Time Change

Tonight is the time change and for us it signals that final moment of fall.  Halloween will be over and the Christmas Advertising will begin in full force.  I have only 20 days until my big Christmas show and I am working like crazy to get everything ready.  Thinking in Christmas mode, making ornaments, and knitting up christmas presents makes it difficult to be here in the presents of fall.

Tonight we are going out trick or treating for one of the first times with Sam and we are going to enjoy this first moment for him as well as the last few moments of fall.

The Fear of Illness

There has been much attention being paid as of late to the H1N1 situation.  I was not going to get involved but feel that maybe I need to have my say and then leave it at that.  On the cover of this mornings paper is a large story about a young boy that died of this flu.  The media has done a great job at creating worry and panic and the vaccine that is coming and for many is available will be the all time cure and tool needed to prevent you and your family from becoming ill.  I find this hard to believe.

Here at our house there is no vaccinations of any kind.  Our first child was very ill as a result of early vaccination and we have not done so since.  We did our research and are not comfortable with injecting our children with diseases that bi-pass all the natural barriers that the body that has created.   We believe that it is a better solution to create bodies that are strong and healthy and ready to fight anything when they may or may not get sick.  Vaccines give us a false sense of security about our bodies and lead us to believe that we are protected.  If vaccines are so great, then why are people still getting ill with illnesses that people are being vaccinated for?  Who is benefitting from them...us or the companies that make them.

Would we all be this scared if there wasn't the label of "H1N1"?  It is flu season as we are all generally ill at this time of year.  It is the coming inside, not enough light, recycled air and being around people more instead of the wide open space of nature.

There is illness here at our home, but we are caring for each other.  Taking lots of time to let our bodies heal and getting lots of fresh air.  Being confident that if we let them our bodies can heal themselves.

Weekend Moment

This weekend was Liliana's Baptism.

The welcome of our amazing little soul into our lives.

It was a gathering of family and friends.  Many moments that will be remembered.  Having everyone together is amazing.

Right Now I Am.....

Loving: The little boy and girl who have chosen to be a part of my life 

Welcoming: The change of the seasons

Appreciating: The friends that cultivate my soul

Noticing: How a single moment can change everything

Wishing:  Happiness to my good friend

Eating: The foods of the harvest; Squash. apples. kale, turnip, all things root.  Helping me to feel grounded. 

Counting: Every moment that things look better than before.

Feeling:  The pressure to create as the Christmas Season of shows sneaks up. 

Listening: The Rain and wind that seems to have taken up residence this fall. 

Thinking: Of how to keep moving forward. 

Sally the Eco Fairy

This is Sally the Eco Fairy.  She is Lily's Christmas present.  It is the third time that I have knit her.  Twice before for friends of mine who's little girls loved them.  This time I knitted her with Baby Bamboo rather than yarn from my stash in hopes of motivating me through all the many pieces.

I love this doll as she is soft and snuggles up quite nice.  She is made by me and therefore each stitch has love in it.

I am hoping to knit more clothes for her as each occasion occurs (birthdays and such).   She will need a winter coat soon and so will be on the hunt for a pattern.  Any suggestions?

A Sense of Home

While this has been a shorter week with the Holiday Monday it seems as though everyone is much more tired and worn out than if we had been working the usual days.  Maybe we are all tired from the wedding excitement this weekend or the long days inside as we have had an unusual amount of rain these past few weeks.

What ever the reason I am glad that there is no more teaching this week and I am able to kind of relax in the evenings.  However, anyone who knows me knows that there is never any relaxing.  I am always doing something (knitting, writing, reading, making, cleaning) Paul is always telling me to sit and relax and I try and tell him that I am just not able to sit with my hands still.  I need them to be working.  Plus, the multi tasking that can get done if I am doing several things at once!

Today the house is in a bit of chaos as the new carpets are being installed.  So everything from out living rooms are in every other place in the house.  Everyone is in different bedrooms doing different things as the kitchen and living rooms are not livable at the moment.  I was up late last night thinking about how to put all the furniture back in a way in which I will like it better than the previous.  Every other place that we lived in was always just temporary and so we just put the stuff down and lived around it.  This place is different and so I want it to have a different feel.  We still don't own it and only rent but for the first time it really feels like home.

Weekend Moments of Thanks

This weekend was Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada, which means a long weekend as Monday is a holiday.  This weekend was also a family wedding in which Sam was the ring bearer.  It was an amazing day of joy, happiness and giving thanks.   To see my little guy all dressed up and walking so proudly down the aisle was a moment that I will remember always.  Of course I cried and thought to myself he is no longer a little baby.  He is growing up to be this wonderful little guy.  He was super the rest of the evening and when is came time for Uncle Jon to pick him up he was excited to show him his suspenders and then said let's go home.  To see him being able to know what he needs and ask for it allowed me to see that I am raising children that listen to and understand their bodies and their feelings.  I am on the right track it seems.

We all got dressed up and it felt so great.  With two little ones and a pottery business there are not many times in which I get to get all dolled up and go out.  It made me feel great to look pretty and special.  There wasn't much dancing going on as we had Lily with us at the reception but being out of the house and talking with other adults was a amazing.

Looking at the photos reminds me that I have two children.  We are a little family.  Sometimes it takes pictures to allow us to see what we have.  To make it real almost, as if living it everyday is not real enough!  To see how much these two little miracles have touched and changed out lives and how I wouldn't want my life any other way.

Getting into the swing of things

I seem to be getting myself into a small rhythm this week allowing me to feel like I can sit and post a little note each day.  There may be chaos going on around me but I am sitting and writing.  Sam is playing hockey on the kitchen floor (which has been labeled the 'ice'), now that hockey season has started there will be little other playing going on.  Lily is sitting up like the big girl that she is becoming and chewing on everything in sight as she is getting those top two teeth.  Last night was our first experience in 'biting' and I am hoping that it is the last !

Today we are getting out last minute preparations for the big outing this weekend.  Sam is going to be the ringbear in a family wedding this weekend.  We are all very excited around here as there are very few times in which we all get to dress up and have a good time.  Everyone has new clothes and everyone is getting new hair cuts.  New hair cuts just make everything seem so much more special.

I can't wait to share all the pictures.

Busy

We have been super busy around here.  Huge yarn bowl order and then trying out the new wheel that we got last week.

Two years ago we opened the studio with one wheel and two students.  In that time we have grown to 4 wheels and 14 students.  Positive imaging is the key to success.  I just kept imagining my studio filled with art and students.  We are growing both in the studio as well as personally and this makes it all the better.

Twins?

Lily ~ Sam

6 months old.

Just incase I was unsure whether or not my two little beans looked similar.  Comparing the first swing ride at the park squashes any doubt.

Yup.... They are brother and sister!

Where to go from here?

I have been struggling with the intention of me writing and posting here. I find myself here everyday looking at the contents and never able to actually write something. I think who is actually reading it and if no one is then why am I doing it? Is is for myself and my own ability to document and visualize the things going on in my life? Or is it a marketing strategy for the studio? Or is it simply a way to connect with all the other woman out there in the same space and place that I am.

I think to myself I really don't have anything interesting to say and if I do I can never keep it short and so that requires a lot of writing. Everyday writing is not something I am finding that I am good at. Rather everyday writing is not something that I am able to work in with all the chaos I feel is happening around here. Caring for the kids all day and then teaching 4 nights a week, I am pooped at the end of the day and just want to relax and knit a few lines if I can focus. Maybe I am looking at it from the wrong angle, why does posting have to seem like a job? Maybe it could be a joy? My other biggest problem is all the reading of other blogs that I do and think "Wow, what she said was amazing and her blog is beautiful, why can't mine be like that?" So all I do is read others and enjoy what they are sharing.

I am not too sure where things will go from here. Maybe I need a little inspiration as well as a refocus. I made my first Etsy sale the other day as well as filling my 10 week classes. Maybe this is what I need to get things organized and going. Let myself off the hook trying to be the perfect Mom for these two amazing babes and learn to let it flow.