moonpie is 10

This morning Birdy was up before I thought she should be.  It was still so dark out that I couldn't imagine starting my day.  I scooped her out of her crib and sat with her in the rocker to try to soothe her back to sleep.  Her cold little cheek found the warm spot in my neck and made a home right there.  You mamas know what I mean.  It's the best.

As I rocked my youngest daughter I watched my oldest turn in her bed and I couldn't help but marvel at time.  This day marks her tenth birthday.  But wasn't it only yesterday I was sitting in the dark rocking her sweet self to sleep?  Singing to her over and over "mama loves, and daddy loves, and everybody loves little baby...".  And really, for that matter, wasn't it just a few years back that I was celebrating my tenth birthday?  How can it be that I am a mother of a ten year old?

Gosh- I love her.  I love her creativity.  I love how funny she is.  I love how considerate she is.  I love that she still wants me to lay next to her in bed every night and rub her back and whisper about our day and the pony she will one day have.

She is my girl.  My girl that is quickly approaching womanhood.  She is my treasure and I'm going to continue soaking up every beautiful day that I have with her.  

Even the hard days are beautiful.  That's what being a mama for ten years has taught me.  

Happy birthday Moonpie!  I hope your year is rich in adventure and love!

this moment

joining soulemama in one wordless moment:

one week later

Remember last week when we got our sweet, fuzzy chicks?

Look at them one week later.  Still sweet, still a little fuzzy, but getting their feathers in.  This is Dusty.  She is an Auricana (or an Americana, whichever you prefer).  She will lay teal eggs for us and we will love her for it!

Dusty likes to perch on Moonpie's finger and fly up to her shoulder for rides.  It's amazing to me that just one week after birth, they are already trying to fly.  Today we move them out to a temporary shelter (ie: rabbit hutch) in the backyard.  They are just getting too big for their little feed trough in the garage.

And speaking of things getting too big:

 ***sigh...***

sour dough {edited}

Right now I'm in the kitchen trying to convince my sour dough starter to grow, grow, grow.  I have yet to be successful in my sour dough ventures, but I have feeling that maybe my patience has been the problem and not my starter.  This notion was brought about after I spent a little time on the Cultures for Health site and watched some of their wonderfully informative videos.  Did you know that when the brown liquid rises to the top of the starter, that means your starter is hungry?  I didn't!  What helpful information!

impromptu backyard picnic

So while I'm in here growing bubbles and bacteria, my loves are in the backyard welcoming the sunset.  I love to peek out the window and see what they are up to.  On my last check, Moonpie was walking around the backyard trying to balance a bucket of water on her head while singing a song.  Always a song on that girl's lips.  I love her creativity.  I could see it in her face that she was somewhere far, far away.  I kept my peeking to a minimum in fear of ruining her moment.  Her private moment wrapped up in her wonderful mind.  I walked away from the window so grateful that I get the chance to share this life with these two precious people.

edit:
This morning I got up ready to feed the starter and make sour dough pancakes.  There were bubbles, but only on the surface.  And the starter had a distinct odor.  The kids were grossing out, but I pushed on.  Sure, it smelled like baby poop, but I've never had a successful starter, what do I know?  Maybe it's supposed to smell really awful and then miraculously turn into pure delciousness.  Let's just say that was bad thinking on my part.
After more research on the Cultures for Health site, I've realized that I'm not supposed to start a culture with freshly ground flour.  Can anyone give me any pointers on this?

(I should add that the culture I'm using is not from Cultures for Health.  This particular brand did not note if I was to use white flour or whole wheat.  I'm assuming at this point that it was probably intended for white flour.)

this moment {science}

as inspired by soulemama:


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

moonpie made breakfast

and it was good!

her secret ingredient?

besides butter on the floor?

basil.

backseat wisdom

I think this is the longest unplanned blogging hiatus I have ever taken.  We are doing some minor bathroom renovation, my google account got all wonky on me, and then there was every day living.  Less screen time just sort of happened.  Now that it is starting to really heat up outside (it got to 97 degrees this week), we will be in more. That's the way it goes here where we really only get two true seasons- winter and summer!

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My camera cord is still floating around John's office somewhere, so I will leave you with this shot of Moonpie (taken by her brother) on our April trip to West Texas (notice the window crayons).  And some words of wisdom from said Moonpie:

The other day we were driving and this the conversation I overheard coming from the backseat:

Buddy:  I feel really mad and sad still about this morning.


Moonpie:  Don't you feel like you've carried that anger for long enough?


B:  What do you mean?


M:  Well...think of it like a bucket...and that the bucket is full of anger.  Don't you think it's time to empty the bucket?  I do.

soaking it in

slow and steady

Do you remember that day last summer when we thought it time to take Moonpie's training wheels off?  Do you remember the tears and the frustration?
Just look at my poor baby!  It breaks my heart to see that!

She has been asking for a while now to try again, and yesterday we finally did it.  You know what happened?  She did it.  She did it!  There was no running behind the bike, no wobbly legs.  She just took off like she'd been doing it for years!  We were all so proud of our girl.

This moment, on the bike, was another confirmation for one of the aspects I feel strongly about in child rearing and education.  When a child is ready, they will succeed.  I think back to all of those parent/teacher conferences I took part in when I taught in the public school.  I had the inkling of the thought that the children would get it when they were ready, but that wasn't a popular notion with my parents or the administration.  But now I am confident in this thinking.  Some children need gentle nudges and encouragement, and some just take off on their own, but the fact remains that if you let a child move at their own pace, the success will be easier to come by.
I could have set Moonpie outside for the last year forcing her to ride- and she would have been miserable in the process.  But this way, allowing her to trust her own judgement and her own intuition, she proudly conquered what she set out to do.

Slow and steady.
In her own time.

moonpie celebrates- part 2

the decorations


I love to look at pictures of elaborate children's parties.  I am on OhDeeDoh all of the time checking out the beautiful parties going on up in there.  However, when it comes time to throwing my own party, I prefer simplicity.  Just like I prefer it in every other area!

A few weeks ago when we were at the library, I noticed an entire set of 1950's Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedias.  I grabbed a stack of them, setting them aside for party time.  

There is so much inspiration on the web for making things out of book pages.  Over on Dottie Angel I found heart streamers...perfect for our party and Valentines Day!  {{{I must pause to say...I am absolutely smitten with Dottie Angel.  I want to invite her to live in my little shed, however there is no moss to be found and she may not like it in the summers.}}}

These were very easy and fun to make!  We cut out hearts from the books and I just sewed 'em right up. I plan on leaving these up until March.  Or maybe forever.  I love them!

Next we set out to make a banner out of the pages.  Moonpie took over this job and wrote out S-E-V-E-N in glitter glue.  I stitched a length of binding across the top to make it hang.  I love for the children to be involved in all of the stages of the planning, and I think Moonpie did a lovely job on her banner!

Our bookworm cake was for sure the main feature!  The kids thought he was pretty cool!  I stacked him up on some of my old books and perched him next to our jars o' snacks.  The snacks were limited this year because we actually served lunch.  Moonpie dipped several pretzel rods into (fair trade) chocolate and Buddy helped roll them into sprinkles.  The rest of the snacks were basic- carrot sticks, clementines and plain pretezel rods.

For the goodie bags I simply ripped out a page of the book and glued it to a brown bag from Hobby Lobby.  Inside the goodie bags we placed a yummy earth sucker, a thrifted book and a secret treasure box with bookworm glasses attached!  These were the typical Groucho Marx glasses with the nose and eyebrows removed.  I attached  a little poem I came up with at the last minute and then almost burned the house down trying to make it look cool.  Moonpie was behind me the whole time saying "please be careful Mama."  "We really don't need to do this Mama!"  "Please don't burn yourself Mama!!!".

These little boxes were my most favorite element.  John worked 2 days on these getting them ready.  And I love the way they turned out!  Our children have already stuffed theirs with treasures, and I'm hoping Moonpie's buddies do the same.  John was pretty relieved that we only had 4 children over.  I can't imagine how long it would have taken if there would have been more!
Here's to having a husband that puts up with all of my over ambition!  I think he's my enabler because he always says "sure, we can do that".  That's right.  It's all his fault!!!

And that was it.  Very simple.  Very manageable.  Just the way I like it!  As in most things in my life, it is more important for me that my children be a part of the process than to have a perfect picture at the end.

***one last thing- before the book police come and hunt me down.  These books were going to be thrown out, living in a land fill.  I was more than happy to give them a second chance at life, sitting on the shelf of child concealing treasures of the heart.  And yes, turning some pages into hearts.  I know this isn't for everyone, it was actually rather hard for me to do.  But I feel like it was a worthy use of what essentially was going to be trash.***

Moonpie celebrates- part 1

This year, instead of a big party, Moonpie opted to have a birthday lunch with a handful of friends.  We have learned from past parties that she overwhelms easily in a large group.  Oh how I understand this.

Ages ago I saw a post on Oh Happy Day! about some invitations that she had created for a bookworm themed birthday party.  I tucked that idea in the back of my head, hoping that one day one of my children would like the idea of a bookworm themed party.  When I mentioned this idea to Moonpie, she loved it!

This left lots of room for activities we could do.  I dusted off my elementary school teacher brain and set to work on some games!

They all attempted to make bleached letter t-shirts (inspired by Ashley Anne).  I say attempted because I used natural bleach.  You know, the kind with no chlorine in it.  Mmm-hmm.  Genius!  When we pulled the shirts out of the drier a friend said "hey, what happened to my letter?"  Good question!

We hunted for eggs in the backyard with words inside of them.  After all were found the kids pieced the words together to form sentences.  Some of the sentences were scripture and some were quotes from children's books.

We played sight word bingo, using gummy worms for markers.  They appeased me by sitting through one game.  Then they couldn't resist the urge to eat their gummy worms!

We then, of course, played pin the worm on the book.  This was Moonpie's idea and she created the whole activity herself.

My favorite part of the day was when we sat down to eat lunch (alphabet soup, of course!).  I started a discussion about favorite books.  I loved hearing them talk about the books they treasure most.  One child stated that she just couldn't think of her favorite book because there are so many good ones.

I couldn't agree more.

they say it's your birthday

Well I tell them to just hush.  That it can't be seven years already.

But then I see you, making eggs for our breakfast, reading the card I made for you, trying to navigate the emotions that come with growing, and I know-

-I know-

that it is so.

You are seven.  You are tall

and strong

and compassionate

and funny

and creative

and smart.

Oh so smart.  I can't get over you.

Today as we heap presents upon you, know that it is a meager attempt to show you what a gift you are to us.

It is my joy to share this journey of growth with you.  Since the day you were born, we have been discovering this world together.  I am blessed to have a fellow sojourner such as you.

Happy birthday my girl.

this moment

{{{as inspired by soulemama- one single, wordless moment that is worth hanging onto}}}

have a happy halloween weekend!

just for me

Moonpie took some pictures of me out working in the garden today.

And I feel silly posting them, truly I do. In real life I am more comfortable giving attention than drawing it to myself. But after reading just a little snippet on this post, I began thinking about remembering. And I decided that one day I may want to remember these days. At this point in my life, I have never felt stronger and healthier than I do now. And I think it might be ok to put it in print. Just in case I ever need to remember.

letter #2`

Dear Summer,

Your extra long days have given us a new girl. One that swims, reads, cleans, snaps, and loses teeth without any input from Mama and Daddy. She is so independent and clever. And she is loving mysteries- "the spookier the better" she says.

She adores the snails and mushrooms that all of your unseasonable raininess has brought on.

And we adore her. Her hair all streaky gold and her skin, sun-kissed.

Her spirit courageous and bright.

Love,

Mandi

harvest

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! We have been too busy harvesting!

Moonpie brought in 7 pounds of Boston Pickling Cucumbers tonight and 2 pound of various heirloom tomatoes. Yum! For supper we are having (you guessed it) cukes and tomatoes dipped in a yogurt sauce.

This variety of cucumber has been wildly successful for us. I can't wait to make pickles for my little Buddy!

a day of firsts

Yesterday was a big day for Moonpie.

She asked her daddy to take the training wheels off of her bike!

Our Moonpie is a DIY learner. One thing we work on with her is having a teachable spirit. Not that it's bad to learn things on your own or the hard way, but sometimes it's ok, and necessary, to glean from someone else's experience. We know that this will be a life-long lesson for her, so we try to be patient with the process.

Daddy finally convinced her that it is best to ride with shoes on. Especially when learning a new skill!

She was reminded that learning something new is hard, and often frustrating work.

Later that day we got to go swimming with friends, and she jumped off of the big rock slide! We were so proud of her courage! Our cautious and careful girl had a blast stretching herself in this way. This is one thing I've loved about parenting. Watching our children as they step outside of their comfort zones. Really pushing the boundaries they have set for themselves.

Out of her very full day, Moonpie was most pleased with the fact that she lost her first tooth that evening! It was hanging on by a thread, so much so that a bite of spaghetti knocked it out!

She placed her tooth in the pocket of the tooth doll I made for her. I saw these on Etsy and fell in love, but couldn't afford the price tag. And even though mine isn't quite as lovely as the original, Moonpie was head over heels for her. Any imperfection my eye sees is completely non-existent to her. She named her Emily and hasn't been far from her since I finished stitching her up.

This morning Moonpie found a dollar in Emily's pocket and a book under her pillow. She couldn't have been more pleased!

She carried her tooth with her to church this morning so she could show it to everyone!

What a full day.

A day full of firsts.

now we are six

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three,

I was hardly Me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

A.A. Milne

happy birthday my moonpie,

my treasure,

my dearest dear,

forever and ever.

holla!

moonpie created her very first challah bread last night! she was so proud, as was i! we used this recipe, only substituting whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup honey instead of sugar. we served it alongside some yummy turnip and potato soup (i switched the amount of turnips for the potatoes making it milder). this is a good way to use up CSA turnips, if your family, like mine, doesn't exactly appreciate them.

moonpie's five

today is moonpie's fifth birthday. it seems unreal that she can be that old. yesterday she told me "tomorrow i'm going to be this tall" standing on her toes. she's also been telling me lately that i won't be able to hold her any more, because she'll be too big. little does she know that i'll be like that creepy old lady in love you forever, driving across town, crawling in her window when she's an adult, just to hold her. our little moonpie, called that by her daddy, "because her face is round, like a moonpie", he'd say. seems like every year that little moonpie face is getting slimmer, ushering us toward womanhood.




moonpie is an old soul- an 80 year old woman trapped in the body of a 5 year old. "mama, come outside! the sunset is amazing!" she hollers to me. she teaches me so much. how to appreciate the journey. how to watch out for tiny 'newborn' acorn hats before they are crushed underfoot. she is the ultimate chicken wrangler

and my hero

but most of all, she's my girl. my creative, responsible, book lovin', wiser than her age, girl. and i'd give the moon and and stars for her to know how big my love is for her. that i didn't know how gut wrenching and vulnerable love truly was until the day she was born. she introduced me to that new kind of love- that mama bear love that is so intense it can be frightening.

so here's to you, my little one...happy birthday!