Well, I have to admit, even though I was away from home last week, I was pretty productive with little chores I wanted to start and finish up. Mom is a good motivator. She's a woman who just doesn't stop moving and cleaning, and doing things, and organizing, and cooking, and working in the yard, and on and on - ever. Believe me, I'm a total slacker compared to her.
I'm beginning to make a few pieces of clothing here and there for Bea to wear this fall. So last week I made her a dress and corduroy pants. Both turned out pretty cute and I really enjoyed using my mom's sewing machine. Being able to use the zig zag stitch on seams made me feel so big.
As part of my Lifeways training requirements, I have to knit or crochet at least six wash cloths. For the past several years, I've said that I've wanted to do this - to make wash cloths. There's just something divine about the weight of crochet or knit cloth. And wash cloths seem so much more doable for my remedial knitting skills than socks or a sweater. Yet I haven't made any. Until now. I'm knitting up cloths left and right these days...sort of. And I'm way past my quota. My hopes are to have a healthy quantity for the start up of the new school year at The Natural Child. After play time, I'd like to have a little wash basin with warm lavender water where the children can wash their little faces and hands using a nice knit wash cloths. I've been doing this with Bea when she wakes from her nap each day and she (we) love(s) it. Well, more than she likes me wiping her face and body, she really loves washing my face and body. She can be so gentle and sweet sometimes!
A neighbor down the road from my mom has a small blueberry patch, so we got to do a little blueberry picking.
Though in all honesty, by the time we arrived at his house, it was really hot and humid. Bea was distracted by the heat and we only managed to pick two pounds!
Still, there's no blueberry picking in our part of Texas, so I was happy to pick even a small bucket full. Kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk....
My mom, who declares herself not a gardener has a fantastic garden this year! She's learning a thing or two from my brother for sure. Last week, she had more tomatoes than she could give away to friends, neighbors, and family, so she helped me can them.
She enjoyed having a little helper around to help her bring in the harvest at the day's end!
It was my first time canning tomatoes and it was so much fun doing it with her. She use to be an avid canner in her early years of motherhood, but it had been many, many years since she has preserved anything. We canned about 25 pounds of whole/crushed tomatoes.
You should see my tiny pantry. Nearly half of it is taken up by canned tomatoes and the strawberry jam that I made in May. I'm sort of proud about the actual putting up I've done this year. Though I don't think I have any more room to put anything else up.
Otherwise when we weren't working away, Mom thoroughly enjoyed being in the presence of Bea. She was so floored by her verbal skills, as it had been four months since the last time she saw her. Bea's newest phrase that she likes to say 568 times a day is "hey mom." I guess she heard me call my mom that way, so now she calls out to me that way too. She is so silly.
Bea also got to bond with her big cousin Sophie. Those two are something else together. It's like they've known each other in previous lives or something. Sophie is nine years older than Bea and they absolutely adore each other. "Come on Sophie!" Bea would say. And off they would go, "writing", drawing, playing with marbles, or just lounging together on the couch. Today, Bea asked me several times to go to Sophie's house. A request like that tugs on my heart strings a bit. Since day one, I knew my girl was an old soul. Goodness, is she ever...
Tomorrow I'll post about the day trip we took.
The lavender water sounds divine! My youngest would much prefer that to the baby wipes we currently use after meal times, it it wouldn't have any 'chemical nasties'. Thank you for the inspiration Nichole!
Your canned tomatoes look amazing by the way.
Posted by: mamaUK | July 12, 2011 at 08:10 AM
i have a thing for knitted dishcloths and face cloths - something so homey and comforting about them. need to go figure out what lifeways is so i can see what kind of training you're doing ;-)
Posted by: amanda {the habit of being} | July 12, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Amanda,
The Lifeways training is a Waldorf inspired early childhood training for parents, caregivers, grandparents, etc. But it's so much more than just another early childhood education training. It offers profound perspective of the human path... It was amazing. Truly inspiring and healing.
XO,
Nichole
Posted by: Nichole | July 13, 2011 at 08:44 PM
It is! But I can't take credit for the idea. I was inspired to do this from a Waldorf training that I took a few weeks ago.
Have fun! You and your little one will love this new way on cleaning up!
Posted by: Nichole | July 13, 2011 at 08:46 PM