A five year old little fox

Today my keen-nosed, sweet little fellow (who despises having his picture taken) turns five... For as long as Kasper has been aware of his senses, his sense of smell has been such an acute part of how he lives - only holding certain people's hands because of their scent, noticing his teacher's coat "smells different from last year", discerning chocolate or another sweet on your breath when you thought you had hid it from everyone and always plugging his nose at the table as he eats something he is not sure he will like but feels adventurous enough to try. He makes me laugh every day - full of wild antics, big smiles, an infectious laugh and always trying to coerce his siblings into some form of revelry.

We celebrated five in a foxy way because Kasper is our little fox and because we recently finished Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox which both kids loved.

We all worked together to make a sweet little cake for him to celebrate Kasper's fifth trip around the sun. What a ride it has been!

In Stitches

I love to buy books and patterns and such and then just half read them, throw them aside and tackle a project with gusto. What a terrible way to learn! But somehow I want to be part of the design, puzzle it all out and experiment on my own without being tied down by having to follow the exact rules. Why is this? I have no idea... But it is me and I try to embrace me as often as I can...
A recent example of my mad-hatter creativity.
Each Christmas I make a handmade something for each member of my family. AnaSofia desperately wanted a "neck warmer" so I decided to do another cowl for her since the last one was"too itchy" (thankfully Magus, who cannot complain yet, is wearing it daily in this cold weather). It is frustrating to put love and energy into something and not have it well received so I was determined to get it right this time without compromising my integrity (no hot pink sparkly yarn). I decided on blue to match her eyes but I did not like the bright blue I had in my stash, nor did I want to make it with a more gray blue that was also in my stash. But as with most projects I think up, I want them to start immediately. Like that minute. So I decided to use both blues, two strands of yarn at once and wondered if that was possible? It was! Success.

 

Oh wait... It was successful until I picked my duff off the sofa for a minute to rescue a child from one burning quest or another and came back to my project to find it looking like this (above). Hm... Maybe Magnus is a little upset that he got stuck with the itchy cowl... Thankfully I had a two day car ride ahead of me to sort out the mess and finish for Christmas morning.
Soon it came time to finish and I forgot how to cast off, so I asked AnaSofia because let's be honest, she is a better knitter than me and since we were at my parents' house by then I did not have access to my books, the internet or anyone else who knew how to knit. So I tried what she said "That's easy, you just knit one, grab two and knit them together."  And that was working at first but then a thought was tickling my brain that there would always be a few left each time I did this and why was I doing this for more than one row. But I just kept knitting, for awhile. And it looked funky and then the remaining stitches were so far apart that I couldn't stretch the needles to touch. Hm... So I did the very ungraceful and panic stricken thing of pulling out my needles and just pushing a length of yarn through that last row. I decided it all looked kind of lacy the way I had knit one, grabbed two for awhile and then finished with a string of yarn through the last loop just added to that look... Maybe it was even pretty and maybe people would marvel at how I started a whole new way to knit...
But wait, how do I tie it off? I decided to make a few good knots with that long piece of yarn I wove through the last row and then I decided to do something really strange and leave the yarn hanging down some and attach two more pieces to it and braid it. So it could be a little blue braid mixed into AnaSofia's sunny blonde hair when she wore it. How odd is that? Not odd at all when I think of my little 7 year old and her wild fashion sense because really I just knew she would love all those little touches. And she did! Oh thank goodness! Now all three have cowls and I am on to something different for next year because AnaSofia knit a stuffed teddy bear complete with a dress and booties this winter and now cowls seem pretty lame - I need to up my game a little to keep up with her!

My Dad

It was good to be home... Quite the stressful adventure to get there, but worth it once we arrived. We all had a beautiful time being together and catching up on life. It feels so good to have Soren with us for a long stretch, blissful really. Soren gifted me many books (per my yearly request for books!) and I was so happy for those he chose - a chance for me to learn about herbs, handmade living and sewing. I dove into the handmade life story first and was struck by how much the words were the life I had lived as a child and that my Dad followed a similar path when finding his place in the world and building a house. It wasn't any big story for him, requires no fanfare or long explanation - it was just simply him. It struck me how deeply ingrained the idea of handmade living has been my whole life without me even realizing it. It was not something that was preached, discussed or even thought about - it just was.

 

He used his hands to build our house - learning masonry, plumbing and electrical wiring along the way from those willing to teach or from reading books. Each piece of my childhood home has a story - the doors that were made by a friend...

 

Each log for the exterior was peeled by hand by my father, with my sister and I as willing helpers. The cherry trees on the property were used for the kitchen cabinets and floors he made.

The large beam through the center of the house was hoisted up by every neighbor who would come to help...

The fireplace stone is now, nearly 30 years after the house was started, being laid by my father. He and his dog walk the property and carry back suitable stones. The work is slow, handled on rainy or snowy days when outdoor work is not an option, but the result blows my mind each time I come home this past year.

 He adds quirky details to amuse the grandchildren and I think he really just delights in it himself.

Kasper is most excited about this detail that was placed in the bedroom the kids sleep in when they come to visit.

And the work goes on... If something around the house is needed, most often my Dad will build it, like this bench and foot stool.

I remember as a child desperately wanting certain things and often hearing the phrase, "I can build that for you myself." I now say that to my own children. We can make this. We can do this ourselves. This house, this place is ours. We need not buy things to make it home, we make it our home with our heart and our hands.
My Mom is always scouting flea markets and antique shops to find all the things she needed and continues to do so today. My two favorite Christmas gifts this year were a cutting board my Dad made for me and the juicer my Mom found for me at a flea market. Both will be used daily and be a constant reminder or their love for me and their understanding of who I am and what I love - quirky with a bit of character! Oh it all makes me smile...

My Dad instilled in me this life that I gratefully embrace each day - make do, make beautifully and be happy with what you have and most importantly, learn for a lifetime.
Happy Birthday Dad. You are loved.

Holidays and Handmades

Solstice, Christmas and a trip to see family were filled with handmaking, gift giving and lots of love. AnaSofia is always so proud to make such beautiful things for us all... All Fall she worked in our old house and here too, crafting and hiding little things for us all and wrapping them in her beautiful way.

I loved that her desk was in the dining room at our old house, not a day would go by that I wouldn't glance at it and a work in progress and feel a warmth and glow thinking of her. She is such a special spirit. I captured her little window above her desk there to remind me of that thoughtful beauty that is her nature.

The rest of us worked hard too. Kasper was so proud to bring home his school gifts for us all and helped me bake cookies to give to everyone. The kids and I worked together to give Far a heart we made to brighten our new home with willow branches and sparkly lights.
I love these moments to see how the creative self expression of each child manifests. That is a beautiful gift in itself.