life of seven

On Our Way

I believe the time has come-I hope Disney World is ready for our very big crew. I will post pictures if I'm able. See that half of Atlas Shrugged? Think I'll get a chance to read it in the next two weeks? I'm on the last few hundred pages, finally, and in a spurt of wishful thinking, I packed it in the suitcase. But I have a feeling not much reading will be happening. 

In honor of the trip and the lots (lots) of walking I will do, and subsequently baby carrying, I have worked at finding and perfecting my favorite back carry. I believe this one is called Double Hammock with candy cane chest belt. So comfortable. Not too hard to do. But it does take a little while to get her up there perfectly. Once up, though, I think I'm good for a pretty long stretch. I like it. I'll give the carry the ultimate test: Disney World!

Goals

My goals for the week:

1. Being patient with the children. I lost my temper way too many times yesterday. Clementine decided on Saturday that the only person she wants to hold her is me, even first thing in the morning when she is normally the happiest, friendliest baby ever. Not anymore, it seems. Today this made my day so difficult that I found myself getting upset and frustrated at everyone. I just didn't have the patience to kindly respond to those who needed me, and having to explain concepts to Evie for the millionth time nearly did me in. I don't think I'm normally grumpy or easily upset but today was rough. I'm regretting my juvenile behavior while I sit down and think about how yesterday went. I'm pretty ashamed of myself, and apologized to the kids. When you mess up, the best thing to do is to apologize. So, yeah, I'm going to try very hard to be a patient mommy this week.

2. Read Jude and Truman Bible stories every day. They love when I read to them. They, and I, especially enjoy the Arch Books, which are Bible stories with great illustrations that rhyme. Jude's into rhymes lately. So. Cute. Like Dr. Seuss, he doesn't care if the rhymes are actually real words, like "Boba Fett had to go to a rhett! That rhymes, Mom!" Yes, my darling, it sure does. Anyway, I want to consistently read Bible stories to the boys everyday, and the Arch books make it so easy and fun.

3. Make it to the library. Return the stinking overdue books and try for a better track record this week. I love the library but it can sure be hard to get there as often as I should. I used to want to be a librarian so bad. I wanted to gently steer children toward my favorite reading selections and help them discover new and exciting authors. Nothing cozier sounding than a librarian, is there? I used to go weekly, or even twice weekly, when I'd take Cate and Grace to story times. Back in the day of two young toddlers and hours upon hours of extra time that filled our days. Not anymore. Must make it to the library this week.

4. Clean out a closet, or two. I don't really want to think about this but I'm going to be good and just write it down.

5. Learn to draw. All of a sudden I wish I was an artist and could take pen to paper and create wonderful art. Paint, draw, computer graphics, I don't care what medium- all of a sudden it sounds like so much fun. When I was little I wanted to be an artist, too. I figured as I got older I'd be able to instinctively know how to draw well. But, sadly, that gift didn't just float down to me from heaven. How fun though, if the kids and I went through the Learn to Draw in 30 Days book we have. It sounds so fun and relaxing.

6. Continue knitting Evie's birthday sweater. I can say continue because I have knit an inch on it so far. So, at least it's started. I need this done by April 9th. While we're on the subject, I'd love to sew her a dress or skirt as well.

7. As long as I'm listing goals, I may as well put down, "design and begin Gideon's birthday sweater", because I'd love to make one for his birthday as well. Yes, it's a little lofty of a goal considering his birthday is coming up quicker than Evie's, March 31st. And I haven't even figured out what sweater to make him, and thus figured I may as well design one for him. Like I said, it's a lofty goal... but that's the point of a list of goals: you're supposed to aim high so at least you go somewhere. 

8. Blog every day. Somehow I've been falling from 5 posts a week down to four. And, I do think four is a pretty reasonable number, but I prefer the feeling of the flow of blogging daily. It keeps my mind more active somehow. And, I've already missed Monday so I need to for sure get the rest of the week in. I'll have to work on that!

9. Oh, dear, I almost forgot number 9, when it's sort of the point of my blog post. I need to get this in writing: NO SUGAR this week. I just feel like I need to cut the sugar out.Except for in coffee, I suppose. But I think I will buy coconut sugar and not even use sugar for that. Once I can get to Whole Foods to buy it. But that might be a goal for another week. 

I'm keeping it simple and leaving my list of goals at that. I hope I can accomplish at least a few of them!

About that baby wearing...

Now that Clementine is almost six months old, I have been using the baby wrap a bunch again. I felt like months 3-4 were difficult ones to use the wrap. I didn't want her to fall asleep in it too much and then not take a nap in her bed, and that age just a little cuddling is enough to get them to snuggle down to sleep well before nap time.

However, once she reached the five month mark and began having lots more wakeful time, I have been using the wrap a bunch again. In the grocery store, a whole lot on our vacation, while cooking dinner, and so on. I have began putting her on my back, too, something I didn't feel fully comfortable with when she was younger. I'm still experimenting with that. Right now my favorite times to use it are when we are away from our house, at the store or at church, or on vacation, when I am on the move and don't want to lug the stroller or car seat out. At home she is pretty content to play on a blanket surrounded by brothers and toys. I don't move enough around at home to keep her content in the sling for a long time, unless maybe I am making dinner.

That's where we're at with the baby wearing. I love it. I know I'm looking down the road here, but I will miss it so when we are done.

Beach

 

Oh, how I love the beach, especially on the West Coast. Lovely golden twilight on a warm evening in January, definitely not warm enough for swimming, as my littlest boys discovered, but perfect for running around, escaping waves, throwing footballs, and taking photos. There's nothing like it.

Rainbows

Apparently rainbows was the theme when I last took pictures, unknowingly to me until I uploaded them onto my computer. You can see our makeshift "Waldorf Room" as we call it, put in quotation marks, because I don't really follow the Waldorf philosophies of education. I love the Waldorf aesthetic, if it could be called that, and many of the ideas are very sound, in my opinion, but I am far from being familiar with that whole education path, which is why I find it funny, and rather tongue-in-cheek when I call this room a "Waldorf Room." It's basically the room where I put our "good" toys, and don't generally let kids play in there unsupervised. Hah, it's an ironic sort of room (and I love it). 

The photos started when I realized too many days had gone by without some great pictures of Clementine.  Well, once again there she was all wrapped up next to me so here are some more sweet wrapping pics. The carry I mainly use is the front wrap cross carry, sometimes pulling the rails over her for support, often leaving them as is as you can see in these pictures. I haven't put her on my back yet. I don't feel the need to put my newborn on my back yet (yes, she's stil a newborn- please tell me 8 weeks is still a newborn! sniff) and read some articles about how newborn back carries aren't very safe, even for the experienced baby wearing folks. Whether or not this is true, I felt it rang true for me and feel much more comfortable waiting till she is four or five months old and can support her head and chest better to place her on my bvack. Plus, I can't kiss that soft head of peach fuzz when she's not in front of me.

Don't get too excited about the sweater you see here: dessine-moi-un-mouton. Yes, I know there's only a half a sleeve left, but the truth is it's looked like this since before Clemmie was born. I have not knit a single solitary stitch on it. I bet it would help if I had the sleeve on needles though. Today, maybe. I love the colors I chose for this. It too is a rainbow of sorts. Subtle rainbow, in not so obvious bold and saturated shades, is maybe my new favorite colorway, in wraps, and sweaters, and "Waldorf Rooms."

 

Outings

 

A Sunday afternoon walk through Old Town...I'm behind the camera with Clemmie: clearly I need to take some pictures of her, too. Not an easy task since she's always, always in her wrap. Talk about a life saver. As I've mentioned before, wrapping and Clementine go together like...hmmm...milk and cookies. On second thought, considering we've recently discovered Clementine has a bit of a dairy sensitivity, perhaps that's not the BEST example. I probably thought it up subconsciously since I'm craving milk and cookies, or milk and anything, since I cut it out two weeks ago. Oh, for a real latte...soon enough, I'm sure...

Out for another walk, this time around our neighborhood. It was hat weather this day, and the scrambled search through the house for headwear triggered the knitter in me, desperate to knit up dozens and dozens of cabled, fairisle, stranded, colorful, striped, warm and cozy hats. I still have been unable to knit more than a stitch or two a day, it seems. So busy with the kids and my hands always full of Clementine. She's not in these pictures again, because, you guessed it, she's in her wrap, enjoying the sunshine (wearing a hat). 

I have been taking the camera on outings ever since I started this blog, something I've never done before. Around the house, especially if it's of an inanimate object (namely, not a kid dashing around) I am pretty comfortable with my camera. At events, where I don't know the great spots for a photo, with lighting coming every which way, and all sorts of chaos (photographically speaking) of people crowding and dashing around, I feel a little overwhelmed trying to get a shot. I'm not a "bold" photographer, either. I get nervous if people watch me take a picture, or worse yet, if I point the lense at someone not in my family. What's the name of that phobia, I wonder? Anyway, I'm practicing, but I'm definitely not happy with it. Practice makes perfect, hopefully! Having a career of being a wedding photographer or something sounds like a nightmare. Thankfully I can only get better at photos on our outings because I'm certain they can't possibly get worse!!!

Day in the Life

Sometimes nothing beats that back to school season with cool fall weather outside, leaves changing, sharpened pencil at the ready, cup of tea and knitting at hand, gearing up to give out a spelling test or count to one hundred (that's my mom in the top photo, showing Evie how to make "bed" with her hands, keeping track of the direction of those pesky "b's" and "d's"- just like she taught me).

Oops- look who I caught sleeping instead of reading The Last of the Mohicans...Grace is nowhere near sleeping because she is in the middle of Mockingjay. Or, was I not supposed to admit I'm letting my 12 year old read "The Hunger Games"...Please excuse the laundry piles in the background- or the foreground, I suppose. There is always, always, laundry in the foreground around here, though not always clean and neatly folded. Occasionally it's even put away, I promise.

These boys played happily all afternoon with their cars and blocks, thankfully. They are the best of buds now, and hopefully that will continue as they grow older. As they have had their share of fights while playing together, it is nice to see them getting along so well here.

Despite the early frost we got, some of our tomato plants seem to have survived and we harvested about another twenty pounds yesterday. I was so thrilled about it. We ate the best BLT's ever for dinner last night. Nothing, nothing beats a garden tomato, and I could eat the heirlooms we planted like...like...ice cream!

I'm discovering a new found love of baby wrapping and wearing, as I suppose it's called. For several reasons. The main one is the new wrap I got for Mother's Day (not the shorty in the photo). Best baby item I ever bought. Too bad I didn't get it till Baby #7. My first, older, wrap, the one I used for both Jude and Truman, while I'm sure is a great wrap, was just so thick and stiff that I never seemed to have an easy time using it. It was heavy and the colors (turquoise and brown) weren't as fun. It worked out fine but I never totally got the appeal everyone talks about and I thought it was just me. After I tried a different brand, everything became clear and I saw the light, so to speak. Beautiful, soft, and thin, I have been wrapping Clemmie up multiple times a day and now I consider my wrap my lifeline. I put her in it and it is like I gave her a tranquilizer- which is the other reason I am wrapping much more than with the other babies. She truly loves it, more than Jude and Truman did. She can sleep in it for hours and now that I am really getting the hang of it (with an easier to use wrap), I am super comfortable as well. I am enjoying experimenting using a shorter wrap (the one in the picture), too. It is more difficult to make truly comfortable (though I've discovered some tricks that help) but is still easier to use than my old one. I'm going to just sell that one because I know some people really like the thicker wraps for heavier babies. But it's definitely not for me.

Finally, our day ended with a quick trip to the park across the street. Oh, Grace...she is getting so grown up but still has such a playful side to her that includes taking the puppy down the slide. I hope that side of her never goes away.

So somehow this post unintentionally turned into one of those "Day in the Life" articles. Did you grow up reading those in "Practical Homeschooling" magazine like I did? That was always my favorite thing to read in that magazine. It was actually the only part of the magazine I read, now that I think about it. I kind of always wanted to write a "Day in the Life." Looks now as though I have...