Conversations with a 4 year-old.

On the way to church Keith thought he take advantage of a "teachable moment" with Isaiah and try to teach him a new "day of the week".

Keith: Isaiah, do you know what day it is?
Isaiah:  Play with toys day!
Keith: Well, yes, you're going to get to play with toys.  But do you know what day of the week it is?
Isaiah: You don't have to go to work.
Keith: That's right, and what day does Daddy get to stay home on?  What is the name of the day?
Isaiah: Hannah.
Keith: No, not Hannah.
Isaiah: Uncle Trenton.  David.
Keith: (laughing)  No, it starts with an "S"
Isaiah: Saturday!
Keith: Yesterday was Saturday, so today is..ssssss
Isaiah: Saturday!
Keith: Yesterday was Saturday, today we are going to Kidmax.  What day do we go to kidmax on?
Isaiah: Saturday!
Darcie: Sunday, Isaiah.  If Kidmax is on Sunday and we're on our way to Kidmax, what day is it today?
Isaiah: Saturday!
Keith: Isaiah, see that big bright ball in the sky?  What is it called?
Isaiah: The Sun!
Keith: That's right, the sun.  So today is Sunday.  Do you know what tomorrow is?
Isaiah: Cloud Day!

:: right now ::

Right now I am...

~ smiling at how cute it is that Lucy has now named two of her babies "Sophie" after the little girl we met at the beach on Saturday
~ marveling at how many words come tumbling out of that small face each moment she is awake
~ hoping I remember this phase of Isaiah's homeschooling where is he so excited about letters and constantly asking "What does that start with?".
~ realizing he won't always be this exciting about learning everything
~ remembering the look on Lucy's face when I caught her putting on my make-up this morning
~ grateful for Keith and what he brings to our marriage and rearing our kids.  I am so glad I am not in this alone.
~ humbled by the sermon last Sunday
~ naively excited about the prospect of camping with our kids
~ smelling fresh bread
~ rather amazed at how much can get done when you embrace a rainy day indoors with your kids
~ happy to see the little green heads popping up in the garden rows
~ enjoying my busy hands and my full heart...and a little bit of chocolate brownie.

~this moment~

Joining SouleMama and her followers in 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.

Weekending

We had a wonderful long weekend with a trip to the Carp Farmer's Market and some other garage sales on Saturday, Sunday morning church followed by an afternoon at the Tulip Festival and a Monday spent on a drive and a beautiful (hot) afternoon at Petrie Island.  Here are some photos of our long family weekend.

Gardening as a Family Affair

I have been dreaming of having a vegetable garden for years.  When Keith and I got engaged and I lived with Dave and Jill I tried to grow some herbs from seeds on her front windowsill.  no luck.  Then I tried (weakly) to grow some tomatoes in containers on our apartment balconies.  no luck.  We have been fortunate to live quite close to community garden plots and I had visions of getting a plot and going there with my kids to weed and water.  The reality of being pregnant with an under 2 year-old and then having two under 3-year-olds was enough to smack that vision out of me.

But now we're at Matthew House and the kids are a wee bit older and the gardens are quite literally in our back yard.  We have been trying to establish the "Garden Golden Rules" such as "The dirt must stay in our own rectangle" and "Do not touch the other rectangles." etc.

I am really looking forward to this initial year of sticking seeds in the ground and waiting until little green heads pop up.  It is always a bit nerve-wracking trying something new that you really want to turn out well.  As we were turning over the garden patch I told Keith that I hoped I would be a good gardener.  "You will be eventually." he replied.  Ah - permission to fail.  It was actually encouraging to me to have this permission since it is quite likely things won't go according to my lofty plans.  He still dug away at the soil knowing the seeds might not yield up their fruit.  So I dug too.  Isaiah made roads in the dirt with his trucks.  Lucy pushed her stroller up and down the footpath.  Even if nothing grows - the time spent together will yield a harvest of joy.

A Weekend to be Thankful For...

Our little family shared a lovely Mother's Day weekend.  After an eventful week that involved hours of driving, an afternoon in the ER with Lucy (she's fine - she probably didn't swallow any of the pills but we had to be sure), and a lot of activity around residents and new apartments, it was a welcome reprieve. 


Today, I'm thankful for:

• the beginning of farmer's market season
• horse-drawn wagon rides downtown
• new haircuts
• long walks in the woods with walking sticks, bog monsters and fertile imaginations
• a newly overturned garden with fewer raspberry bushes
• a stack of twigs ready to mark the rows of planted seeds
• sleeping littles in the next room
• a husband who desires better things for our family - like spending time reading inspirational books together
• a church who encourages doing the hard work of discernment instead of a "do not" list.
• skype dates with family far away

Enjoy your week.  Hoping to post some project updates soon!

Vintage Goodness...

Last Spring, Keith's grandma passed away and after a few months Grandpa asked all of the grandkids to come and go through Grandma's belongings and take what we'd like.  I was away at school when both of my grandmothers died so I was never part of this process.  It was overwhelming - the feeling that these were her's - that she picked them out herself and I felt I knew this Grandmother-in-law of mine a bit better by being there.  The most wonderful and also somewhat sad part was going through all of her yarn and fabric and notions.  Beautiful fabric all neatly tied into bundles with scraps secured inside.  Summery cotton prints neatly folded and waiting for their turn to be sewn into something useful and lovely.  She wasted nothing - each scrap was there just in case she ever needed it for a log cabin square or a pocket lining. Grandpa even sent along her Bernina sewing machine.  I cannot wait to try it out.  It was so special and humbling to go through her wardrobes of cloth and sewing tables - to pick and choose as best I could what I would use and what might be better used by the quilting guild. I was sad because none of her original granddaughters sew or knit.  I was sad that they couldn't fully appreciate the richness of her collection of thread, rickrack, wool and cloth. The history in the cut fabric of pajamas and receiving blankets and nightgowns; pant suits and summer skirts and blouses. I was honoured to take it and I hope I can make some beautiful things for her great grandbabies - just like she would have wanted to do.

This Moment

I missed participating in This Moment last Friday - so I thought I'd put these up until I get the time to write a post. :)   Happy Cookie Time.

weekend outings

A little over a week ago Keith and I took the kids to the Experimental Farm for a look at the animals, a craft/bake sale and a stroll through the ornamental gardens and the arbouretum.  It's a area of Ottawa that has a lot of great memories for Keith and I - particularly the arbouretum. It was a treat to get such lovely pictures of our children in a place where we also have lovely pictures from our engagement and wedding.

~this moment~

Joining SouleMama and her followers in 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. 

Gratitude...

I am thankful for:

~ the brilliant volunteers who help Matthew House run on a daily basis so I can be free to be with the children

~ the growing puddles in the parking lot

~ good coffee

~ a  reluctant second sock being cast on

~ yarn that doesn't judge you when you cast on a project for the third time

~ a weekend of pancakes, real maple syrup and happy reunions

~ time to make dinosaur-shaped scones with Lucy and Isaiah

~ Lucy and her vibrant and amusing personality

~ longer, sunnier, warmer days

~ less time in front of the TV and more time outdoors

 ~ Isaiah reading "Mighty Max" to himself, nearly word for word.

Learning to Play Outdoors

Despite the runny noses the kids and I ventured outside today for a little after-lunch-but-before-quiet-time play time outside.  They are just learning how to play outside adventurously - or at least Isaiah is.  Lucy still tends to want to play with me or walk/run towards all of the places she is not supposed to go - which I suppose is also adventurous.

The favourite toys to play outdoors with are sticks, of course.  Very specific sticks that each kid has taken a particular liking to.  Unfortunately, I'm quite sure Isaiah's stick got ravaged by the snow plow the other day and he is not nearly as impressed with its replacement.  The second favourite toy is the wagon.  We just recently were able to swap out the sled and get out the wagon. The kids like it because the side fences can be lifted out to make it easier for them to climb aboard.

It has been wonderful to wear the lighter coats, forgo snowpants and wear rain boots for puddles instead of Winter boots for warmth.  I think the kids are feeling the change in the air too.

Someone is definitely ready for Spring to come!

Lucy's first time watching popcorn pop the "old fashioned" way.  Wait until I show them how to do it in a kettle on the stove!

Happily munching the post-play snack

This Moment

Joining SouleMama and her followers in 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. 

Lucia Hope

Our little "Light of Hope" turned two today.  She is a quirky, mischievious and marvelous wee thing.  She thinks she is big.  She tries anything her brother can do.  She talks all the time, she takes care of her babies, she loves to hold her brother's hand when she's afraid. She is a flurry of wardrobe changes.  She loves purses.  She also loves playing with her brother's cars. We are excited to watch God's plan unfold for her and pray we will raise her well, equipping her to follow Him with courage. What a wonderful and fun little life we celebrate today!

Dow is in the blood...

Isaiah has begun a new habit.  I observed him over the next few days and saw it happen more and more - watching TV, sitting in his car seat, listening to a story and then he started to do it in his sleep.  He started to assume "this" position virtually everywhere. (But not necessarily with the tongue poking out).

I told Keith about it and he said nonchalantly "That's what the Dow men do.  We all do that, usually after we eat."  Wow. He really is a Dow man, this son of mine.

Febrrrrruary

So many things already in this shortest and hardest month.  Small triumphs, epic fails, sickness, a new resident,  sleep-deprived nights, big birthdays, overdue talks with faraway friends, and frigid temperatures.

This has been a tough month so far. It has been cold and the kids and I have been sick - a lot.  I've been missing my family and my oldest friends (not old in years, of course).  My friend, Jan, told me February is the hardest month for parenting and given my experience and that she has 7 kids, I believe her.

But despite the challenges, I am glad to see the small steps forward in the sea of used kleenex, the continuous coughing and whining, and empty bottles of infant and adult tylenol. I am proud of my husband for all of the slack he's picked up and never complained about despite it's toll.  I'm thankful for the healing of tiny bodies.  I am grateful for volunteers who remember what it was like to have small kids in the Winter months.  I was happy to celebrate my 30th birthday this month.  I felt I parented well through one of the worst days I've had - and that was no small victory :).  I got back to some homeschooling with Isaiah.  I found out Lucy likes raw red peppers. I got a great new haircut at a real salon. I received some beautiful birthday presents (like this one from Jasmine) I have gift certificates for yarn and books and coffee.  Really, the rest of this month may not be too bad.

This Moment

Joining SouleMama and her followers in 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. 

This Moment

Joining SouleMama and her followers in 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. 

Winter

We've had a quiet week at Matthew House since we returned last Monday.  The residents were still away visiting friends so we've had the place to ourselves.  We did do some bargain hunting this past weekend, looking for a used snowsuit for Isaiah.  It seems the 3-year-old has finally outgrown the size 2T suit we bought him three Winters ago.

Having the right gear for braving the cold makes enjoying the Winter months so much easier.  It takes a bit of work to convince the kids putting on all of those clothes is worth it once they get outside and still feel like it is cold.  It takes some running around, being silly, toboganning, snow-fort building, and tossing-into-powder-kind-of-play to teach them the cold is no big deal. I hope that by nurturing a love of Winter in the kids now will result in less whining, less fighting, more fresh air and bedtime sleepiness. And really, the 10 minutes it takes to get ready is small potatoes when you see how cute the kids look all bundled up.

We're also trying to teach the kids about God's gift of seasons.  That Winter has it's own smell, it's own activities, it's own rituals - like putting on the woolies.  Winter also gives us a few more things to be thankful for, like warm homes and hot chocolate.

Sometimes...

Sometimes when read blogs written by mamas who inspire me with their family values, projects, and parenting style, I get a bit jealous.  I feel restless for a place of our own.  I want space to parent without being within earshot of folks who have grown up in a place with different cultural parenting norms.  Sometimes I get restless for painting my kids' bedroom a colour that matches the mama-made quilts on their beds.  Sometimes I miss turning the music up really loud.  Sometimes I miss letting the kids dictate the pace or tasks of the day.  Sometimes I feel I don't have the opportunity to teach the kids about some of the things we value - like art and literature, creating things and giving them away.

But then I remember that we are living an opportunity to teach them about some of the other things we value - like having compassion for people, like being a team and trying to help each other when things are difficult, or frustrating, or confusing, like making do with less, and learning from others, and hopefully, doing all of these things to the glory of God.  It's hard to put things on the 'back burner' sometimes.  But when I look at what's cooking - well - I think it's worth it.

Special thanks to the Greynam Court, formerly know as State Street, formerly know as Viewmount Drive Home Church for the gift certificate for the two-night stay downtown.  Keith, the kids and I had a wonderful family getaway this past weekend.