This Moment 4/19

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.

WIP and a bit

Crafting is a way that many moms and others maintain some balance in their lives, the act of creating something new or different is like therapy for the soul. I am no different, I paint-everything, and crochet like crazy. Since Cullen joined our family 11 weeks ago there has been a bit of a lull however as we got to know each other and he developed his eating and sleeping routines. I have only just got back to crochet and am working on completing his little luvy blanket. My two older children both have one and they like to spray in with a little perfume when they need a little extra comfort.

It's a warm heather grey and very soft. The pattern has v-stitches and little bobbles giving it some nice texture for the baby to experience when he gets a bit older.

Also over Easter weekend we felted Easter eggs and I just cannot put them away yet, they are too pretty, so on the coffee table they stay. We used the felting kit from Bella Luna toys, and the instructional video from you tube, also by Bella Luna. They can be found here http://www.bellalunatoys.com/felted-spring-easter-eggs-kit.html . I really recommend this craft my kids loved getting wet and playing with soap all while still making something very pretty. My youngest was 5 then (he turned 6 last week) and had no trouble at all, I think kids as young as 3 could probably accomplish this with just a little help. Finn and Iain were very proud, giving their hand made gifts to their Sunday School teachers.

77 days

It has been 11 weeks, 77 days since Cullen entered our lives. He is so sweet and loved it's hard to remember what we were before him.

Growing every day and getting so strong. I love the way he takes in a whole room, he seems to see and enjoy ever little thing.

 

He loves diaper changes, never thought I'd say that about one of my kids, but he does. He like to kick his free legs and squirm and coo. Bedtime is his very favourite though because he gets at lest ten minutes of naked time, and we all know naked is best.

 

 

I hope he keeps these big grey eyes they remind me of my grandpa and are just too perfect.

this moment 4/12

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. 

All about Iain

Yesterday was my middle child Iain's 6th birthday. I can't believe it's been 6 years since he was born, even with a new little one I still feel like it was yesterday.

He has grown and changed so much. He loves candy, major sweet tooth here.

For over a year every night at bed time he would ask to go the beach, the park, and the zoo the next day.

He never slows down for a minute until right before dropping. He goes to bed and "reads" at night until he comes into the bedroom where I'm usually nursing Cullen and asks if it's time to turn out the light.

His smile melt my heart.

He is creative and sensitive.

Pixie (who is twice this size now) is his best friend in the whole world.

I can't imagine life without him. He makes the days full, and the life I have chosen better and better every day. I love him more than I can say. Happy Birthday Iain.

Birthdays Galore!

In our little slice of the world April is birthday month...mine is the 7th, Iain's is the 10th, my dad is the 13th and my uncle the 29th...it makes for some busy-ness around here. I had planned this post for Sunday my birthday but blogger wasn't cooperating so I'm going to do it now...

So, these were my birthday presents, from my kids and husband the pretty soft pink and a purple scarf, and hammered silver earrings, and from my folks a set of country dish towels, and a strawberry colander.
I turned 34 (eek) and so 34 things about me...

1. my full name, Amber Lynn Hudson-O'Brien, Lynn is my father's 1st name, I'm named after him...
2. my favourite season-winter
3. I can't stand mess, it runs in my family, my grandmother and great grandmother were the same,   neat niks
4. my favourite veggie-asparagus
5. I don't play video games, haven't since my sister had a 1st generation Sega in 4th grade
6. TV series I can watch over and over-Golden Girls
7. breakfast is my favourite, I even had a way traditional morning wedding so we could have a brunch
8. I love rain
9. I have read Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 4 times
10. I speak a moderate amount of German, I took years of it in school, languages come easy to me
11. I have been to more foreign countries than American states, 12 countries, I love to travel
12. rainbow sherbet is the best stuff ever
13. cloth diapers and woolies are one of my addictions
14. I have 7 full book shelves in my house and still have boxes of books in the garage, they are comfort
15. my grandma Marion was my favourite person in all the world, she passed away almost 3 years ago, but I still dream of her often
16. I experience deja'vu at least once a week
17. I have a crazy good memory
18. I loathe overhead lighting and prefer lamps
19. my last baby was born after only one push
20. I talk to myself-like a lot
21. I never use a flat sheet on beds, quilts and down comforters are our way
22. the best place I ever visited Tralee, Ireland
23. favourite colours, pink and brown
24. I'm a dog not a cat person
25. favourite flowers, sweet peas, and daisies
26. British television all the way
27. I love having pictures all over the house
28. I collect vinyl recordings of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet
29. I love cast iron cook ware
30. hand made pottery is a passion
31. pointillism makes my head hurt and I love it
32. I can spend hours in a book store and leave without buying anything and still be happy
33. coffee-yummy
34. yarn-a way of life

sneaking in an Easter picture of the big kids, they look so sweet all scrubbed and dressed up. It was Iain's idea to pose this way.

soft outside, hard inside

Today has been a day. I forgot 1/2 day at school, baby boy had a melt-down because I had to stop feeding and bundle him into the car to go get the kids, did I mention he loathes his car seat? Pixie stole Iain's socks, not so bad all in all but he was wearing them at the time. I didn't vacuum and I didn't clean out the baby drawer, one daily and the one weekly thing I needed to do today. Yes I separate my chores into daily and weekly tasks in an effort to keep my head from exploding.

Before I had children I had such lofty views of what type of mother I would be. I would never be angry, I would never ever yell, and I would never get upset over the little things. I would be organized, the kids would be clean but not too clean and properly fed, I would listen to and consider every little request and would do everything I could to have a well run, clean, organized, and happy home...sigh...Well if today wasn't the day to make me feel like a big fat failure. I have done a lot of things wrong in my day, things in my life that afterwards I'd think yeah probably not the best decision, but none made me feel like an awful human being like a baby bawling in the back seat can.
Motherhood is rough, there are days I turn the dryer on 3 times just so I don't have to unload it. There are days we have cereal for dinner because I know everyone will eat it and the dish consumption  is minimal. There are days brushing my teeth before bed time is the only time I do that day. There I admit it.

It is amazing all the growing and learning kids do, the growth you see and the small trials overcome. I don't think many parents get the same notice, which I'm sure is the way it should be but parents do the same. We grow, we learn, we adapt and change we overcome challenges that to the un-kid world probably seem inane. To us, the day you get the laundry done, the dishes put away, pick the kids up on time, have a dinner with veggies in it, and get the story read and little ones in bed with hugs and kisses and smiles, those are the days we win. So someone didn't finish their peas, and the biggest fell asleep without brushing her hair, and the baby will probably want to eat again in about 20 minutes, as long as we do it all without tears, without yelling, without strife, I can say without a hint of remorse those are the best days.

Though in reality the days with the strife and the occasional tears, and the small breaks in the sereneness of home, they are the best too.