Thursday, March 26, 2009

will etsy browsing inspire spring to come?

anyone else totally love waldorf (waldorf like, waldorf-y) toys? i think that they are so beautiful. i am scanning etsy right now thinking about what to get/make the girls for a simple spring/easter gift. there are so many cute little wool animals. current favorite animals in our house include: hedgehogs, chickens, bunnies, and farting walruses.

next year, i want to give them spring baskets instead of giving them on easter sunday. i struggle to find a balance of celebrating christmas and easter without the huge gift giving. i love giving gifts and love getting them. yep, it's an honest confession. when my mom sends me a box of handmade socks (matching socks, even better!), i love opening it! when books come in the mail; it is so much fun to open them up! i get excited about a present awaiting me by the doorstep. i *know* better on many levels. it's using up fossil fuels to deliver the gifts even though i try to buy handmade as often as possible. and, no, we do not actually need one more item of anything in our home.

okay, enough guilt inducing posting...back to the joy of etsy.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

my peeps

we are back into the swing of playgroup stuff after an intense planning session. words cannot express how much i love and need these families in my life right now. yesterday, we went to the history museum, had a yummy veggie lunch then walked around a local lawn and garden shop staring at beautiful flowers, garden tools, fountains and herbs. if we do stay here, our garden is going to be prolific. no matter where we are, i know that these women will always be strong pillars in my life and i am so grateful.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

should i stay or should i go?

we are going back and forth in our minds about an opportunity to be in bali, again starting this summer. we need some things to fall into place, again like our house rented and selling our biodeisel jeep. i am trying not to get stressed about it and everything else that still needs my daily attention but it's hard for me. i wish that i was not a worry-er. one thing that seems to calm me down these days is staring at the nova natural catalog! it's just so calming.

there is so much that we love about being in bali. we enjoy the ease of life, in general there. the birth center is such a welcoming place to enter full of energy but peace, as well. the organic, vegetarian food is fresh, delicious, inexpensive, often delivered to one's doorstep and wholesome. eating out works even with kids bouncing around due to the balinese respect for children. there is a yoga center and a tailor across the street from the birth center, as well as a corner market and an open field just down the road. swimming pools, a spa to get massages, restaraunts, a forest full of monkeys all dot the street. the midwives who run the brith center truly mothered me when i was there with them last time; they taught me about midwifery and myself. they cared for my entire family, even buxton who was still inside at the time. i long to introduce her to them earthside now. i want to relax into the atmosphere there while being able to learn at the same time. i want to live out of a backpack with less in oru house. i want the girls to run around in the grass; i want e to see her old friends, again. i want my hubby to enjoy swimming, riding bikes, taking long walks, talking with his friends and drinking fresh squeezed juices. he loves the adventure of travel. there is so much to set into place here just to get there that it feels like it may not happen right now though.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

walkie talkie

yep, she took her first baby steps today in our front yard!

she stood on her own a lot today at my friend's house. we knew it was coming soon. she's so precious in her little walk.

e walked at the exact same time; just around 12 and a half months.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

oh, the chickens

"ez, your nails are really long. we need to trim them."

"mama, they are as long as a chicken's toenail."

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

what's up with the girls

the bear is using signs now on a regular basis. she signed "milk" for the first time on sunday. she signs "more" a lot. her big sister signs and talks about chickens all the time, so we think b is signing "bird" or "chicken". she also points to where she wants to go if we are holding her and she points to people in the photos or words on a page in a book.

e is into planting seeds with me big time. she created her own little garden dubbed "hummingbird haven" as a mini-raised bed, even. she likes to see friends and neighbors on a daily basis. she spent some time at our dear neighbor's house ALL BY HERSELF on saturday. it was kinda a big deal. now she wants to go over there every day or have our neighbors come over here. so we are learning about being polite guests and not wearing out our welcome...but still spending lots of time with them! she talks about time, as in last week or next time or "for two whiles".

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

bikers

our family has spent the last three afternoons on bike rides. we have a double jogging stroller that turns into a bike trailer rather easily. for our ten year anniversary back in august, we gave each other bikes. these have been wonderful afternoons of visiting friends and enjoying where we live.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

the bear turned one.

the bear is talking, but not walking. she says,

"puh. puh" for sherpa
mama
dada
ez uh
baby
duck
bye bye

and has lots of squeals, laughs and giggles.