Category: Birthday

Birthday, crafty mama, family

My Little Boy is Three!

Olof
Birthday Boy playing with a birthday present.
Everyone enjoying each others time.

My nephew being goofy!
The teens talking about politics LOL

Magni playing with a friend

The men folk in the kitchen

Another silly nephew. He has a stach under his armpit LOL

My brother. LOL

Stache kisses and armpit staches! LOL

Father and sons.

My sister in law being the amazing aunt she is.

I can’t believe it! My beautiful, funny little Magni has turned three. His birthday was Saturday and what a blessing it was to be surrounded by friends and family that day. I can’t believe that three years ago I was sitting and staring at him wondering what to name him. Falling in love with this amazing, strong personality.

We had a mustache and googly eye birthday party. It was such a great day. Everybody had fun and I let go of my perfectionistic ways. Not letting the mess or the imperfection spoil my son’s day.

The night before, I have to admit, I had a bit of a melt down. I planed on giving Magni a handmade teepee and have it all ready for him when he woke up. The night before I went into the cabinet where I keep  my sewing machine and I find that the foot is gone. I start looking at the other feet that came with the machine and find another that would work. I start sewing and I thought I had it done when it didn’t stand up right structurally. Sigh…… Fine I start working on trying to fix it when my sewing machine brakes down. It’s 1am and everybody but me is asleep. I get so angry and sad that things were not going to be as I had planed. Thankfully I had bought something for Magni so that he would get a little something from us if I had a crafty mama failure like this. He got a wooden pot and pan and 2 plates with forks and knives. I left the present where he would see it as soon as he got up. Then when the big boys woke up bright and early I got myself out of bed and helped him unwrap his present and asked him what he wanted for breakfast. He wanted waffles so on I went to the kitchen. Sad that the sewing machine broke down before I could make him his birthday crown. Next year for sure.

The day after his birthday I get woken up by my oldest stating that he was going to grandma and grandpa’s house. As I walk down the stairs, Magni states that he wants to go too. So here I sit on a Tuesday alone with Alex. My home seems so empty and quiet. 

In other news. Alex got his first tooth today! I can’t believe my 4 month 11 day old already has his first tooth. No wonder he was a bit fussy last night.  Odinn didn’t get his first till he was 11 months and Magni not till he was 6 months. Alex really is in a hurry.

Oh and here is a great video about Icelandic people and culture. https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=314712268577576

bird house, Birthday, children, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, knitting, organizing, Painting, Parenting, Right now, scone

{This Moment}

Olof
Starting my in this moment post and offer you to do the same on your blog and link to it in the comments. This post helps me ground myself. Feel how I’m feeling right now, seeing right now, and smelling. Using my senses and heart to feel the moment.

My Bird House
Magni Painting

Ódinn’s  House
Morning Scones

Magni’s House
Added the fabric in the glass and a Basket for remotes
Organizing baskets and wool felt for birthday crowns

Óðinn busy painting this morning
Alexander thinks Mornings are sleepy time.
Scull and cross bone socks
Test knit shawl
Pied Piper Socks for Óðinn

Óðinn being silly!
Just need to finish pockets and weave in ends.

Organizing this today with the baskets.

Right this moment I…………..

:: feel tired from my odd midnight insomnia that I’ve suffered from for the last few nights.

:: hoping that it gets colder again so this asthma issue stops.

:: listening to my boys paint their birdhouses again this morning. Leaving them out with the paint today so that they can keep adding to them until they are tired with it.

:: glad that I spent my free time last night going to Joann’s and buying fabric to put in the glass built in under the TV hiding the computer and all the wires that are in there and baskets to keep the remotes in and to organize the art and homeschooling cabinet (which I’m doing today).

:: wondering what I will put on Magni’s birthday crown made out of the wool felt I bough from Joann’s last night. Buttons? Embroidered M? 

:: enjoying my first cup of coffee before Alex wakes up.

:: wondering why I didn’t start baking scones sooner since they are so simple and quick to make.

:: listening to the rain fall outside.

:: watching my WIP basket overflow with projects.

:: wondering what I’m going to do about my Snowbird Cardigan since I ran out of yarn and I still have the pockets to make.

:: enjoying how that Shawl I am test knitting is coming together.

:: looking forward to Magni’s birthday on Saturday knowing that there will be some late nights making his present (he is getting a home made play teepee) and cleaning and organizing in the next few days. The mustache theme will bring about some fun photos!

:: anticipating seeing family and friends and looking forward to seeing my nephews that I haven’t seen in a month. I’m sure they have grown.

:: believing that my boys are hitting a growth spurt with all the eating they are doing these days.

:: enjoying the peace and ease that has come with simplifying my home with the Hectic to Harmonious Home Cleans and looking forward to listening to last nights call on healthy eating and making family meals more meaningful and a time to connect.

:: wishing you all love, peace and connection with your loved ones today.

Birthday, Christmas gifts, Clutter, decluttering, toys

Overwhelmed

Olof

So, I took a few days off around the new year to do some thinking and the last couple of days I have tried to ignore the pile of toys in my living room while I tackle the pile of papers on my desk. Christmas as it is now in our life is not what my husband or I are happy with. It´s just stress. I have a huge family with lots of kids and I have 5 siblings and most of them have husbands or wives and then there is my husband´s side of the family as well. After all the presents came in this year I felt overwhelmed. It was too much stuff. Stuff that was loud. Stuff that has become pollution in my home that was meant to be a sign of caring and love. Thankfully, Alex is too young to know any better and I can return some of his ”toys” and get something useful and needed. I´m hoping the family does not take offense to this since I would much rather people return what I give them and get something they want or need rather than keep something that they really didn´t need or want in the first place. My older boys on the other hand want to play with their new toys of course. I understand that. I have such a hard time getting rid of their toys too. But the flimsy plastic toys are taking over and are against all I want for my family and they don´t play with them most of the time because they get lost in the mountain of toys just taking up space that I don´t have available. There are enough cancer causing chemicals in their life, adding cheap plastic toys to their life where the chemicals leach through their skin doesn’t help. I´m trying to live a simpler life with less stuff. I’m not saying that my children shouldn’t have toys. I love the toys that are well made and something that even their children or grandchildren could play with. Like Playmobil or legos are the plastic toys I´m OK with. They are developmental and help them use their imagination and work through some of their day to day issues. I also love wooden toys like Thomas and friends wooden trains and tracks and art supplies. My boys have their plastic trucks that they play with in the dirt. I don´t mind them as long as they stay out in the dirt pit and they don´t need any more of them until something brakes and needs to be replaced.

After having kids myself I am a firm believer in asking the parent first before giving a gift. Ask what the child needs. I remember getting sheets for my bed for Christmas, socks and sweaters. things I needed not just toys. Yes toys are fun and you want to be the fun maker but how about giving a ticket to the local aquarium or zoo or a children´s play and then take the child. That memory would be much better than any cheep flimsy toy and the parent would love it too.

I only have a 3 bedroom home for a 5 person household. That should be no problem but it is when there is a constant flow if things coming in but little going out. I´m restarting my 52 week challenge with my first post being on Monday about organizing papers to get ready for tax season.Wish me luck!

As I finish writing this I my heart is warm as I hear Magni play with the Playmobil that Santa gave him and his brother this Christmas. I hear him grow developmentally and not be overwhelmed with sounds or violent characters as I have managed to keep their bedroom clean of that stuff. My living room on the other hand has been overtaken as you could see on Monday´s post.

Magni´s birthday is on the first Saturday of next month and sadly I think toward it with a mix of anxiety and joy. The anxiety of having to find space for more stuff but the love that family and friends will be here to celebrate his 3rd birthday.

As I try to do what I believe is best for my family I believe that I will offend some people. I´m sorry about that. I do have  very understanding mother in law that is willing to take some of the toys to her house.

What is the hardest thing for you to keep control over at your house?