I've been house sitting for my parents and they have the world's worst internet. It may as well be dial-up. Since being out here is a lot more fun than being at home, there hasn't been much working out. yay. I did about 60 jumping jacks yesterday, and 4 this morning, but that's about all. There has been a ton of exploring in the rainy forest and lots of wet yard work. Getting all the sheet mulch spread out in the orchard in the rain is actually kind of nice. It gives me a taste of what it is like to have my family in a house with a yard and garden and orchard and dogs that all need to be taken care of. I imagine myself doing the morning rounds, letting out my dream chickens and dream goats, checking the garden, feeding my brood. Right now is movie time, I have laundry to fold. But I just love the kids sitting in their big chairs with their blankies and the Man Child with his Monkey. So, I'm going to fold laundry and watch bug's life with my babies. because this is what rainy days are truly for.




ps- I love you.

Wasted

2011 was a wasteful year for our family... Water, money, electricity, time... yarn. Food was a big one for us. My family wastes a lot of food. I chalk that up to my lack of any type of cookish skills. And the fact that I have no inner portion control, I would either make too much or not enough. We also eat too many packaged foods, but that is for another post. I am a firm non-believer in "New Years" resolution, but this year, I felt the shift toward a more conscious lifestyle for at least a few months. Starting in early November, I have had grandiose notions of cooking more, saving more, wasting less, working out, starting a container garden, walking the dog, meditating, playing outdoors with the kids more, reading to them more, yelling less... etc. At Solstice, I could feel the will to do these things growing, and a few days later 2012 started. And so, I have started. Started working out every day. Started taking a pic and posting it every day for 30 days. woot. I am going to live this year on purpose. This year is our year. Everything is changing. Everything is being reevaluated. I am so excited to be alive.

Summer Gardening and Happy Breastfeeding Week!

Our family has been extra busy out in our family garden at my parents place. The  Littles are having an amazing time out in the dirt helping water. Little B is having an amazing time eating fresh raspberries and fresh dirt. Lots and lots of dirt. But thats ok, it is soooo good for him to get some organic dirt germies in his gut and then get them flushed out by the amazing liquid commonly referred to as breast milk. 

Hey! Did you know it is International Breastfeeding Week. Or something like that. Any way (I'm a super great lactivist right? lol), if you don't already do this crazy stuff, next time you see a mother out nursing her child, smile at her (but not in like a creepy way, a nice way. good job), do your best to make her feel as comfortable as can be. Nursing mothers don't get enough credit in American society. Our society does its best to make us feel awful for choosing to what our body is made to do. I know breast milk is the best thing for my son. You know that breast milk is the best thing for your child. It is well known but still American women are afraid of it. Afraid that it might be uncomfortable. or that maybe it wont work and they wont make enough milk. that their boobs will sag (who does that? seriously? who would chose looks over their child's well being?). afraid of what the neighbor will think. Why are we so afraid of these things? I had no idea there was anything to be worried about. I knew that babies get mother's milk and thats that. When I had Little A we had to be pretty firm that this is what we were going to do. I told the nurses in no uncertain terms not to wake me or the baby every 3 hours for a feed, she will be fed when she tells me she is ready. Some of the nurses were really confused when we said she would "tell" me when she was ready to eat (I hadn't heard of feeding on demand or on cue or what ever). But that was it. That was the most adversity I have had to face in both my breastfeeding journeys. I know a few people who have negative stories and I know a few people who chose formula and still don't really understand why. I also have friends with amazing breast feeding stories, like my faerie god-sister come to earth, Raintree. She got the Dairy Queen award when her daughter was in the NICU and even after months of not being able to nurse, her daughter latched successfully within the first few attempts. 

And the point of the breast friendly rant was ... something awesome. 

Helping the tomatoes get tall!

Around the Garden

This is supposed to be a thursday thing and here it is almost saturday. Oh well.

Farmama does a great ...blog roll?... weekly ritual...? thing every thursday called Around The Farm (or Garden) in which she encourages readers to post weekly pics of their kitchens. kidding. Any way... the kids and I do not yet have our own garden to post pictures of but we have my mom's and I have a new phone that takes great pictures. I have collected a few shots from our little patch of earth to share today... Enjoy.

June rain on the poppies. 

Herb going to seed. I say "herb" because I am awesome and have no idea. I know my mom cooks with it and it is delicious and I know we want it to go to seed so we can grow it again. because it tastes amazing.

Those two little buds might one day be kiwis... But you know, the reproductive system of  kiwis can be very tricky... we came close last year. We almost had really yummy eating grapes too!

The Orchard

My dad totally rocks the welding hot sauce and made my mom this vulture to keep out... what? like road kill or something? Who knows, it doesn't matter, this thing is hot shit. Now that my dad is retired maybe he'll become an artist againg (my theory is that he had to quit art to take over his dad's industrial design buisness. now that he is no longer working for the man (himself) and focuses on art maybe he'll leave me and my family alone about the whole starving artist thing.)

Speaking of starving artist, stay tuned for my first batch of yarn to pop up on etsy!