The Purpose of My Rocking Chair

There was a rocking chair in our home when I was small. It was black, made from a special kind of wood. It had a lower than usual seat so that small people, or shorter adults, could more easily sit.  It had a high back with 10 or more thin carved rungs streaming down from an ornate design in the headrest. 

I remember a few times it was abused and tragedies resulted. A cut on the head, or at least a bruise, as the rocker went top over tail. We also played with it on its side, and used the rungs for a cage to house an animal for our zoo.

Its real purpose, though, was for resting.

I never was able to rock Jenny or Jimmy as babies, as we had to leave our sliding rocker in West Chicago in 2008.  I have wished for one several times, then forgotten. It wasn't until I saw how happily Jennifer rocked back and forth on a friend's rocker that I remembered. But it remained a wish.

Maybe that's why I got so excited when we received our rocking chair as an early housewarming gift. Now I can rock my children when they need to be comforted. I can even rock myself now and again. You're not supposed to be in a hurry when you rock in a rocking chair. I struggle with that, often operating from a sense of urgency, always feeling the need to be doing something. I need the reminder to slow down, to sit and rest.  I need its physical presence as a example of how to be patient while still being slightly active. You have to move to activate the Rest while rocking.

Active rest is a picture for me of what it means to keep walking and trusting that there is One who knows all and is always active. He is the One who invented Rest, and without Him, there is no peace. I will let our rocking chair call me to wait and be still, even when there is so much to do.

10 Things I Love About Valerie

The night Hurricane Katrina swept through Mississippi, (with tidal surges flooding New Orleans), Aug. 29, 2005, I was getting prepped for a c-section, excited to meet you, but a little sad that my plan for a natural water birth was being abandoned.  You were breech, and I had had contractions off and on throughout the day.  My dear friend Robin had gone into proper labour a few days before, and I was eager to catch up. She had a little girl, Mila, and I was sure that you were a boy.


You were born and they had to suction some fluid out of your lungs before we heard your first cry. Maybe that's why you've never liked water in your face.  Maybe that's also where you first experienced your fear of loud noises.

You lay in the bassinet with your legs straight up and out-- the perfect pike position.  The nurses said that was normal for a breech baby, because that's the way you were in the womb.  I really think you were preparing for gymnastics even then.

I remember you flinching during your hearing test.  Some babies sleep through it, but not you. You have been gifted with ears that hear things others don't and eyes that see what others miss.  When you were smaller, and could barely talk, one of your first phrases after a Quincenara party was "Music..too loud for babies..." The eye doctor says you have perfect 3D vision.  It's rare for adults to have that, and in a child it's almost unheard of.

I wrote here about some of what we went through during your first two years of life.  And now I get to celebrate 10 things I love about you.

1. You are musical. You could sing before you could talk. When you were just 11 months old, you sang the tune to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" from the back carseat--just without the words!

2. You are happy most of the time. Even when you were so allergic to so many things, you sang to keep yourself occupied. You love life! You enjoy things in a way that many of your friends cannot understand.

3. You are courageous. Even when you are afraid of something, you will try it at least once.

4. You are tenderhearted. Whether it's a small person or a tiny animal, you care deeply and seek to love.

5. You are loyal and have lots of friends. You make friends quickly and people are drawn to you.

6. You are physical. We didn't know this until you started gymnastics, but you really love to move! Now you finally have a fun way to use your body and strengthen it! It's wonderful to watch you.

7. You are artistic. I have never seen someone sketch with grey pencil and show life in colour. Each drawing shows movement, perspective, and emotion. God will use these drawings; I'm sure of it.

8. You are sensitive. You pick up on how someone is feeling without them having to say a word.  You do not miss a thing.

9.  You love to read. I have found it hard keeping up with you, and have been surprised at how well you remember what you've read. It has made you more articulate, and has helped you tell stories.

10. You are imaginative. This has fuelled your dreams, your music, and your art.

I'm so thankful for you.

There are many more things I love about you, my firstborn Valerie, but these are just 10, in honour of the ten years we have been gifted with you. I never want to stop being thankful for your gifts. Happy Birthday!

Hunting for a House

Our rental has been a gift in many ways, but the mold has gotten me down.  It's a strange thing to feel depressed every morning, go outside and feel encouraged (because the air is not tainted), then go back inside and be depressed again. Environmental illness is real. Our lease is up soon, and we need to go somewhere else.  Somewhere with clean air, not in a river valley, and preferably with sheep nearby, grazing calmly.  Glossop seems the right place for more reasons than the landscape.

We've seen seven houses. Every house we've toured has seemed SMALLER than I thought it would be.  Yet we have to make a decision.  I've been worried that we could make the wrong decision and be stuck with a house with a myriad of problems.

Some of the houses we saw seemed perfect on the inside, but cars whizzed past at high speed on the road outside. Sometimes the location was perfect, but the house needed work.  Mat and I have learned that having a demanding full-time job and trying to fix up a house with four small children living in it all the time is not best for us in this stage of life.

Once I realized this was a hunt, and not just a choice between one house or another, my attitude changed, and I've found it's not as scary as I had made it out to be in my mind.

We've learned about our needs, what we really love and what we really hate.

We've learned that no matter how big the space, you still need to heat it, so having a large conservatory with a ceiling with double glazing windows is not practical.

We've also learned that just because a house seems priced right, doesn't mean it is.  People exaggerate, brag, and even lie to you to get you to buy their house for more than it's worth.

I've been learning about my desires for a pet-free, mold-free house with space and newness, and how I had assumed that denying them just for the sake of humility isn't wise.  

Questions such as, "If this is the house we are meant to have, will I accept that it's not exactly what I was hoping for?" or even more surprising, "What if the house we are supposed to get is MORE than I dared hope?" have me realizing there might be more to this hunt than just finding a place to live.

We keep walking and trusting, and we see our kids happy with simple things. They are excited when I am excited. They follow my lead when I start to voice or show my fears.

Having a bit of grass big enough to host a trampoline is their dream right now.

Treat Day

Someone asked me the other day, "So you don't have pudding every day?" No, we don't. My children love treats and sweets so much partially because they are not given them often. Fresh fruit for snacks on normal days, and a special dessert on Friday and Saturday. This means ice cream (our version) is only in limited amounts, and enjoyed so much more.  Sometimes a little sweet on top or on the side makes it even better. These pictures show the kids in pajamas enjoying homemade coconut milk ice cream with berry sauce (cook frozen berries on stove with a bit of maple syrup to sweeten, pour over top, and YUMMY!) although I am not against sugar, some of us are more sugar sensitive than others, and I enjoy finding things that are sweetened just with maple syrup or fruit. No hyperactivity, and lots of happiness.

Christmas and Holiday Time

So this is the first year that we were able to make and decorate Christmas cookies that were allergy and intolerance-free. This recipe or  try these vegan cutout cookies.

This is the first year I was able to have an open house for new neighbours.

This is the first year that I received more Christmas cards from the UK than the USA.  

This is the first year that we have a two year old and I am not pregnant!

Lots to be thankful for.  My heart is full.

Have you taken a moment to breathe?  Have you taken a moment to just be quiet?

I was able to read One Morning in Maine to little Jennifer today, and she loved it, savoring every picture.  

When was the last time you stopped and just enjoyed the children? Or if you don't have children, when was the last time you called a friend just to say, I love you and I'm glad you're in my life?

Boxing Day traditions started today. 

Boxing Day Bacon and Egg Breakfast

Boxing Day Bath (for me! a rare occurrence)

Boxing Day Building (Lego! and just today, a remote control car that had to be built from scratch)

Boxing Day Bible (certainly should be first in the list)

Boxing Day Breathing (essential oils help with this)

Happy New Year 2015!!

Another Birthday, Another chance to eat cake!

 We started off the day at 6am, so that Daddy could be part of the celebrating.  David is 7 today, and we're so thankful for him.  To help him not get too focussed on himself, the other children were each given an UNbirthday present.  Even Jenny, who is 2 1/2 got into the action helping her big sister open some girlie Mega Blocks. (similar to Lego)  Inbetween school subjects, we had a cake and ice cream eating fest, which you can only do in homeschooling!
He asked for a Ninja cake, with a  tornado on top.  There were Ninja figures, and there was a mess of frosting, but it ended up looking more like a volcano than a tornado.  Hey-ho, he was happy!
We baked this!
You all need to try this cake.  So easy, so delicious! And the frosting, well, that was the kid's favourite part.
Some powdered sugar (about 180 g), some margarine/coconut oil (about 125 g), 1 tsp. Vanilla, HAND MIX, until you think your arm will fall off, then presto--- smooth, yummy, melt in your mouth sweetness. I give all credit to this lovely lady at Azelia's kitchen.
Chocolate Icing recipe.
Forgive my lack of postings recently-- we have had a tough start to the year, with several illnesses.  I have realized my limitations, and am trying to better balanced with this new self-knowledge.  Here's to a bright 2015, and many more vegan gluten free CAKES!

Play Dough Sculpture

 Valerie dreams of being a sculptor.  Her Art during school time today consisted of lovingly crafting this mermaid and hair bow. 

She said the hair bow was big enough to fit in Jenny's hair. But then she quickly added "Of course not REALLY, Mom, but it's the right size."