Long Pajamas

It's finally time... the long pajamas have been pulled out. I'm one of these people who just can't sleep if it's the least bit warm so I welcome these cool and chilly nights. Time to hunker down beneath the covers and snuggle with loved ones... ahem, River, this would be you.

This particular set of striped, yellow pj's has been passed along from sister to sister. It's my favorite, because, of course, the sweet little lamb over the breast. It will not go into the giveaway away pile as I pull out all of River's outgrown clothes, but be tucked away, perhaps for one of my girls' babies, a long way down the road.

On To Greener Pastures

Today we moved the sheep into some new pasture area. The fencing is not quite done, still needs to be anchored to the posts, but they're content and don't really challenge fences. I've been meaning to do it for some time but the lack of rain has made the ground as hard as a rock and I lack the upper body strength to drive the posts in. But now we've had rain for the past couple of days and my dad took the opportunity to get the posts in for me while grandma, the girls and I were at the library yesterday. And the sheep are pleased as can be at the lush new grazing.

Just look at that face. Is that a happy girl or what?

Below is a picture I took just shortly after I got them... in May, I think. Rosemary on the left and of course, Finnigan on the right.

And this one I took today, once again, Rosemary on the left. Look how those sweet, fat sheep have grown! Though Finn is heavier, Rosemary is really the fluffier of the two. Her fleece is long and beautifully crimped, while Finn's is short and dense. I can't wait to shear them and start spinning!

It rained on and off all day today. The girls took the opportunity to get muddy.

Really not looking forward to cleaning those shoes. And I took advantage of a quite house and baked and baked. Fresh banana bread anyone?

Finding Our Rhythm

On Tuesdays we do not lounge or leisurely nurse in bed, we do not scuffle over dirty bedrooms or get up and down and up and down during breakfast. On Tuesdays we take care of business and get out of the house and to the library in time for story time with Miss Mel (10 am).

We've only recently started going in time for story time so the girls are taking their time getting warmed up. And though Zoe is still too shy to get down and dance and sing with everyone she is apparently paying attention. She came home singing this... all day.
We are beginning to find our rhythm . After months of struggling and feeling like I was going up against a mountain of solitary responsibility, we are making it. We are finding rhythm and learning to be more gentle with one another and finding out that life is still good and change is not necessarily the end of the world. This is a process.

So, today we went to the library. Though neither can yet read, my girls are book worms. And once upon a time, I was, too. Having babies changed that, though, the irony is that now that I have babies I should be reading because I can use all the help I can get. I just returned this one. I really liked it and found it to be very helpful. Too often I get to the end of a book and thought 'I've wasted my precious little reading time on this piece of garbage'. But not this time. Mamas with feuding/fighting/bickering kids; this book is for you.

I'm trying to fit in more reading time. Today I chose this one.
It will be years before I'm able to read for hours on end like I used to. But that's OK. I have new loves. And I enjoy reading to them.

Today

I don't think you've been properly introduced to Lucille. I guess you could call her the 'head hen'. I call her Lucille because, like Lucille Ball, she's red-headed and ballsy! She is our fearless chicken; the only one that dares to eat feed right underneath the sheep. She's the first one in the yard in the mornings and the only one that will climb the steps up to the deck (which serves as one side of the pasture area), slip through the railings and roam about the yard like she owns the place. She also fancies herself to be somewhat of a she-rooster and has a funny little "crow" she does. I do think we need to get these ladies a man...

Two fat sheep caught with their heads in the treat bucket. Naughty sheep!

Another day of rain. No complaints here. I do love cosy, rainy days.

Reading to Paw Paw.

Left-over chicken soup for lunch.

My Home... this was Kaiya's favorite book for a long time when she was two, three years old. She found it today and I read it for their nap for the first time in so long. I used to know the whole thing by heart.
On Mondays I clean the house. I like to take the day getting the house in order for the week. It just feels good to get off to a clean start. Sets a nice tone for the week. I also took another shot at that bread today, much better! So you can say that today was a lot more productive than yesterday. Our week is off to a good start. I hope yours is, too!

This Fall Day

Today it really felt like Fall had come. With the temp in the sixties and on again, off again rain it was a perfect day for being lazy and getting cosy. The girls obliged me and we took some pictures of some new items for my shop. And I can honestly say that was the most productive thing I have done all day other than cooking up some chicken noodle soup (perfect in this weather) and baked some bread (which we won't discuss. It was just awful. I have made it many times in the past but it was a complete disaster!)

I'm always so grateful when this time of year rolls around. The seemingly endless days of summer slowly coming to an end, sooner and sooner. These are the days that spark a generous amount of creativity in me. Are you the same way? This time of year I am generally brimming over with thoughts and plans and ideas. I appreciate the slower pace, giving me time to bring my girls inward a little as we plan and craft and explore the world in this time of transition. And transition is one thing my girls and I can definitely relate to. I'm so looking forward to settling in after a busy and rather eventful summer.
Here's to Autumn!

Right Now...

...I'm up late knitting, trying to decide whether or not sleep is in my near future. The baby is asleep on my lap, having woke up for a midnight nurse. I have four days left to knit for my next craft event (and the first I've done since River has been born) and am feeling ill-prepared.
The current goings-on in my life are taking their toll on my body. I can feel it in the stiffness of my neck and the all around soreness and fatigue. Tomorrow grandma and I will take the girls to the library for story time and maybe a picnic in the park afterwards. My head is telling me "you don't have time for that right now", but I need to be outside and just be with my girls awhile. Lately, I've been seeing the affects of our new life playing out in the girls. It's so hard for me to watch them struggle to work through it all and doubly hard not to be feeling totally present myself. This is what I am striving for. Be here now, for my girls.

River turns eight months this Saturday. She's begun to take her first steps. We're up to about three or four at a time and her confidence is growing. Wow! This just goes by so fast, doesn't it? On one hand I can't wait to see what she'll do next and see who she will become. On the other I wish I could freeze time and let her be my baby forever. These days are fleeting. Three girls growing faster than this mama can keep up with. And trying desperately not to mess it up too bad. So, tomorrow we will go to the library and park.

Breathe in, breathe out and just keep moving.

Keep On Keeping On

I'm still here, just super duper busy. Knitting, knitting and more knitting. Don't really see it letting up for some time, I guess that's a good thing but boy are my poor little hands getting tired. Even now I really don't have time to be sitting here. Gotta get back to work. Just wanted to pop in and share what I've been working on.

Zoe modeled my Lemongrass Play Set for me this morning. Afterwards she ran to her room to get her Dumbo, put her set of Dumbo ears on him, (because everyone knows that two sets of Dumbo ears are better than one) and a cape and grabbed her toy camera. It was Dumbo's turn to model!And before I get back to work, here's the giveaways;

Sticky Notes

Hip Mountain Mama

Sterling Silver Necklace

Knitting At Home

Photography Workshop

Just Passing Through

Here it is the end of Saturday and I'm just now sitting down to share (or even enter for that matter) this week's giveaways. I'm totally beat and still have a kid sleeping on me so here they are;

No Plastic

Fiber

Wrist Purse


Have a good weekend and enjoy this truly awesome song.

Right Now...

...I'm nursing the baby to sleep and trying to calm my nerves after one hectic evening. You know these nights? Too tired kiddos and they're melting down left and right. And it's all a mama can do to keep it together. Though I'm certainly not gonna claim to have gotten them all the way to bed without a bit of a meltdown myself. And at this very moment I can still hear them bickering. These kind of days seem endless.

I've still been knitting for my upcoming event just as much as these little ones will let me. Though, I have found it much more difficult to get it together this year. One more kid minus one adult keeps this mama's hands pretty full. I'm getting there, though. Slowly but surely...

Tiny hands I love.

And right now I'm listening to this.

These guys are my latest obsession. I found them here and have been listening to them pretty much non-stop since. Which I guess you already know if we're Face Book friends. Can't help it... they're wonderful!

Saturday

Nothing much to see here. Some knitting going on, playing outside in this ridiculously wonderful weather. Fall!
And just a handful of giveaway's for you entering pleasure.

A Mini Quilt

Fabric

Sock Monkey Fingerless Gloves

Power Cables By Lily Chin

Keeping Busy

That breakthrough has finally been made and I'm on a roll now! I have to say, it's really an all around bummer to not be knitting. It just throws me off completely and I'm not happy when I'm not creating. Not to say that life has suddenly turned to bliss but it really is a little bit like therapy and just helps make my days a little bit brighter. I'm reading this book at the moment. It's really good and approaches all the different ways that knitting or just crafting in general enhances our life and the lives of those around us and also gets into how we can use craft to make a difference in some small way. The author's views on feminism do kind of irritate me a bit but all around it's good and opening up my mind of different ways to use my knitting.

So here's what I've been up to. Another Kitten hat. Little River has not been her usual cheerful self quite as much as she's got these horrid teeth coming in. Poor baby.

A purple crown. I honestly can't say why I've not done purple before now. For some reason it seems like a no-brainer... This picture of Zoe Gail just kills me! She has the goofiest expressions.

A custom order of teething dolls for triplets. Triplets... could you imagine?

And wands which are the perfect companion for my crowns. Just sayin'... And knitters, the pattern is up in my Etsy shop, Ravelry shop and I'll get it in my shop here soon enough.

And tonight I'm going to get started on this cowl. A custom order from a friend. I dig this yarn. Green!
See? I told you I've been busy!