Happy Birthday Boy

Helping the Planet - One Step at a Time

here

How does one make political change? I have had this question stuck in my head for months. I am a stay at home mom, which means we have one income, which means we have limited funds, which means we have no extra money to donate to causes we value. I am a stay at home mom, which means my free time is very limited, which means I don't have time to volunteer for causes we value. So. How, aside from voting, does a person like me help fuel change in our nation? We do the bare minimum "green" things like recycle, compost, eat organic foods from local sources, buy used instead of new...but that seems like stuff everyone should just DO.  

I have just been feeling lately that we have been taking, taking, taking and not giving back. Personally, my timing may not be ideal as I barely have the time and space to put our laundry away so maybe in a few years when my kids are in school most of the week I will be able to contribute to society more. I want to show our kids that we, as people of this country and land, need to give as well as take. How does one do that? 

Well, I asked my friends Brendan and Anne DeMelle. They are a very impressive couple (see Brendan here). Here is Brendan's response - it is sooo inspiring and not at all intimidating so be sure to check it out after the jump: 

The Joys

Just got back home after skiing - it feels so nice to be up on the mountain again - I have been ill for almost two weeks which totally wiped any midwinter break ski plans for us so this little weekend jaunt up there was well overdo. Maya is really into skiing now and Sebastien is finally adjusting well to life on-the-go. We tend to move around a lot - going to the mountain then back home then to the farm then to the island then back home and maybe get on a plane to go somewhere. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

It was sunny and gorgeous up on the hill today and you really cannot ask for anything more than just that.

Happy Happy

We had a busy weekend...I went out on the town with the ladies and the next day hosted a birthday party for 11 babies/toddlers. It was a blast of a time...but we are still recovering. Tired souls in our home today.

Happy Friday

I haven't had time to write down a long thingy about family life this week but I DID find this most awesome VW bunk bed tutorial. I mean, come on, everyone needs one of these in their house or maybe as a playhouse outside? It is so genius. I couldn't wait to post it on Interior Tuesdays so here it is. From Uptonb.

Have a wonderful weekend - I am off for a ladies night tomorrow and hosting a birthday party for my 3 year-old on Sunday. Fun!

Parenting in France

I have always been a fan of France - I have traveled there extensively and lived there once - so I am always interested in hearing about their culture and way of life. Parenting is no exception. It is fascinating.  The WSJ published a wonderfully interesting article written by an American mom raising her kids in France. Now, having lived with a Parisian family in France during college, I have my own opinions on the school systems and the like, but this notion of "educating" rather than "disciplining" is something I can hop on board with. Apparently I am not the only one - I just placed a hold on the author's newly published book, Bringing up Bebe, One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, at my local library and I am number 104 in line. It was published yesterday! Now that is what I call some solid demand.

Fourteen Simple Steps

My friend Chris, posted these tests from BabyCenter. Read them. Seriously. Just do it. They are hilarious. I was reading these at the lodge this weekend and caught myself laughing out loud enough times where the two guys sitting across from me started giving me funny looks. 

here

Follow these 14 simple tests before you have children:

Test 1 – Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-

1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.

Men: To prepare for children:-

1. Go to a local pharmacist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.

Test 2 – Knowledge

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior.

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Test 3 – Nights

To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 6-9 lbs, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.

Test 4 – Dressing Small Children

1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.

Dollhouses - MiniMe's

 the Chalet

 the barn

 ecohaus

Dude. Dollhouses are insane! Look how cool these are - I especially like the EcoHouse. So modern! And there are a million cool little accessories that go with them...from gardens to toilets to a camper van! My Maya turns 3 in 6 weeks or so and I thought about making the leap into dollhouse land but now I'm hesitating...it is kind of intimidating. Maybe my Dad and I can make a simple one. She's really into putting her animals to bed and etc so I thought maybe if she had a house for them...we shall see. But it's fun to look at these amazing creations.

Happy Halloween

 Picking out her pumpkin in the field last week

 Gramma and Grampa's spooky front door

 monkeying around

Last year's skeleton in the pumpkin patch

Happy Halloween! We still have pretty young kids in the house so Halloween is still a bit of a mystery for them but tonight Maya will trick or treat for the first time so that ought to speed up the learning curve. 

Today we carved our pumpkins and roasted the seeds. Here are a couple yummy seed recipes:

Sweet Mix:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 TB melted butter
1 TB sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice


Wash and pat dry your seeds. Toss the seeds with the butter, sugar and spices. Heat oven to 300 degrees and bake on a baking sheet for 45 - 60 minutes. 
From southerfood.com


Salty Mix:
Pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Salt
Soy sauce


Douse and toss liberally with olive oil, salt and soy sauce.  Roast in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are nicely browned and crispy. 
From Huffinttonpost.com

Sebastien James - A Birth Story

Some folks like reading other people's birth story - I am one of them. I think they are fascinating.  Herein is mine for my second child:

My first born was almost a week early so naturally I expected as much from the second. I was soooo eager not to be pregnant anymore.  Despite the fact that during my first pregnancy we completely gutted our home and embarked on a major remodel whilst living in our westfalia camper and in our friend’s guestroom, this pregnancy felt, well, more tiresome. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t thrive in this pregnancy like I did during the first. I was tired more, my joints ached earlier and it seemed to go on forever. So when the due date came and went, I was beyond impatient. I was doing everything under the sun to get labor started but this kid was in no rush. I wanted to respect that but I just could not – I was too eager to get going, meet my new baby (was it a boy or a girl?!?!) and shelf the yoga pants.

TGIF

This is my morning so far.  Care to join me? No? What? This doesn't look like fun to you?

Oh. Ok.

I guess having your toddler get in to the pantry drawer and spread out some dry red beans, split peas, barley, cous cous and rice on your kitchen floor at 10AM isn't everyone's cup of tea. She was attempting to sweep it all up though. Need to work on those skills a little it seems.

Have a lovely weekend!

Testing the Boundaries

My aunt asked all the women in our family to write a little something for her daughter as she embarks on the path to adulthood.  So here is what I wrote to my tween cousin:

My favorite story to tell people about the beauty of childhood stars you as the main character. You were maybe 3 or 4 years old and we were all gathered at the grandparent’s house is West Seattle. Dinner was taking a little longer than expected so you wandered over to the pool’s steps, innocently sitting on the ground with your feet dangling in the pool water. As dinner was called, Jann asked you to please not get in the pool now and to come to the table. You declared that you were simply sitting with your feet in the water; you were not getting in. A few minutes later and again Jann is asking you to come over for dinner and to not get in to the pool. By now, you were sitting in the pool, on the first step, so just your legs submerged in the water. You repeated your declaration that you were in fact not in the pool, just your legs. Another few minutes and you eased yourself one step down so that you were now up to your waist. We were all busy serving out dinner so didn’t think to ask you again to come to the table but Jann was watching you and I could see the wheels in your head spinning. A few moments later, we all heard a gentle splash and a soft giggle. You had indeed hopped into the pool and you immediately looked up at your mom, knowing that you had now clearly acted against her wishes. Instantly, you protested, “I didn’t get in, I fell in!”

Where oh Where...

does the time go!?!?  My baby boy is six months old.  It has come to that point where I am relishing every moment - even the fussy ones and the messy ones.  The spit ups, the leaky diapers, the tut-tuts of frustration and the slobbering messes are dwindling away which means that the chubby thigh rolls, the small soft hands, the easy squeal of excitement and the instinctive nestle in my arms are also getting ready to say their goodbyes.  Sigh.  I DO have bundles of fun with the next stages to come though (my daughter is 2 1/2 so I have had just enough time in between to forget all the trying times the future still holds) 

Well, in any event, this little boy is getting older every second and it scares the beejeebies out of me.  (yes, I think I just made up that word. Get used to it.)  

For the house...I mean, baby

 FinnEmma

Io Crib from Kalon Studios

While I am finished with my procreative duties, I just couldn't help but post these fabulously modern baby furnishings.  The wooden playmat from Finn-Emma is genius.  How many times have you looked over in your living room and were embarrassed at that crazy colored play mat that was taking over your floor?  And that crib!  It's a work of art.  

Hitting

Teacher Tom’s 8-Step Plan for Learning Through Conflict For 2-Year-Olds

1)  Stay calm.

copycat that: children

Some great ideas around the web for entertaining children...I will probably be posting something like this weekly as I find it helpful to have some ideas in your back pocket for when you run out of the ol' stand bys.

Story Telling from a Bag

A Pulley for the Porch

Measuring Sticks

Exploring Shapes

Scatter on the Brain

When did I become so scatter brained?  Was it the toddler or the second child that pushed me over the edge?  I REMEMBER being on top of my game: never late, always early, mostly showered and stylishly dressed, bills paid on time, dinner served every night.  The other day my friend asked me to hold his cell phone while he chased after our toddlers in the water at the beach.  When it was time to leave I could NOT find his phone anywhere near where I had been, sitting no less (watching my infant), even though I had SWORN I had put it in the zippered pocket of the Ergo.   After a fruitless search in the general sandy area where I had sat, I was on the verge of tears from frustration and utter embarrassment that I was not responsible enough to hold on the a freaking cell phone for 20 minutes when 3 girls came up with the missing item. PHEW!  Saved by fourteen year olds.  

Hey, someone has to have their head on right.

Tea Collection Envy

I know, I know. Are you tired of Tea Collection envy?  They just continue to produce such great, stylish and timeless clothes for kids!  I still love them.  This is their latest: Modern Mexico.  Dressing a girl had always been pretty easy - there are so many options out here if you can get beyond all that pink and purple, but dressing a boy is proving to be MUCH harder.  It's all trucks, monsters and baggy cargo pants.  Tea offers some subtle boyish perfectness.  And if in doubt, go with stripes.  A boy in stripes is too cute for words.

Do They Come in My Size?

winter water factory 

 honey collection

 Tane Organics

Nico Nico 

esp.no1 

esp.no1 

Found at Sweet Williams online store...how fabulous are these clothes?  I seriously would die to have them in my own size let alone watch my adorable children romp around in them.  No fair.