Saturday

It's Saturday night, and the clouds have finally broken-sunshine pours through to let us know that the sun still exists, and that with tomorrow-comes renewal.

Last night after the rain broke, we played in the yard.  We chased balls, rolled in the grass, and looked at clouds.  My heart fills with elation when I watch my daughter play and discover the world around her.  I can't help but have those moments of wow-I created her-and here she is.  She is growing.  She is learning.  She is forming her own opinions about the world around her.  With toddler hood comes more opposition, and I welcome it with open arms.  This might sound strange, but I love to watch her during time-out. Even if it's her 4th time out in a row and she has black and purple crayon remnence imbeded in her teeth (crayon consumption is often the culprit of time outs), I love to watch her sit there and have a chain of events unfold that look something like this:

2 year old acting extra cute
2 year old becoming agitated
2 year old yells
2 year old tries to get up and run away
2 year old breaks down
2 year accepts her punishment
2 year old hugs, kisses, and says "I sorry"

As I watch her go through these stages I rejoice that she is becoming her own individual, full of passion, full of opinions.  I love that she knows what she wants.

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I love summer (when is shows up)...

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My co-creation hard at play...

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The day ends with this....

This week's Mama Craft: Fabric Rosette Flowers

So once summer hits I tend to trade in my crocheting hooks for outdoor play-so I guess my crafting bug hibernates for the summer, but as I was perusing blogs this weekend I came across this tutorial for fabric flowers.  I said to myself "Self, break out your hot glue gun and give it a try"...and I plan to do just that.  I hope to get to it sometime this week....I'm not sure what I would even do with these fabric flowers-but they're so cute, right?!  I'm thinking hair clips...stay tuned.

Challanges.

This past week has left me feeling nothing short of failure.  I know we've all been there.  Be it hormonal after my lost pregnancy (btw-talk about a hormonal roller coaster), or my realization of the gaps in my ability-I have felt the sting of failure.  It goes something like this....

Why couldn't my body keep this pregnancy?


Why don't I do crafts every day with Ingrid?


Why did that new recipe suck?  Maybe I suck.


Why can't my art be what I want it to be?


Why is Ingrid's frustration being played out in bigger and bolder ways?


Why have I never taken my child to a water park?

....and so on.  You get the point.  The heart and mind don't always agree, and sometimes my heart is illogical.  I know I am a good mom, but I also know I have weakness's.

So in honor of the challenge I faced this week of not feeling like I'm doing enough, or being enough-I decided to make a short list for the remaining month of June.  I am challenging myself to take on new experiences as an individual and as a mom, and here they are.

1.  Once a week I will attempt to do a craft with Ingrid.  This week, a kitty face.  I plan on making it out of a paper plate, construction paper, and pipe cleaner.  If you know of any good craft sights for kids-share please!

2.  I will take Ingrid to a NEW park, instead of the same one we always go to.

3.  Weather permitting, I will fill up the pool and let Ingrid play in it.

4.  We will turn off the TV more, and turn on music more.

5.  Library, once a week!

6.  We will not obsess over Ingrid's eating habits.  Dinner time will be fun, and we will not equate our ability as parents based on what she will and won't eat.

I think I made myself a very doable list.  It's hard for me, a routine girl, to step outside of our routine and experience new things- little as they may seem.  But it's important.  As for this girl.....she is increasingly full of spunk, pep, and anything else a cheer leader might have.  She is doing just fine.

Beef...it's what's fer dinner.

Tonight's recipe!

Tuesday's Link to awesomeness.

I've been too busy to blog-and for that I'm thankful!!  I am so thankful to watch my photography business grow-I am so humbled that anyone would even show an ounce of interest in my work.  Actually, I am overwhelmed (in a really healthy way) with the weight of what it means for someone to trust you with photographing their, wedding-engagement-newborn-family etc...It's not something I take lightly.

I want to share an awesome decorating link with you, but first I want to share this with you, how cute is she?!

Change of subject.  My aunt sent me a link to this website today-and it rocked my world.  If you're a lover of the shabby-sheek look, then this is for you.  I have a gift card burning a whole in my pocket to The Painted Porch, and I fully intend to knock of one of these ideas (I'm thinking the ladder!).

It's the 2nd Tuesday of the month, which means we are off to celebrate our Bohemian-ness at the Pizza Ranch with the rest of the member of the Owatonna CSA.  It pays to be married to a gypsy folks.  

Engagements, Babies, and Pregnancy-OH MY!

Check out Laura DeMars {Photography's} latest blog postings!

CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'm all sorts of excited about this- my new business LOGO!  That's right-it's all legit!  Check out Brooke at B.Schroht Designs!  She did an awesome job and I am thrilled!  Happy Dance!