down home

Good Day. Now, Good Night.

2012-02-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

A Sunday that begins with a family snuggle in the bed with time to savor it. An easy breakfast, no rushing the girls through their morning play. An almost 4 year old who can dress herself even after proclaiming loudly, "I don't want to go to church!" (To her credit, she did throw up last night randomly and has had a mild fever.) A mama who doesn't sweat the dress put on backwards...I mean buttons in the front DO make more sense! A mama who doesn't sweat the red and white striped long sleeved dress under the Easter looking large green sleeveless puffy dress that gets us questions like, "Were you a flower girl in that?". Nope, we just like to be all fancy sometimes is my reply with a smile. The deep inside me smile is that my whole family easily got to church and will enjoy it together. My 6 year old, almost squatting in her chair will bellow out, "Lord, hear our prayer." with enthusiasm at the reading of the prayer book compared to the quiet restraint of the rest of us. She'll flip the Hymn book open with her 5 year old friend after they quietly play with a sticker book on the floor. The bear will say church hurts her ears and the best dada in the world will unquestioningly take her to a safe, quieter place where she'll rest in his lap.

Although, it's my plan to power through a book that is probably too heavy for a 38 weeker to be reading right now, I will try but fall asleep instead. Twice. Leaving that best dada to wash dishes, chop wood and love on four sweet cheeks.

Now, all are asleep. The dada and I both fell asleep with the cheeks but I awoke, again to lots of movement from within. The woodstove is ablaze. We made calzones and pizzas for dinner, freezing about half of the calzones. The lil bear is clearly not 100% well but working through it all. And, her doting big sister is somehow up for reading books to her, giving her a bath, making her a pile of blankets in a snuggy corner and putting her PJs on before dinner. Seriously, where did she learn such care and compassion? And, dear God would you please teach me how to be more like her?

All in all a great day to say good night to.

Happy February

2012-02-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

We have been so looking forward to this month! Our lil bear has spent months growing up, preparing to turn 4 years old and all that will come with it this year. Her big sister is excited to be half way done with Kindy and asks weekly about what is going to happen in 1st grade. We're so glad to welcome a new babe into our home sometime this month. Each girls expresses how much she is hoping for lots of baby cuddles and snuggles. We've spent the last month nesting, resting, reading, and stocking up our freezer.

Personally, tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. Both as the day that Simon recognized Jesus in the Temple and for the blessing of the candles reminding us of this Jesus, light of the world shining upon us. The girls and I made many candles for labor and birth. We look forward to lighting them soon!

Bird & Reptile Park

2012-01-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

More Beauty After Pedicures

2012-01-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

Back In Bali

2012-01-05T21:36:00.001-05:00

I didn't just pull 24 hour shifts and promote CNN Hero of the Year, Robin Lim. I didn't just supervise volunteers and interview with UN peeps. Nope, I got a pedicure once...with my oldest daughter even.

Best Days

2011-12-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

Really, they are just normal kind of every day days that we are having. We snuggle in the morning, make breakfast, clean up, read books & sing songs, make candles or needle felt or color. Then, the girls play while I sort work on organizing some part of our house that needs it right now. We make gluten free muffins or bread and play with beeswax. They play some more while I create lunch or they help me create lunch. We eat outside on warmer days like today (while Steve cleans out the woodstove for us with his loud machine making our house all stinky) or at the table with our Advent wreathe in the middle.

After cleaning up from lunch, we spend most afternoons outside from 1-4pm. We either meet a friend at the park, have a friend over, play with our little neighbor or just ourselves. We try to balance a friend day with a family day. The girls ride bikes usually while I sweep or rake. We walk through our awesome yard. I push them on the swings. We've been exploring the park beyond just the playground recently and had the best time finding rock piles and sand piles or running around the baseball diamond and swinging on it's gate. We met horses on the trail recently when all 5 kids wanted to venture down to it.

Dinner is usually a big steaming pot of lentil soup or a stir fry (with a salad for the adults and almond milk yogurt for the kids) on those days we get home later. I try to chop veggies a day ahead or at lunch prep so dinner happens quicker and we can spend more time outside. Sometimes, when we are at home, we'll all be together with the girls chopping tempe or measuring lentils and spices out into the big blue cast iron pot. We're making lasagna and baking a lot b/c we were without an oven (and many baked goods!) for over two months.

I have so much energy throughout the day but am soooooooo tired around dinner time. This week, I have taken a little rest both afternoons and the girls are so calm with me. The Bear even snuggles me up. While the soup simmers, we rest our bodies and our minds until they and the soup are ready to stir.

They are just simple days really. They are really wonderful days, too.

Here.

2011-12-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is taking us a while to get settled back into our home...while at the same time we are so comfy and thankful to be here that the transition feels so much easier this time around. We spent some time sorting through closets and bags of clothes to find warm enough clothes. All was secured before we left so it would be easier to return. Yay! We're still sorting and prepping for the upcoming holidays. We are thankful to be back at our home church and celebrating Advent. We are thankful to be seeing special friends, again. We are soooooooo excited about the Waldorf Holiday Faire this weekend but bummed to hear candle dipping isn't happening. We enjoy that most each year. It did snow last year when we were standing in line for lunch so we're hopeful for another treat like that!

Down Home, Again

2011-11-26T21:40:00.000-05:00

We've been jet-lagged but happy to be in our home! We love our friends here who were so deeply missed. We are thankful for amazing foods, hot showers and comfy beds. We have been busy chopping wood, raking leaves (and jumping in their piles), unpacking, sorting through warm clothes, finding missed toys, slipping on autumn boots and stirring large pots of soup.

Waldorf Doll Giveaway

2011-11-21T05:49:00.000-05:00

Would you like to win this doll? It would make a precious gift for any child this year!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86175597/waldorf-doll-12-sweet-baby-doll-handknit

If you hop on over to Bending Birches, one of my favorite inspirational blogs, you can enter to win it there.

family temple

2011-11-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

Give a Child a Camera

2011-11-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

the ole 'hood

2011-11-08T07:20:00.000-05:00

where we lived the first year

we take a lot of little walks around the village

the view

2011-11-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

view from the indian restaurant. the girls were sick the next day/week- from the food here, perhaps?

view from the office

Beach Getaway

2011-11-04T15:32:00.000-04:00

Birthday Planning

2011-11-02T06:48:00.000-04:00

It's almost my E bear's birthday! We are planning a trip to the dog shelter here to deliver the leashes and collars she collected from friends. This was her birthday wish that she created all on her own. We'll head by the shelter to visit the puppies and dogs that have been rescued soon.

The day after her birthday, we are going to be total tourists in Bali and go to the waterpark with friends! We went about 4 years ago but did not go on our last trip here. This year we are excited to bring our Balinese friends with us.

Martinmas Inspiration

2011-10-29T07:58:00.000-04:00


From Waldorf Mama's post about Martinmas last year

Two things about me: 1. I am a planner. 2. I like to 'see' what something looks like before I do it, to get familiar with it and be inspired by it.

Therefore, when it comes to Waldorf celebrations in our home, I really like to see images online and in books and from pictures I have taken in years past. These inspire me to create our own celebration from the culled work of others over the centuries. We're talking about ancient celebrations here! Reading about the Saint or how the event was celebrated in years past also inspires me. In an effort to plan our Martinmas celebration, which will happen right before we leave Bali this year, I am doing some planning now. First, we'll have our costume party next week and then E's birthday. It's all coming up so quickly in our last month here. Then there's Korea to plan!

'That I May Bear a Light' from Uncommon Grace is an inspiring post!

Recipe for GF Cookies and a Beautiful Lantern from Nourishing Meals

'Martinmas in the Waldorf Home' from The Parenting Passageway with 'The Pumpkin Pie' song linked

Super Cute Lanterns from Rhythm of the Home which could be done in paper, as we don't have access to felt here in Bali.

Concise story of why we celebrate Martinmas from Frontier Dreams

A Martinmas story and how to make lanterns out of balloons, crepe paper and paste from GardenMama

Yet another simple Martinmas post from Waldorf Mama.

The Avett Brothers

2011-10-28T08:20:00.001-04:00

I am currently listening to this song daily. It is just so well-written and sung. The words capture how I see my life right now. From within my growing family out into the wider world of attending women in labor land, especially in Bali but certainly wherever I get to do these wonderful things.

The Avett Brothers sing Salvation Song here.

They lyrics are from here.

If you take my heart
Don't leave the smallest part
I've no need to live if you're to come up gone
An as my life turns to a song
And if and when I treat you wrong
No I never want to hurt our family

And I would give up everything
No this is not just about me
And I don't know a plainer way to say it Babe
And they may pay us off in fame
Though that is not why we came
And I know well and good that won't heal our hearts

We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way

Now if I'm walkin' through the rain
And I hear you call my name
I will break into a run without a pause
And if your love laughs at your dreams
Well it's not as bad as it seems
Either way one of them has got to go
And if you take of my soul
You can still leave it whole
With the pieces of you own you leave behind

We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way

And I would give up everything
And if you were to come up clean
And see you shine so bright in a world of woe
And they may pay us off in fame
But that is not why we came
And if it compromises truth then we will go

We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way

Zula Pie

2011-10-27T16:52:00.004-04:00

Remember that apple pie I told you about from my fave vegan place in all of the world? Here's a picture of it beside the local coconut milk ice cream we devoured. Yes, it was an incredible treat! And, guess what? Zula's is coming to Ubud next month!!! Wooooo hooo!

Tots and Jerseys

2011-10-26T08:05:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, we had been planning a beach trip getaway. Hubs has to work every night except Saturday and Sunday with secure internet access so we cannot do a weekday getaway. We planned on being semi-tourists with an air conditioned hotel in mind since everyone was feeling the heat at our house. We have fans but it never really gets cool; we are always sweating. We drink gallons of water and Chamomile tea here. Our freezer doesn't get cold enough for ice anymore somehow. Plus, the weather is just more intense when one is sick and has to walk outside to use the toilet. Since E was all well on Saturday morning, we thought a hotel stay would do her (all of us!) ever more good. So, we stuck with the plan of a beach getaway choosing a location with two of our favorite places to eat!

Zula's is a vegan restaurant with a focus on raw, living foods. I could eat the menu, as our new friend would say. We ate yummy nachos, lentil soup, mashed potatoes, GF pancakes and tempe bacon, fresh salads, tempe tuna wraps, chickpea burgers, GF samosas, and platters full of yummy with 5 portions of incredible. To top it off, I had warm apple pie with fresh, local handmade coconut milk ice cream! Are you kidding me?! We found homemade GF and sugar free vegan cookies in Almond, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip and Date. A sample of each please. Hubs is a huge fan of smoothies and he probably had two with every meal! The girls and I split a strawberry soymilk shake with dinner the first night. I actually have a picture of E and I splitting one from four years ago framed and hanging on the wall at our house!

The drive down in a hot car with traffic was crazy, of course. I still cannot believe the amazing amount of patience God graced me with to not have a panic attack. Sitting in a sweltering hot car after 2 hours of bouncy kids surrounded by motorbikes on both sides and other vehicles (all with no regulations on exhausts!!!) was enough to break a mama. We went in circles after one wrong turn upon arriving, then B had to poop and of course, there were no toilets to be found by the restaurant owners of vacation central. Argh! When we finally found one, I tripped on my skirt carrying B up the concrete stairs and bonked her head on a step. Yep, incredible. She was amazingly okay. We finally found our way and ate the yummiest dinner.

After securing a reasonably affordable hotel (some are crazy expensive in tourist town), we settled into the cool air. The next morning, E was surprised to have her wish of eating tots granted at the breakfast buffet! When she said on the drive down, "I wish I could eat tots." I kinda laughed and said, "No tots here in Bali that I have ever seen." Leave it up to a hotel that caters to Australians to have baked beans, toast and tots on the breakfast line! We spent the morning on the beach, splashing in the water and walking. A friendly pup greeted us, which the girls found delightful. He jumped up on me and bit a hole in my swim skort! Argh. Goodness. We are on vacation, people. No biting dogs. We get enough crazy dogs in our own village. Anyway, being on said vacation, we took a taxi to lunch to avoid the heat and walking with two beach tired out lil chicks. We have taken all of three taxis in our four years coming here before this. One time was an emergency and the others were for similar beach trips. We like to walk but hubs and I agreed our families health was in recovery so planned to take it easy. Taking a taxi is really wonderful. Quick and air conditioned. Wow.

We spent time plashing in the pool that had a shallow sand side then a deeper space. It was excellent. We floated on noodles, ate our desserts and lounged. E practiced swimming and B tossed the basketball into the hoop with her dada. His dreams come true, eh? We did walk to dinner in the cooler air later that afternoon, stopping to buy hats along the way. After ordering, B and I bought some necklaces and bracelets for friends back home from a roadside stand of smoking guys.

Across from Zula's was a shop full of soccer jerseys. B is really into playing soccer with her BFF here and watching our friend play soccer. The soccer field is the center of our small village. We've already talked about her playing soccer with Eleanor next spring. With stars in her eyes, she asked, "Do they ever make soccer shirts in my size?" or something like that. I confirmed and hoped we'd find one on this trip. What a delight as we walked home to see tiny soccer jerseys all lined up at the market! B and I were thrilled to pick through stacks of them. She wanted blue and white so it didn't take long. She took her shirt off right there and rocked out the blue jersey with white lettering. I know nothing about teams or players or numbers or names and thankfully, neither does she! Blue and white were enough to please. She literally was jumping up and down with joy and my smile hurt my cheeks. The seller guy was hysterical with us laughing and laughing and trying to hug and high five with B. He gave us a good deal on the top and shorts which B wore to the hotel and slept in!

Tots and jerseys are not natural. Nothing about them screams healthy! They are processed with ingredients we normally avoid. But, these two items were the longings of my daughters' hearts this weekend. And, this mama has a heart full of happiness that after vomiting for three days or sitting on a toilet every 3 hours, something would bring that light back to their eyes.

Bali Belly

2011-10-25T12:05:00.000-04:00

My poor lil E bear struggled with Bali belly last week on and off for almost 5 days. She's lost a little bit of weight which as anyone who knows us, can recall the incredible amount of anxiety this causes for me. We have worked hard to keep her healthy and this is such a blow. She was feeling well on Saturday morning, finally and stayed well until tonight (Tuesday). A little bit of an upset stomach, needing rest and no appetite at dinner. She's so great at knowing which herbal and homeopathic remedies help her. There is one version of chinese harbs we call 'the yellow pill' which has a nasty biter taste but really helps knock out some Bali belly. With some protest, she will take it hidden in a scoop of peanut butter or some raw cake. We added another chinese herb dubbed, 'little brown pills' which don't have a strong flavor but require about 4 at a time. She says these are the ones that help her so will take them with a glass of something other than water. She went to bed feeling much better. We have an afternoon date planned for tomorrow if she's up for it. We appreciate prayers of wellness for our last few weeks here!

Worm Soup

2011-10-24T08:43:00.000-04:00

Mondays and Tuesdays are great because I can walk home to share lunch with my family and friends. It's usually already prepared by Ibu Duah or hubby when I get there.

At lunch today, I ate the yummiest yellow lentil soup. It was full of tomatoes, red peppers, sage and basil floating among brothy lentils over rice. I devoured it spoonful after spoonful. Sometimes, it pays to look at one's food and eat with reverence instead of intense hunger after a full morning of mothering and clinic hours! The next spoonful contained a grubby worm with lots of legs and a translucent green white body. All I could do was stare and share the vision with my family and friends. E blurted out, "We need to wash our basil better!" or something like that. I am so thankful it did not make it into my belly and I hopeful none of it's cousins have either.

Ordinary Arts: Domestic Arts

2011-10-20T07:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, honestly, there are a lot of domestic arts that I do not enjoy. I detest washing the dishes. Ugh. I can recall my 11th birthday when I had to wash the dishes and thinking it was a huge injustice. Please, just one night of not doing my least favorite thing in all the world...as a birthday gift even. Nope. Pity party. Thankful, I am married to an incredible human who doesn't mind washing, drying and putting the dishes away. He likes to do it. Thank God. If there is every an empty sink not created by him, he knows I was feeling extra amounts of love and generosity.

Yet, other home keeping bring great pleasure in my heart and visual field. Taking care of the clothes and linens in our family is totally cool with me. From finding great deals on clothes for the next season brings me joy. Sorting, organizing and cleaning...these work for me. For example, I found a pair of blue corduroy pants with dogs embroidered on them this summer at the thrift store. I am so excited to give them to the lil Bear when we return to the States. She'll be fascinated and I probably won't be able to keep them clean and dry quick enough. Even in my volunteer work here at the clinic, I so enjoy sorting our donations. I like packing a tiny hat, blanket, onsie and some socks up for a parent to take home. When I saw it being done today as I had to leave for lunch, I was actually disappointed to not stay and help out. I asked them to promise to pull me in next time!

When I get to bake or cook, it's a wonderful act of creation. Simply chopping veggies for dinner's stir fry or apples for pies can burn an hour on those mornings when the gang is content playing. I have answered the door in my apron to be asked, "what are you baking?" only to realize it's been a full morning of food prep and cooking. I get lost in that time and cherish it. I am thankful to wake up to pancakes on most Saturday mornings or fried potatoes here in Bali. But, ultimately, shopping for or growing the goods, then creating a meal or a snack is an act of love. So different from washing dishes in how I feel about doing it, yet equally wonderful when completed. Being in the kitchen is where I know a lot of our homeschool agendas are met. I look forward to day after day and year after year of it. And, I miss my oven and cast iron pans like crazy these days!

I am down with sweeping and raking. I found great strength in chopping and stacking wood this past year and a half, then bringing it in to stoke the woodstove.   I like paying the bills, getting the mail and corresponding. A clean counter is a(n eventual) necessity in my days as a homeschoolin' mama. Putting books away, sending toys to bed and carrying up that pile from the stairs just feels right. Walking down in the morning to a neatened up space feels EVEN better.

Clutter and messy mess overwhelm me. I like neat, clean and organized but I am by no means always capable of meeting my own standards. And, I am working to not guilt trip me, my kids or anyone in to staying neat vs. being creative, full of energy and play. My E girl and I agreed that a dirty shirt at the end of the day IS a sign of a great day. She'll remind me before I have time to say anything else. Striking that balance of letting the mess go because it's actually IMPORTANT for them to make is something I am learning more about. Once again, it helps to be married to the most wonderful human around who scrubbed the bathroom floor of my first apartment back in college because he found it too dirty. And, goodness does Bali help me let go of organization and cleanliness! The visual field of a neat space brings me calm in a way that feels crucial so I am learning to wait for the right time to say, "Enough's enough." after a great time of play and creativity.

Ordinary Arts: Nurturing

2011-10-19T06:52:00.001-04:00

Ever feel too tired in the evening because your day has been so full of nurturing? Ever too happy to rest because your day has been so full of nurturing?

For some parents, it's a double day of sorts. Those of us who spend either the earlier or later part of our days nurturing mamas in labor, birth and postpartum to leave or come home to our families who we get to nurture, it can be a very full day indeed. Sometimes, days like this fill my cup. After a day being with a mama in laborland, I can feel elated to come home to my own precious newborns, I mean, uhm, kids who grew up just a little bit more when I was away. Wait, no one needs to nurse? When did that happen? All I want to do is snuggle them close. Sometimes, it's because I am so thankful for a similar birth experience as the mom I was just attending. Other times, it's because my babes were born gently on their own and breathed on their own and KEPT breathing on their own. These reminders make me snuggle them a lot closer that next morning or the night of. The squirms and giggles are way more cherished after a bit of time away nurturing another family into being. I seem to have more patience as I brush their teeth, hair or the floor after a messy lunch.

nursing my days shy of 9 month old & snuggling my 3 year old right before leaving for the birth of AG

Nurturing is not something that I would have ever thought to describe myself growing up. I never wanted to have children as a child, myself. Even when hubs and I got married, we both fully agreed that we may never be parents. No worries and no pressure and no longings. The growing love for a precious child came to both of us around the same time after spending time watching families make it work without strollers and bottles and all that other stuff, specifically a long weekend with fabulous Mennonite friends at their home that we always enjoyed visiting.

home from postpartum visits just in time for nightly Advent

My born-a-bit-early, E Bear taught me so much about the need for nurtured beginnings. My midwife, doula (who was also a La Leche League leader and spent so much time working to establish breastfeeding), amazing neighbors checking in on us, friends bringing food, church buddies praying all the way, and my own mothers encouraging me paved my way into motherhood alongside the most amazing husband in the entire world. I learned how to nurture and why it was so vital to life, to keeping someone alive.

Because of this wonderful experience in giving birth gently at home surrounded by love then and ever since from my support peeps, my foundation was being built to take on our broken maternal care system in the world. I was capable of nurturing my tender babe which eventually gave me the abilities to nurture other women and their babes on through. Double duty, yes but double honor beyond words can express. Tiring, yes. Rewarding beyond rewards, yes. I am a nurturer. Something I never expected to be but am immensely grateful to know. Gifted by it.

Potato Chips as Self-Care

2011-10-17T23:40:00.000-04:00

Have you ever gone a whole month without eating potato chips?

Well, don't do it, again.

We eat the semi-healthy kind of potato chips around our house. They aren't always homemade by us personally though. We eat a few specific brands with organic ingredients and no weird words that I cannot sound out. It just so happens that we found one of those delicious brands of chips here in town. And, proceeded to buy 3 bags. My very favorite is Salt & Vinegar. Hubs digs the Salt & Pepper.

Since it had been a whole month since these yum yums had crossed my lips, I worked with my family to devour a whole bag in one day. Yep. Had to help them not lose any weight, you see. They are tiny ones with a touch of Bali belly the other day.

The dear, Kyrie over at Are So Happy has given us a daily challenge to focus on the ordinary arts and the role of these in our lives. Here's her weekly breakdown:

Monday: The Art of Self-Care
Tuesday: The Art of Nurturing
Wednesday: The Domestic Arts
Thursday: The Creative Arts
Friday: The Art of Community
Saturday: The Art of Nature
Sunday: The Sacred Arts

So, with a very light heart as a person not in my homeland, I relished in potato chips this day to celebrate self-care. Yes, I am fully aware that I may be the only one participating in Kyrie's weekly updates who sees potato chips as self-care but hey, give me a break. I am probably the only one participating from Bali, too! ;)

Ceremony in the 'Hood

2011-10-17T06:44:00.000-04:00

two houses down, there was a big ceremony

fancy dancing man

doing his thang

with a cane

all together now

kazam!

rice offering

Earthquake: Another First

2011-10-14T00:45:00.000-04:00

We experienced a earthquake here in Bali yesterday. It was my very first time actually feeling the earth move in such a way. Hubby experienced one here last year but I slept right on through it. There was one recently just north of us in the USA but I did not feel it, though hubby did 8 miles away.

Sitting on the ground under a tree with rice fields to my left and a pool to my right, I caught the eyes of my midwife friend holding her two year old son. Her husband stood about five feet in front of me. He wasn't sure if he should stay put or run somewhere else. I sat peacefully with my legs crossed and just absorbed all the sounds, feelings and images around me. I could hear the rumble, could feel the quaking but nothing in the scenery changed shape. No trees swayed. Perhaps that was what I expected to see after media exposure. I don't know.

Honestly, as odd as it sounds, I didn't want anything to change. I just wanted to sit and experience it. I didn't want it to be over so quickly that I would miss it or get worse so I would have to move. I hoped no one or nothing else was hurt, of course. But, I just wanted to take Mason Jennings advice and "Be here now. No other place to be." I realize that's a really weird way to experience an earthquake for the first (any) time.

We heard that the shelves of a grocery store shook about 35 minutes away and items fell off. We heard people were scratched up a bit about 2 hours south of here at the beach. We felt a little aftershock at Pastica's birthday celebration later that day.

Night of Firsts

2011-10-12T08:44:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I went to my first home birth in Bali. Sure, I have been to lots and lots of births in Bali. They have all occurred at the same birth center. I have not gotten to attend a birth at the hospital, either or at any of the other clinics or birth centers on the island. There are only a few of these.

For the past month, I have gotten to do prenatal care for a lovely Japanese woman who fled from Japan after the meltdown to Bali. She was planning to have her third babe at home. Her first two babes were born at birth centers in Japan.

She took really great care of herself throughout her pregnancy and we enjoyed getting to know one another as we talked about this. She was nervous about her midwife going off Bali to attend a midwifery conference as she neared 40 weeks. Today, she decided to kick start her labor with castor oil after a prenatal visit. By this afternoon, she was regularly contracting.

We three midwives arrived in the late afternoon, had a listen to the babe and checked the mom. She was about 6cm dilated with contractions 3 minutes apart. She labored on with intensity for a short while before we asked if she'd like to get into her bathtub. She wanted to pee first and wow does sitting on a toilet kick things up for people. It's just a natural place to relax, let go and push as Ina May so often points out.

MW R: "I don't want her to push that baby out on the toilet."
Me: "She's only 6 cm, she's not going to."
MW R, giving me the look: "Yeah, but she stretched tons. Don't be surprised."

We walk over to the mom and get through two contractions helping her to calm down. On her next contraction, I feel her pushing as she holds onto me, our foreheads touching. Hey, wait, if you are going to push, let's get you into the tub! Goodness that was quick. We help her into the tub which relieves lots of the intensity for the mom. She rests for a minute and then is full on pushing. MW R says, "Do you want to catch this baby? Let's switch places so you can." YES!

My main role here this season is as the Volunteer Coordinator. A role I am really into. I totally dig it. But, let's be honest, I miss catching babes and caring for them and their mamas. I haven't put myself on the schedule at the clinic as of yet. I just picked up one shift for a student who wanted the day off and only did prenatals. I have attended births as the eyes and ears but not donned gloves. How glorious it feels to slip into a pair after patient appreciation.

Well, the glory was to continue. This special babe was born in the next two pushes totally in the caul! That means the amniotic sac was covering it's face as it was born. The babe turned to it's mom's right thigh and then straight up and back to the right, again. As it was facing straight up with eyes shut, I could not take my eyes off of it. It's little lips pursing in and out, bits of goo floating around, black hair floating around inside, the thin membrane covering it's whole head. I was mesmerized. As the rest of the body was being born, MW R swooped the caul up and over the babe's head and we placed it's body on the mom's tummy. I was jolted back to reality. Oh, right, yes, we are at a birth. It was just so amazing to see that lil face that I got very caught up in the moment. This was my first time seeing a babe born in the caul! What a special gift. We told the mom that there is a belief that babe's born in the caul are very special; some say they are healers. MW R's grandmother was born in the caul and she is a healer.

I am so thankful to attend my very first homebirth in Bali and it be my first catch of this season as well as my first born in the caul birth. Such a peaceful experience.

I spy with my little eye

2011-10-11T20:33:00.002-04:00

A Balinese Pirate Child
Two Giraffes Who Recently Were Injured
A Tiny Foot Belonging to a New Friend
A Pregnant Lady's Growing Belly in the Curve of Her Arm
Handcarved Wooden Doors
Big Softstar Shoes
Lots of Love

Chillin

2011-10-10T14:32:00.000-04:00

can you see the Bali dancer through the office window?

Me & my daily coconut. Yes, that is a huge wooden straw.

oddoties

2011-10-09T08:23:00.000-04:00

are we in winston-salem or ubud?

hubby says there's something photo worthy about this car. it's lost on me.

The Hill

2011-10-08T08:13:00.000-04:00

it's a magical place

come climb it with us!

it's an easy incline, not too steep

the views are rewarding.

from any side

way off into the distance

this is where the dada takes them

for 'homeschool exercise'

'climbing up the mountain, climbing so high'

Preschool Playground

2011-10-07T08:59:00.001-04:00

not sure what's being built in the background but Bumi's organic garden is back there, too.

After this preschool is over for the day, we sometimes stroll by to play on their equipment. There's a lot of busy construction on the main road through our town though so we avoid it most days. That's been kinda sad b/c we like the walk down to Monkey Forest so much usually. The road is in need of some work and while it's getting that work, there is so much dust on dry days and rainy puddles on wet days.

Beside the preschool, a garbage sorting facility is being installed. No, it doesn't smell bad at all...at least not yet. We have a small village so it won't be like a landfill of the USA but rather a place that sorts recycling, compost and other wastes. I am still not clear about it but it isn't a huge eye sore or nose burden, as of yet. But, yeah, a preschool beside a 'dump'. Hmmnn...

Happy Friday!

2011-10-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

the entrance to our old house aka The River House

P.S.

2011-10-06T10:23:00.001-04:00

our camera is working. barely. but it's working. it won't keep a charge, even with the new battery but it has worked for us to take a few pictures that we are happy to share this week!

Seeking Balance

2011-10-06T09:22:00.003-04:00

Sometimes it's hard on the lil ones when the mamas or dadas start working crazy long days. It's hard on the Bear right now. I am gone three days a week and come home for lunch one of those days. She gets her time in with me before I leave in the mornings, we make dinner together, we read a nice long story and snuggle to bed each night. There's more thrown in, of course; these are the anchors. But some days are harder.

One reason this day was especially hard for her is b/c she misses her friends, she told me. The day began with remembering the birthday of her dear friend that she hasn't seen much of this past year. She missed him when we were back home, too. She even cried a couple of times as she told me how much she missed him and he probably missed her, she'd guess. Well, today was that day because I (perhaps, mistankingly? gosh, i hate thinking that.) said that it was his birthday. She wanted to make him a card, send him a postcard and tell his dad to call us, she told me. Then, she snuggled up and cried for a bit because she really missed him. I held her close and said that I missed him, too. She came up with great plans for his card and all that it would include. I went to work about an hour later but we talked more about it at dinner. Then, tonight when we were praying, we prayed for each person is his family as we often do.

She also said, "I want to pray for my friend, Ani b/c I miss her, too." So, we prayed for everyone in her family, as well. We prayed for her friend, Daniel who is feeling sick right now and his whole family. She misses little Max (there is big Max and middle Max, as well!) and said very matter of factly that he's already growing up. Maybe she was thinking about how he turned 4 right before we left? Either way, we said Amen at the end but quickly began to talk about how we have such dear friends that we could pray all night for each of them. E commented that we didn't even get to pray for every one. Thankfully, we have lots of nights to remember our dear loved ones back home.

My own heart is a bit achy for our dear ones. Summer 2010 was such a place of drawing close to a few dear friends and it really hit me that Fall what depth had come of those relationships. I was having a rough time then trying to figure out how to juggle my family's needs. I had to get really honest and raw. I had a longing to be heard when I was saying very vulnerable things. Thankfully, a few wonderful women who I took a risk with were capable of receiving me. In these times, it felt really hard. Since then, more and more clarity has come about how rich I want my relationships to be and for me, that includes a lot of processing how family life works. I have tried so hard to be a great mama and wife to the dearest people in the world to me. And, when it felt like I was treading water instead of swimming or floating on my back, I needed people around me who would listen and try to understand. As much as I needed encouragement, I needed real answers and people willing to seek those out with me. I need advice, even! Thankfully, that was found and I am so grateful. It feels like my family has hugely benefited.

We'd never be in this wonderful place of coming to Bali after a year of wonderful. We'd have less ideas and tools about striking family balance like we are seeking now if it hadn't been for the real and raw friends and guides we have. In seeking to meet B's needs, I know she is doing well with me leaving b/c she has her sister by her side and her dada throughout the day. She has her Ibu Duah (mamatoo) making second breakfast and lunch for her and making her laugh! The kid feels the love. Last week as I was getting ready to leave, she stayed close by my side. When I was all ready to go, I noticed she was willing to part easily. She said, "I just needed you," perhaps explaining why she has stayed so close as I got ready. Thank God for the kid who knows what they need and seeks it out. What a gift that is in my lil Bear.

Rainfall

2011-10-05T09:19:00.000-04:00

rainy afternoon in our yard

standing in the doorless kitchen looking out

can you tell she's trying to catch some rainfall?

Packers

2011-10-03T19:46:00.000-04:00

This was teh first year that both children were over 2 years old so the baby bassinet was out! The neatest lil backpacks for kids who now have their own seats. They are old enough and strong enough to carry their carry-ons, I do believe. It worked well to stuff them with a change of clothes and lots of books, toys, modeling clay, crayons, etc for the 22 hour flight.

In case you ever wonder how much luggage we bring for 2 months, it's two backpacks, a tiny pack for each child, and two large rolling luggage bags. The red suitcase was full of donations for the birth center, an orphanage and the animal rescue shelter. Wonder what we will fill it up with now? The two large bags were too heavy so i had a cloth shoulder bag in the red backpack that ended up becoming my carry on and the extra weight got transferred to the red backpack as checked luggage. We weighed them at home but got last minute donations shoved in. I highly recommend carrying a small bag along if you are unsure about the weight limit being accurate; so you can avoid the fees.

For clothing and space, we wear our jackets onto the plane and use them for warmth if needed on it. We also wear lightweight pants and wool socks (used later in Korea) for the ride but don't need them once we arrive usually and our heavier water shoes (without socks in Bali and with the woolies in Korea).

Dangerous Items

2011-09-30T08:18:00.000-04:00

One may encounter these items anywhere in the world, perhaps. Be careful or as we say here, 'hati hati' as they are rather dangerous, I am learning. Even from Bali, some of these zingers are coming across the internet from the USA so we cannot be exempt because of location alone. Here is my Top Ten Dangerous Items that either my family or I have encountered in the past two weeks.

1. Dull knives

2. Shoes without traction on fine gravel on a road

3. Skipping the homeopathic Diarrhea for two days b/c no one's gotten sick.

4. Three day old bread (I actually scratched my finger on it!)

5. Gossip and "she said you said...".

6. High blood pressure immediately post partum.

7. Letting newly born babies cry when they need to nurse.

8. Pride

9. Forgetting to lather on Moondance's Bug Repellent Lotion.

10. Not wearing one's listening ears.

We're working on what we have some level of control over as individuals and as a family. Learning as we go and helping as we are able. Remembering. Being grateful.

Etsy Indonesia

2011-09-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

From beautiful beads to belly dancing costumes, Etsy Indonesia has one's essentials in waiting. Honestly, I am a huge Etsy fan so naturally, I thought to browse by country tonight when stuck half-awake.

Here are a few of my faves:


from Mamadini's shop


African Beauties from Smile Stars

from Ikat & Batik

for a monkey lover i know from Digital Chic Parties

from Kamalika

from KainKain


from 3littlemice

This is my favorite for someone's upcoming birthday! from Cheeky Monkeys Bali

Thankful for

2011-09-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

* learning opportunities

*yummy lunches with stretching conversations

*a new friends' new pregnancy

*settling in

*guides along the way

*email and keeping in touch

*fellow bloggers sharing their lives

*Robin Lim & our clinic winning $50,000 this week

*the library and the services they offer (dance classes for the gals, language classes for me, lending books, comfy space to read and Waldorf homeschooling materials!!!)

*walking and riding my bike

*Moondance Soap bug repellant in lotion and spray and soap

*healthy tummies so far & homeopathic remedies to keep them that way

*the most amazing husband in the universe (sorry to let you all know this but he really is)

*my family all hand washing and hanging our laundry while i am at work

*seeing the clinic in new and different ways after almost 5 years of looking

*healthy growing babes both inside and out

*Skyping with my mom and his mom

*cherishing our dear friends back in NC

*already planning E's birthday

*celebrating Ibu Duah's birthday

*a playground for the girls to burn energy today

*the courage for heroes to sleep on plastic covered couches and eat buffets, oh my!

*reading the Bible when I am so discouraged and sad

*crying all over that best hubby in all the world when so discouraged and sad

*being able to see a nurse and a doc for my funny water in the ear thing while at work

*helping people find their way to Bumi or not

*palpating bellies and hearing heart beats

*team work, compassion and humility

*cross cultural solutions

*not knowing how to navigate some relationships but trying just the same

*the capacity to mourn losses

*feeling the love

*being cherished by that hubby and the babes we make

Camera Sadness

2011-09-27T19:17:00.000-04:00

Our camera is broken. It won't even turn on. It hasn't worked since we got here. At first, we thought it was just the battery wasn't charged or wasn't keeping a charge any longer. But, then we got a brand new battery and it still wouldn't turn on. Know what this means, don't you? A whole incredible week in Bali with no pictures.

That's right. That's sad. No pictures of how awesome our gardens have grown since we've been gone. No pictures of the day at the beach. No pictures of the walks around the village or to the river. No pictures of B and her BFF playing soccer. No pics of E in the temple brushing her own hair. No pics of E and her BFF drawing on the chalkboard for hours. No pics of Ibu Duah's birthday party dinner.

We're looking for a new camera and our friends offered to take our camera 45 minutes away to the big city to get it fixed. Ugh. Until then, it's all words and memories. No visual images saved on my computer or to share here with you.

Sanur

2011-09-25T09:15:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is our dear friend's birthday. So, today we went to the beach to celebrate. We borrowed a car from her uncle-in-law. He reminds me of my hubs in a lot of ways, one way is how generous he is to let us drive his car to the beach each year! He's never even asked to see hubby's driver's license. Last year when we were here, he was building a neat house so when we went to pick up the vehicle (it's called a Kijang) , we got to see the outside of the finished house. A fellow birth center family is staying there so she invited us to come for a tour anytime. The Kijang has 3 rows, no car seats and limited functioning seat belts. But the bigger worry for me is not those things or my hubby driving it but the state of the roads combined with the 'fend for yourself' mentality of drivers here. Goodness, I had forgotten. Makes for an ~~interesting~~ prayer inducing drive.

We made it to the beach with my friend's daughter and I feeling rather car sick. The ocean tide was out or the water had been swallowed by a giant greedy frog, as E's storybook explains. So, we went to the pool at a fancy hotel and ordered food. They have installed slides for the kids since our last visit. We never actually stay at the hotel but if you order food and ask nicely, they will let you swim in the incredible pools. There's a fancy spa, which my friend and I should have taken advantage of probably but our families were having too much fun to leave them. The girls went down the slides a million times and jumped off of fountains into the water. I drank a young coconut and ate fries and spaghetti (which wasn't gluten free so it wrecked up my now sensitive stomach). We spent the whole afternoon here after a long stroll down the beach. We strolled back to our car after changing into warm, dry clothes. The drive home was a bit more sane because we took a back road that we like.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Ibu Duah's true birthday with a lunch handmade and cooked by her hubby!

This Always Happens

2011-09-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

We get so busy with everyday life stuff that I don't make the time to sit still and write about it in the quiet of the night. So far, I have already attended 2 births and 1 mom just after her babe came. This evening, I spent time helping the wonderful student midwives acclimate to our busy prenatal visits. We were rather slow since it's Saturday. Tuesdays and Thursdays are our busier days. I got to do a prenatal visit with Ibu Robin for a fellow Southerner living here and a Japanese woman planning a homebirh with us. Having not yet been to a homebirth in Bali, it will be wonderful to attend her with Robin and my dearest midwifery partner friend here.

This month is a little different from my previous trips to Bali. I am acting as the Volunteer Coordinator for the next month as we are in between Coordinators after a year of the most wonderful D and all here improvements to the program. So, my primary role is not as a student midwife but to help the student midwives along and to manage the incoming requests for volunteer placements. I am honored to have been asked to fill this role. And, so far, I am enjoying it. Next week, we'll have more requests for me to address. We've already started our weekly check-ins with the volunteers here. These will continue and we're doing a study/skills meeting each week, as well.

The food is incredible as usual. Seeing familiar faces followed by their warm embraces are so delightful. The love of our Balinese family here woos us in each time. From the young 4 year old to the grandpa of the bunch, we feel so welcomed. With this being a week to settle in, we are collecting groceries, art supplies, & pants for the girls (we packed few clothes), setting up our cell phones, renting library cards and having books made. It was incredible to find Waldorf homeschooling books at the local library today! Yay for Kindy Fairy Tales for my lil E bear. We also are signing both girls up for Balinese dance lessons each week since B decided to join her big sister. We'll see how it goes. Thankfully, if she doesn't get into it, she can go flip through a book with her dad in the next room. We're fighting off mosquitoes and the tiniest touch of Bali belly, which means we are also hand washing lots of clothes. That part always happens, too but our goal is to lessen it as much as possible this time.

My hope is to share many pictures and stories of our days here this time as the internet connection has tripled in speed since our last visit. And, I have incredible news to share so each of you who read can donate a trunk full of money without having to write a check. Very exciting.

We're Here

2011-09-21T18:06:00.000-04:00

We arrived safely and sanely after our 22 hour flight. It was incredible to see the girls really be clam, patient and even laugh through our flights. The Bear had minor upsets, nothing like what I expected. E slept on the plane lots which is usually hard for her and she even ate some of the airplane food, which she usually rejects. We are settling in here. Up super early this morning eating yummy breakfast.

Transition

2011-09-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

Over the next week, our family will transition from life on one side of the world to life on the other side on this world. This is our third time doing so as a family in the past few years. We welcome the opportunity to serve abroad for a few months. As we go from here to there, please keep us in your prayers. We'd appreciate prayers for smooth travel both in cars to planes to shuttles back to planes and finally arrival at our destination: Indonesia! Once there, our dear Pagi will pick us up from the airport in the van. He's so excited about us coming that he already went to the airport last week and waited for us! We have about a 45 minute drive to our small village from the airport near the beach.

We are each beyond excited. Honestly, I am a little nervous about the flights. On on our first flight, we had E in a bassinet and B was still on the inside! E was nursing which was such great comfort for her. On the second trip, B was in the bassinet and E had her own seat. They took turns sharing these two spaces. B wasn't nursing much but the little bit did help her, it seemed. This time, no one is nursing and they each are required to be in their own seats.

B is a screamer and not easily consoled when she is really upset. I worry about how often and loud this may happen on the plane. Our plan is to take her on walks & to the bathroom if she's getting upset and needs a change of scenery. We have packed new, novel items for them to enjoy and items that we normally don't use like temporary tattoos, sticker books, and glow in the dark sticks. We have some treasured books to read and favorite songs & stories downloaded for listening among other things. It's a long 22 hour flight though with one short layover about 15 hours into it. That last leg feels shorter somehow. Maybe people headed to Bali are just way more relaxed so we feel less pressure. Bali- the land of the loved child!

Thank you for praying.

Home Learning

2011-09-15T10:18:00.003-04:00

a Psalm a week for us

a walk around with papa

for the bear

for E

Two Teeth

2011-09-14T00:06:00.000-04:00

Forgot to update you all that E lost another tooth yesterday! Yep, she has lost her bottom two teeth in the order that they came in. She is taking the advice of our angel neighbor: once the tooth feels really loose, give it a twist. It will pop right out.

She does not want to give her teeth to the tooth fairy and isn't even so interested in the tooth fairy coming visit. She did dictate a letter to me for the tooth fairy though. Maybe I should figure out what to do with said letter. Any suggestions?

safe spaces

2011-09-13T08:34:00.000-04:00

sometimes, a person just has to grab their doll and snuggle up in the jogging stroller and that's all there is to it. cozy and small, it's just right for a late afternoon break by the compost pile.

If she feels safe and happy, who am I to mess with that? That's about just what I would hope for her right now.

Drinking From the Saucer, Again

2011-09-11T22:18:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand, if you hand an incredible weekend filled with the love of your dear friends & family. Yep, that is me, raising both my hands with a big ole smile plastered on my face.

After a long absence from Mom's Night Out, a small group re-gathered rather last minute. From garlic fries to thought-provoking conversations, it was fabulous from the moment Aimee jumped into my car. In the past year or so, honesty and transparency within my friendships has taken a center stage. Valuing the real life stuff of our days is what has come forward. But, not stopping with the concerns...actually being will to process in hopes of growing, changing and improving, as hard as it is to put words to...as vulnerable as that makes us. Yeah, that is what we've been doing. It's happened in this fluid, organic way in the midst of raw hurts. And, it's brought us each into deeper relationships as well as revealing our authentic selves. You know what Marsden Wagner says about our authentic selves! Pretty fabulous when we can stay close to them. This night, I struggled to make sense of some things that I have noticed with a precious child. I felt so supported in hearing my fellow mamacitas talking about something they know more about than me. On first impact, I had to begin to unpack my backpack in front of them. It was incredible to be held in such a supportive space as I unloaded my uncertainties.

At Saturday's bonfire, the best of the evening (besides the obviousness of VEGAN BISCUITS and homemade jam) was 25 kids enjoying each others' company without a single disagreement that I noticed. At one point, probably half of them were working together to get a ball out of a tree with no adult supervision. They just rolled, the whole evening. It was awesome. Getting to chat with dearest friends & family and catch up was so fabulous. The bear found her place in Uncle Anthony's lap at various intervals. It's so wonderful to watch her get her cup filled when it's been low on Uncle Atny time. She knew what she needed and sought it out. I so appreciate the ease of that for her. Seeing her snuggled between him and his girlfriend made my heart so happy. Such a gift. E was surrounded with her best friends and stuffed puppies with real collars and leashes (for her birthday wish in Bali). Anne is now convinced to shop in the pet section for kid's gifts! She asked a couple of times where another friend was but I could tell she, too was super content with the evening (and seeing that little friend at church made it better). The very saddest part was discovering my camera battery was dead! It hasn't been keeping a charge since the beach. Some days are meant to be held in our minds' eye.

Sunday was so hard to say "see you later" to our amazing church family. We have the most wonderful church to attend. As much as I appreciate our church in Bali and am soooooo looking forward to worshiping with them, again, it's bittersweet. The dynamic will change in Bali b/c our whole family will attend and it's a very small English service. We're hoping to attend the Indo service more often this time. We attended two different churches while out of town this summer, one was a sister church and one was a totally different denomination. It was neat to visit our sister church; it felt like home away from home. But, it was revealing to me just how great of a fit our church is when we attended the other one. E sits through the service with me each Sunday and even she commented, "People don't yell like that in our church." Yeah, even when the theology may go over one's head, the spirit rings clear. We cherish our place here and will be praying for the stretching attending a different place will be for us. Ultimately, we are grateful to even have a place in Bali and we rejoice that the Indonesian people are brave enough to risk what they risk to drive up that steep hill on Sundays. For my girls, we'll see if visiting the dogs on the church steps holds more intrigue, yet again than sitting in the actual service. Thank God that the Balinese people are the epitome of 'kid friendly".

You've heard me mention it before, about Jessica and that poem back in college. Well, I am doing it, again. Drinking from the saucer because my cup has overflowed. Actually, I think my whole family is.

Remeber This

2011-09-09T08:50:00.000-04:00

Today, so many neat words were said or actions done that I want to imprint them on my long term memory. When we were in the kitchen making dinner, E was slicing the polenta for our chili lasagna (which we later devoured/recipe made up as we went). She said, "Mama, who is the King of Polenta?" My, what a great question. Immediately, I think of King Corn which she has of course, never seen but may have heard the term. Instead of mentioning this, I just say, "Oh, I wonder who is. Polenta comes from corn.". She follows this up with, "Well, then, God must be the King of Polenta." Clearly. Must be. B wonders in to the kitchen and seems to agree.

After dinner, we were in the backyard straightening up for our weekend fun. I was weeding when B comes over with a purple flower in her hand and says, "I want to bless you." I squat down with fireworks in my heart as she proceeds to rip the flower apart and then suck the inside parts of it. "This is the juice. Here, get some." Guessing she was imagining honeysuckles which we ingest at her Glammy's house, each time with me reminding them that I loved doing this as a little girl. I get some. Then, she sweeps the inside bits across my face and closed eyes. Incredible. Then she tries to tackle me. Fabulous.

Her sister, who is usually my flower blesser, turns the hose on full blast which alarms hubby. She explains that she needs to get her hands wet. Why? To make the blessing stick to the middle of my forehead, of course! So, the sage is picked from the herb garden and applied to my forehead. A purple flower is placed behind each of my ears. And, I am fully blessed. More than they could ever imagine, I am blessed by them, their presence and their thoughtfulness.

As hubs went out for DNO, I got to snuggle the babes to sleep. The bear was already asleep when E came in after her daddy stories. She said, "Are we having a snuggle fest in here or what?" Affirmative, my daughter. We settled in and it was so precious to see her turn to her lil sister, place her arm around her and squeeze knowing full well the lil'est one was already slumbering away. Was it just for herself to get her arms around that gooey lovey one while she was still or was it for the gooey lovey one to know E's love even in her sleep? Either way, it was an act of love and connection that I cherish seeing.

There were more moments like this today where I told myself to please remember and right now, this tired mama has already forgotten. Two nights of little sleep start to catch up with a mama used to getting enough of it. The bear was restless last night as her fever had come back up a bit. Another round of garlic was applied. She threw up randomly in the middle of the night after taking a sip of water. I was lying with my back to her, so yes, my hair was the recipient of puke. Thinking I had cleaned everything up, it was such a mothering moment when this morning in the playroom, the girls say, "Mom, you have throw up all over your back, your shirt. Look at yourself." Uh, who knew? I headed up to the shower without delay. Yep, I am blessed.

Garlic Fever Reducer

2011-09-08T09:18:00.001-04:00

You all will be happy to know that after applying minced garlic+coconut oil+olive oil to the bottoms of her feet, that bear's temp went down almost immediately. It was incredible to feel her body's temp decrease as I sat beside her reading books and feeding her some dinner. I almost couldn't believe it was happening so quickly and doubted what we were experiencing. Silly, yes. A wonderful mama friend of mine today said, "Oh, after we applied garlic to his feet, the temp went down instantly." I was like, woah, that is what happened to the bear! It was great to see and hear this works. Yay. Her temp was 98.4 and she played at a birthday party all day today as if yesterday wasn't her highest fever ever day. Wow. We'll be taking it easy for the rest of the week to let her recover.

Here's the recipe interpreted by me from my herbalist friend, Erin:
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil

The coconut oil may need to be warmed a bit so it's liquid and not solid. Put all of these in a food processor for a bit. Strain the liquid portion off. Put the mash in the fridge to get it to congeal up. You can keep it in the fridge in a sealed container for a while but I am not sure exactly how long.

How we used it:
I dubbed it Pirate medicine since B is so into that sort of thing right now. And, honestly, I would guess that pirates may have used something similar to this...maybe. ;) I placed a big glob of it on a long piece of guaze then centered that in the middle of her foot. I wrapped the gauze around tight enough so the ingredients would stay put but kept her comfortable. I placed her wool socks over this to keep the gauze in place. The socks were too small, we learned! They are last year's socks. So, I took them off very carefully and used tape to keep them in place. She slept with them on overnight & was walking around in them this morning before we decided to take them off.

Fever

2011-09-07T09:18:00.001-04:00

The Bear woke up happy and laughing, calling my name. I went in to snuggle her goodness and we laughed lots. I noticed that her body felt a bit warm. Sometimes kids have fevers, no biggie. But I mention it to her and to hubs as she kisses him good bye.

Neither of my kids has ever spiked a fever very high though. I rarely even take their temperature with the thermometer b/c I can tell by touching them it's not so high and they bounce back easily. I give them Temp Assure to help it come down and we take it easy. So, when B crawled back in bed instead of hopping around, I noticed but just kept snuggling her. She drank lots of water & asked for a blanket. This kid empathetically throws off blankets even when I try to sneak one on her in the middle of the night. She actually fell back asleep, which never happens. She is an early bird and likes to get going. She will even get herself dressed, do her business and come on downstairs for breakfast without asking for any help. She's been like this for as long as I can recall. She likes to get into her play in the early morn, too. Not today. She slept all morning and asked for a blanket all day. Hmmmn...

E and I took her some raspberries and coconut milk yogurt. She ate half the carton off of her sister's fingers but was almost back to sleep before starting the yogurt. Another nap? Wow. I tried to take her temp twice but she resisted so much. I tried both her mouth and her armpit. It got almost to 103, at which point I put her in a cold bath. She lasted maybe 4 minutes before saying it was tool cold and refusing to stay in it. I called hubs for a reality check, which he graciously reminded me all the trust things I do know and believe. I gave her ice water and rubbed an wrapped ice pack on her while E told her stories. The bear slept all day! She usually pushes through colds or sickness and plays away. E is the one who shuts down for a day or two and gets it over with. B will linger on for twice as long b/c she doesn't stop to rest in the same way. Not today. She totally rested, slept, ate and drank but barely left the bed. Her temp went down to 101.6 right before dinner and she was in good spirits, not lethargic anymore but playing and laughing with us.

At dinner, I had to run an errand to the hospital that I was honored to run (EBM to a babe in need) so missed out on some of B. She did eat some dinner and then went back to sleep. Hubs said her temp was 102. She woke up later and I fed her the rest of her dinner. The wise woman herbal (aka my dear friend, Erin) gave me the reminder on garlic+coconut oil+olive oil smashed together for the bottoms of the feet. Calling it Pirate Medicine, the Bear complied with letting me wrap it onto the bottom of her feet and cover with wool socks. Hubby's friend came over for drinks and told me it's worked for their kids, too. So, on one hand, I am embarrassed that this is our first time using it. But I realize that is b/c this is our first major fever for either kid in almost six years. So, yeah, scratch that, I am uber thankful.

As hubs was about to leave work, he calls to say he is bleeding a bunch from cutting his finger/hand. OMG. Thankfully, he finds a first aid kit, gets fixed up, has a snack and brings Chinese food home that we devour. Ultimately, I drove to the ER after dinner to drop that EBM off. As I was heading out of our house, my very selfish thought was, I am so glad I am the one going to the ER by myself and not for myself or anyone else in my family. Thankfully, we are all okay. And, this will be a day of continued wellness for whatever these two are working out with their bodies and the family of that precious babe.

TTLY

2011-09-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

They had become the best of friends, soul play mates TTLY.

Unity.

Always asking, "Can I get my balance?" and I reply with, "Yes, you can!"

First Tooth (Loss) & Oh, So Much More

2011-09-05T08:20:00.001-04:00

Searching for the pictures of her first bottom teeth brought back so many incredible memories. Clearly, she's much older than those precious baby days. Can you see her two lil bottom ones? They are getting loose and coming out in the same order that they came in. Her second one is loose now! This gaining and loosing has really got me thinking.

What I am truly reeling from all of her newness in the past two weeks. She was brave and happy in the ocean water, lost her first tooth, started kindy, is more content with herself/by herself than needing to be right beside me, got her first haircut of significant length, initiated staying with the kids at church (as opposed to sitting in the service with me) for almost 10 minutes, and is physically getting healthy for Bali without mama's reminders. She's making plans for how she wants to do homeschool in Bali from volunteering with dogs and orphaned children to taking Balinese dance classes at the awesome library. All of which equally excites this mama!

It's just wonderful to see her feeling confident and brave- two things that have not been super comfortable places for her. I've expected her to just be who she is and have worked with her over the years to instill confidence but often lost my patience with her needy and clingy self all day every day when only mama (and right on top of said mama) would do. I did not expect her to be willing to try new things like this or feel so sure of herself when she wants to do something. It's new and wonderful. As much as I am impressed with her initiatives, I see this as just the beginning of her gaining independence and these small steps will continue into larger territories. I am doing more than hoping that her community gives her those tools that go along with having such precious freedom to grow up. What a privilege, what an honor it is to watch and guide this child.

So Many Gifts

2011-09-03T08:23:00.001-04:00

It's hard to count our blessings right now b/c they just keep dumping on us each day. It's rather incredible.

We've really wanted to have a great homeschooling year and it's upon us. It's been just dreamy the whole week. We did a soft beginning this week and just flowed into full-blown days of joy. I have been surprised by big things already. 1. B wanting to do E's work that B had no interest in last year or just last week! B got rather upset but was so wise and asked for her own. We're learning how to balance both of their needs. Most of what we do is easy to include both kids without reaching. When it wasn't that one time, it just really struck me.

Which leads to 2. I am so thankful for talks on Aimee's couch, emails from TN, blogs from all over the USA, Waldorf guidebooks that don't guilt trip and an incredible partner. Even though my chicks are not attending the local Waldorf school, we get to be a part of the community there. I am thankful for our recent Wed. night discussion groups and the amazing group guide plus the caring teachers who show up and offer support to us. But, it's the fellow homeschooling families that I learn so much from. These wise ones who have been here in my shoes already are treasures. Thankful for the way they all support me in my Waldorf approach even if they are not having the same approach; that is the gift of a true friend, eh?

3. To see the babes just taking to our precious songs, rhymes, blessings and circle time in a way that was lost this summer. Is it just b/c they are new, again after a break or is my intention different? Are they older now and ready? Is it b/c she lost her first tooth a week ago? I have noticed that they want more involvement and can stay with it if I can let go a bit to the form I think things are supposed to take. Then, I pick right back up after they have had a minute (or just 10 seconds) to share. That investment in them comes back to us as a family doubled.

We are also thankful for the many physical gifts from friends like special hand me down dresses, new to us soft star shoes, just-in-case and just right plane ride dipes, an incredible necklace from a friend's great grandmother that was beyond generous and so meaningful. The amazing mama (there are two really) who has cared for my girls deserves an entire Ode post and I have been reflecting on what this has meant a lot lately as it draws to a close for now. Still forming those grateful thoughts. The incredible Waldorf teacher who we want to adopt into our family somehow is beginning her own new journey this season. We are going off in separate spaces for a while but that longing to come together, again remains.

In this new season of life, it's incredible to have the support our family has. Personally, it's so clarifying who I want near me in this time (and the times to come!) and who I want to draw even closer to right now. Having amazing friends and guides in this journey our family is on really humbles me; how did such incredible people come to us? So thankful.

For Zoe

2011-09-02T22:54:00.000-04:00

A dear friend recently asked me for links to some of my favorite blogs. Some people who keep blogs will include a list of their favorites so I decided to do the same. It's nice to share the incredible resources out there in one place. And, it will be so easy to click on them from here if you come to read my posts.

A Beachy Sunset

2011-08-31T16:11:00.000-04:00

Ocracoke Island

2011-08-31T08:58:00.001-04:00

botanical gardens

2011-08-30T15:58:00.000-04:00

Bali Bound

2011-08-26T07:58:00.000-04:00

We leave for Bali in about three weeks. We are super stoked to go back this year! For the first month, I will be helping the volunteers orient, adjust and stay on track as they need. It can be quite an adjustment to come to a different country than one's home, live in a small village, work in a very busy clinic, find food/housing/transport and handle the culture and language of both the country and the smaller microcosm of birth center life.

Our family is drooling over eating lumpias, swimming, hugging our friends and family and serving at various places. My E will turn 6 years old when we are there. Her birthday wish is to bring dog leashes, collars and shampoos for the animal shelters and spend time with the dogs there. She specifically is interested in a dog named, Scrumpy who she sees online. B has her eyes on a one eyed dog named, Scuba! They are fascinated by these dogs and already have love in their hearts. We'll get to meet them if they have not already been adopted out. There may be a way to be in touch with their adopted families, even. Because E starts Kindy, she has some plans to spend time with the orphans at their school in our village. We're bringing along fun stuff to share with them like puzzles and a Perry (parachute jumper) for each child. We'll also keep our homeschool rhythm started here once we are settled in there. We're bring along some books, toys, beeswax and planning to buy other craft supplies once we arrive. Since Waldorf education is play based these first few years, I have no worries about striking a great balance. The girls will have their dad and Ibu Duah on days when I am at the clinic.

We are stoked!

Ocracoke

2011-08-19T08:45:00.000-04:00

We are having a great time at the beach this week. Last night, we went to watch baby sea turtles hatch but they had all already made their way out to the ocean. We learned a bunch and had a great time taking family pictures from the dunes to the ocean. E said, "Mama, come dance in the ocean with me!" and pulled me in. What a sight I bet we were dressed in white fancies, all wet. Hubs and I celebrated 13 years of an incredible marriage this week and had a fabulous (kid free!) date that included roasted eggplant that was like candy in my mouth and long bike rides under shining stars. We've taken lots of walks around the island and ride bikes multiple times daily. Although we got attacked by mosquitoes, turning our family hike turned into a family RUN to Springer's Point, the awesome water at the end was worth it. The girls have learned about pirates, which has brought new vocabulary into their world- such as swords, eating turtles and guns. Uh oh. I love some NC history lessons but wasn't ready to hear those stories coming out of their young mouths.

It's odd to not be camping here on Ocracoke. Since my MIL came with us this time, we rented a house so she could be comfortable. Additionally, hubs has been able to work from here so our vacation could pay for itself! But, we are realizing that one of the things we love most about this tiny island is how close to the surf and sand we are when camping. We pop into town some while camping but we don't stay long. Our days in years past have been filled with cooking over a fire, cleaning up, sleeping outside, showering in the pull down cold water, walking over the dunes to the beach multiple times throughout the day and fellowship with friends. We're still riding bikes everywhere and hitting the beach. But, we are also spending time in the air conditioning, doing laundry, rocking in chairs on a screened in porch and using the internet. It's just such a different kind of trip and not one that we'll probably mimic, again. We know we'd prefer to camp. Great lesson to learn.

Kimchi

2011-06-08T10:23:00.013-04:00

at a huge 18 story mall in seoul korea. we went to it to find the vegan bakery, sticky fingers!

at the airport before we flew home. one last time!

at a buddhist monastery after a full day of being tourists.

buddhist monastery

at Love Hut, which was entirely vegan

Flowing Water

2011-06-07T10:21:00.000-04:00

Black Mountain, NC

Glacier National Park, Montana


Haw River, NC

Downtown Seoul, Korea

Rafting in Bali, Indonesia

North Bali, Indonesia

Goa Ghaja, Bali

Ibu Gill's Backyard, Bali

We stayed at Ibu Gill's Backyard, Bali

Special Dolls

2011-06-06T08:43:00.000-04:00

Maya and Kim Chee

These precious dolls were part of a wonderful barter one year ago. A dear friend was planning a homebirth where I longed to be her support person in any way she wanted. She chose me as her doula. As her beautiful childcare space came to an end, she had many toys to part with from the closing. So, in exchange for getting to be her labor assistant, I received a hug box of gifts for our homeschooling journey. Included were these precious dolls and their full wardrobes, including hats and socks even.

They were held onto for a while before being presented to my two little loving hearts. Glammy happened to be here on that day so she helped to name the dolls, Maya and Kim Chee. Fitting names, we all agreed. We'd just returned from a week in Korea where we'd filled our bodies with kimchi.

Over a year later, we are thankful for the precious dolls that came to live with us. This is especially becoming clear to us as we prepare to say, "see you later" to the family who gifted us. They are heading West for a grand adventure this summer and we may not see them, again until the winter. Having a daily reminder of their care for us will be special as we miss them.

The Toymaker

2011-05-31T08:02:00.002-04:00


http://www.thetoymaker.com/Toypages/73Birds/BluebirdChopstick.jpg