Finding my rhythm - The notes from week 1

After a week of trying to navigate our daily lives I've compiled a good bit of notes.  Going into this, I didn't think we had much of a rhythm at all but I surprised even myself with the natural processes we have already established.  One big thing that wasn't surprising is that Button has a very wacky sleep schedule... much of it being my fault as we are have different plans and are bopping from here to there without regard for nap times.  I'm going to take a closer look at this in the coming week as I gather more information.  Anyway, I wanted to get these initial thoughts out of my head and into the land of blogs!

The big stuff
*Monday
-10:00 always go to Mom Group(topic of the week discussed)
-Sometimes head to lunch with other Mom's run errand's in town.
-Home around 3

*Tuesday
-Story time at 10:00

*Wednesday
-Story time at 10:00 (if I don't go on Tuesday)

*Thursday
-Day to stay home and clean

*Friday
-Visiting Day with family and friends

Morning routine:
-She wakes anywhere from 7am - 9:30am...   but mostly is up around 8am
-Change nappy
-Come downstairs... pour myself a cup of coffee... pop Button down by her toys and check work email for 10-15 mins.
-Button and I nibble on a bit of breakfast... (bagel and cream cheese, some Cheerios, or a zucchini muffin)
-Go outside with the pup, visit the tree, and welcome the new day
-Upstairs get new clothes and freshen up for the day

Evening routine:
-Berdaddy & I make dinner anywhere from 5:00 - 6:30
-Most evenings we take a family walk around town for at least 30 mins
-about 3 nights week Button gets a bath around 7:30pm
-stories in Button's room around 8
-nurse to sleep beginning at 8:30 - 9 depending on her level of sleepiness (takes about 20-30 mins for her to fall asleep)
-go downstairs and watch a show we DVR'ed, edit photo's or read
-If Button wakes up  I nurse her back to sleep each time until I'm ready to bring her to family bed around 10:30 or 11

This week I want to play with times that will work best for me to try to work, get general tasks down around the house and set up time for things that I want to do but never can... like craft, paint, organize...

Wordless Wednesday

I'm 100% positive that the Ergo was a creation handed to us directly from God.  I can hear the singing angels!!!

My home, My rhythm

                                              

I've been reading and learning about the Waldorf Philosophy a lot lately, in fact I'm on my way to the library right now to pick up some books I've got on hold and to go to our weekly story group.  There is so much that I love about Waldorf and yet there are also parts that don't really fit with our family as well... so I'm going to cherry pick parts of it and try to apply it to my life style.

Rhythm is such a huge part of Waldorf and life in general... yet, I'm not a very rhythmic person by nature.  I'm a fly by the seat of my pants... where ever the wind takes me... jump first think later kind of gal.  At times this free spirited nature of mine has gotten me in sticky messes and yet other times it's been my saving grace.  It's the part of me that compliments Berdaddy in our relationship the most.  He's more of the responsible one who has to remind me of reality when I'm ready to book tickets to tim-buck-two.  I love this part of me, it brings me light...  I don't really want to change this very essence of my being and yet, I also adore the idea of creating a comforting rhythm for my beautiful Button.  I'm also so very drawn to the rhythm of the Catholic Church.  One thing is for sure I need more spirituality in my day to day life... I need more prayer and reflection.  As a work at home momma, my patience is always being tested.  I never get the quite of an office to get my work done.  And let me tell  you how incredibly frustrating it is to be interrupted time after time when I'm having a very creative moment and want nothing more than to finish a photo project.  And in my moments of frustration nothing brings me more peace than prayer.  I want Button to grow up knowing just what it means to practice her faith on a daily basis and in order for that to happen I need to start modeling for her right now.

She is nearly a year and we don't really have a set rhythm set in place for anything.  I just read her signals and go with the flow.  We don't sleep train and I nurse her on demand. So far things have gone well.  We have both enjoyed learning from each other, I'd like to think.  But now, as we are crawling up on her first year of life, I can't help but crave a bit of freedom for myself and just maybe a little structure wouldn't hurt to help get me some.

Now I just need to figure out how to get myself to find my own rhythm and try to somewhat have a spiritual flow to our life together, it's got to be organic in origin if this is going to have any chance at success.   Only 3 short years ago, I found myself getting confirmed to the faith that I had left to the wayside for a number of years.  And yet, it is so hard to stay devoted for me... such an ebb and flow...  I'm so very drawn to the rhythm of the Catholic Church and I'm hoping to push the too ideas together and create my very own system!  Strengthening my faith along with my family life.

My Plan of Action

*Take notes on my normal days for one week and see if I have a natural rhythm I can work off of.

*Make a list of important spiritual events I want to incorporate in our life, pray daily

*Work off of my calendar

*don't flake out

*be gentle with myself 

If anyone has suggestions on establishing this rhythm of mine, I'm all ears!  Wish me luck... I'll keep ya posted.

The 12 Project: Month 1

This was our very first family photo, set up on the camera's self timer, at our new home.  Berdaddy and I were all dressed up for our second date night together since Button was born.  The first date night was spent at Hooter's... yeah, you read that right... A story for a different day. 

  Annnnyway, We walked to the local cinema cafe, saw the newest Twilight movie, and had a yummy veggie pizza.  The movie was cheesy as most date night movies tend to be. I loved that we ate a pizza and watched a movie all at the same time, I can see many date nights spent there in the future.  The best part of the whole night was holding hands the entire walk home... just the two of us.  Oh and I love listening to Berdaddy do his best Jacob impressions in an attempt to make fun of the movie. 

Ahem, "Bella, I love you and I know you love me too, I can feel it in my werewolf bones!" Not that funny? Well,  ya gotta know my hubby... truly, it's the date that keeps on giving!

This month has been spent settling into our new home, making it ours and exploring our new town. I've been neck deep in photography gigs and enjoying the summer heat.  Our new home is nice and airy and I can't tell you how wonderful the cross breeze has been for Button and I during the day.   Button spends her time trying to get my phone and into the dog's water bowl.

The 12 Project

I first saw this project featured on Sara's blog, Walk Slowly, Live Wildly earlier in the year. She was inspired by Tara Whitney. I just love how blogging has produced a beautiful spider web of connections between artists, momma's and poet's alike.

I always loved this idea and told myself that I would participate once I got my tail up in the land of blogs. Both Tara and Sara are photographers as am I... us photog Momma's find ourselves with many photo's of our children, friends, families, partners that we adore but often only a few where we are joined in. I love this intentional movement at capturing our moving and changing family for one year... so the mission as I understand it:

Take a photo of your family once a month.

Write a bit about that month.

Make it into a book at the end of the year.

Thank you both for your inspiration, I'm so excited to have a 12 project of my own! I'll post my June photo soon!

Bedtime with Button

One of the wonderful benefits in moving to a small town in the country is the quite and nature right outside our front door. We have many bunnies that hop around the neighborhood, a pair of beautiful cardinals that live across the street... the fire flies are abundant this time of year as well. It is so crazy to just hear the kind of quite where the gentle sounds of nature can seep back in. I never realized how noisy it was living in the city, I guess after so long my ears just didn't register the noise any more. I used to always have a radio playing in town to drown out the banging stereo's that sped past and the hustle and bustle of the highway a block away. But here I just love keeping everything off, hearing the wind whiz past, birds chirp and bugs buzz. It's been 10 years since I lived on a farm, back then I never thought I'd miss those country noises and I didn't until I came back. And praise God that I'm back!

For the past month, every night before we take Button up for bedtime we go outside and soak up the last of the wonderful day. We say good night to everything we see but her favorite is our wonderful Maple Tree. She kicks and points and uses her baby babble to urge me closer to it on our nightly ritual. As a child my Dad taught me all the different types of trees in our area and when we would take car trips he would point at trees and quiz me to pass time. I can't wait to teach Button all about trees and the great outdoors... I'm so looking forward to our many field trips with tote bags in hand ready for an adventure out in the wild and campfires and camping!

But until then, I'm happy bringing her five steps out the front door each night to say good night to our wonderful tree. It brings her so much joy. She pats it lovingly, reaches for it's leaves and tries to catch the ants crawling around it. I'm so proud of my little tree hugger!

Goodnight Tree and Goodnight Button!

30 before thirty

30 is only 5 months away and I've made the list... number 22 on my list was to start a blog so I've got at least one gone. I'm excited to share this list with the world. I'm really hoping to get most of these finished by the time I'm 30 but I'm willing to be reasonable with myself on a couple of them.

1. Make a quilt

2. Mend my soul from past hurts

3. Sew a dress for Button(done)

4. Get Berdaddy to agree to me getting Dreads... if I really want them(done)

5. Run a half marathon

6. Volunteer on a regular basis

7. Complete 30 random acts of kindness

8. Make a photo book & slideshow of Button's first year

9. Try Herring

10. Shoot a portfolio of photo's for my Dad's business

11. Learn the Rosary

12. Book tickets to Europe

13. Book a family photo session in the fall

14. Buy Cowboy boots

15. Go to a horse show with my Dad

16. Deal with our sock issue

17. Bake 5 new desserts

18. Surprise Berdaddy with a romantic meal

19. See a dermatologist and have a mole check

20. Organize my photo's on and off the computer

21. Shoot a gun

22. Start a blog(done)

23. Paint my living and dinning room

24. Finish Button's room

25. Take a CPR class

26. Establish a proper system of organization for my photography business

27. Read 30 books

28. take yoga

29. complain less... even in my head

30. Plant tulips