{this moment}

{this moment} inspired by soulemama - 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. 

(Photo by Martin)

Rhythm

I have been thinking a lot about rhythm. When this summer started it lay wide open before us, and I was excited to get out with my curious and newly mobile little fellow, and do things. We have been very successful so far, from visits with grandparents, to multiple trips to our outdoor children's theater, to camping, to the Brickfair, to visiting friends.

But on a down day after a particularly busy weekend, I realized that not only did I not know when B's nap time was, but he didn't know any more. We struggled for a few days, tuning in again to what it means to be tired, and what to do about that (sleep!). And there were moments when I was wondering, should I have struggled against the breezy freedom of this season's nature? Should I have stuck more rigidly to a schedule?

I very much believe that rhythm fosters health, especially for little ones. And when I usually think about "rhythm", especially for little ones, I think about the daily rhythm, and sometimes the weekly rhythm. But I think what we've been experiencing is a surprising and yet very natural tension between the many different rhythms of our world. Because what we've been experiencing is the rhythm of the seasons.

Summertime has a very well known and breathlessly anticipated nature. There is a relaxing that comes with Summertime; school is out, schedules are eased, bedtimes are later, mealtimes are less formal, foods are sweeter. So, while I could have developed a schedule for the summer, marking out times for every activity and every moment of rest, I think, following that schedule, we would have missed the summer. We would not have known the summer's true nature and it would have passed us by.

That being said, the daily and weekly rhythms still exist, and they must be attended to.The trick I think, is to find the balance between the daily, weekly, yearly rhythms. Or maybe it is to learn to understand how the yearly rhythms color the other rhythms of our life. We are still working on that.

I have found myself thinking forward to the structure and steadiness of "when school starts". It dawned on me that no one in this household actually goes to school any more (how long has it been? 30 years? : p ). But it really seems to me that seasons have characters unto themselves, and I fully expect that when the days grow short enough and the air cools, I will find myself falling into step and slowing down. I am excited to see how the Autumn colors our daily rhythms. But we have a few more weeks of airy Summertime left!

{this moment}

{this moment} inspired by soulemama - 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. 
 

Sewing For My Boy

My hands have been busy these past few week with little projects for my boy. There are moments when an idea pops into my head and I think, "what child doesn't need one of those!?" They are all simple little household things. B doesn't really understand how to use them yet, at least the way I was imagining them being used. But he does like playing around with them.

The first is a little satchel that I made to be used for collecting treasures while we are out for a walk. I realized that pockets are difficult for toddler hands, and so I made this little pouch instead. The aspect I really like is that the fabric is quilted so it is very stiff. The stiffness keeps the pouch open even when it is resting against B's side. That way, he can just drop things in without fiddling with the opening. The little doll is from Under the Nile.

Then, B's love of our stroller prompted me to search out one in his size. I tried two different Targets before finding this one at the thrift store. The original seat was torn and stained, so I cut it up to make a pattern for this new, less pink seat. I love this fabric! I got it several years ago when I worked at a fabric shop, and have been saving it for, what, 12 years? And this was the perfect project for it!

B loves pushing around our big stroller. That's why I got the little one, for him to push. The thing is, now all he wants to do is sit in the little stroller! : )

Lastly, B has gotten very good at noticing when things are hot ("Ha! Ha!"), and very interested in our pot holders. I thought he could use a pair of his own.

 Sometimes they end up in the soup. Ah, well. : )