unfortunately, I used fleece for the inner lining, so for me, it was extremely difficult to sew with. It was another pain in the neck. The other less than fortunate aspect is that it looks to me like a stocking-shaped oven mitt. I guess that is what happens when you try to entirely create your own pattern. Oh well... It has grown on me.

The boys have been working hard using their hands for the purpose of Christmas, as well. Jared used beeswax to create the big tree shown above and the man. He also helped me with the toboggan. Dylan created the snowman with a little help, as well as the little Christmas tree. Fabulous! I love beeswax!

Jared created this snowman in one of our many homemade play-dough sessions. What detail!

We went to one of my dear friends' houses for a gingerbread house party. How cool is that? So, each of the boys were able to construct their own little gingerbread house with frosting and a variety of candy. Problem was the little ones kept eating the latter! I suppose I wasn't too worried about it. They know they normally do not have access to it, so I am lenient when we go to parties.

3 Brothers: 1 snacking on a candy cane and expressing his joy with his hands like the little boy with the Italian genes he has been partially given; 1 overseeing the others' work in progress like a concerned parental figure ready to guide the little one on command, standing with arms akimbo; 1 meticulously engineering his architectural masterpiece with intention and gumption.

This train set was a hit for all 3 boys after they completed their gingerbread houses. I was pleased with how well they worked together and helped one another. Fun times!

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Autumn Leaves

2011-12-14T00:18:00.000-08:00

You have all heard of the cliche of making piles of leaves and jumping in them, or perhaps you have read children's books with portrayals of raking Autumn leaves and playing in them. Well, unfortunately, growing up in my suburban neighborhood made this annual ideal a mere fantasy. However, living in the mountains has offered our family several natural opportunities, such as Autumn leaf play, familiar to the children of yesteryear. We have so many trees, and thus leaves on the ground, that it doesn't take much raking to create huge piles for playing with and burying little children. We quite enjoyed this day. Plus, the boys even buried Mommy, which was warm, cozy, and just plain delightful to be one with nature.

These are merely but a glimpse of our leaf-play, but I thought I would share anyway. I really enjoyed their natural exploration and ultimate joy. What a good day!

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Harvest-i-ness

2011-12-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am long overdue! We are well into the Christmas season, but I have been slacking a bit...for the legitimate reason of spending undivided time with the boys, I suppose. I made several Harvesty edible things, but, like with our bacon and harvest apple omelet on Thanksgiving morning, the pictures did not turn out so well. So, I will show you a glimpse of what turned out okay. :)

This was our breakfast pumpkin spice oatmeal morning dish on the morning of Thanksgiving. It was accompanied by, of course, our bacon and harvest apple omelet. Super Yummy!

And here is a quick peek at our pumpkin streusel.......

Hard at work making turkey art with dried beans, bark, and leaves......

Dylan is scoping out which beans to utilize for his unique turkey.

Nice turkey face....with help from Mommy a bit.....

The boys' finished, yet undried work...Dylan's is far left, Jared's cycloptic turkey is in the center, and Lukey's is the big, orange-backed, methodical one. I LOVE these!!!

Pre-Thanksgiving dinner.... Garlic mashed potatoes, awesome kale dish from Epicurious.com, orange-cranberry sauce, and the Butternut Squash-Bartlett Pear Soup recipe from Yoga Journal. Never fails!

Happy super-belated Thanksgiving!!

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A Little More Color

2011-11-18T11:22:00.001-08:00

For those of you who get easily creeped out by the supernatural, I would like to lighten the situation with some bright, "lively" colors. Heeheehee.... Here is a glimpse at some of what I have been working on. I will show you more very soon.

These have since become blocks and now a baby quilt top. I still have to make the back and the binding. These were really radiant, fun colors to work with and I love the cute town fabric!!!

These are the unfinished front of my tooth fairy pillows.....

And the backs......

Here is a larger quilt I am going to frame in grey. It will be a free motion quilting study, whereas each square will have a different experimental threading design.

And here is a glimpse of the first baby quilt top I made for my shop. I love using a little red! Can't wait to complete the entire quilt....

And I thought I would throw in Jared's dinosaur book he made for school. He basically studied the 7 different categories of dinosaurs and how they each differ. As one can see on the cover, he shows them all: pachycephalosaurs, ornithopods, stegasaurs, ankylosaurs, sauropods, ceratopsians, and therapods. The coolest thing about home school is that I am also learning, as well!

Have a great Friday and weekend!!!!