as cozy as spring

Happy Right Now

I'm actually pretty grumpy right now, but there are still so many things making me happy that I might be enjoying these last few weeks.  Just a little.

My son's favorite bookshelf.  He organizes it like this.  Everyone should have at least one neat freak child.

Reading a childhood favorite to my daughter.  I could not be enjoying those moments more.

The children pick tomatoes every morning now and I think it's salsa making time.

Just petunias.  There's nothing much exciting about petunias, but they have performed so beautifully in the garden this spring that I can't help but love them this year.  I can't wait to get back into the garden.

An almost done PAIR of socks for my super puffy feet.  I thought the swelling was better yesterday but then I took my shoes off after the game and could actually feel the excess fluid just swishing around in my feet and my ankles.  Oh my ankles.  Not pretty, y'all.  But the socks are are going quickly. It's been a long time since I've done a KAL and I forgot how much fun they are!  And a KAL that cuts down on leftover yarn?  Best ever.   

Also making me happy: Watching my son score the first run for his team late in a very lopsided game, one which should have been rather depressing, but his joy and relief and making it home were hilarious and it was one of my favorite games of the season.

Reading my daughter's ballet evaluation where she got an E (Excellent) in attendance.  Y'all, that's ALL ME and I want a party, trophy, plaque, parade, and gold medal for getting her dressed and across town several times a week through this long and very sick pregnancy.

Watching baseball in the evening with my husband.  I caved.  I actually enjoy baseball now after two seasons watching my boy and two seasons of our home team making it to the World Series.  Hanging out with my husband who I still really like after all these years might have something to do with it. ;)

OK, I might try to do more of this.  This has actually been a veryveryvery rough past week but if you can't say anything nice... Writing this post has put a smile on my face this morning. 

Friday Morning Book Post

Hello friends!  I don't have a new actual book to discuss but I did get a new cookbook for Mother's Day!  New cookbooks are such fun.  I would never buy one for myself because most recipes are so easily found on the internet, but my husband chose Vegetables from an Italian Garden for me and it is gorgeous!  It's organized by season, includes gardening tips, and has some really delicious looking recipes.  I haven't tried a single one yet as this week has been so busy but hopefully I'll be able to share some soon.

For my daughter: A week or so ago, I saw a link to Bridges: Amazing Structures to Design, Build & Test at angry chicken.  I didn't think such a perfect book existed for my little engineer/construction worker.  I can't even tell you how much I don't understand my little girl who delights in road construction even when the result is heavy traffic.  I mean, who could possibly put a happy spin on heavy traffic?  So she loves this book.  It's really quite good, going a bit into the history of roads and dovetailing nicely with our Roman history studies (homeschool bonus points!).  

My son's current favorites are Opossom at Sycamore Road.  We see opossoms out from time to time (creepy little things) so he was particularly excited about this one.  I find them repulsive so I was not.  He also found How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World on his bookshelf and is requesting in nightly (and afternoonly).  Aside: I cannot wait to be able to lie on my back and read stacks of picture books to him again.  Double aside: I always have to look up lie/lay because I can't ever remember which one is correct.  This is a funny post on the subject - really, we if we can't look to Bob Dylan - 'ifin' you don't know by now' - for proper language use, to whom can we look?

Needle and thRead

                        

I'm jumping in and joining Elizabeth to talk books and sewing!

Sewing: I'm stitching together hexagons in my downtime. I still have no idea what they are to be.  I went with a random pattern of colors, which I like and I think fits the scrappy nature of the project very nicely. I'm really just putting off the big project which is a Baptismal gown for our daughter.  I was a good girl earlier this week and made a cheap muslin rough draft.  The pattern, while veryveryvery vague, went together smoothly and with Cheryl's expert advice and encouragement, I'm going to place an order for all of my supplies today.  I think I can, I think I can...

 

Reading: Whilst cleaning out my closet* (ugh!) I found my copy of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  Yay!  This book is a little too out there for me in some sections, but I credit it with completely erasing any fear about childbirth during my second pregnancy.  I'm not particularly opinionated about how one gives birth, however, I was as drugged as I could possibly be for my first and I didn't enjoy it much (which, who cares?).  I decided forego pain meds for my second because of this bad experience... except that that's sort of a lie and it was really because my insurance company wouldn't pay for the epidural and I'm super cheap.  Regardless of the reason, the birth of my son was easy, quick (an hour and a half, maybe), and lovely thanks to Ina May's advice.  That being said, I have no birth plan just yet except to roll with whatever comes my way.  The one good thing about having horrible pregnancies is that labor and delivery have always seemed like a piece of cake in comparison.

*Unrelated but Wednesday I shredded about 7-12 years worth of old bills.  Did you know you don't need to save your old water bills?  Yes, you probably did.  I, however, did not.  Such joy!  So much space freed up!  Also out: My old college textbooks. That was hard.  But I held in my hands a favorite, "What Is To Be Done?"  - Chernyshevsky looked back and answered "That which is necessary" and said goodbye.

30 Weeks

I had a 30 week scan this morning to measure... one thing or another.  I don't really care what the reason is, show me the baby!  I always search for the cuteness in ultrasound photos and always come away seeing little lizard babies. 

I'm still in awe that she is real. I was never formally diagnosed with infertility, but we did have what is referred to in the medical profession as a 'heckuva time' conceiving our last two children.  It's not anything I ever talked a lot about, even to family, because it's rather personal, don't you think?  It can be particularly trying for a Catholic woman because 1) she's surrounded by large families who sometimes assume she is less than open to life and 2) it can be difficult to work with a doctor who doesn't understand or respect the Church's teachings on, you know... things and stuff.  Clearly, I'm still not the type of person who can discuss these things easily.  I blame the fact that my dad reads my blog.  (Hi Daddy, move along now!)

This has all been in the news a lot lately and it is abundandly clear that there is a great need for these conversations to be had.  I'm so happy that there are women who aren't too squeamish to talk about it.  OK, so good posts on this topic:

Karen Edmisten is hosting a giveaway for The Infertility Companion for Catholics.  I so wish I had this book years ago!  

Karen also posted last week on contraception and parchment paper, which I erroneously thought might be some horrible craft project.  No worries, friends!  It's the first in what I hope will be a series of posts covering Church teachings on... things and stuff.

Love2Learn mom also posted recently on this topic with characteristic grace in two posts that I love:  Living Differently and a follow up here.  

 

Friday (Not) Morning Book Post

On Sunday I took a look at the schedule and knew it was going to be a rough week.  It ended up quite a bit busier and more stressful than expected.  But we made it through and I've penciled in time to have myself a good cry tomorrow night when all is said and done. My husband has penciled in running an emergency errand tomorrow night.  All coincidence, I'm sure.

I am reading a book every now and then.  It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh.  I've had this for several months but it never really clicked with me.  We're not that bad.  I really do try to keep the clutter to a minimum.  Alas, the prospect of fitting another person in our little home shifted my perspective.  I really do hang on to a bunch of junk.  We already replaced a pricey, but broken coffee maker and yet I hadn't thrown the old one out, thinking that it might heal itself if it sat in the cabinet long enough?  I don't know.  I've been pretty surprised at how much space I've been able to clear and am excited about continuing.  Walsh writes about how most people decide on where to put stuff the day they move in and that's what happened with us.  So no, not everything is perfectly placed.  It really does help me to imagine an empty space and think clearly about how best to utilize it.  This weekend, I hope to tackle the bookshelves.  This is entirely unrealistic and has zero chance of actually happening, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

That's all for today!  I hope you have a lovely weekend, friends!

Thursday Afternoon Book Post

I think this will be short, but I still find it fun to document our current reads.

My 7 yo son: Armadillo at Riverside Road - A new-to-us Smithsonian Backyard Book!  The hardcover version was inexplicably discounted so I swiftly added to cart (and I think I got one of only a handful that were discounted).  We wear through our paperback copies of these books but alas, I can't swing every title in hardcover.  It's as lovely and informative as all the others.  

Pelle's New Suit, Blackberry Mouse, Peter in Blueberry Land are also in rotation.

My 11 yo daughter: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Book III: The Unseen Guest.  I didn't pre-read or even read along with the latest in this series.  My daughter loved it though she said it just introduced even more mysteries!  I may have to investigate myself.

I was reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to my daughter, but I can't read as fast as she would like, so I turned it over to her today.  I'm a little apprehensive because... OK, well she's under strict orders to return it to read aloud status should she become a little frightened and I shall censor.  I held off on this book for quite a while - even getting the 'But so and so has read all of the Harry Potter books' from her, which was naturally returned with 'I don't care what so and so has read'.  I can't remember why I finally caved.  I honestly think it was part of a bribe around Christmastime.

Both children: National Geographic Kids Everything Weather  I haven't even seen this book.  It disappeared as soon as it left the box.  I assume that's a good sign.  My children are miniature meteorologists.  

Me: Putting Food By.  I honestly haven't really started this book but hope it will come in handy during tomato season!  

She has a thing about book jackets.  

Edited to Add!  I've been looking for this book all Lent and I just found it!  The Way of the Cross for tomorrow.  I ordered it from Family Centered a couple of years ago.  I don't know where it is available now. I'm so glad I found it even if it was at the last minute.

Friday Morning Book Post - Lent Edition

I've been reading three books this Lent: Radical Homemakers, Style, Sex and Substance, and Introduction to the Devout Life.  A random mix, but all are tied together by a common thread and that is vocation.  Honestly, it has been my intention to write about this for some time but I can't quite put my thoughts into a proper, organized post or review so don't expect much here!

This is especially true of Radical Homemakers.  I loved so many of the ideas in the book, especially that of a living home that is a unit of production instead of (solely) consumption.  Our home is very much a living space and there is evidence of that in every room. ;)  Our garden is the same - it's rarely worthy of a photo shoot - there are currently several bags of manure piled around waiting to be applied - but I value it not only for beauty, but for what it produces.  

I love the idea of relying on oneself to do what one is capable of doing - echoing the Catholic social teaching of subsidiarity, to which I've primarily credited our decision to homeschool.  

I love the idea of lives centered around learning new things.  There are so many times I backed out of a project because I told myself I couldn't do it, for no good reason.  That is not my mindset anymore and I relish the thought of acquiring new skills now. (I have plans to steek, my knitting friends, and I'm looking forward to it.)

I love the idea of investing in relationships as opposed to careers.

But.  

I need health insurance for starters.  That was the weakest section of the book and one that bugged the heck out of me.  Yoga and organic foods are fine, y'all, but they are not going to prevent a devastating car accident. I hesitate to write much more, but obviously if you live in America (even if you don't) you know that this topic is heated and complex. 

I also, for lack of a better description, wrinkle my nose at some of this 'simple living' trend. It's not simple.  Simple is zooming through the drive through for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  It can be better, but it is, for most of us, expensive and time consuming to grow and prepare foods, keep our own homes tidy, educate our children, and invest in our communities.  This book hints that it doesn't have to be, but for the average person like me, who doesn't have the desire to go all out and start... slaughtering things, it is tricky.

OK, so that's enough about Radical Homemakers, but I could go on for hours if we were chatting in person and I welcome any thoughts in the comments.  I would love to discuss this book further.  If you are looking for a well organized review, Faith's is excellent.

One last quote from the third chapter of Introduction to the Devout Life because I don't want to forget it and it is on my mind every morning when I pray.

When God created the world He commanded each tree to bear fruit after its kind and even so He bids Christians - the living trees of His Church- to bring forth fruits of devotion, each one according to his kind and vocation.  A different exercise of devotion is required of each - the noble, the artisan, the servant, the prince, the maiden and the wife; and furthermore such practice must be modified according to the strength, the calling, and the duties of the individual. 

He's just brilliant and I wish I could memorize every word.

I'll talk more about the other books later.  It's all a big jumble in my mind and that is the last time I read more than one book at a time.

 

Friday Morning Book Post

I am in the middle of three books right now (4 if you count Middlemarch).  That's alarming to me.  I don't normally knit more than one project at a time and I don't read more than one book at a time.  

I downloaded The Green Coat : A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years to pre-read for my daughter.  The first few chapters are really, really sad.  I want my daughter to read it because this is her heritage and I think it will put all of my grandmother's stories in perspective.  I'm fairly certain she will refuse at some point.  It's not an easy read.

My main book at this point is Style, Sex, and Substance :10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter.  It's great, simply put.  I read through about half of it last night and found each section intriguing it its own way.  I wish I hadn't bought it for my Kindle because I want to make notes in the margins.  I find the highlight feature on Kindle unsatisfying.  I wish I could give a more thorough review, but my head is still kind of swimming in deep thoughts and I think this will be one I reread several times.

I am also still reading Radical Homemakers, which I am enjoying tremendously.  It's funny to read these two books together because I'm finding them very transformative.  I'm not particularly philosophical, which I think is a fault, but both of these books are causing me to question my vocation in a way I haven't done before.  More importantly, they are motivating me to take my role more seriously.  I have my degree and have worked outside the home, but all I've ever really wanted to do is be a homemaker.  So the challenge I'm facing now is if this is all I've ever wanted to do, why am I not doing it better?  Tough question!  We popped into a Mass last week* and the homily focused on how we all make excuses for not trying harder.  I've been doing a lot of that because it's just sort of easy to slip into lazy habits especially when I'm not feeling so great (see: excuses!).  Anyway, because of these books I am keeping the house cleaner, preparing better dinners, planting more in the vegetable garden, and thinking a bit more about the lessons I hope to teach my children.

I'll write more on these books next week once my thoughts have settled.

*Oh, this was so humiliating.  It was just a Friday mid-day Mass so I thought we could get away with jeans, which I never do.  It ended up being a very formal Tridentine Mass and all the ladies were veiled.  And then!  My son had a horrible allergy attack right in the middle and we had to leave (with my heels clip-clopping very loudly) before Communion.  I think there's a lesson about pride in there somewhere but I'm trying to block out the memory entirely.  

Friday Morning Book Review

Picture Books!

The Children of Hat Cottage - Another Elsa Beskow!  This is a nice simple story of a woman who is so obsessed with obtaining yarn that she abandons her children and they burn the house down.  Or something like that.  That's what I took away from it.  A cautionary tale for knitters?  

Fawn at Woodland Way - One of the few Smithsonian Backyard books that we had yet to read.  It's just as charming, beautiful, and informative as the others. (I don't know where that link leads exactly.  You have to be careful about size and format when ordering these books.  I don't love the tiny sizes myself.  The illustrations are so beautiful full size.)

We also added Annie and the Wild Animals to our library as it was recommended in the comments by several readers.  I'll have a guest writer (my daughter) next week to review that title.  

Middle Grade Reading:

My daughter is wrapping up Theater Shoes.  Next up in her to-be-read pile will be The Green Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years.  She's particularly interested in this era of American history after spending so much time talking about it with my grandmother.  I was thrilled to see this title in the CHC catalog.

I'm reading The Apothecary.  I heard it recommended on an episode of Martha Stewart Living.  It's set in post WWII London and seems to be a science fiction/spy sort of novel for older children.  It's definitely too mature for my little 11 year old.  I can't quite see where it is headed so I'm reserving judgement for now.  

For me!

I did go ahead and order Handmade Beginnings.  There are at least two projects I plan to tackle this weekend (but won't get to).  I love the little baby pants and jacket.  I am going a little cross eyed at the pattern format.  I understand the necessity for it but goodness, tracing out those overlapping lines is going to give me a headache.

OK I think that's all!  I hope you have a super weekend, friends!  

Friday Morning Book Post

It IS morning as I write this and I don't even have the perk of a nice cup of coffee these days.  Brace yourselves for some typos (ha, I misspelled typo twice).

I'm reading... Middlemarch! Not only is it killing my pace for 52 in 52 but it is also killing my Friday morning book posts.  My sister has encouraged me to pick up something else in addition to Middlemarch and I think that's a good plan.  Now the internal struggle begins again between the books I want and the freebies.  

Theresa recommended Dust which I did finish and enjoy.  It was pretty creepy but I loved the imagery.  Amazon likened it to a Ray Bradbury story and I think that's spot on.  

My daughter is still making her way through the Bruno and Boots books. I think these are largely out of print which stinks (mine are falling apart).  They are some of my favorites from childhood. It's funny because if I hadn't read them as a child I don't think I would approve of them now, centering, as they do, on the bad behavior of well intentioned children.  They sort of remind me of Calvin and Hobbes and in that, I see them as pretty harmless.  Or at least funny enough that I look the other way!

I ordered Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus.  My classically educated daughter loathes anything to do with Greece.  Anything.  I really enjoyed The Eagle of the Ninth so I was hoping these retellings might interest her.  Does anyone have an opinion on these two?

My little boy's current favorite is Hedgie's Surprise.  We don't have many Jan Brett books, but he loves Hedgie.  He still sleeps with his knitted Hedgie (under his pillow, cutest thing ever).  I'm slowly rotating our winter picture books out in favor of spring favorites. Pelle's New Suit and The Bunny Who Found Easter are already out.  And while we aren't having another child just so I can keep my nose in beautifully illustrated picture books for another few years it certainly is a nice perk.  I can stop pre-mourning as I put away Christmas books, "What if this is the last year I read 'The Last Straw'?"  

Well, today looks to be rather indoorsy and I hope to wrap up my first little baby cardigan.  The Journey North Mystery Class clues are out too so that should make for a super fun afternoon.