All Wrapped Up

Griffin had 3 birthday parties to attend in the past week. Animals, Karate, Swimming and Ponies, oh my, and what a lot of presents to wrap. Rather than buy yet another gift bag or more wrapping paper I gave him a roll of plain brown paper to decorate with rubber stamps and stickers. Then he wrapped them himself (with a little help). His gifts were a bit more difficult to open as the thicker paper needed packing tape to keep closed, so the birthday boys had to work for it.

He even made his own birthday cards, and practiced writing his name and his friends’ names. As I am purging and sorting the craftroom I have been collecting stickers for Griffin to use, and found a great unopened package of birthday stickers which made beautiful cards.

With enough stickers and paper, my kid can still be kept busy for an hour or more. At least he has moved on from “sticker artwork” that piled all the stickers on top of each other so you cannot even see half of them. Now he arranges them carefully telling me about the “machine that makes party hats” he is making, and how the “boring” stickers are on the front of his Grandpa’s card “so he will be surprised when he sees the pretty sparkly ones on the inside”.

All in all a great time, breaking his first board and riding a pony all in one day.

I Dream of The Simple Life...

I just delivered a full van load of stuff to be sold at my MOMS Club's annual garage sale as I do every year. All the proceeds go to support our service project activities throughout the year, including the Remembering Rowan Project. I felt really good driving home without all that stuff we no longer have a use for.

For inspiration, about this time every year I pull out my collection of audiobooks on organization and simplification*, and start watching episodes of Clean Sweep and Clean House. The first year was easy, most of our belongings had been in storage for the first 5 months we lived in Washington, so it was easy to give up those things we did not even miss. Even after our own yard sale, we still filled both the van and forrester (twice!) with the contents of all those boxes we had paid good money to store for months, including the 10 year old wedding presents we had only used a few times.

But this year was harder. After four years, I have gone through the kitchen, the bedroom, and even the craftroom, and gotten rid of most of what I am willing to give up. MOMS Club also had a book drive a few months ago, so I had already purged every bookshelf in the house. I did finally dig out the fondue pot (which I dreamed of using each year), the last of the full size sheets (have not owned that sized bed in years), and curtains that came with the house.

Now it is just a matter of the items we have outgrown. On another organizational show called Neat, they have people sort into boxes simply labeled "PAST" and "PRESENT". Not that I am getting rid of everything from my past, but I like this way of looking at things.

We do not plan to have any more children, so I guess we are done with an entire phase of life, and all the junk that goes with it. Unlike with our first baby, there is no reason to save clothes Willow outgrows. Not to mention all of the big bulky baby containers that have been taking up space in the attic. Now that my 6 1/2 month old has learned she can sit & stand & even jump (all with support), she has no use for the boring vibrating chairs & swings that do not allow her to move around. Besides, without all those bins of tiny baby clothes and big bulky items in the attic, there's much more room for yarn! Wait, I am sure there is something wrong with that logic, but I choose to ignore it.

My Inspirational Audio Library:
*Simplify Your Life, Living the Simple Life, and Inner Simplicity by Elaine St. James
How to Organize Your Life and Get Rid of Clutter by Ab Jackson (most useful)
Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life by Mike Nelson (more focused on hoarders)

UFOs, UnFinished Objects

Help! My Craftroom has been invaded by UFOs! I suspect it is my mother's fault. She taught me to sew, latch hook rugs, and start tons of other crafty projects. But not so much to finish them. I wonder how many I.O.U.s we gave family members for handmade Christmas gifts which we started together but probably never quite finished. Although she only had a small set of drawers filled with her various and sundry craft supplies, it was mostly filled with UFOs. She often points out that I actually finish a LOT more projects than she ever does...but that's only because I have drawers and bins filled with UFOs.

Last night, my husband was wondering aloud how many UFOs I actually have tucked away in my craftroom (an entire desk & a couple bins filled with 1/2 finished crochet projects, another bin of just 1/2 finished hats, and we won't even talk about the crossstitches, some of which just need to be framed, did I mention I used to be a framer?). A good friend who heard his comment pointed out that the number of unfinished objects an individual has is in direct correlation to the number of projects they have finished. I just finish more projects than the average person.

I love this idea. It explains so much. But it is not an excuse to keep all those UFOs. Last year when I started making Griffin Playscapes, I used mostly recycled parts of UFOs. It was fun to go through those drawers and bins of projects and try to reimagine them as something else. The start of a tweed green sweater sleeve made a perfect field for his farm yard. A long test swatch made a fun & funky path for his fantasy world. Now if I can just make myself admit that I will never finish most of these. My tastes and priorities have changed. It is time to reuse or release those UFOs to move on to another world.

Serendipity is Elemental

Elemental by Katie M. Berggren

About a month ago my sister informed me that she had found the perfect gift for me for Rowan's birthday. I knew that she had shown it to several of my friends, but she did a good job keeping her secret.

She came over this morning to finally give me her gift, while my friends were here helping to prepare the 105 Cat Blankets we collected to donate today. Even when I opened the card by a local artist, Katie M. Berggren, whom I have admired for her beautifully touching images of motherhood, I had no idea what the bag contained. I told her that I had just bought her cards for several of my friends, selecting images that best represented each of them and their children. And that I have been thinking of commissioning a piece by her to somehow represent my two living children and my angel baby as well.

I was overwhelmed to find this original piece by the same artist. She had found it at a lovely little store in downtown Camas, The Uncommon Gift. The same store where I had bought my cards. I love how the baby's eyes are closed, just like Rowan's were. In one of the only dreams I had of Rowan, she suddenly opened her eyes in the hospital, and we knew everything would be alright. But her eyes never opened. I also love how it looks like stars and cosmos behind the baby while the mother faces earthy tones, yet the baby is firmly wrapped to the mother's back, just as Rowan will always be a part of me. I never thought I could imagine getting to "wear" my angel baby as I do with my other babies.

Rowan's 2nd Birthday

Today is our beautiful daughter Rowan's 2nd Birthday, and the 2nd Anniversary of the day she died. In honor of her birthday, I finally wrote her birth story, posted on my friend Arie's Blog, Fierce Mamas.

I will spend the day finishing and delivering the 100+ blankets we collected for the Cats at the Humane Society. Followed by a hike up Beacon Rock with family and friends. Last year we spread her ashes at Beacon, one of her father's favorite rock climbing spots, overlooking the beautiful Columbia River.

Fairy Garden!

I came across Beneath The Rowan Tree’s posts about making a Fairy Garden last night, and was inspired to make my own with Griffin. So we spent the afternoon arranging, planting, collecting, and decorating to create our very own mini world for the fairies to play in.

Our Garden is not nearly as well planned out as BTRT’s, I just used what I had on hand. As it is late summer, it may not thrive for long. But since we planted it in 2 parts, a chair planter (from Paws & Claws thrift store) and a large white pot (free from my father-in-law), we can move them under more cover when needed. Currently, our Fairy Garden resides in the shade of the large lilac tree in our front yard where Griffin can easily play with it.

Each of the plants we used was a gift, mostly ones I have kept on my kitchen window for the past couple of years, which my husband recently decided needed to be moved outside. Our plants came from my in-laws after Rowan died, my MOMS Club Secret Sister a couple years ago, a friend of Griffin’s when she moved away, my Dad for Mother’s Day, and a miniature daylily from my sister's baby shower. Griffin also recently won a couple of plants at a Master Gardener’s dinner.



While I planted the plants, Griffin went around the garden finding other decorations he thought “The Fairies will like.” He found 2 shiny stepping stones (ideal for standing on while he plays), all sorts of flower and butterfly plant stakes, and a rusty lantern "for the fairies to hang out in". We used an old pail for the pond and river rocks left from our Father’s Day craft to make paths through the gardens. The fairies “sleep” in the larger painted birdhouse I picked up for $5 at a recent garage sale.

On our second trip to the nearby forest to collect moss to cover the dirt between our plants, a neighbor gave Griffin a few tiny pots to add to our garden. Some are too small to actually plant anything in, so we left them for the fairies by the small birdhouse Griffin painted awhile back. He decided this must be their “greenhouse”. Every half hour after we came inside, he went back out to check if the fairies had come to our garden and planted anything in their tiny pots. Must find some tiny plastic plants to surprise him one of these mornings. His dad explained to him that it may take awhile for word to get around to the fairies, like the bird food they have been putting out so now all the birds come here looking for food. Next we will have to try fairy windchimes and toadstools.

Serendipity in Strings

Two years ago, my Dad played his harp for the Battle Ground Art Alliance’s Annual Spring Show. An artist named Linda McCord took his picture playing the harp. Just a few days ago he received a message that this artist had painted him and wanted to give him a print of the painting. But he would have to go to Longview to her Gallery to pick it up. As it turned out, I was heading to Longview for a root canal the very next day.

As I walked into the Gallery, just five minutes from the dentist, the first painting just inside the door was a beautiful image of my father playing his harp. This was part of a group of musicians, “Sax”, “The Guitarist”… And Dad’s is simply called “Strings”. I had a nice conversation with the artist, and found that we had some things in common.

This is just one example of the serendipity I find in everyday life. I have noticed that the more you recognize and appreciate the serendipity and synchronicity in your life, the more you will experience.

Crochet for Cats

Tonight 6 of us gathered for the first of several crochet events this week for making Cat Blankets as part of the Remembering Rowan Project. So far we have collected 24 finished blankets. Can you make 7 blankets in 7 days? They only measure 8"x17". I did it, so can you!

In 2008 I taught my friend Carissa how to crochet so she could make blankets for the Remembering Rowan Project. A few weeks ago Carissa forwarded me the newsletter for Vintage Books in Vancouver with a Crochet for Cats event she thought I would be interested in. I went to learn about crocheting blankets for the Humane Society and met Stephaniejo. I invited her to our MOMS Club meeting the following week to tell our Club about her Read Me A Blanket program, letting kids choose a blanket to be donated in their name for every 2 books they read over the summer. At the meeting she met Alicia who recently adopted a cat who came home with a handmade blanket in it is box, made by Stephaniejo. Tonight Carissa and Stephaniejo helped teach our friend Caren to crochet, so she can make more blankets to donate. I love the way the world works. Rowan's legacy goes on...

G’s Superhero Training Camp

While many of my friends were at Comic Con in San Diego last weekend, meeting costumed heroes, I spent the weekend training 15 2-6 year olds to be superheroes. We celebrated G’s 5th birthday with a Superhero Training Camp for all his friends. With a large yard including 2 play structures and a monster truck tire, not to mention the climbing gym with rope swing, I knew we would have no problem coming up with challenges for the aspiring superheroes.

As everyone arrived on the big day they partook of hero sandwiches and used their powers to change the color of their drink (with star shaped juice & koolaide icecubes). I rounded up the troops for a little calisthenics. Then I presented the Superhero Training Manuals (made by my Sis) which they took to each station to receive a sticker after completing the challenge.

Suddenly two villains (dads) in masks appeared on the roof and rained a shower “rocks” (balloons) down on the heads of our intrepid trainees. Testing their ADAPTABILITY they were challenged to a ROCK SMASH leaving no balloon unpopped. Moving on to the OBSTACLE COURSE, our novice superheroes demonstrated their ENDURANCE climbing, sliding, running, and jumping. This was followed by MARKSMANSHIP, tossing WATER BALLOONS at more bad guys (printouts in Ziploc bags hung along our garden fence so they watered the garden at the same time). Next up, an assessment of STRENGTH with a ROCKET LAUNCH, two different rockets throwing and stomping to see how far they could make them fly. Finally, our apprentice heroes made their way to our climbing shed to exhibit their AGILITY. They were instructed to ROPE SWING over (stuffed) snakes and seamonsters, and ROCK CLIMB up a wall to ring a bell.


Once they had received a sticker for each challenge, their TRAINING complete, the NEW SUPERHEROES came inside (out of the summer heat) to design their own superhero cape and mask. With six cape colors to choose from, they used adhesive felt and stencils to cut a shape and their first initial for the back of the cape. To really make their capes and maskes unique, they decorated both with precut felt stars, flowers and butterflies. Then donned their new uniforms and headed back outside to save the day.

Meanwhile… Venom (our homemade piñata) had eaten all of their SUPERHERO SUPPLY KITS! Our new Heroes took turns swinging a stick until Venom was in pieces revealing all of their goodies. Their KITS included a “Power Ring, Super Sticking Gum, Throwing Disk, Sparkle Floam, and Energizing Tootsie Pop”. After more playing and photo ops everyone headed back inside for a piece of Super G cake and red & blue jello parfait. All in all, a very good day and a very happy birthday boy!

Resources & more pics will have to wait for another post. Still gathering the pics from several helpful friends. Thanks Simple Mama for these pics so far.