Wednesday, December 3, 2014


little Nova


M & N enjoying some time in the front yard.

Changes

It has been so long.  Little Nova is 2 now!  Her sisters turn 5 and 7 soon.  Time has flown by.  I divorced my husband after a year long separation, and am now living a wonderful and meaningful live with a wonderful woman.  I am by no means there yet, but the past few years have been a journey towards finding myself.

N is in first grade and in public school.  She likes it just fine.  M starts Kindy next year at the same public school. 

I have been on a journey towards minimalism for some time now.  There is too much crap getting in the way of life... I am sick of having to wade through it all.  It is amazing what making a little more room for what's important can do.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Trinity

I've been gone from the blog for awhile, too long it seems!  I am back from my hiatus and ready to start posting about our journey through childhood and family and Waldorf.  First, however, the reason I've been gone.

The past year has been incredible.  Around the time of my last post, I became pregnant with our third child.  Along with that came extreme fatigue, and once that let up I was so busy working 40 and 50 hour weeks that I had no time to post anything, let alone take pictures of the very precious time I had with my children.

On September 18th, our third daughter joined us Earthside.  Little Nova Trinity was born unassisted at home, caught by daddy, after a fast and intense 1 hour labor.  I had some complications after the birth but am mostly healed up now, nearly 3 weeks later.  Nova is such a little blessing and we're so happy to have her.




And some recent photos of the other girls.. Nova has been stealing the spotlight as of late!




Enjoying an unseasonably warm day on our way to N's occupational therapy.


Apple picking!


Back in May- 6 months along, hardly a bump!


Having fun at a waterpark...


Conquering new territory! (N learning to pedal- she has gross motor delays and this was a huge feat for her!)


Getting our hair done up... back in May.


Just being plain goofy.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Two Little Angels

On Tuesday, my little Lellie turned 4.  We celebrated with a family get together at our house.  Here are some photos of the special day! I'll also share their Rainbow Bridge Story..

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Once upon a time, long ago, in a place not near, but not far, there were two little angels.  One was a dark haired angel, and one was a light haired angel.  Together they flew from star to star, gathering light and warmth.  At each star, they met a big angel.  The angels voyaged to the brightest star, the sun.  The angel at the glowing sun gave the angels the gift of kindness.  Next, they traveled to the moon.  The angel at the shining moon gave the angels the gift of wisdom. 
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Gazing at the Earth from the Moon, the little angels saw how lovely the Earth was.  They saw all of the rainbow colors, and the butterflies and flowers.  They saw fish swimming in the rivers, and earthly children playing in the meadows.  The angels saw a kind woman, walking amongst the tall trees, and loved her very much.  The angels saw a man with a warm and loving heart, and loved him very much.  Together, they would welcome the angels to earth and be their earthly parents.  The angels were ready for their journey across the rainbow bridge.
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The dark-haired angel decided to go first, while the light haired angel would wait for the earth to travel two times around the sun before joining the other angel.  The dark-haired angel set out for her journey across the rainbow bridge, while one of the big angels watched over her.  As she slid down the colorful rainbow through the clouds and sky, she took human form inside her mother’s womb.  The angel fell asleep.  She slept for 42 weeks, and awakened as a tiny baby in the arms of her mother and father, the same couple she had spotted before.   The Dark-Haired Angel was given the Earthly name “Nayeli”, meaning “I love you”.  She was a big, beautiful, Healthy baby, who loved to look all around.  In her first year of life, Nayeli learned to crawl, and then walk.  In her second year of life, she learned to talk and express her wishes, and anxiously awaited the arrival of the light-haired angel.
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One night in her dream, the dark-haired angel called out to the light-haired angel, and told her that it was time to come earthside.  The light-haired angel made her way across the same rainbow bridge, and slept in her mother’s womb for 40 weeks.  On a cold winter day, she made her entrance into the world.  She was given the earthly name Madelyn, meaning strong one.

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The family was whole, and filled with light and warmth.  Nayeli and Madelyn brought joy and love to the earth, and to each other.  Their bond was special, beginning in times before the journey across the rainbow bridge.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A Very Merry Christmas!

Christmas came, and Christmas went!  It was our last "big" Christmas, we'll be doing things different next year.  I feel it has become so materialistic- but I feel the need to share the presents, which were sadly the focus of the day (and which is why we're doing things differently next year!).


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From us (or Santa- whichever Lellie decided to be true!) the girls got a cash register, a farm set with figures and animals, and some things handmade by me.  Lellie got a hat and scarf for her doll Lucy, and both kids got playsilks dyed by me and pillows sewn by me for their dolls.

From grandma and grandpa, they got a bunk bed for their dolls, and a little racetrack with cars that flip around.  Lellie's uncle got her a new bike- I posted about it awhile back.  I'm so excited for spring!  We're practicing in the house for now- she has motor planning delays and doesn't know how to pedal- yet!

Next year, I'm hoping to do things differently.  I want to put emphasis on the Solstice- and celebrate the 12 days of Christmas and the Epiphany instead.  We're going to do a very small Christmas tree (we have cats, remember?) and will likely just put a small something in their stockings.  Perhaps some crayons and a baked good (though we're doing a no-sugar 2012...).  We'll tell the Christmas story (remember, we're atheists, but it is a wonderful story!) and have a nice dinner.  Then we'll do three gifts on Epiphany, or el Dia de Los Tres Magos, as we call it.

For now, I'm preparing for the New Year!  I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Winter Solstice

The night is cold,
The snow is new.
Lellie loves the Winter!
Moo loves the Winter!
Daddy loves the Winter!
And I do too!

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Our Solstice/Birthday table all lit up.

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Maddie blowing out her birthday candles!  Note the drool- she had been trying for quite a bit!

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The gorgeous star lanterns I made, lit up for the first time!

First off, I apologize for the delay in the post- I have been so busy what with Christmas and all.

Our Winter Solstice was peaceful.  We were going to do a lantern walk, but since it was raining and freezing, we decided to spend the evening by candlelight instead.

Tomorrow is Lellie's 4th Birthday.  We're having a family celebration.  I also need to rewrite her rainbow bridge story (I know, again!) and draw the illustrations for it.  I wasn't going to throw the angel into the mix because of our atheist ties, but I've decided to treat it as sort of a myth- a fairy tale about their birth, if you will.  It is magical for them, and when they're older they can decide if they want to believe it is true or not.  I'm not 100% in tune with anthroposophy... so I'm not treating it as fact.  Just telling it as I would any other story!  When I told it on Maddie's birthday the other day, Lellie was a bit confused.. I think illustrations would help her a great deal!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Happy Birthday Moo!

Two years ago today, we welcomed miss Moo earthside.  She's our shining light- how fitting for her birthday to land on the Solstice!  Here are the photos I promised.  It's cloudy out, I'm using a point & shoot, and one of these was even taken on a camera phone.  So.... yeah.  Whoops! Enjoy! :)  I'll leave the cake recipe in at the bottom.

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Here's that cake recipe:

Cinnamon Honey Apple Birthday Cake

Ingredients:
-3 eggs
-3 tbsp vegetable oil
-1/2 cup of honey
-3/4 cup of apple sauce
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3/4 cup of brown sugar
-2 1/4 cups of flour
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 cup of water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix eggs, oil, honey, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla together until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well blended.
Add dry mixture to wet mixture while stirring in the 3/4 cup of water.  Mix until well blended and not very lumpy.

Pour batter into a greased 9x13" baking pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes uncovered.  Note: a toothpick will not come out clean when it's done- this cake is very moist and sticky- the insides will stick to the toothpick.  Just make sure that what sticks is crumbs and not raw batter!

I made this as a one layer cake for the girls- but on N's birthday, when we have people over, I'm planning on making it a  two layer cake and putting apricot filling in the center, and frosting with cream cheese frosting.  More on that when it actually happens!


Solstice post coming tomorrow!