Becoming Crunchy

Posts Tagged ‘State of the Heart’

Slow Parenting

The following is a guest post written by Justine Julian

Justine is a doula, parent educator, student midwife and mother to five kiddos ages 22, 16, 7, 3 and 1. She writes about pregnancy, birth, parenting, family, becoming healthy, and her ever-unfolding and blessed life at State of the Heart Parenting.

In a northern climate – like up here in northwestern Pennsylvania – the mid-to-late May arrival of spring is not only a beautiful reminder of the cycle of life but also brings a joyous feeling of liberation. The green buds on trees and tiny shoots bursting out of the ground signal a time of frantic activity for plants and wildlife, but usher in a distinct and gentle respite for my family.

Many long months of trudging from house, to van, to store, to playdate, and home again is one variation of cold, slushy mess after another in the winter. As a homeschooling family, we attempt to fill the long dark days of winter with plenty of scheduled outings to enjoy museums, to visit relatives, and to ferret out learning opportunities within the warm walls of local businesses, shops, and attractions. All of that scheduling can feel pretty overwhelming. The morning routine becomes a great big hassle of searching for clean (and matching) clothes, shoveling a nutritious breakfast into still-sleepy mouths, and hustling out into the cold to buckle everyone in just so we can make it someplace on time. Even on the stay-at-home days of winter when we decide to venture out into the snow to enjoy sledding or other snowy delights, we can spend a ton of energy and time simply wrestling everyone into snow gear and getting out into our very own backyard.

But spring brings galoshes and buckets filled with dirt. Spring brings chubby toddler hands carrying their very first lady bug. Spring brings rolling in the grass and burying your nose in a cluster of lilacs. Spring brings a singing momma laying in the hammock, marveling as dappled sunlight dances over her nurslings’ sleepy face. Breathe it in. Breathe it out. No need to rush today. Thank you for making it so very easy to slow down, spring. Read the rest of this entry »

Our probably won`t look quite this healthy...

To all you Canadians out there – happy Victoria Day Weekend!

I just love 3 day weekends…I think there should be more of them.

We’re planning a BBQ tonight with friends we don’t get to see very often, which means I have to finish getting the house cleaned shortly! And we’re hoping it doesn’t rain…though if it does we’ll just move the BBQ into the garage!

Long weekends are certainly a bit more low key now that the Bean is here, but we’re OK with that.

I even got a special gift from the husband this morning – the chance to sleep in! He got up early with the Bean and took her for a visit to his parent’s house – I got to sleep until almost 9:00AM! I think it’s the latest I’ve slept in for close to 9 months now.

It is telling, however, that I didn’t sleep longer…before baby I could have easily gone until 12 – maybe even 1. Oh how things change…

I’ve really got to finish my housecleaning soon, but thought I would procrastinate just a little bit longer to share some of the great posts I’ve been reading this week. In the meantime, hope your weekend is going awesome!

Sunday Surf… Read the rest of this entry »

I really wanted to do a Sunday Surf yesterday (I’ve been reading so many amazing posts this week!) but I was just too tired from a crazy busy – but very fun – weekend.

Saturday I was at the home of relatives expecting their first baby very soon. They’ve been renovating an amazing old house for close to 5 years now (and doing an incredible job!) but with their own little bean on the way, things are shifting into high gear and they organized a work party to get some things taken care of.

So the husband and Bean had a daddy daughter bonding day and I did some painting!

It was a fun little switch, and it sounds weird but I feel so cool to have taken part in ‘flipping’ a house – small part though it was.

Mother’s Day dawned gorgeously – finally a day that was truly sunny and warm!

Husband made me breakfast (bacon and eggs – yum!) and then we went for a long walk to work off breakfast. When we got home Bean was ready for a nap and we noticed exactly how many weeds had sprung up in our little front yard garden over the past week, so we did a little yard work and made it all pretty.

I then got inspired and decided to mow the lawn, so the front and back yards actually look presentable for once (we moved here last summer when I was pregnant and I could count on my hand the number of times we got the lawn taken care of…I’m sure our neighbors will be happier this year lol).

I also got started on my straw bale garden! I probably should have begun before now, but life intervenes… Read the rest of this entry »