Introducing Our New Home

Well I am back from my respite my dear friends! I must admit that I did miss the internet, not the TV so much, but most definitely this space. Soon hopefully we will be getting rid of their TV altogether. This week has just re-solidified why we do not need or really use it all that much. The only reason we still have it is really for Craig. After a LONG 8 hour plus night shift, he likes to watch his TV. And I totally support that. But I digress...


As mentioned before, we are moved! What a crazy and blessed experienced that was. We had so many lovely people and dear friends helping us. We began at 8am and we were done and mostly unpacked by 3pm. Seriously I am so indebted to these dear souls. The love Craig and I felt on that day will stay with us for years to come. 


Our move was across town, so we are still in VA. I can see the James River from my window and I am walking distance from my old university. The house we are in belongs to our church friends. We are renting from them for the next three years. While we could have bought a home this move, we could not have bought the kind of home that we'd be happy to own. So we are going to wait and save for as bit longer and then hopefully in three years we can find our forever earthly home. But truly we are so blessed as it is and in the end a house is temporal and just a dwelling. I'd prefer to pin my hopes on something greater than that. :) 

The new house however is stunning. I cannot lie, it also is huge. 3400 square feet and tennis court in the back yard huge. The poor kids get lost in it and this it too much room for us, so we won't be using it all really. But I am not going to complain. I plan on filling this house with friends and family as often as I can for as long as we have it! I also want to begin a Waldorf homeschool co-op this Autumn, so this place will be perfect if that plan comes to fruition. 


At any rate I will leave you all now. The kids are fabulous. We are having no regression issues and they are both sleeping happily in the same room (photos to come). We have found our rhythm and routine in this new place and I am in love. See you all tomorrow! 

Many blessings from mine to yours, 

Nicole 

PS: My tutorial is getting published! I am quite excited! I will let you all know when is comes out and where to find it! 

New Home

We are safe. We are moved. We are settled. We are blessed.

We also do nto have internet until saturday, so that is when the blog and photos will return. 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Life is quite wonderful and we are having no issues. 

PS: The kids LOVE their new shared room! 

I've lost my third arm!

Phew...see I was right my friends I have been being sporadic! This however is a good thing because it means I am making great progress on the packing front. I have to say, minus feeling a bit icky last night (bad food maybe?), all has been well!


Last weekend we painted the children's new room. Craig and I have decided to room our son and daughter together for the next three years. In our new home we have 4 rooms. Two of which are small and the other two which are huge. One being the master and the other being the "room over the garage" aka FROG. 


The major factor leading into this decision was the sheer size of the bed sets we have for the kids. Since both were given to us free of charge,  you better bet we are most definitely going to use them and save our pennies. However, due to their dimensions and the dimensions of the other two rooms, the full sets will not fit into the smaller rooms. Fortunately they do both fit in the FROG with ample room leftover! Score! 


Personally I really quite like the idea of our kids rooming together. It is almost like we will have a traditional nursery room (as seen in classic movies like Mary Poppins and Peter Pan) where all the children, regardless of sex, share a room until their teen years. Plus Deirdre is ecstatic about it. I am sure there will be some adjusting but I am not worried. as with all things in our home we just flow with the rhythm and make do one bit at a time. No need to fret unnecessarily. 


So after making that decision, I began dreaming up an idyllic Waldorf "nursery" room for them. Trust me its going to be a lovely room, I promise to show you when its done. However the FROG had flocked wall paper in it. When Deirdre first saw the room she said it looked like a bear cave! Off the wallpaper came, and last weekend we painted  (as well as sanded and primed) the walls and ceiling. The color I choose was "Free Spirit" by Olympic. Olympic is a zero VOC paint with a green seal. Since this paint was going in the kids room my conscious would not allow me to not use a low VOC paint. 

I truly adore this color-plus its gender neutral and peaceful. Perfect for the kids. I would love to have posted before and after pictures for you but alas I HAVE LOST MY CAMERA. I know... I know. It really is my third arm. I have torn my house asunder looking for it. I have reopened boxes. It is nowhere. 


The only conclusion I can come to is that I left in my car and it was stolen- or- that it is so far lost that if I do find it won't be for a long long time. And if it is truly misplaced, tehn that would be very odd for me since I always keep it in two places. Next to the computer or in my purse. Seriously. So after a week plus of not having it and tearing everything apart, I am going to cave in and get a new one. If I do find the other one at some point I will just sell it or give it to my little brother as present. Luke tends to get my hand me down cameras anyway- and he loves it ;) 


I was thinking about getting nicer one than I had, however I really love my Nikon CoolPix. I seriously get awesome photos with it and it only cost me $90. We will see though. I will be getting one before Saturday so I can photograph the move. 


We will see though. Please keep us in you thoughts and prayers through the move. I am one stressed cookie! 

Bonne Nuit, Nicole 

~Old un-shared photos form 2 weeks ago~

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual birthed by Amanda Soule aka SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

Deirdre loving her chicken Faline. 

Elsa Beskow, a love! (and a friend's giveaway)

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”~ Emilie Buchwald

Until we get through the move on the 30th, I will be blogging sporadically. So from now until August 7th, please don't worry if I am not on here daily anymore! Once I am back, I will have TONS of crafty goodness, new house projects, and Waldorf homeschooling ready to share with you. I mean summer is a time to relax, right? *Nods head*


In spite of this terrible heat wave I have been busy inside. I've discovered twitter, pinterest, flickr, and so much more blog crafty inspiration. I am quite enthralled. 


On this inspiration hunt I saw this blog "Jump into a Book". As a teacher by training I obviously believe reading is necessary, essential, and endless rewarding. My children and I read constantly. We have so many books in our house that I can't count them anymore. 

Among them are a few Elsa Beskow books. Elsa was a Swedish author and illustrator from the late 1800s. Her books are so well done and magical. Her books truly are timeless classics. I rank them up there with Joyce novels and well that is saying a lot for me. 


Right now Jump into a Book is giving away a set of ALL 19 Elsa Beskow books. I encourage you to enter it. These books will surely enrich your children's lives and help them to develop a lifetime love of reading. 

Tutorial Update!

Its up, here it the link to my published tutorial!

http://rhythmofthehome.com/2011/08/how-to-create-wood-burned-gnomes-faeries-

waldorf-craft/

And the giveaway:

http://rhythmofthehomeblog.com/08/the-autumn-edition-and-a-giveaway/

Courtesy of Rhythm of the Home c2001

::right now::

Right now, I am... (a tradition birthed by SouleMama aka Amanda Blake Soule)

Right Now, I am ...

:: savoring my life, this day, and its flowing beauty. To think I could not be here in this world to enjoy this is still pretty surreal and unsettling. 

:: appreciating the thoughts and prayers for myself and the lady whom died in the crash. It means so much.  

:: feeling out of sorts. I keep unintentionally replaying the woman and the accident in my mind. I am trying to swallow the enormity of the situation as well as trying to comprehend-if possible- God's seemingly  swift and thoughtless hand in death.  I was spared but another was not. My belief is unwavering and I *know* there is perfect reasoning and timing behind this all...BUT sometimes I just don't like it .

:: hoping justice will have its day in this life concerning the crash and whether the man in the SUV was negligent. Please also pray for me since I might be called onto testify in his vehicular manslaughter trial. 

::aching more for the men, women, and children in the world whom suffer injustices daily- with no voice or tangible hope.  I thought we were told to never forget the Holocaust yet its happening again elsewhere. 

:: anticipating a great move. I am pretty much all packed. What I have yet to pack will be easy to do once we are closer to the 30th and it feels good! 

:: loving my new book. I can't wait to get back to sewing!

:: laughing at my baby boy. He loves peaches and corn on the cob so much that he literally hyperventilates with excitement when he sees either of them. 

:: enjoying Deirdre's love for Kevin Devine and Elliott Smith. I mean thats all I listened to when I was pregnant with her so I am sure that plays some part in it all. She is indignantly positive that Kevin wrote her (and only her) a lullaby. And well I am just going to let her keep believing that. I mean she really is a snow faced girl ;) 

:: remembering the first time I saw Kevin Devine play. I was in London with Craig and I was 6 months pregnant with Deirdre. Unforgettable. (Sorry about all the music references tonight but when I get stuck in my head too deep, listening to him helps reground me and me move along). So you should listen to him too :D

:: thanking Craig for working so hard for us and giving up his music career to do so. Six years later and I still find myself marveling at you. You are a good man. Way too good for me. 

::wishing you and yours a bright and rich week. Thanks for your patience as I get back on my feet with the crash and move.