A Mother's Rosary

These are my meditation beads. I used to carry them around wherever I went. I started recently to keep them in my bag in their box.  I need to actively handle them more. I was called today to sit on the Earth during my break but I sat in my warm car instead. Now I feel I missed something.  I need to reconnect.  Tomorrow I am off work. I am going to try hard to get outside with the kids even if it is only in the back yard. Working inside during the Winter is so challenging.  I need daylight.....

One of my favorite children's books at it again

 

In my classroom I am now teaching two year olds. This is really my strong suit teaching wise. I enjoy younger children and I enjoy training adults but two year olds just come to me naturally. It is almost like I can read their minds. I am deep into my Midwifery training but teaching is still my day job and pays the bills.

 

And, who doesn't want to play with puppets, blocks, and children all day? This book is my go to resource for helping children learn their colors. And I know it by heart in several languages!!

Between sisters....

 

Elaina and Eliot are growing so fast. They are 5 years apart give or take a bit. They get each other's jokes and share a lot of clothes. They sleep side by side (in my room). Some say they look a lot alike but a Mother can really see the differences. I have an older sister and I can never remember a time we ever got along. Either we were just too different or we just weren't meant to share each other's lives. I am hoping a few of my daughters can carry a bond through life. Lyn and Annika are distant and who knows what is in store for little Etta. Daughters have a special place in their Mother's hearts. I share my heart with all I care about but my girls mirror me and the mirror can show the good, bad, and the ugly....

 

The future for all of them is just waiting to unfold......

 

Gwyndolyn

Annika

Eliot

Elaina

Etta

 

I love you all.....

Earth, Water, Fire, and Air

 

I cannot wait to delve deeper into this book. It draws so many of my beliefs about teaching and raising children and my respect and awe of the Earth as our Mother together. And, it looks like soooo much fun!

The Winter Witch

When I was collecting books at the library for the kids at home and for my classroom I came across this one. I really like it. It winds several Winter celebrations together into a tell able tale to help children understand there is more to the season than just Christmas. I found it to be a very Unitarian Universalist type of book also. The kids enjoyed it. Maybe not as much as I did but they sat through it at least.....

A Tarot deck based on the Bible?

Yes, that is what I finally found. It is in German but I am very excited about it. I have some Christian and German ancestry so this should be fun. :)

I can't even find any more information about this deck but it really holds a lot of interest for me. The imagery is rich and not what you would expect. I can't wait to get to know it better.

Bubbles with my youngest girls....

I tried posting this picture a week or two ago and it never posted so even though it has nothing to do with today or anything recent I just like it. Etta is so intrigued with bubbles nowadays....

Together for Christmas

The pictures are never very good but the kids all had a good time playing together today. Granny had a little something for everyone. The littles also received some gifts from their other grandparents. Watching everyone change so quickly amazes me and then it is like time stands still sometimes. Today Eliot and Connor hung out a lot. That translates into... the 7 year old sister tortured her 14 year old brother. Deep down I think Connor enjoyed the attention. Eliot sure enjoyed the rides on his shoulders.

13 months old today! !

Etta Sophia you are growing up.....

A Lactation Support Visit

I made a late afternoon run to help a new 2nd time mother at home with breastfeeding support yesterday. I now know I really need a ready go support bag for visits. I threw my basics in a simple bag but as a professional I really need to get me stuff together.... Literally, I need my stuff like pictures of good latches, lists of resources, a new business card, the whole shebang. Now, what all to put in it? This will be fun. Shall I hunt on Etsy for the perfect bag with a breastfeeding mother on it? I shall!!!!

Walk to work?

Nothing like your car overheating on the way to work. I started to walk to work. I tucked my fancy pants I chose to wear today into my boots and grabbed the giant mouse and frog puppets I needed in my class from the backseat. Who knew 2 pit bulls and another large mixed breed dog would circle me as I waited for Lyn to come pick me up. Must have been the 2 foot mouse I was holding.....

I made it to work frazzled and only minutes late thanks to my habit of leaving early. Now, if only the car will make it. No word yet on it after it was towed.

Happy Birthday Connor

14 years old today! The weather was mild today but driving through an ice storm to deliver Connor was a memorable event. The doctor assisting in my delivery was impatient and brought out the vacuum extractor to pull him out even though I was pushing fine and had only pushed a few times. My body was fine with the labor but man was she impatient. He had a goose egg on his scalp and I became more knowledgeable about my rights to deny interventions after that. Connor is a special child. All of mine are but his specialness comes from the fact that he is so sensitive. He is so much like my brother. That is an honor and a burden. I am a pretty tough grudge holding b-word at times with arrogance and sarcasm thrown in. (What, you didn't know I knew :) ) But Connor, is a sweetheart. Even with the lies his father has told him about me and the feelings of abandonment he may harbor towards me he is a good kid. I am curious as to how his future may pan out but I do know because he is so sensitive he will be hurt but be capable of a lot of love also.

My boy is on his way to becoming a man....

Winter Solstice Children's Chapel

Everything went pretty well. Lyn helped set up and clean up. I had a friend from church assisting. The kids welcomed the light with a candle activity and we read a story, made sachets / ornaments, and of course ate snacks....

Winter Wednesday at Church

 

I took Evan, Eliot, Ben, and Elaina to hang out at church for the Winter Wednesday fun evening. We had food and fun with friends from church. They made snowflakes and explored all things sticky! Most important of all... they had fun.

Helping mothers in need

I so enjoy being a resource to breastfeeding mothers when they need support.  Whether it is a new mom with basic questions and in need of a home visit or a sick mother who needs support to continue nursing when the world screams at her to use treatments she is not comfortable with. 

Heart attack?

Seriously? ??? I can not have heart issues. I just had a  "I thought I would die" moment. Panic attack or what I am not sure. No breath and my chest felt heavy. I talked to my neighbor friend who is a nurse and she assured me in my non-logic thinking self that if I can text can I am not having a heart attach. But, man... that was the most pain aside from or even equal to childbirth that I have been in.

Working in my new class....

There are dinosaurs afoot....

Of course working with 2 year olds again after teaching infants doesn't mean the fun ends. Dinosaurs is the theme of the week and man do they get into everything. ...

Smell testing at church....

Ben's preschool class had a great time trying to match smells to pictures of the items. In the nursery Elaina had fun making Winter streamers. Eliot and Evan wanted to hang out with me a bit but they eventually went to their class. Those were the only 4 who came with me to church yesterday.

Blessed Full Moon

Lighting our candle and keeping it simple tonight. I catheter some cedar today and harvested some rosemary to support the need for evergreens in this cooler season.

The Red Tent

I hosted my first Red Tent meeting.  It didn't go quite as planned. I enjoyed myself but everyone who was planning on attending didn't make it. Hopefully we will be able to have one every month. I just need to advertise more....

Learning our colors

 

Playing with my candles just like Elaina does.... that is how we learn our colors in this Magical household.

Me and the kids

 

It is rare to get everyone of them together especially as the older ones age and are becoming young adults. We all got together to let Etta open a birthday present from Granny and to just catch up. Everyone is growing....

Eliot's thought

Eliot has been dreaming and thinking of a tree. It isn't quite a nightmare but she wants the dream to stop. We decided that if she drew a picture of it and we burned it in my cauldron it would help dispell the negative feelings.  So far it seems to have worked. ...

Another custom Blessingway Bead order

I enjoyed putting together yet another custom bead order. It is nice to think I have a role in other women's births even if we are strangers.

Happy 1st Birthday Etta!!

One year ago we barely made it to UAB for Etta ' s delivery. I should have just had her at home. She is a unique baby and may be our last baby. This last year has held a lot of challenges for her and us all. May her next year hold promises...

New Moon gathering with the family

I found a wonderful blackboard candle that you can write on with chalk. What a great way to share a message with the universe.  I chose a round black candle for the Chalice. Along with representations of the elements and a black Mother candle we welcomed new beginnings tonight. Eliot and Elaina ran around the yard l8ke wild children. Evan and Ben took a look and stayed inside most of the time. Etta nursed in my lap. It will be Etta ' s birthday and Bread Communion at church tomorrow so a lot to celebrate. ...