Hump Day Nuggets:: De-Plan

Like most other type A's out there, I'm a huge planner.  I have a planner (of course), red and brawny, leather and loved.

Every year when I agonize over which planner to get I kind of laugh because really? my life is totally predictably planned.  The girls' few organized activities each week are easy to keep track of, playdates are such events these days that they stick firmly in my mind, and vacations and getaways?  oh how they are thinning out.

So here I find myself, filling my beautiful red planner with grocery lists, budgeting scribbles, mealsplans and craft ideas.  It's become a sort of journal for me, much like this blog has.  One of the things that I miss most about my pre kid self is writing, time to reflect and the mindspace to make sense of it all.  It's nice to have a place to jot and remind, if only a few words or sentences.

Perhaps it's this, that my planner is filled with nonsense, that I find myself frequently without plan.  I even go so far now as to de-plan, thin out too full days to make room for the magic and fun that almost always accompany a few spare hours.  I'm learning to love just being in each day, letting it move along as it will.  Good thing too, for as I look forward to the coming months, the luscious spring and long hot summer, we have so little planned.  No trips coming up, no visitors any time soon.  Truth be told it feels nice to just be here.  For right now that's all the plan I need.

Nuggets::

In all honesty after the whirl of get-ready-for-florida crafting was done I was ready for a break.  My fingers were a bit weary of the needle and back tired from the hunch over my sewing machine.  But Easter's proximity to the end of our spring break has allowed for no such respit, and I have to say it feels good to keep plugging along.

 ::Ainsley's spring sweater::

::it's her new outdoor staple, 

who knew sunshine yellow goes with just about everything?::

::knit top dresses::

::Louise's "ooh!" face::

 Oh goodness these dresses could become addicting.  So simple and quick to make with an easy playful fit, and the girls both adore them.  I adore that they have two new dresses that should take them through kindergarten for about $5 each.

::new baby sewing

I know it's customary to wait until you've sent the gift to share it, 

but I just couldn't resist.  Sorry Adrian and Rachel!::

Is it wrong that lately I'm realy craving another baby, mainly so that I can make stuff for them?  

I found this newborn kimono pattern in my beloved Weekend Sewing book and I wish I had at least 3 more newborns to sew it for.  So easy and cute and I hope a bit practical.

Nuggets::

Our first REAL garden!  Ok, so really this is the third, but it feels like the first.  We planned this year, drew a whole diagram, laid out seeds, broke fresh ground, put up a tiny wire fence, spread fresh soil and planted.  We have rows!  2 rows each of butter lettuce, fingerling carrots, and snap peas (with tomatoes, swiss chard and green beans soon to follow).  We scattered poppy seeds and planned a lot for our pumpkins (pumpkins!!!).  Our two raspberry bushes are looking healthy and strong.  We have spent every morning of the past week in our backyard, marveling and digging and playing.

Now just keep your fingers crossed that we get some real results!

Nuggets::

In the spirit of de-planning we have been doing just that since our arrival home last week.  When the girls chose not to nap yesterday we simply filled the afternoon by pumping up bike tires, readjusting helmets and taking the burley and bike for it's inaugural ride.  When the girls napped extra long on Monday I took the afternoon to delve into new projects, tracing and cutting jammy pant patterns, sewing the kimono top, ALWAYS working on Louise's spring sweater (I promise you'll have it soon sweet dumpling!)  And today when we had an hour before lunch, after music garten and yard chores were complete?  I pulled out the barbasol, and well, we had fun.

Everytime I do this I wish I did it more, VOW to do it more.  SO easy to clean up (hand the girls a few soft clothes and rub it away, give them a little spray down in the tub), and so fun for everyone.  Ainsley loves writing letters, shapes, and short words in her space while Louise could just slap and smush hers all day.  I get a little into it too :o).

Nuggets::

Coming off of a vacation has been historically tricky for me and the brood.  It's hard to come home to a house, even a clean house, that needs so much done.  Laundry, unpacking, getting back into schedules and OUT of the "anything goes" vacation mentality.

For us this year it's been weaning Ainsley off the ipad.  We shamelessly let her play one of her new Toca apps (SUCH great apps) or watch PBS kids show clips to get her to calm and fall asleep.  It's been tough convincing her that that was just for vacation and most days we don't watch any TV or play on the ipad at all.  I've found it's been relatively easier this time around to get back into our normal groove, mainly because I don't mind the whining and fighting as much as I used to.  Sorry, milk or water only.  No shows.  No ipad.  How about this beautiful crayon box and this nice white sheet of paper?  Oh, ok mama.  That sounds pretty good.

::here's my octopus mama.  he has so many legs I can't even count them.  He has ALL the legs.  I'm gonna hang him on the fridge because he's so pretty and he's my friend and I want to see him all the time.  Hey?  Could I draw some pictures for my room?  For that big blank wall so I can look at them before I go to sleep.  I want to draw Daniel "D-A-neel" Ok mama?::

After so much OVER planning in the arts department and wishing they were more "into"it, we're there.  Full on into crafting and mark making just because it's so dang fun.  Both girls gravitate so easily to the art box and craft drawer and it's rare that a morning or afternoon doesn't go by when we don't make something, just for fun, because they love it so.  Ahh.  Be still my art major's heart.

Nuggets::

This year I'm trying to plant real grass seed in the girls' easter baskets.  The kit was $4.99 at our local toy shop and I figured that's less than I spent on the spanish moss I got last year.  I sure hope they start sprouting soon!

We are preparing for Easter as much as we can in the week we were allotted between Florida and the holiday.  After last year's Easter Jesus fiasco I've been determined to get the real meaning of this holiday down for Ainsley.  This year I opted to try out one of Ian's childhood books Kiri and the First Easter.  While I am weary of giving Ainsley information that she can't process and in doing so frightening her we've talked enough about death lately (namely when she left an entire pail full of wiggly woos out overnight only to find them movement-less the next morning) that I know she understands it as best she can and it's so important for us that both our girls understand that this holiday is about so much more than Easter bunnies, eggs, and candy.  This book is amazing.  It of course talks about Jesus dying, but more about his rising and what that means.  How he was such a special man, the best man, in rhyming soothing words that Ainsley soaked in.

I am thankful that this year our girl gets is so much more and in her prayers at night even thanked God for Jesus because "he is the best man God, and we love him so much".  In fact she gets it SO much that when I cheerily suggested that we "plant" some jelly beans on Easter Eve and see what grows overnight she smartly replied "Oh mama.  Jelly beans aren't seeds.  They'll still be jelly beans.  That is very silly mama."  Yes Ainsley, it indeed is.

***************

With these de-planned days we've had so much fun.  Today I am thankful for no plans other than a good 4 miler for me when Ian gets home from work.  I am thankful for one more weekend of relative laze with my family before Ian jumps in full throttle to final-months-of-PhD mode.  I am excited for so many things today, for the hope in our garden, the sun outside, the freedom of our hours and the weeks and months ahead just here.

Happy Wednesday!