coffee . tiger . nail polish

 today i am thankful for...

1.  a surprise coffee delivery from my thoughtful and handsome husband.

2.  the imagination of my three & half year old, who wanted to be a tiger today.

3.  doing something, however very small, that was just for me.

it is the simple things.

our home

some days i look around my home and notice all of the things that need to be done around here and think of the endless to-do list we have going. and i wish we had more money and time.

other days i look around and notice the laundry that is piled up, toys scattered everywhere and a floor that is in need of a good mopping.  and i wish i had more energy and time.

but there are the days where i notice more then anything how my house is a home.  our home, which is full if excitement and laughter.  full of learning and growing.  a home that is overflowing with love.  and i wish nothing about this would ever change.

"love begins at home, and it is not how much we do…
but how much love we put in that action" 

mother teresa

a thoughtful friday

{a few pictures from this morning from their life}

some random thoughts on this sunny friday morning...

1.  having two nights in a row of Brie sleeping through the night is the most precious gift. i hope this is a sign of change.

2.  i finally found the energy to tackle the 4 laundry baskets that have been sitting in my bedroom since tuesday. yes i despise laundry.

3.  i am on day 11 of the 17 day diet, cycle one. i am really enjoying it and find it very easy to follow. so far i am not sure on weight loss, as i am a scale free home, but i do notice big changes happening. i feel great, more energy, no stomach problems, no bloating feeling after eating, and yes my clothes are looser. ya! weekends are hard though, send me strength.

a learning home

i have a new blog to add to the family... to document our home learning journey.  i could blog about this new adventure here, but i want to have this remain strictly my place to share my thoughts.  so if you want to follow us as we take the plunge into homeschooling we would be happy to have you along for the ride!

a learning home

i will remember

these last few months, weeks and days have been incredibly freeing for me. each day that goes by another piece of me that has been lost finds its way back.  all of this change has taught me to stop and embrace the here and now.

to enjoy where my family is right now. to remember what stage my girls are at today.

i will remember that my oldest asks a million questions each day, and only stops talking to eat and sleep.  how she loves singing and pretending - she has the most amazing imagination and is a born performer. how she is full of empathy and is very polite. i will remember how right now she is is a few steps away from being a truly "big girl", i see flashes of it in her everyday.  but right now, she still asks for cuddles and to hold my hand.  i will remember how she often crawls into bed between me and Ben because she says "i want you". most of the time we let her stay, because soon it will start happening less frequent and then not at all.

"so wear a happy smile and life will be worthwhile
forget the tears but don't forget to smile"

i will remember my sweet baby  is so happy. how she is almost always smiling. i will remember  how she runs her fingers through my hair to comfort herself, and that she has done this pretty much since birth. how she just started talking, and loves to repeat her favorite words over and over again. i will remember how much she adores her big sister and wants to do everything she does. i will remember that when she sits she always crosses her feet. and when she hears music her whole body moves instantly.

i will enjoy them, as they are, right now. and i will let them be themselves and start to create a space that allows them to find out who they are, what their interests are, and give them the knowledge to learn.  we will celebrate the stages our family is at today, because tomorrow it will be different.

unconventional

we do not change as we grow older,
we just become more clearly ourselves
 {lynn hall}


it takes courage to be yourself and be true to you. i feel like i am just settling in on who i am. and what i want from my life. i can say that i am unconventional and slightly radical when it comes to a lot of issues. my beliefs are rarely main stream and i have been known to call myself an urban hippie. i question everything so i can make an informed decision.

allowing myself to be true to my feelings and ideas is just one step closer to more peace within me.

mommy & me time

beautiful & found

to cut out the figure
the grounding of this
let melancholic drown

to greener reminders
of better pastures
you're beautiful and found

(from the song let you break by william fitzsimmons)

this is their time

this week i have had a lot of my plate, and found myself slipping back into my old ways of working too much during the day. too much when my kids are awake and need me.

i hear this voice...

"this is my time mama, i want you".

i believe

i love this post that Angie wrote yesterday. at the end was a prompt...
what do you believe?