"Deliberate Motherhood" Thoughts: Seasons

This books is such a wonderful mothering book to read. I have been working through it slowly, trying to savor each chapter, and grasp what it's trying to teach me. I'm almost to the end of the book, and have been looking through the earlier chapters to remember the gems I marked. I have so many little snippets I want to share with you. It's such a peaceful and empowering book, a celebration of motherhood, and a tool to help us see the glory of being a Mom even on the hardest days.

Today's thoughts are about enjoying the season you are in right now, from chapter 7:

"Crying babies and sleepless nights will only last a short season in our lives, and then it is us who will be longing for midnight snuggles. Battles with teenagers soon end, and we will long for those late night discussions. The home we onced wished would just stay clean will soon feel all too empty.

"Today is a gift; that is why it is called the present." - Unknown

Chantelle Adams

"Allowing life's opportunities to blossom in their proper season helps us appreciate the present. It allows us to focus on who we are, and whom we are with, right now. To be constantly wishing away the current season, because the next season seems more appealing, is to miss the fragrance of lilacs after a spring rain because you can't wait for barbecues by the pool. " 

Jennifer Cummings

Aren't these beautiful thoughts? I need these little reminders constantly when some days are crazy and I am learning to understand who these little, sweet spirits are that have joined our family. Each one of my kids have such a unique personality, and have so much to give to the world, and to give to us in our home. Shaun and I are the lucky ones to learn from these little guys each day, the two young men and a little lady. Being a mom is not an easy job at all, but it sure is a special one. 

Snow storm!

A rare and big snow storm came upon us. It snowed all day and into the night. 8 inches, at least. The boys have been playing in it constantly. The normal daily routine was swapped for snow play. I've been so busy drying clothes, washing clothes, helping with hats, gloves and boots, and feeding the kids when they finally come inside for a break. 

Today, with the exception of a 30 minute break for eating, Ethan has been playing outside all day since 7:30am. I love that he has time to play and be a boy. My job is to keep him warm and comfy, have food ready and give hugs. 

Blessings of a snow storm:

The world turns quiet and peaceful when the snow comes down. (Except for the huge car pileup on the freeway.) 

Ethan let me do a photo session with him using the big camera. My fingers froze, but I explored taking pictures in snow for the first time. 

The fireplace has been burning all day, drying the pants and keeping us toasty. 

Hot chocolate. Mmm..

The neighbor kids all coming outside to play. Childhood in progress:) 

The diffuser spewing essential oil goodness through out the home. 

Netflix added 'The Croods.' Good times, and fun movie to wind down from outdoor play. 

Wonderful chicken and rice soup recipe to warm us up. Can't wait to make it again next week. 

Boys love the snow. I'm ok with it. Brooke handles it for two minutes tops, and then wants to go in. Shaun detests the snow, ha ha! 

Libraries are magical

The libraries here in Washington are really neat. We've been to two of them so far, and they both have a play area for the kids that are very Waldorf themed. Lots of learning on hand stuff. This is the little one we live by. We often go to get more books to devour. It's usually quiet for us, as most kids are in school. I try to take the time to play with them, and let them enjoy the quiet time to be kids. Ethan was hunting down books, and didn't make it into the pictures this time. 

I thought about how one day, the small toys and play time of a library may not appeal to my kids anymore. They will be older, and excited to do other things. This stage of the library play time is so short. All too soon, it's going to be gone. They won't be small anymore. It pulls at my heart strings, and makes me want to really slow down, again and again, and savor the moment. Kevin loves dinosaurs. Ethan loves to make paper airplanes. Brooke is a snuggler. I wish I could slow down time, but I can't. So, I keep trying to enjoy each day. I keep trying to learn how to help my kids with their struggles, and I keep trying to devote more moments for just holding and tickling them. 

Fabulous quote to inspire you:

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one." -Jill Churchill

Good recipes: Brownies and Crockpot Meatballs

It's been almost two years since I gave away nearly my entire pantry of food, and changed our eating to processed free. Now, eating this way is so simple to me. I use recipes that are mainly processed free from a handful of food blogs of that manner, and then I tweak other recipes to make them healthier. Most of the time, it's always three main things that need tweaked; the sugar, flour, or oils. It's very easy to use good recipes that taste great, make some minor adjustments, and then they taste even better. I love doing this.

I'm still wanting to learn more about nutrition. It can be a bit overwhelming. The world of gluten and whole wheat is one planet in itself. Then, the digestability and nutrients of whole grain rice, quinoa, and many other flours and such to learn about. One thing to learn at a time.

At the moment, I'm researching brown rice and the arsenic level issue. Just learning, and eating a little more quinoa along the way. There are so many ways to eat healthier. I've found that you just need to learn, keep an open mind, and not be extreme. Keep trying new things.

So, I love to try out new recipes in search of gold winners. Here's a few to share with you:)

Whole Wheat Brownies from Heavenly Homemakers. 

Oh, these are stinking fabulous to me! I under bake them at 17 minutes, let them cool, and they are perfect. You can use Sucanet, Coconut Sugar, or other healthy sweetener of choice. The sweetness is just right, and not overly sweet to give you a headache. Perfect.

Crock Pot Meatballs from Allrecipes. 

I loved the simplicity of making these. I used some homemade breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning added, and ate this over whole wheat macaroni. We broke up some of the meatballs in our bowls, and it turned it more into a goulash. I would of used home made marinara sauce, but didn't have any on hand, so I just got an organic brand of sauce at the store. See? You just do your best with the food stuff:) Can't always have everything home made on hand when I got the family to take care of.

Food blessings for this week:)