`This Moment

this was not the picture I wanted to upload... But sweet mistake, I like this one too. Have a nice weekend!

Some gave her Barbies, others gave her their time....

It's been a year now that I'm talking, to anyone listening (that includes Papa's family) about my love for natural, handmade toys that are open ended. It's my favourite thing to do. It's most likely to be in one of the first things you learn about me.

For all English folks that didn't know still; Aux DemiLunes means At HalfMoons.

And so, surprise, surprise! Mariann got Barbies for her birthday. FOUR of them. From my sisters-in-law. When asking one why on earth did she buy that, she replied : "Well, I just don't have the choice to buy plastic toys! There's nothing else!". Yeah right. Here I want to thank my mother-in-law who bought wooden block stalkers. Odd enough, they shopped in the same town.

I was planning to make another batch of Play dough for Mariann's birthday, but just a week after moving, I didn't find the time. Fortunately, one of the present contained 4 bowls of naturally-died handmade play dough. Mariann was SO thrilled and played with it all day long for a good 4 days in a row. Anywhere, everywhere as you can see in those pictures...

Another gift that contained 0 plastic. Is that me or some people just don't want to respect our choices? Yes, Mariann loved playing with her barbies for some days. She "washed" one in her play kitchen sink and run with them, naked, saying they are flying fairies... But as a parent that wants to monitor what's entering our house, how come am I suppose to do it if warned adults don't respect a pretty simple and faisable rule of "no plastic" ?

Merrick's birthday is close, and when they asked me what I wanted them to buy for him I simply stated "Please, NO barbies."
"Of course, he's a boy!"

Maybe if I repeat it once again, they won't buy him plastic trucks.

Possibilities

I promised you a sunset so here it is.

While we're getting settled and cozy in our new- old house, me and Papa have the feeling it's not really home. We're being constantly reminded that it's not ours, and all the repair that needs to be done in here is still waiting, wainting ... The workload on the land is too big. At least now with Papa helping, the in-law can have a little rest... meaning, he's not obligated to start working at 5 am and stop at midnight...

Mariann birthday cake; The roof is fondant, the stairs a mint-chocolate and the trees a almond paste. The rest is buttercream and it was a chocolate cake. Yum!

Papa's talking of going anyway, not waiting to know if he's accepted and just go, try another career option and try again for med school at the end of the year (it'll then cut our choice of city from 4 to 1).

And you know what, I'm pretty tempted myself. The city we would go as a great reputation, community wise. A lot of place for families. Here... Well. People are getting older and older... And many of the ressources and activities are planed for tourists. There's a lot of nature, but little activities to do. I think we know all the park in a 50km radius by now!

And I admit; What is really tempting me, is that there's a Waldorf community nearby where Papa wants to go. (one of the few in Québec). There's a Waldorf public primary school (it's free) and, from what I have heard... It's a great place to call home.

But, it's all up in the air, right? Oh, the possibilities!

~~~
and to reply to Wulf: Yes, Mariann took that picture of my calf :)

{This Moment}

July 10th

Joining SouleMama in a wordless moment.

We are moved

For a month now we've been moved. Do I miss the appart? Well... No. Not one bit!

We have so much room, light, and fresh air here!

I have some pictures from various moment of this month... I didn't post regularly because all the pictures where stuck in Papa's laptop... Since I've lost my usb cable. This dinosaur doesn't take SD card, so I had to wait on a wi-fi rooter (uh. I don't like that!) so I can take t

he picture in the laptop from this pc.

And guess what? The camera is broken. Again. Now it's the third time and I've asked for reimbursement. I want to thank Papa here for taking the long time extra warranty. But I have to wait for them to take a decision....

So meanwhile, I'll share what I have taken since we're here. It's been very sunny most days and we enjoyed the outdoor a lot. Mariann particularly likes to blow bubbles (she got tons of liquid on her birthday!) and chase butterflies. Merrick likes to watch Mariann run.

Papa spends his day helping his father on the land. They grow mostly potatoes. They also have cabbage, different sorts of squash, zucchini, carrots, strawberries, broccoli, vines, bell pepper, cauliflower, beans.. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

And we have a whole house for ourselves. It was Papa's grandfather's, and he past away some years ago, leaving the house empty except for the holidays.

I'm still eager to see what's next. What's after this forced year of slowing down and taking a deep breath. Where are we going? In what kind of place? How will be the people?

But for another whole year we're staying. Here with our families. I've engaged myself in a breastfeeding support group, we're talking of entering La Leche Ligue, there's no representatives in our region. I've entered the comity of the house of Birth where I gave birth. I have also proposed to start a toddler/preschooler art group. I think I've even made some friends (that shares my parenting values).

This is the view when we get back home from the land. See all this water? It's the Saint-Laurent river and I have some sunset pictures to show you sometime next. Because that's what we see from our front windows: water. Tons of it. And it feels so good.

...more pictures to come.

Mariann's special day

On July 7th, we celebrated Mariann's third time around the sun.

In our new play room, on a piece of green silk, I've put some cake and strawberries I did a while ago, fairy wings, got the idea here: http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/making-fairy-wings.html,. On the chair, a tutu (1" elastic with attached stripes of tule) and another one for Victoria. What's in the wooden box?

Birthday crown... I'd like to refer you to this inspiring post: http://frontierdreams.blogspot.com/2009/05/wool-felt-birthday-crown-tutorial.html

I chose the strawberries because Mariann loves them, a lot! She was born on the time they came out, because here they come out a lot latter then USA. So I have this sweet memory of being into labor, on the patio eating strawberries my in-law just picked for me from his field.

The face that makes all the work worth it:

In a little wooden box, I've put a little wooden set (the kind you get in dollar store an assemble yourself) with a pipe-cleaner fairy and a peg baby.

....I really wanted to get her a wooden doll house and furnish it with natural stuff.... But my mom bought one. I was so frustrated I cried. So I'll make her one for winter solstice instead.

I made her a memory games out of felt. Very practical when you have a baby brother that eats everything.


Mamie came to play with us.

And we had friends in the after-noon to share pops with!


... It's hard to get a crips picture of fairy costume try-out...

Une fouaise maman? (Do you want a strawberry, mom?)