WIP Wednesday

In between the holidays I'm taking the time to work on a few things. I'm trying to soak up the quiet that this week has blessed us with. Even amidst circumstances that would normally leave us all frazzled (new toys, daddy working long, LOOONG hours, and too much sugar from stocking surprises) things are surprisingly calm in our little home.

As I sit in the rocking chair and watch the munchkins play with their new treasures I've been picking off a few stitches here and there of what will soon be Willow's new slippers. Hot pink, purple, and teal just as she requested.

I am also occasionally found lost in the pages of Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison. Yes, I know I've been reading it for a while. I'm savoring the pages and wisdom that my soul is gleaning from them.

What are you happily at work on this week?

TV free Tuesday

(Cedar taking a "free" ride on his rocking motorcycle thanks to the gift of time, talent, and the loving hands of the one and only Popsy)

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! We certainly had a relaxing and renewing weekend at home. We were blessed with time off for Daddy Oak, an inspiring experience at Christmas Eve service, so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts (and lessons learned from them), and lots and lots of food! Jeremy surprised me with an Ipod Touch! I've been spending the majority of my free time getting my hands on nearly every GLEE song ever produced and snapping lots of shots with the Hipstamatic app. For someone who has been known to claim nearly complete computer ignorance. . . I am in technological bliss. And I'm pretty certain that I've become a life long Apple customer due to amazing customer service and for the ease of which I (yes, ME!) can program the device and navigate the programs. In love I tell you. IN. LOVE!

Onto other business. . . .

I'm going to sum up the past TV free week with a few words: barbies, superheroes, family, 109837590129740 songs sung, awe at His Glory, new swords! foam ones! thanks Daddy!, bird watching and um. . . superheroes and barbies. Yep, that's our week!

The kids each received a few books that have been in constant rotation.

Being the logical, no nonsense type of gal that she is, Willow was gifted none other than an encyclopedia and a wildlife book along with an extention of her beloved Ranger Rick magazine subscription.

- the Usborne Internet-linked Children's Encyclopedia

- It Stinks to be Extinct by John Lithgow Palooza readers



On the other hand, Cedar was given this. He's a guy of little words . . . until you open up this book. He was saying words we'd never heard come out of his mouth! He loves it and is engrossed in its pages often.



Each year Daddy Oak and I each get the kids a gift. This year he purchased them the swords and I gave them this book along with some binoculars. Despite his jesting that looking at what we're giving the kids shows who's the 'cooler' parent, the kids genuinely do love this book. We spent the better part of yesterday afternoon outside feeding and watering birds (who are missing and who we hope find our bribes), laying in the snow listening for calls and becoming giddy with excitement when Willow spotted the one and only bird of the afternoon with the specs.



I'm trying to come up with some more activities to do outside for the coming week. I think we'll do the iced stained glass craft again. It was a hit last year. Willow thinks we need to make many of them to share with our neighbors. What a great idea!



I also want to make peanut butter pinecones, some popcorn and cranberries on string and a few other treats for the birdies to hang on our tree while it waits for the recycling truck. I was inspired by this post by Ginny at Small Things. Her blog always inspired my heart and strengthens my desire to be a calm, loving, and present mother.



I'm itching to make some ice sculptures. I'm pretty certain that Cedar will be enamored with this idea. Maybe it will turn his distaste for winter around :D



We're also bustling around cleaning, making room for new play things and carving out a space in the basement for a play corner that will include a swing and other fun things such as an indoor trampoline.

Overall we had more of a commercial Christmas than usual and I think both Daddy Oak and I missed the homemade objects that normally fill our Christmas morning with joy. This year I tried to make less in attempt to lessen my stress so that I could actually enjoy the holiday. My plan worked, but it also made my heart ache. I think that I may try to pluck off one homemade gift a month this coming year. That way next year we'll have homemade gifts AND I won't be over-stressed rushing to the deadline of Christmas Eve.

I truly hope that your weekend was a happy one! I'm hoping to post again tomorrow on a few things I'm working on for WIP Wednesday, but if I don't I hope you have a blessed, safe, and happy new year!

TV free Tuesday

The past week has been a joy and a challenge, but mostly a joy.

Here's what we've done in the past week to keep us busy and without a need for TV:

~This week we finished our winter wonderland village. I'll show I picture when I remember to take one. Willow enjoyed making it so very much. ~We made the watercolor/coffee filter garland, which was not quite as much of a hit as I thought it would be. I might try it another time.

~Willow and I made pomanders. She thinks they stink.

~Built tents out of afghans and ate p.b. off of spoons (Cedar's favorite treat) while we sat underneath and told stories.

~ We made Hanukkah ornaments for our Christmas tree out of popsicle sticks and lots of glitter and gems.

~We went to the farm after a fun little detour of the county and cut our tree.

~ We decorated our tree as a family and enjoyed lots of yummy hot cocoa.

~ We went to the the Dicken's Christmas parade downtown and enjoyed yummy treats. Willow was sad that we didn't get to see Santa (mama and daddy didn't want to spend time waiting in line in the freezing cold. Let me say that again; FREEZING COLD. I tried to compensate by sending her another video (Grammie had already sent one, thanks Grammie!!). Didn't work. So we may be taking a trip to the mall this weekend so she can see that jolly fellow and tell him ("in person!") her requests.

~We made a wreath out of clippings from our front bush.

~ We have baked pies, cookies, and made lots and lots of snacks.

~We had friends over to play!

~We have read more books than I can count and made a trip to the library this morning for more.

~Trains. TV free time in our house equals more time for track building.

~Blocks. They (Daddy Oak included) have discovered a love for blocks this past week. You'll see more when I post about our Hanukkah holiday.

~Lots and lots of painting. Did I say lots? Reminder: I need to get more watercolor paper.

In general lots of songs were sung, many games were played, toys that hadn't been played with for a while were off the shelves.

This week we have the following planned:

~Letter writing to special friends to share the holiday spirit.

~Practice for dance recital and then. . . RECITAL!

~ Building and decorating a gingerbread house.

~Willow and I are going to sew bean bags together for a stocking stuffer for Cedar while he naps one morning.

~The kids got a new puzzle on the 5th night of Hanukkah and it has been keeping them busy, I've been brainstorming some simple game ideas to go along with it.

~ These are also on the agenda.Willow has been chomping at the bit to get to these. Mama finally remembered to buy candy for them this weekend. If only I would have remembered hooks!

~Daddy's spending time working on a gift for the munchkins. A train table! with storage!!!!! shhhhhhhh! :D

~I'm embroidering the rest of the stockings I have neglected over the last few years and working on some new slippers for Willow.

Overall we are all happier and seem to have more time to do the things that we enjoy without the blue screen flashing us into zombie-dom. I have also significantly reduced the amount of time I have spent online and it has been a breath of fresh air. I wasn't spending a large amount online at one time, but it added up throughout the day of a minute here and a minute there. Lunchtime devotionals have become a regular thing again this week and everyone is rejoicing. I hadn't realized how much we NEEDED that time each day.

I began reading the book Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison. It's a good old fashioned dose of just what I needed. It's speaking to my heart and changing it in ways that I wasn't even aware were in need of improvement. Thank you to Kyrie for her suggestion! It has been reminding me to keep it simple, something I have truly been working on this past year and will be again in the next. Simplify!

Until next time, I hope you are having a happy day!

Read. Read. Read. Oh yeah, and read.

We are reading more theses days. Yes. I said MORE. How can that be you ask? Well without the tv enticing my little ones they are enjoying the previously often ignored baskets of books laying around our home. We have always been lovers of the written word but are endulding in it a bit more during our days. I thought I'd share some of our recent favorites:

The Legend of the Golden Snail by Greame Base

This is Willow's current fave. Rave reviews from the Hart household. It includes fun watermark-ish (aren't I well articulated this evening?) golden snails hidden throughout. Once you find them all you can log into a website and unlock a game! Oh my! She LOVES this book.

Next up, our beloved Ollie's Ski Trip by Elsa Beskow

Willow and I enjoy this tale every winter. She loves the character of Jack Frost and immitates skiing along a snowy moor over and over after we put it down. It's a classic. Get it. Read it. Love it.

We also LOVE OLIVIA helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer.

We are all thoroughly enjoying this new pick from a recent trip to the library. I've harbored a secret love of Olivia for a while but munchkin and monster are just jumping on the band wagon. Even Daddy Oak cracks everyone up when he does an impression of Olivia singing

"Glo-o0-o-00-ria!".

Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal

Another fun read that we've had since Willow was a toddler that Cedar is now enjoying. It's a tale about a little pea and his parents. He has to eat candy for dinner every night, "candy, candy, candy!". He scarfs down his candy counting along the way until he gets to his dessert. Everyone will be yelling "spinach!!!".

Well, off to snuggle on the couch with an old afghan, some peppermint coffee (hot cocoa for the munchkins) and another wonderful book, Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren, another of our very favorite authors. Maybe I'll share more about that another time!

Happy reading!