Plain Vest - by Pickles :)

This was one heck of a satisfying knit.  

It was soooooooooo fast to knit.  Done knitting in 5 days.  Took me 2 more to work in the ends, and sew on the buttons - but that was ummm laziness ;)

The best part tho - was that because it was stranded, I was able to use up 2 balls of super thin, but lovely wool, that I would never have found a use for, and another equally lonely ball of wool that might have just sat sad in my knitting basket until ..... the end of time.  

My favorite part tho (did I say that already? - hmm ok I have a best part and a favorite part ;)

My favorite part was that the lovely light purple wool, was left from one of her very first sweaters - the 2nd sweater I ever knit.  The sweater that I knit in purple, in that very specific shade of purple, because it was *her* color.  I hadn't met her yet, but I knew.  It's still her color.  

So this sweater had to be knitted, and I didn't care one bit that at the start I hadn't enough yarn, and wasn't sure if it would turn out - I just knew it had to be.  

And so it was.

Here's the pattern

My ravelry page

A certain older girl wants one now - and she even picked out a bunch of other lonely balls of wool.......

Tho I must say I'm a wee bit nervous about her choice of colors, and whether or not there is enough, but since it all worked out with this one, I'll just have to have faith.  It will be somewhat of a coat of many colors ;)

One Hundred Million Gillion Fun

It was such a treat to photograph these little sweeties!  I enjoyed our time together so much - and unlike my own kids - they looked at the camera!  Don't get me wrong - I love taking pictures of my kids - but man I sure have to work for every shot I get ;)  They think it's so funny to run away giggling.  

These little guys' response when I asked if they were getting bored of having their picture taken was "NO!  This fun fun!  This is a hundred fun - no a hundred million gillion fun!"  

That just made my day :)

Miss Veda Part 2

The first session we did, this little sweetie was awake the whole time.  Which was totally fine - I love eyes :)  We had hoped to try some of those cute sleeping newborn shots tho, so we decided to give it another go asap.  And then my whole family got sick :(  There was a 2 week delay, during which time I  knit a beautiful cocoon to take photos of her in - knowing that more than likely she'd be waaaaaay too big, but doing it anyway ;)  Needless to say, I definitely see why photographers say you need to do these shots by 2 weeks of age.  Little Miss did what any of my babies would have done - she woke up! I've always been a little skeptical of those newborn shots - none of my babes have been even remotely that sound of sleepers.  Sooooooo yeah - none of those kinds of shots - and this little munchkin isn't so little anymore!  Gosh they grow so fast in the first few weeks!

That would be the cocoon - which she definitely didn't fit ;)  But that's ok. She's cute no matter what ;)

"Hey man - you woke me up!"

I snapped a few at the end of her sleeping - no way was I going to wake this little one again ;)  Mama's arms do just fine.  I think that famous rule "Don't wake a sleeping baby" is a wise one ;)

Newborn Bliss

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm just cuckoo for babies :)  I don't know why, but I was actually surprised at just how much I *love* photographing newborns.  It's kind of a no-brainer if you think about it - but I guess i just never did.  This little lady just rocked my world.  I mean look at her!  Everything about a newborn just screams to be photographed!  And what a huge honour to create the photos that will be treasured for a lifetime.  They grow so fast - you have to capture them quick, because sure enough, you blink, and there's a teenager sitting there in front of you.  Miss Veda is just 2 weeks old in these photos.  I've got another batch to share soon that are closer to 4 weeks.....

Coaxing the grumblies away

I started writing this post in the spring and somehow forgot about it.  I like it tho, so I'm sending it off now :)  I know I've talked about much of this before - but I know for myself, I need to remind myself of it over and over again - even 16 years into parenting!

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I'm sure we're all familiar with cranky kids.  In our house we call it the grumblies - these are little bugs that hide in people's ears and between their toes and even in their belly buttons!  When a little one has the grumblies (definitely only fun for littles - the biggers would be offended lol ) we have to catch every last one of them and squish them, to make the grumblies go away.  It's amazing really - the transformative effect that silliness can have.  Really, so often when kids are acting out, if they aren't hungry, tired, or overstimulated,   all they are really needing from us is love and attention.

It's so much simpler when they are littles tho.  Easier to shift, easier to accept the love and attention once it's offered.  Helping them shift requires a whole nother level of skill that I don't always seem to find in me.  And yet it's so important, especially in a big family like ours, where there are 5 kids - needing all different levels of attention.  It's so easy for the older kids needs to fall by the wayside - in our family - I've seen other families where the older kids' lives took up so much time and space that it was the littles that were needing more.  One on one time is something we have always made a huge priority, and that is sooooo helpful.   When I see one of my kids out of sorts, I always know that it's time for that mama (or papa) time.

Today tho - today was a little different than usual.  A boy was desperately wanting to go to his friends, but it wasn't in the plans, and he was angry.  Really really mad.  In all honesty I had given up trying to help him shift, out of sheer frustration.  We were heading out the door to go up the road to the local nursery for some herbs, and I assumed both my bigger boys would want to stay home.  My older boy decided to come tho, and at first he was still mad, but slowly, slowly, as he found himself chasing around with his sisters, a shift happened.  It certainly wasn't me.  Being all together outside, choosing plants - that was quiet and relaxing, and the air smelled good.  There was a request to stop at the river and check the temperature of the water, with high hopes of swimming.  We humoured him.  It didn't matter that the water was still too cold.  He had gotten to a place of ease again.  Maybe he's gotten a little bit older.  Maybe being with family was what he was actually needing.  Maybe..... I don't know.   I do know tho that being a kid is harder than we adults would like to admit.  Learning how to shift out of that yuck place and back into a pleasant place can be hard even as an adult, so however it happened.  I was pleased for him.

Even better tho, was that when we got home, a certain boy followed us out to the garden and proceeded to help with digging and planting leeks!

I think that by far the biggest lesson that I try to remember as a parent, is look past the surface, and a little deeper to the why.  Why are they angry, mouthing off, sad, ignoring our requests?  It's certainly not because they are bad kids - there's no such thing.  Look for unmet needs.  That is where I try to direct my attention.  Past the swearing.  Past the yelling, to the often times hurt feeling that came first, and on to connection.  That is where the learning is.  Love.

air

Our trip this summer involved *alot* of driving.  I know I found it too much at times - and if I did then you can imagine 4 kids cooped up ;)  

We found lots of ways to break it up tho and get them out and *moving*.   We did do some big crowd activities (not my favorite thing, crowds) but really the beach is where it was at ;)

And really what can be more fun than hurling yourself off a sand dune into the soft waiting sand below?  I loved the expressions on their faces - especially little Miss A ;)  Such fierce determination.  Big Miss A is not the sort (yet) to jump with wild abandon - she's a cautious one so far.  I'm sure that as she gets older and gains confidence she'll find her way - maybe she'll jump with reckless abandon sometimes - or maybe she'll be cautious.  Both are good in my books ;)  A little of both perhaps ideal, tho is there really any such thing ?   I mean we are all such a gorgeous blend of our various quirks and qualities.  Acceptance can be hard at times as a mama tho - or a papa I'm sure.   It's easy to accept the pleasant qualities - not so hard with the stuff that doesn't look so pretty, to know that they'll find their way - and we just need to be there, attentive, listening, and letting them. be. them.  I need reminding of this at times.  To allow this unfolding.  To love and have faith that with the proper care these sweet rose buds will bloom in all their very own glory.

Just Like Grandma

This baby girl of mine arrived just two short months before my much loved Grandma passed.  What a lucky babe she was tho to share some of her Great-Grandma's last shining moments.  I've always felt the two of them are very much connected and ever so much alike in looks and fiesty personality.

So much so that we added her name as a second middle name for this girl of mine.

This photo tho (above) ..... oh my.  The likeness is striking, and pulls at my heart just a little, reminding me.

It's a good kind of pulling on that heart of mine tho.  I loved her dearly.

G.G. - as she liked to call her great grandmother self - would have adored this one.  All of them really - but I'm sure she would have seen herself in her.  Recognized the twinkle in her eye perhaps.

This wide open lovey girl - she literally hurls herself at us - full of love - every day.

  I just follow her rambunctious self, camera in hand.  That smile - my camera wants to catch it!

I realized the other day that this is the first time in all my many years mothering all these loves, that I don't have a baby in the house, distracting me from really appreciating all that is 3.  

Love.