winter's rhythm

While talking with friends at the ice rink today the subject of family rhythm came up.   Why you may want to have a rhythm for your family, how to create one, and thoughts about what one might look like. I can see how each family has to look within to find what works for them and find those things that matter most. I know that establishing a rhythm for our family has been a key component to having a mostly peaceful home life. I like to have a daily rhythm, but also move with the seasons. A rhythm is not a schedule. Instead of something that you must conform to and that stays static, Rhythm breaths and flows and is alive. It is there to serve you.  Right now I am snuggling into our family's winter rhythm and enjoying all that it brings to us. Most mornings you can find me sitting with my two oldest kids on the couch reading a story to them or each of us may be reading to ourselves snuggled under a single blanket while John and the baby sleep in. When they get up I make breakfast while the kids empty the dishwasher and John makes a fire. We eat together and after breakfast I do about an 1.5 hours of a main lesson or a project with Jetta and Pilot if he is interested and then the kids go out to play while I nurse the baby by the fire and catch up on my reading. Everyone comes in for lunch and then most days we have a 30 min-1 hour rest time where everyone is in their bed reading, playing quietly or sleeping. The kids usually go out again to play until dinner when I have to drag them in from the cold. Some afternoons we have another lesson. Knitting, Piano, Painting or sculpting.  Before bed John brushes the kids teeth, reads them a story and tucks them in. We always end the day by saying "Sleep tight, see you when the sun is bright. All the angles and fairies will surround you. I love you."  We do have days where we have lessons or play dates that we fit into the schedule, but we work hard to not get too booked (though we are not always successful). Of course the winter activities like ice skating every Monday or taking a walk through the woods on Fridays make this time of year fun and exciting. It is cold outside, but it is warm by the fire. We are always exploring our world, but it is the rhythm of our family that brings us back home. The warm reassuring feeling of being home with a soup bubbling on the stove and someones loving arms to enfold you is at the heart of our winter rhythm.

This Moment: my team

This is a special moment from the past week that I want to stop, savor and enjoy.  Check out other moments this morning at soulemama.

what makes me happy

::these people::

don't forget

Moments you never want to forget seem to fade with time, lost in a sea of life. These are just a few from the past week that I captured in a picture so I don't have to let go just yet.

....those irresistibly delicate and soft baby legs and toes

.......flying high on the tree swing

.....a proud toothless smile

........a sweet smile and a cuddle

......meeting his honorary uncles for the first time

.......making a box plane with a working twist tie propeller with Grandma

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Roll for her Birthday

Part of REAL FOOD WEDNESDAYS

We celebrated Grandma Boo's birthday this weekend. I wanted to do something special for her, as she has been such a very important part of my life for so long. We appreciate all that she does for our family, but most of I we just love her to death.   What could possibly sum all that up? Well, I think this cake came pretty close.  I decided to do a twist on my yule log and make a pumpkin cake roll filled with fresh raw whipped cream. I think it turned out great and Boo said it was her all time favorite. I was just glad to be able to help make her day as special as she is. Happy Birthday Boo!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Roll

1 C 100% pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 C date sugar
1 t gluten-free vanilla extract
2 t baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 t xanthan gum
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
2/3 C millet flour (fresh milled is best)
1/4 C tapioca flour
1 cup chopped crispy almonds or pecans



Whipped cream filling

2 C Heavy cream
1 T gluten-free vanilla extract
1/3 C honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 10 x 15” jelly roll pan with greased parchment paper. Mix together pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and date sugar until well blended. Add baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and flour and mix well. Pour onto lined pan, gently spread out. Bake for about 15 minutes until set but still soft to the touch. Turn cake upside sown on a linen dish towel and remove paper from cake. Roll up pumpkin roll in cloth making sure that the cloth is always between the layers of cake. Cake never touching cake. Let it cool for 30min - 1hr on the counter. While it cools prepare your whipped cream filling. Whip cream with vanilla and honey until very stiff peaks form. Unroll and spread cream filling on cake. Sprinkel chopped nuts over cream. Re-roll. Drissle a little honey on top of roll and sprinkel with extra nuts and coconut flakes.  refrigerate.

starting off the new year sick

I started off the new year on the couch sick with fever from a terrible breast infection.  I think I over did it at the new years brunch the day before. I should have known not to do a back flip on the trampoline while still breast feeding. The last time I did a back flip was 7 years ago off a raft in the ocean. The next day I was laid out with a breast infection. I guess my breast don't like to be upside down :)

Thanks Papa and Boo for keeping our kids happy and well loved while I was out of commission.

Happy New Year

On this 1st day of 2012 I pause to think about what this last year has brought me and what this next year might bring. 2011 brought us 2 new members of our family. A new brother-in-law whom we adore and of course a new baby that continues to grow and delight us each day. We took down a huge tree that was rotting and with the new found sun we were able to plant a vegetable and fruit garden that we enjoyed working in and eating from. I finally recovered from over 2 years of constant body pain through slowing down and refocusing my priorities. Looking back, I can remember all the more difficult times we were up cleaning the kids vomit, or awakened with contractions, or working through arguments and all the while trying so hard to be good parents. I think when all is said and done, we did a good job and we can pat ourselves on the back and say we survived smiling.

Recently someone said to me that when you have little children, that is all you are doing. So, in an effort to keep life simple and keep peace a priority while focusing on what is most important to me, I will use this next year to really dive into the study of Anthroposophy in the effort to "nurture the life of the soul" of each individual in my family and my family as a whole. I have started a quest to be more in tune with my children and myself and am devouring books on the subject. I want to turn my life upside down so things can become clearer and I will be able to see the lines and shapes that are present instead of merely labeling and categorizing using old and useless tools. I am taking a step back and reevaluating each step forward I make. 2012 is feeling good already. So much to look forward to and so much to be surprised by.  I have never been one to follow a crowd. In fact, I have usually taken the path less traveled and enjoyed the unknown adventure that lay before me. What will this adventure be? Will I be able to survive? Thrive even? I think I am ready. Let's go!