I found it a a grocery store!!!!

One of my all time favorite drinks.  No it's not alcoholic. ...

Etta learning about bubbles

At church today Etta got excited for the first time when my co - teacher blew bubbles. Usually she just ignores them. Today she nearly bounced out of my arms to get at them.

Happy Birthday Eliot

7 years old today!!!!

Etta ' s Developmental Checkup

15 pounds and 26 inches long...

Merry Fall

As the wheel of the year turns Mabon, the Fall Equinox,  is here. The second harvest celebration that many people of Celtic backgrounds or Pagan religions or in my case a Nature Centered Seasonal Celebratory person holds special and sacred.

Fall is here!! A fire with the kids outside and some solitary mediation on the past season and the season to come and some good food are all in order tonight.

Sick Etta

Poor baby.....

Yesterday she was super grouchy.  Today we have fever and vomit. Motherhood comes with good and icky.

Time.....

I need more time. Working 12 hours a day and feeding a nursing baby all night is draining me. It is doing it more emotionally than physically.  I am a strong person but I miss my kids and home. Seeing my husband every once in a while would be nice too. Am I complaining?  Yes, I am. Everyone seems to think I am one of the easiest going strongest people they have met. I may be at times but I am still human.  I need support and to be understood.  I have dreams still. I want to better my life. I feel like a failure some days and other days I am amazed at what I can accomplish.  The extraordinary seems normal to me like raising a large family on a modest income and the "normal" of others seems so foreign to me. Complaining about the size of your house and that your new car is the wrong color are just not problems I understand.  Rant over.... it may continue at any time.

Before they are gone

The herbs, weed, plants, by whatever name you call them have been growing behind this playground all season.  They are scheduled to be cut and sprayed today. I have watched them grow for months. The teachers working on the playground knew I wanted to harvest some. I wanted to get more but I grabbed a bag and some scissors and collected a few. I sense a simple celebration gearing up for the Equinox tonight :)

Proud

Today I am proud to be the parent I am. I have met many parents out there who really are on a different plane than myself. I know I am not perfect but man some people need to read the manual....

Farm eggs!!!!

Thank you Morgan for sharing.  May your hens be forever laying...

Dedicating a new Blessing Bowl

Elaina was my big helper....

I seasoned the bowl with a little olive oil and sea salt. To incorporate the elements I lit a brown candle for the upcoming Fall season,  filled two glass containers with water and one with sea salt. I added a bell to represent air. I picked various herbs from my yard as a blessing. Elaina really wanted to blow the candle out but she settled for ringing the bell.

Cookies with homemade sprinkles

After a long day

My day was long but only started to get stressful after being away from my children for 14 hours. Solution. ... snuggle with infant and nurse as the weight of my Fall Mother figure rests heavily on my chest. My center was touched but not quite found. I need more time with my kids......

My vegetarian journey

Dinner tonight. .... vegetable pasta covered in cheese with mushrooms and two boiled eggs on the side. My husband made it all. I would have jazzed it up a bit more with some herbs and spices but it was pretty good.

Preparing.... seasons turn

 

A pomegranate. ...

 

I am lucky to have a daughter who is an artist. I asked her to draw me a pomegranate to be used in a ceremony coming up for Mabon. I plan on burning it to celebrate the turning of the season in honor of Persephone. Lyn drew this in 10 minutes using colored pencils.

Full Moon

 

 

Sharing ritual and learning with some of my children and then communing alone.....

 

 

Such a whirlwind week

MUUMS meeting and then meeting with some new wonderful friends and work, work, and more work!!!! I said I love children right? :)

My own and I enjoy teaching infants.....

Etta is eating watermelon!

Way to go baby. We have been trying for a while to get Etta to eat something.  She nurses fine and will take a bottle when she has to but she won't have anything to do with babyfood. At 9 months it is good to see her trying something :) .

A day in the woods

6 kids and the woods....

With it being Labor Day and one of the few days I am off all my jobs I got the kids out of the house and we went for a little hike. It was pretty hot but Lyn tried out her new skills she learned at camp counselor training. She made a "tent" for the kids, taught them how to safely make a fire and hung up her hammock.  Everyone got a turn but Etta and I were lucky enough to take a little nap in it after she nursed. I enjoy providing memories for the kids. We can't afford much but what little time I get to be home I want it to be spent with them. We had a store bought picnic and enjoyed the forest.