Etta 9 and a half weeks old...

Sweet baby snuggled in a nest in my lap....

Also, a filtered picture that makes her eyes look green. They are still newborn blue right now. I think they are going to stay blue or hazel maybe.

Snow falls.....

More snow

Snow

Science in the classroom

Yes, even toddlers need to experiment with geometry and physics.  Some explore their environment and find out the "rules" on their own. Others need more guidance and modeling.  In the end we all have fun with blocks.

Eliot updating her shelf

Eliot and I worked on updating her personal shelf. She placed winter evergreen plants in her container. A sprig of juniper in her vase and pink salt in her chalice cup. The bell represents Air. The salt represents Water. The plants represents Earth and her candle represents Fire. And of course she has her Mother figure.

I just want to sleep....

Etta is 8 weeks old today. She is such a snuggle bug.

Happy Birthday Ben!!!!

Ben is 4 years old today.....

May this salt....

As I light this candle.....

May this salt from an ancient sea from ancient times bring me strength to continue.

I poured this salt into my white chalice and drew a spiral with my finger to represent the unending circle of life. Using sea salt from long dead seas gives me a connection to the past and all those who HAD to survive in order for me to be here. It would be such a dishonor to waste my life. They worked so hard to evolve and grow and bear offspring just so I could be born. I need to be part of that circle. And so do my children. ...

Back in the classroom. ..

 

Teaching again. I am getting back in the groove. I missed the toddler classroom. I am taking things slow though and trying not to act too much like a know it all with my coworkers. I tend to open my mouth and share opinions no one cares about. I am just really happy to have a  job.

 

I respected the privacy of the center I work at and the children by not showing any identifying faces or names.....

 

 

My girls

Eliot seems proud that she "taught" Elaina how to suck her thumb. Me, I am not so proud. ... little girls need to stop.

A light in the night...

This week I started my new teaching job. My husband has been very helpful in creating a welcoming home in the evenings.  He lit my blue hurricane lamp outside. That made my day....

Milk sharing

I am blessed to have an ample milk supply. I feel called to share my milk with babies in need. I have met a mom with a newly adopted baby girl around the same age as Etta. I collected my stored milk even though I didn't really need it. But this other little one does. I dropped off about 150 ounces of frozen milk and 7 ounces of freshly pumped milk for the family. Hopefully I can keep supplying this sweet family with milk....

Mom don't take my picture...

My eldest daughter helped work in the nursery at church today. She said not to take her picture but hey moms never really listen to that. So cute with baby Etta....

Sweet lavender coconut oil baby

Sweet Etta is enjoying the warmer weather with some semi naked time. She had a little diaper rash and dry skin so she enjoyed a nice massage with coconut oil with Lavender Essential oil added. If you are interested in some therapeutic oils for your family contact me.

My new incense order

These short simple incense sticks are perfect. They aren't overpowering and they come with their own cute holder. I use a bigger holder on my altar. I think the lavender ones will be a perfect gift for Annika. I need to get her a care package together to send her at her father's home.

10 pounds less?

Evan caught me in mid-stride holding Etta in a sling. He cut my head off but the angle made me look like I lost some weight. Just an illusion but....

Finally some clothes on the line

It has been cold and rainy lately, like really cold. My diapers have suffered.  They needed some sunning. I waited too long to catch the sun but we caught the wind....

A revelation

Today....

I realized that you just have to let go of some things sometimes. I have wanted to be there for my children both physically and emotionally. I worked from home and then got laid off. Now I am going back to work outside of the home. I realized that mothers from the beginning of time have had to make sacrifices in order to ensure the survival of their children. I am not running away from lions on the savannah looking for grubs in order to feed my children but I do have to leave them in order to work. I came to a revelation that I am doing the best I can for the next generation. I have to support my children.....

Sometimes it is about surviving instead of thriving.

I was trying so hard to help my family thrive. Now I need to work on surviving and that is OK.

Two littles playing....

Eliot and Ben painted and played with the board game WildCraft tonight. Evan, Etta, and Elaina all had low grade fevers and needed a little extra attention so it was nice that they were able to entertain themselves. They even cleaned up and big sister helped Ben wash his hands after painting.

A Fire My Husband Made

Surrounded by flame sooths my senses...

6 weeks old

Sleeping in the crook of my arm....

Fire Baby

We had a surprise this morning when we stepped outside. Someone dropped off 4 cords of wood on our porch. It is supposed to get pretty cold this coming week. It turned out to be from my mother.

Elaina is learning how fire can be fun as we teach her fire safety. The younger we start the safer I feel about my kids coming across fire and knowing how to act.

A batch of lip balm

Lavender and Cedarwood.....

They are for sell!!

My detox weight loss oil mixture...

I modified a common detox weight loss formula using therapeutic essential oils to my needs....

We shall see how it works....

 

 

I prefer to put my oils in water instead of capsules. I struggle to make myself drink water so this should help. I only used one drop each into 12 ounces of water. I think I will make my own mixture into an empty dispenser bottle so I can then use one bottle at a time to add to the water bottle.

Making firestarters

Training my daughter. ....

From Earth to Water

I have considered myself an Earth spirit for a long time. I have wished to be a Fire or at least Air spirit but I have now become a Water spirit who longs for the days of being a grounded Earth spirit. My emotions are out of control. I cannot focus. I cry a lot. I soak up negative energy and just flow into the vessel around me. That vessel can be a room in my house filled with happy screaming children that make me happy or a dark bedroom where I am alone and scared of the world for no reason. But I become my surroundings.  I used to dislike people who were Water spirits. I felt they were weak. Annika is a Water spirit.  I either need to learn to flow and change like Water or just weep.


Notice Elaina "organizing" my candles under my table. After she broke about 6 of them I had Evan and Eliot find boxes for them with lids....

Snowdrops.... a nice welcome this cold Winter morning

At a friend's house I discovered some beautiful flowers in a corner. She gave me permission to snip a few. Such a welcome sight hinting at Spring....

 

Snowdrops hold the meaning HOPE and CONSOLATION....

My new functional altar

I have taken the time to meditate and think as I set up my altar. I wanted to have enough space to write in my journal, work with cards, or my stones. The candelabra on the left represents the 3 aspects of woman, madian, mother, and crone. The golden brown and green candles represent me. The two white candles represent the divine or humanity as I see it. The white Mother Goddess is my winter Goddess. The stuffed Mother dolls very special. It was made by a friend. Each bead sewn on it represents a child of mine plus the life force. I need to add two beads for Elaina and Etta. The large purple candle held by a white holder with spirals on it embodies my favorite color purple. It is not complete but it makes me happy so far. The boxes of tarot cards are ready for me work with Evan on readings tonight.

Love Bartering....

I love these cute Saki or condiment bowls. But, I don't really need them. I belong to a barter site on Facebook and I traded these for laundry detergent. How awesome is that!!!