Noah Meets Bubba

"A handcrafted doll is one of a kind, an individual which carries the spirit of the maker in its stitches and absorbs the spirit of the child who loves it."

Meet Bubba, Noah's new doll. This was my first sewing project ever. Well, unless you count the few straight lines of the napkin holder I made in 7th grade Home Ec class, which I don't. I used a combination of instructions from three different books, and decided to make him really bright so he won't get lost. OK...that last bit is a lie. Actually, I ordered the cotton velour fabric online and what was supposed to be a color called 'grass' turned out to be fluorescent green. He is made in the Waldorf tradition with natural materials, merino wool hair and wool stuffing. His face is embroidered with a neutral expression to allow Noah to create any expression he wants with his imagination. I think Bubba turned out pretty well, even though he could probably be seen from space.
Noah enjoys carrying him all around the house, usually with Bubba dangling by one leg. Here Noah is being more nurturing and using two hands.

The pushcart also makes a very nice buggy for giving Bubba rides back and forth across the living room.

As a side note, I am aware that in most pictures I post, Noah is in his pajamas. I would like to say that is because I always take pictures of him in the morning, which is when these pictures actually were taken. The truth is that Noah often spends the entire day in his pajamas. I justify this by the fact that he will not leave any kind of sock, shoe, or slipper on his feet when he is wearing pants, and as a result his feet are always cold. At least the pajamas have footies on them and he cannot take them off. That's my story and I am sticking to it!
-Jen

Red Ice Hearts

This little Valentine's Day project added a little color and sparkle to our otherwise snow-covered yard. All it took was some twine knotted into little loops, some red food coloring, some water, and a silicone heart-shaped ice cube tray that I found in the bargain bins at Target.

After pouring the red water into the molds, I added the loops and froze for several hours before hanging them on our little crabapple tree.

Very simple and very pretty! There are some purple lights on the tree as well, but we haven't been able to plug them in because the base of the tree is buried in about 2 feet of snow.

Talking on the Phone

This video is for anyone who has had the opportunity to chat with Noah on the phone and wondered what exactly he is doing while he is talking. I am not even going to attempt to put subtitles on this one. Noah and Grandma S had lots to talk about, and this is but a snippet of their conversation!

Filled With Sorrow (and Hunger)

Oh, Tasty Leftovers! Why have you left me?

It was you that bestowed upon me that delicious taste in my mouth and rekindled memories of yesterday's meals, such as homemade tacos, spaghetti, or midnight cravings where only the perfect snack would hit the spot - Hawaiian pizza. You granted me the joy of quieting my stomach and calming my body and mind, so that I could be the best that I could be. Without you, I am but a starving Dada, with a toddler who is eating everything in sight and yet too hungry to leave anything behind or acknowledge the gift you have given to so many taste buds.

Tasty Leftovers, why have you left me?
-Curtis

Mealtime Rhythms

Lately, we have been incorporating some little changes into our daily rhythm to bring more peace to our evening meal. In an effort to bring an end to the "What should we have for dinner?" dilemma, that usually starts just 30 minutes before we should be eating, I am trying to follow a simple meal plan. And I mean very simple. As in, on Tuesdays we have something with beef; usually with enough leftover for Curtis and Noah to have on Wednesday night while I am at work. Some weeks are better than others, but I am hopeful that if we stick with it we will greatly reduce the number of last minute dinner decisions and (gasp!) fast-food runs.

For some time now, we have been lighting a lovely smelling beeswax candle at the start of our meal. It is such a simple gesture, but really creates a special atmosphere in which to share a meal together. In addition to lighting our candle, we have started saying a new blessing before our meal. In searching for a blessing for our family, I wanted one that would acknowledge our thankfulness not only for our meal, but also for the world around us. I also wanted it to be simple and easily memorized by our little one. After choosing a blessing, I wrote it on a card to remind us to say it every night.

Thank you for the world so sweet.

Thank you for the food we eat.

Thank you for the birds that sing.

Thank you God for everything.

As Curtis and I started taking turns saying the lines, he discovered another feature of this blessing that I had not originally thought of. It offers a lot of flexibility in adding your own little rhyming verse. At first, his straying from the written blessing resulted in some irked looks from my side of the table. For example, the other day as we were saying the blessing, he added "Thank you for the rhinoceroses that charge" to which I was supposed to respond with a rhyming line, but instead looked at him with raised eyebrows. Finally, he explained that we couldn't just single out the birds when there are so many other animals to be thankful for! He then added, "Thank you for the world at large." So although one of the reasons for having a blessing is to bring a familiar routine to the beginning of to meal, I guess there is nothing wrong with having a bit of fun with it. After all, sharing and having fun together are what family meals are all about, right? I can't wait to hear what Noah is thankful for, once his jabber-talk becomes more comprehensible!

On evenings when we are running behind and rushing to get dinner on the table, we sometimes skip the lighting of the candle and saying the blessing. However, I have noticed that on those hectic nights, when the meal is over, I feel as though I never even tasted my food. I have realized that it is on those nights especially that it is important to take a minute to pause, say our blessing, and bring ourselves to the moment, so that we may slow down and enjoy our meal together. Like most of our daily routines, this one is still a work in progress, but one that I think will really pay off the more solidified it gets.

-Jen

Emma

When I was a very little girl, my brother Mike and his girlfriend made me a very life-like doll. I am not really sure who named her, but since anyone can remember, she has always been called Emma. I still have Emma twenty-some years later, and though she is worn in places from years of dressing and snuggling, there is still much love in her.

Because she is a perfect newborn size, I have used her many times over the past couple years to measure and try on newly knitted items for size. In fact, right now she is wearing one of Noah's newborn diapers with a teeny tiny soaker cover and one of his t-shirts, along with the matching hat and bootie set that he wore for his first photo shoot.

Emma rests next to the couch in our office/knitting room, where Noah often leans over the edge of the couch sweetly whispering 'bah-bee' until I hand her to him to kiss and snuggle. Why am I waxing so nostalgic, you may wonder? Because Mike and Emma have inspired me to make Noah a doll of his very own. A soft, snuggly 'bah-bee' that he can carry around and kiss and hug. So stay tuned, for he or she will be my first project with my new sewing machine!

Jammin'

There has been a lot of music happening in Our Quiet Place lately. Well, there always is a lot of music around here, but more this week because Curtis is preparing for the Verona Area Community Theater (VACT)'s performance of Camelot. This will be the fifth musical he has played percussion for with the VACT. Here is a shot from the 'pit' during yesterday's dress rehearsal.

And here is a short video of the budding musician in our family jammin' with his Daddy this past weekend. It's a bummer when you need to turn the page, but your little arms are too short and you practically fall off the piano bench. Please excuse our morning hair and the fact that we are all still in our pajamas!