A Life Sustained: March 2012

This Moment | Tongue

Playing along with SouleMama today. In her words: {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.

~~Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway of a Montessori Little Linguist Reading Kit from Bella's Casa!~~

Stumbling Towards AP

The Attachment Parenting International blog, API Speaks, is hosting a blog carnival about Attachment Parenting. Since I'm already in the groove of talking about labeling this week, I thought I'd share a little bit about how we stumbled our way towards becoming an AP family and what that means for us.

In the seven years that Steve and I were together before we became parents, we had lots of conversations about kids. To an outside listener, I'm sure it sometimes seemed as if our future children were actual children; we talked about them in the present tense. Watching our siblings and friends parent their children gave us so many opportunities to formulate ideas about what we thought might work for us. There were many late night conversations, lying in the dark, in which one of us would whisper, "Did you see such-and-such? What do we think about that?"

Slowly and organically our parenting "philosophy" emerged without the influence of expert opinions or stacks of guides on what we "should" do. We knew that our opinions might change once we were in the trenches, as it were, but we felt pretty confident that what we were building was a foundation of key beliefs that were strongly held and on which we could develop a working plan of how to parent. At the very core of this was a desire to treat our children with the same love and respect that we afford each other and the acknowledgment that while this person was very small and helpless, that didn't mean that he didn't have a voice that needed to be heard, listened to, and responded to in a manner that was timely and appropriate. It wasn't until later that we learned that our collection of ideas had a name and it was AP.

As parenthood drew closer and I started to do more reading and research, I became pretty good at parsing through information to glean what was useful for us and to discard the rest. These decisions were based on three criteria: what made sense biologically, what things were embraced cross-culturally and across time, and what fit with our own lifestyle and values. Extended on-cue breastfeeding, and the close bonding that entails, hit all of these marks and it increasingly became the cornerstone of our parenting plan. Everything else -- babywearing, co-sleeping, delaying the introduction of solids -- although each discussed and decided in their own right based on their own merits, were ultimately embraced because they facilitated breastfeeding and bonding.

There have been many moments throughout Silas' first year in which I have felt like an AP failure: when we decided to put him to sleep in a crib for the first part of the night and our late start with elimination communication to name a couple. But these moments have helped me to realize that Attachment Parenting isn't a set of boxes to check on a list. The definition of "attachment" is "affectionate regard; devotion" and that really is the key. I believe Attachment Parenting is an attitude and a way of communicating, rather than a rigid set of practices. The day-to-day reality of Attachment Parenting looks different for each family and even for each child within a family, but an underlying regard for our children and approaching every interaction with them in a way that is mindful and with the goal of honoring them as individuals is what ties us all together.

This post is part of the Attachment Parenting Is For Everyong blog carnival, hosted by Attachment Parenting International.

Learn more by visiting API Speaks, the blog of Attachment Parenting International.

Yarn Along | Kanoko Pants

The Kanoko Pants for Silas are coming along nicely. I'm to the point where I need to divide for the legs and switch to dpns. I need to find my needle sizer, though, as I really don't know what size circulars I'm using. It may be cause for some concern that the pants, so far, seem absolutely huge. I triple-checked my gauge, so I know that's not off, but I just got word from a friend who is also knitting these and it sounds like she might have had the same problem. These may be pants for next year. Better too big than too small, right?

I'm still reading Poser and still enjoying it. I had a little thrill yesterday when she mentioned Iowa City. I'm easy like that.

Linking up with Ginny at Small Things.

On Being a Hippie

I am called a "hippie" with a fair amount of frequency. Now, I'm guilty of throwing around labels willy-nilly too, so I know it's not always negatively motivated. How many times have I been on campus, seen a 20-something guy in skinny jeans and mentally shouted, "hipster!" So, I'm part of the problem and that's something I'm working. These rapid-fire judgments are based on appearance alone and that's what's so troubling about them.

When the label "hippie" is applied to me, it seems to come out of the mouths of those who don't quite know what to make of me and my life choices. So, they lump me into the only category they know that seems to fit. Except, it doesn't. The hippie culture was a very specific movement of a time a place that no longer exists and to which I don't really relate. It was a reaction to a political and cultural moment that has passed (or, at least, is very different). Just because I do some things that the hippies also did, like reject consumerist culture, or because I do some things that just seem similar to things that they might do, like eat a lot of whole grains, I get lumped into this category. I don't take this as an insult, but it just seems lazy, at best, and dismissive, at worst.

Silas and I made a trip to the library yesterday and while he gnawed on the pretend food in the play kitchen, I was able to read almost all of the newest issue of Natural Life Magazine (Mar/Apr 2012). In it, there was a really wonderful article by Erin Hofseth on this topic. She very eloquently summed up a lot of what I've been feeling lately:

So often when we make choices for our families that seem to go against the mainstream ideals of the culture that we are living in, we automatically get slapped with a label that works to belittle or devalue the conscientious decisions that we are making. The hippie movement advocated many admirable ways of living: nonviolence, connection with the earth and emphasis on community, but it was also a reactive social movement. The decisions I make as a mother are not reactive; they are thoughtful.

You should check out the whole article, but I was especially struck by that last line. Why does being thoughtful about the way that we live equate to being a hippie? She goes on to say that it's time to stop labeling one another and to start really engaging with each other, as that's the only way that real understanding can take place. I couldn't agree more.

Weekending

This weekend was...

The completion of our biggest outdoor task: turning the compost (Thank you Steve!). We have a four-bin system, but we are lazy composters. We just throw everything in there; carbon/nitrogen ratios be damned. Plus, we haven't turned it in two years (we blame Silas) so it has taken a very long time to all break down. We did find, though, enough finished compost in there to fill up some flower beds and we destroyed the home of only one small creature (who was kindly enough to stick his head out and say, "hello"). Success.

It was the first time that we tried to do yard work with Silas in tow. While Steve worked the bins, I cleared our raised beds (a task that I should have done last fall, but didn't -- again, I blame Silas), and the little guy had a blast crawling around the yard, chewing on sticks, and splashing in a big bowl of water that I gave him. He lasted for a full two hours. Mama only worried a little bit about him stumbling onto a nest of vipers or some other suburban yard threat.

Linking up with Amanda at The Habit of Being.

A Life Sustained Sponsor: Bella's Casa

Please welcome A Life Sustained sponsor Bella's Casa!

Jae handcrafts Montessori toys and mobiles. In her words:

I am a mother and a Montessori teacher. I have my Montessori training for ages 3-6 (AMI certificate), and I have taught this age group for over a decade in Atlanta, Georgia, and New York City.

I created Bella's Casa as a resource for all parents who want to create (or enhance) learning spaces and activities that will grow a child's mind and instill confidence. It's a learning community for parents, as well as an Etsy store selling hand made Montessori materials for infants and young children.

Tell us about your journey to becoming an artist/maker of things.

I really didn't have art in school - I mean there was never a class where we got to make things or create stuff…except for Home Ec in middle school. I sewed an apron, and this was the first (and practically only) thing I made with my hands out of materials (as opposed to 'creating' using words and numbers as in the core curriculum). I loved making the apron.

Then fast forward to the beginning of my teaching career where I was a Montessori Teacher for ages 3-6, and I truly enjoyed making materials for my classroom - thank goodness, because there were LOTS of materials to be made. I relished in using my hands to create tangible improvements for the children and beautify our classroom environment - good thing I was single and had no children as this consumed my time.

I had moved to New York City to teach; however, my main experience of the city was making materials in my classroom after the children had gone home, not the Big-Apple-Extravaganza that I'm sure New York is. I had always wanted to make things, but the confirmation of this satisfaction came when I was a teacher. In my Montessori training, we were required to make materials that were beautiful, inviting, and durable for the classroom. I loved making these unique materials, and it felt like a special gift to my future students to create these handmade materials for them.

Then my motivation and delight exponentially increased when I had my own child - it was so appealing to make handmade things for my daughter, Chelyn - now age 4. Creating mobiles for Chelyn (and now for other babies) was immensely fulfilling - I got to see (and now impart) the fruits of my own labor! I continue to enjoy the journey of creating and making materials through Bella's Casa.

What inspires you?

I like knowing that the mobiles that I burnt the midnight oil to make will be shipped off to offer an infant a foundation of beauty and focus - to inspire their developing visual sense and captivate their attention. I'm inspired knowing that the Little Linguist Tote and the Extra Special Reader's Kit will provide materials ready to respond to the child's natural urge to create, write, read, and express themselves. My daughter, Chelyn, spontaneously creates original art and writes letters to friends and relatives; and I love thinking of what other children will create just by having the materials ready and available.

Even though I had extensive training in education and early childhood development, becoming a mother was excruciatingly humbling, intensely challenging, and incredibly inspiring. I'm inspired by the journey of motherhood and what we learn about ourselves in the process and how we contribute to a world that acutely needs a mother's touch. I approach my work with the goal of being "mother's best friend" - with an aim to support and encourage mothers right where they are in the midst of their unique circumstances.

What do you like most about the Montessori philosophy?

I am passionate about all aspects of Montessori. I am especially inspired by how Montessori encourages responsibility, nurtures self-discovery, promotes independence, inspires a love of learning – all with a foundation of respect. Above all, I honor Montessori’s vision of creating “a peaceful world through the children.”

Tell us about your favorite piece in your shop and describe your process in designing and making it.

My favorite thing to make is also my most popular product (that works out nicely - I'm grateful!): the Montessori Visual Mobile Series. It is a package of 4 mobiles that are all pre-assembled awaiting the final assembly upon arrival. This exact combination took a while to come together: at first I was selling each mobile individually (but that didn't feel right because they all go together to make a complete series for the infant's developing visual sense); then I tried just selling the parts needed to make the mobiles (but then I realized: which new parent has the time and patience to thread the specified shade of embroidery thread through a styrofoam ball 120 times and then repeat that for the next 4 balls to make the Gobi Mobile…especially when said parent is struggling just to get enough rest while caring for a new baby); then I tried selling the mobiles completely assembled and ready to hang (but this wasn't quite right either because it didn't allow for the parent to put on their own finishing touch and feel a sense of ownership of the mobiles they were offering to their infant).

Creating the mobiles takes time and patience and lots of steps - including wrapping the white spray-painted dowel with black adhesive for the Munari (black & white) Mobile, creating invisible and durable seams with exact cutting and double-sided tape for the Octahedron Mobile, sewing pieces of the dancers together on the Dancer Mobile so they dance in the air currents, and balancing each of the mobiles.

I want my customers to know that my products are coming from my heart and I'm delighted to support them in offering the best to their child.

You can connect with Jae on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Jae is offering to one lucky A Life Sustained reader a Little Linguist-Reading Kit! ~~Just leave a comment on this post to be entered in the random drawing to win.~~ Comments will be closed in the evening of March 31 and a winner will be announced in this post shortly thereafter.

Get two extra entries! First, you can add Bella's Casa to your Etsy favorites. Second, you can share this giveaway via Twitter or Facebook. Be sure to leave a comment for each "extra" so they can be counted.

And the lucky winner is...
Carrie
"beautiful stuff. yay for montessori!"

Thanks Bella's Casa!

This Moment | Getting Pancakes

~~Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway of a PixieStick Play Silk from Sunny Sprout!~~

Noodles and Greens Stir Fry

We've been doing something new since Silas joined our dinner table. We've been forgoing the menus and shopping lists and instead, I keep some staples on hand and just buy one of every vegetable at the store and try to build something out of it. This almost always works to the satisfaction of all involved and, honestly, it was motivated more out of a lack of time to build menus than anything else. This means that I default to a lot of standbys -- stir frys, fried rice, pizza, salads, etc. -- and am having to get creative to make them interesting. The Noodles and Greens Stir Fry that we had last night was amazing. It was really tasty and came together lightening quick; my top two criteria. It is also a good way to include a lot of leafy greens in a meal, something that I'm trying to do much more of. We do eat meat, but rarely, and I still sometimes struggle to find recipes that are single-dish meals, meat-free, and are still satisfying. This one hit all the marks.

Noodles and Greens Stir Fry

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 dried red chili peppers, minced

2-3 heads baby bok choy, stems and leaves cut into ribbons

1 bunch lactinato kale, stems removed, chopped

1 bunch noodles (I found mine in the freezer section of my Asian market, you can substitute udon or soba, or, heck, spaghetti if you want)

2 TBS. Hoisin sauce

1 (generous) TBS. soy sauce

1 green onion, chopped

toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

peanut oil, for frying

1. Prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop them from over-cooking.

2. In a wok, heat the peanut oil until it ripples.

3. Add garlic and peppers and stir fry for 20-30 seconds.

4. Add greens and stir fry until wilted, about 3-5 minutes.

5. Add the cooked noodles and stir fry to re-heat, 1-2 minutes.

6. Add sauces and stir to mix.

7. Transfer to bowls, garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

8. Enjoy!

Yarn Along | Something in Cotton

And it's already Wednesday again. How did that happen? I've spent the last week or so searching through Ravelry, trying to find a project to inspire me to cast on. I picked up a gorgeous small skein of baby alpaca that I'm just itching to do something with, but have yet to find a project I deem worthy. And all the wool projects are just so...wooly. It's hard to imagine knitting them when it's 77 degrees outside. So, cotton it is. I have quite a few skeins of cheap cotton that I bought years ago when I first decided to re-try knitting. I think it's time to use them up. Next up, Silas is going to get a pair of Kanoko Pants (although, I may make them shorter...little knickers).

I've also been able to find some reading time this week! We're going through a napping transition; from two down to one, I think. But, it's a messy process and several days we end up napping in the rocking chair. Luckily, my abandoned stack of books were still there waiting for me. I grabbed Poser by Claire Dederer and am really enjoying it. It's a memoir of a 30-something Seattle woman using her journey to become "someone who does yoga" as a metaphor for her life as a wife, mother, and former cool kid who spent all her time going to rock shows. It's a very fast read and she's made me both laugh and cry, a hallmark of a good book, I think.

Linking up with Ginny from Small Things.

While Wandering

While Wandering | The Little Bug and I have gotten into the habit of taking walks whenever we go into town to run an errand, leading us to explore neighborhoods and streets and alleys that we never knew before. There are little notes of beauty in all of them and these are what we try to see...While Wandering.

Won't you join us?

Check out the Flickr Group to share your wanderings!

What do you see when you wander?

Weekending

This weekend was...

Steve and my first dinner out alone together in nine months. Cheese plates and trout terrines and tempeh empanadas, oh my! Silas had a grand time with the grandparents, who assured me that he cried only in that last ten minutes and only then because he was exhausted and desperate to nurse and go to sleep. You're a champ, little bug!

There were more grandparent visits on Sunday, a trip to get pancakes, and the little one's first taste of an ice chip.

And also...

decadent chocolate cake, Amazing Race,

daily walks, ironing,
the discovery that Silas loves to dance to this song, which led to this song, which he loved instantly, which led to much 90s nostalgia,

trips to the garden store where they were understaffed because, hey, it's March,

mastery of the sign for "dog,"

much time spent watching and listening to the birds, especially the robins who are everywhere,

nap transitions,

and cat frustrations...

One of our girls has started eating the houseplants (and throwing them up) with fervor. She has also taken to

getting all up in our faces when we're trying to put Silas down to sleep and meowing. Loudly.

Linking up with Amanda at The Habit of Being.

A Life Sustained Sponsor: Sunny Sprout

Please welcome A Life Sustained sponsor, Sunny Sprout!

Lori crafts natural, handmade toys and playsilks. In her words:

My name is Lori and I’m a wife, mother, tree hugger, dreamer, searcher, and artist. I grew up in a suburb of Atlanta, met my hubby in college, and am plotting and planning for my creativity to allow me to quit my mundane office job and be a full-time WAHM to my sweet boy Haven.

Tell us about your journey to becoming an artist/maker of things.

Despite having the love for learning that allowed me to get a post-grad education in psychology and human services, I never felt like a full time job was what I wanted. I’ve always been a creative spirit, but somewhere along the way I got stuck in the cycle of work, pay bills, sleep… then I had a baby and started making nursing necklaces for myself and created an Etsy shop. I LOVED having that outlet for my creativity and once I turned it on again I couldn’t stop. I am constantly getting new ideas and love putting my plans into action. It’s wonderful to be able to sell my creations because it allows me to spend less time at my day job and more time at home with my son. I also love knowing that each toy I create is going to be enjoyed by another little one.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by nature, color, creativity, and people who create art and useful things out of basic materials or unwanted things. I am a huge fan of upcycled clothing and home decor in particular.

What do you like most about the Waldorf philosophy?

I love the emphasis on imagination and the arts – I personally feel that creativity, a love for learning, and a strong work ethic are all you really need to be successful on just about any path.

Tell us about your favorite piece in your shop and describe your process in designing and making it.

My current favorite piece is my bean bag carrot! I really love vegetables - they are so beautiful and colorful. To me, vegetables and fruits are very symbolic of the natural Earth and a healthy way of life. I knew early on I wanted some fruit and vegetable themed toys for my shop – hence the name Sunny Sprout. My ideas tend to piggy-back off each other… learning to dye silks led me to wanting to learn to dye other types of fabric. The luxurious softness of the organic bamboo velour seemed the perfect fabric for bean bags. I created my own patterns for them and adjusted a few things as I created them. The carrot is my favorite.

Lori is generously offering to one lucky A Life Sustained reader a PixieStick! ~~Just leave a comment on this post to be entered in the random drawing to win.~~ Comments will be closed on March 24 and a winner will be announced in this post shortly thereafter.

Get two extra entries! First, you can add Sunny Sprout to your Etsy favorites. Second, you can share this giveaway through Twitter or Facebook. Make sure to leave a comment for each "extra" so they can be counted. Comments Closed!

And the lucky winner is...
Ren - Lady of the Arts
"I love to nurture creativity through nature with my monkeys- My youngest would love to win the pixie stick"

Thanks Sunny Sprout!

This Moment | Little Treehugger

~~Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway of a felted Easter egg and playsilk from Newtknees Designs!~~

Spring is Here

I think I've taken pictures of our pussy willow every year since we planted it. There's just really something exciting about watching a living thing that you put in the ground grow and change. To watch it transform from a single branch to a thick-trunked tree with a power and direction that is all its own and has little, if anything, to do with me. Its catkins have been open for at least a week or two now. With the past two days being in the 70s (!) Silas and I have taken several walks around the yard for a change of pace and to get a little fresh air. The pussy willow, with its soft little nubs that fit perfectly in his hands, is his favorite spot to visit.

T-Shirt Vest

Just in time to wear for our warmest day yet, Silas has his first little mama-made sweater. It's the T-Shirt Vest knit in Cascade 220 wool. This was the perfect choice for a first garment project for this novice. It's knit from the yoke down, in-the-round, meaning that there was very little purling (yay!) and no seaming (double yay!). I was able to get it done in a couple of evenings after Silas went to bed and it was just so satisfying. I learned so much from this project about sizing and starting to puzzle out how garments are constructed. I'm very excited that there's a toddler version of the pattern that I can make for the little guy next fall!

In the evenings I'm dividing my time between knitting and reading Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. It intentionally mirrors the 12 steps of AA to give us a program by which to break the addiction to ego from which we all suffer. It calls upon all religions to return to their roots of compassion and love. So far, I think its message is pretty powerful and if I actually allow myself the time to follow its suggestions, rather than just reading through them, I believe it could be a very effective way to live a life focused on empathy and mindfulness.

Linking up with Ginny at Small Things.

While Wandering

I've taken a break from these weekly wandering posts this past winter, but now that spring weather is upon us we're itching to get outside and take some walks to see what we can see. As I'm sure you'll notice, this week it was a lot of right angles and just a hint of new life in our wanderings downtown after a trip to the library. Silas isn't quite walking yet, but I'm so excited for these to become "child's walks" once he is able to help us choose our path.

I loved seeing all of your wanderings last summer and fall and so I've set up a Flickr group as a place for us to share, if you'd like to join in. It's so much fun to see what catches the eye of each of us. Such different notes of beauty!

What do you see while you wander?

Pages