May 31, 2012
I cannot believe what a whirlwind this month has been. On this last day of May I think back to all that happened this month - backpacking (prep work, actual trip, clean up when we got home), packing up the chalet, attending to the endless financial and paperwork details that ...
May 29, 2012
It's a long story. I've been getting some questions here at FIMBY lately along the lines of, "are you bilingual?" and "how did you end up in Québec, Canada?" I've shared the whole story of our American exodus and what precipitated that move in a bunch of posts over the ...
May 26, 2012
The chaos is actually over (for now). Our black trailer pulled out of the driveway yesterday and now sits at our next home, which we'll move into in early July. The boxes got packed and loaded. The bags for Montréal were packed and not loaded. Phone calls and e-mail for ...
May 25, 2012
Last winter I read the popular parenting book Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. I wrote a short review of it also, which you can read here. In that review I wrote this short summary: I definitely recommend (this book) ...
May 24, 2012
We're home from our trip. Thank you for all your sweet birthday blessings for my girl in my last post. Damien somehow managed kids, home, meals and working. The house was tidy when we came home, as tidy as it can be with boxes everywhere. I didn't ask questions. The ...
May 22, 2012
Thirteen years ago today Céline was born. Céline and I are celebrating this special birthday right now, on a short trip with my mom, just the three of us. On this very special and significant day I want to share with you Céline's (home) birth story, written from my mother's ...
May 21, 2012
Today I'm happy to introduce you to my friend Louise Johnson. Louise started a homeschool hiking group in their community and I asked her to share her experiences in an interview.
May 20, 2012
Making a variation of Heather's chai from Whole Food Kitchen has been a welcome treat on these busy May weekends. A little afternoon reprieve and pick-me-up in a hectic day. I learned the hard way to make it decaf if I'm sharing it with the kids. I make mine with ...
May 19, 2012
I'm getting ready to spend three days away with my firstborn. The getting ready part is packing our house so I can be gone for a few days and still meet next weekend's moving deadline. Going away and leaving the rest of the crew at home is a pretty big ...
May 17, 2012
Why we want a small library and what we use to actually build those bookshelves.
May 16, 2012
I know, from experience, it doesn't stay this way. This moment of craziness does not define my life. This flux and change, and creative problem solving, is part of the package of creating the life we want for our family.
May 15, 2012
I see you mother, becoming. Gaining strength one struggle at a time. The Light shining through you. Risking in love your gifts. Beloved, chosen, beautiful. I see you child, becoming. Outgrowing your sister's old clothes. The Light shining through you. Living in love your gifts. Beloved, chosen, beautiful.
May 14, 2012
I've been talking about my mission now for the past month. In my first post I explained that part of my motivation for writing a personal mission statement was because of the work I am starting to do beyond mothering - freelance writing, coaching, an e-book, etc. I wanted a ...
May 13, 2012
It's started. The fiddle heads at the water's edge. The buds on the trees. The flush of green grass after all the rain. This is my happy time. These long, greening days. Watching birds descend on the field (along their migration routes I'm assuming). One day it's a flock of ...
May 11, 2012
At the edge of the property where we live (for just a few more short weeks) is a river. One of the fairly major rivers in the region actually. This is a salmon river and the local village was built around the salmon fishing industry more than a century ago. ...
May 10, 2012
When we stripped away the job, the career path, the retirement account, the house, and the familiar routines (on purpose) we were left wondering, now what?
May 8, 2012
It's Mother's Day this Sunday. Like you needed me to remind you. Or maybe you did. These things creep up on me, unnoticed. Especially this month when Mother's Day is sandwiched between our backpacking trip and Céline's birthday. Squished in there with packing, moving and anticipating next month in Montréal. ...
May 7, 2012
We went backpacking this weekend. It was fabulous. Understand when I say fabulous I don't mean that every single moment was bliss. Backpacking is hard physical work. And when it rains (it did) it's muddy and wet. And it can be cold. And smelly. Your shoulders get sore, so do ...
May 5, 2012
Friendship is communicated in so many ways. In this season, where I feel alone in this journey of adventure and am having to grow and stretch outside my comfort zone in so many ways, I treasure these gifts. I treasure you. A box of books in the mail. Along with ...
May 3, 2012
Spring is usually a busy time of year for me in the garden. This year it's busy for a whole bunch of different reasons. Without a garden I'm in a real season of "blooming where I'm planted" and being creative with what this looks like. Our housing situation is not ...
May 1, 2012
So, so much going on this month, where to start. The school books are now closed, and we're starting a two month break from our regular learning routine (all that stuff I wrote about in this curriculum post). Celine will continue with her self-directed studies and Damien will continue to ...