monday musings

Joining Nadja from Patch O' Dirt Farm for her "Monday Musings"...

Right now...I am enjoying the "calm before the storm", so to speak. Sipping my coffee and munching on raisin toast. Today is yet another "snow day". And that means I have to shift my plans...let go...let go...let go will be my mantra today. I am heartened by the huge fluffy flakes of snow coming down. Love snow...not so big on freezing rain.

This weekend...spent Saturday morning with a friend who just had her fifth baby. I so remember those days. Crazy busy days, and yet such joyful ones! My children have been asking repeatedly when we are going to have another baby (our youngest is now three), so they were able to get their "baby fix" so to speak in holding that wee bundle...and so was I. Not sure if another is in the cards for our family, but I enjoy babies so much. I think I always will. 

Saturday afternoon I spent teaching two of my girls how to knit. One on each elbow. Our ten year old picked it up right away (she remembered from lessons past), but our eight year old found it a little more challenging. I tried to reassure her that she would be able to catch up to her big sister with time and perseverance. I find she compares herself to her older sister all the time. I try and explain that she is two years younger, so she needs to give herself at least two years to do what she can do. But she will not be consoled. That constant competition is so hard to watch...but I have also seen how it can be an advantage...the younger siblings learn things so quickly by just watching their older ones. By baby number three, I didn't even have to worry about potty training!

On Sunday I took some of our children to the local ski hill and spent the day on the slopes! With all the snow we got recently, the conditions were perfect. Our eight year old can ski like a fiend, so she found it hard to stay with her six year old sister and I on the smaller hills. She ended up taking off and finding a friend who likes the steeper, faster stuff!

Some plans for this week: To get together with my sisters and Mom for our very first "band practice". We aren't planning on performing...ever...but we enjoy playing music together. I've printed off some really fun bluegrass/folk songs and have been trying to slowly learn them. My husband and kids are all so musical, so it is quite intimidating to have them hear me. I try and practice when they are not around. 

If I have some time for myself, I would like to...start a knitting project for myself. I bought some gorgeous purpley pink yarn last year with a birthday gift certificate from my mom. Tried knitting this fabulous dress, but gave up half way into the yoke. I just wasn't sure if it was going to fit...and if it didn't fit properly it would look bad. I think I need to start a cardigan or something that doesn't matter so much if it fits to a tee or not.

I am grateful for...healthy kids. We have been so blessed with good health this winter, and for that I am exceedingly grateful.

Some prayer intentions for this week: for continued health for our loved ones. And for all those who want to have children, but are having a hard time conceiving.


Something that makes me smile:  My littlest trying her hand at needle felting. She just had to try out what mommy was doing...and made several little fluffy pictures for Grandma and Grandpa.

Sophia my girl.

Our little place on the banks of the Madawaska River.

We lived in a small wooden cabin, nestled in the pines. It didn't take much to keep that place cozy. A small cookstove stood in the space between the kitchen and living room. It's small firebox meant it had to be stoked up sometimes hourly in the colder weather. There was a plentiful supply of scraps from the local lumber mill stacked up against the side of the cabin, from which to draw from.


There were six of us then. Felicity was 6 years old, with a toothless grin, Christian was 3 years old with such fun loving ways, little helpful Sabby with his bowl cut was a year and a half. Your dad and I eagerly waited for your birth. It seemed like you weren't in to much of a hurry to venture forth from the warm, snugness of mommy's belly.  Maybe it was the perpetual noise and craziness of that family who so very much wanted to greet you...maybe it was the comfort of mama's heartbeat. For whatever reason, you situated yourself comfortably, as if resting in a hammock and kicked back and relaxed. We had a midwife try and turn you...but no way no how you were going to stay upside down in that awkward position for very long.

Labour began one dark night of winter...one of the coldest nights of the year. It was January 31st, 1999. With the heater broken in our old Suburban, dad and I shivered all the way to the Pembroke hospital an hour and half away. Only to have them question me..."are you sure you are in labour"? Apparently the contractions that were only minutes apart had slowed remarkably. So we ventured out the local mall, and walked and shopped for last minute necessities, including a "good camera"...one that would fully capture this big event. I paused during the contractions and leaned into the glass counter. The sales person was quite shocked to learn why I did so.

Back to the hospital we went, hoping for some better news. Labour had picked up. I was 8 cm dilated. We started to become very excited. Upon further investigation, however, they discovered that what they thought was your head was, in fact, your elbow. Our hearts sank. Things started to move in fast forward. An emergency C-section would be necessary. An IV was put in...and things started to fade.

The next thing I knew, there you were next to me with your perfect little round head, covered in soft downy hair. With your blue eyes, petal pink skin, and perfect rosebud mouth...and I felt pure JOY.

We named you Sophia Maryrose.

A few days later we brought you home to kisses and snuggles all round.  And our home was filled with  the warmth of love multiplied.

Felicity is ecstatic to finally have a baby sister!

What a loving big brother Christian is.

A precious moment to pause and savour.

Here's a poem I wrote for you, dear daughter...

Sophia
Wide-eyed beauty.
Soft as a lamb
Yet strong as a lion.

Sophia this past summer.

Adventurous,
Yet heartstrings tied.

Osh Kosh overalls, workboots
And grass-stained knees.
Smocked dresses, tea parties,
And lipstick smile.

Climbing trees, fishing off the dock,
And mudpies in the sandbox.
Ballet slippers, sparkles
And Raggedy Ann and Andy.

Bridge jumping, snowboarding,
And hockey skates.
Playing guitar, singing like a bird,
And baking with baby sister.

A spunky gal,
With a pure heart of gold.
May wisdom find you
And may God's light
Always shine brightly
Through you, on all you meet.

I love you my girl.

Mom