Walking!

I just had to share this milestone with you. A few weeks ago, Lucy began walking. If we asked her to come to us while she held onto a table, she'd let go and walk a few steps, landing in our arms with a huge grin and a hug. Just this week, she's started walking unsupported more and more often, without us suggesting it first. A few days ago, after a day when she took maybe 5-9 steps many many times, I decided to try to capture some of it on video. When the kids went home, I set up the iMovie on the computer to catch her at play. In the midst of filming, Andi came home from work. I stood Lucy up to go to her, and she walked 19 steps! The most ever. I was so happy to have caught it on video (the grandmas always want to see video!) She's so thrilled with herself. We thought you might like to see.

Tidbits and mud

I have been doing some blog-worthy things lately. Really I have. There's been a wee bit of thrift shopping:



And a good deal of baking:



And I'd write to tell you all about it, but at the moment, I'm buried in a pile of laundry. Why so much laundry, you ask?



Well, it may have something to do with the way we spend our days...

Perpetual to-do list

No, not that list--the one you wrote a million to-dos on that will never get done. I mean one that gets used again and again and again. Like this:



In our house, if the dishes don't get washed at night, or the laundry's heaped on the couch, 5 other families are going to see the mess when they bring their children in in the morning. Not only is that super embarrassing, but it's important to me to create an organized, uncluttered environment for the children: it settles them and helps them focus their thinking and play. And in addition to normal family chores, we have extra prepare-for-tomorrow's-group-of-kids chores (like changing the bedding on 5 nap mats). Trying to get all that done--while simultaneously preparing, eating, and cleaning up dinner, spending a bit of time together as a family, getting Lucy to bed, and trying to have a few minutes of the day when we're not working--has presented, shall we say, just a wee bit of stress. (Do you hear the sarcasm there?)

We needed a system. Something to keep us on the same page so I wasn't nagging all the time. Of course, my thoughts went first to a to-do list (we both love crossing things off a list). I thought about typing it and printing a ton of copies, but what a waste of paper! So one night, I grabbed one of the kids' chalkboards and used a sharpie to write out our morning and evening chores. It sits on our kitchen counter, and we use it daily to keep track of what's been done and what's left to do.

Now, I can't say that the house is always spotless when the parents arrive in the morning. (In fact, I can pretty much promise that it's not. I work far too many hours a day and have had to give up the hope of a perfectly clean home.) But I can say that the things on the list are finished. And that helps me start the day on a much more peaceful note. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go change the mats so I can cross it off the list.

Sowing seeds

Yesterday, Andi said that the one thing she was really missing this winter was lettuce. Well, I can't produce lettuce from storage, but something green and crisp and fresh? That, I thought I could manage.

For some reason, I have never grown sprouts. It was on my list of things to try this winter, and I'm finally getting around to it. Here are my adzuki sprouts, started last night:



(I used a piece of an onion bag as the top.)

I don't have much of a green thumb, but hey, I only have to keep these alive for a few days!

And speaking of sprouting things...

I've decided to join One Green Generation's Growing Challenge for the coming year. The seed catalogs have started arriving in the mail, and they've got me thinking about spring. I haven't had a whole lot of luck so far growing food from seed in our very shady yard, but I am determined to do better this year. This challenge seemed like it might help me stay motivated on that goal. For this challenge, I need to:

1. Plant 3 crops from seed.
2. Plant the "seeds" in 3 other people (inspire 3 other people to plant something from seed.), and
3. Post about it on the One Green Generation site.

So, consider yourselves invited to join me in this challenge. Never planted anything from seed before? It's a great time to try! (She's got some suggestions of easy beginner crops here.) I'll post more as I choose my seeds and get started planting. If you join me, you'll help me meet goal #2!

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know we've made a commitment to eating only locally-grown produce. Nothing's more local than your own backyard. I've got enough planted in my yard so far that I know the thrill of stepping out the back door to fill a basket with lunch. Now I want to do more; to have a truly edible landscape. Please consider joining me in this first step; this is a simple start toward a greener life!

Vintage Swap Winter 2010

It seems many of my favorite bloggers have joined Vintage Swap at one point or another. I've read many a post about the lovely things people have sent and received as a part of this exchange. It seemed like just the thing to brighten up grey winter days, so I've joined this go-round. I'm new to the world of crafty-mama blog swaps, but I'm super excited to participate in this one. I wonder if there's anyone out there who shares my particular love for vintage children's books and tablecloths and aprons and dishcloths and pyrex and...

You might want to go on over and check out their site, though sign-ups are done for this round. Seems like there will be posts about all kinds of good thrifty finds, and there's a tempting blog roll I'll have to check out (as if I don't read enough blogs!)

Crochet in my future

On a gorgeous Saturday morning, Lucy and I walked to a nearby school to register for a class. Here's my homework: get a ball of yarn and a crochet hook. Ok, I did that part. In less than a week, I'll find out if my generally-pretty-clueless hands can figure out what to do with them. Wish me luck! I really want to be able to create something out of yarn (you know, beyond pom-poms), but so far, my hands haven't cooperated. I'm nervous, but thrilled, too, at the opportunity.

Book Barn Booty

So I promised I'd share the books I got on our road trip this past weekend. I think I showed great restraint. This is all we bought:



In the foreground is a pile of what we call "beach reads" (appropriate for our January beach day, right?). We're exhausted mamas these days, and reach for easy reading most often. You can see I cracked one of them right away (and can't put it down!)

And then, of course, there's the real treasure--the kids' books. Kids books get read over and over and over again, so I have to love them! I got some great ones. Those Little Golden Books are really exciting to me, because I remember them fondly from childhood. Eloise Wilkins pretty much defines my early childhood book memories, and that kindergarten book looks to me just exactly like what kindergarten should be: singing and playing and fingerpainting and napping (not the pushed-down academics it's become). I have 4 kids heading to kindergarten this fall (no, not mine!) and I'll love sharing this book with them. And Rabbit and His Friends! For years I wondered what was that platypus book I remembered from childhood, and finally, Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves gave me the answer. She's also the one who inspired me to get Plenty of Fish. I love how it shows a kid finding answers to his own scientific questions. And I got The Tomten and the Fox for my chicken-loving, fox-loving, predator-and-prey-stories-loving kids. And a Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka book for me because something about their sweet old-fashioned innocence appeals to me so. There's more in there, too, but I guess those are the ones that excited me the most.