A Typical Day At The House Of Fawn

Before 8am: Gretchen & I snuggle in bed together, nursing until it's time to get up. Eventually we roll out from under the covers, leave daddy sleeping & head downstairs for a breakfast of oatmeal before heading down the street to daycare (where she spends three days each week).

After coming back home: I make tea, finish my oatmeal (with a little brown sugar & almond milk) and sit down on our comfy blue couch to sneak in an episode of Gilmore Girls while I enjoy my warm meal. Next I clean the bathroom (a quick swish & swipe) before folding last night's laundry to be put away upstairs.

Just after 9am: The bulk of my "work day" runs from 9-5pm, or at least this is when I try to get most things done. At this time of the day I am working on a few posts & doing all of the social media stuff that may bore you if I go into too much detail. I spied Lydia, the fluffiest of black cats, watching me from her perch on the piano.

Around 11am: At this time (on days when Gretchen is at daycare) I bring her home for a little nursing session so she'll be tanked up for the rest of the day. We sit on the couch together, she enjoys her milk, then daddy walks her back down the street & I get back to work.

A little while later: Today my lovely neighbour stopped by with some tasty banana muffins (which we devoured quite quickly, though I'll confess to eating most of them myself). At this point I was on cup of tea no. 2 (in a much bigger mug, as you can clearly see).

In the early to mid-afternoon: Usually I work in my office at the back of the house in the addition which is much colder than every other room. Today, however, it was just too dreary to lock myself back there, so I opted to do most of my work from the kitchen table on my netbook. A much nicer locale.

Around 2pm: I sent the boy to grab ingredients for tonight's dinner (turkey meatloaf, which Gretchen turned her nose up at and opted instead to eat 1/2 a piece of toast and some applesauce). When he came back from the grocery store we did some tidying together to get the main floor back to ship shape. My new FlyLady routine is really working out.

At 4pm: The boy "goes" to work. He works from home so the "going" involves a trip upstairs.

Eventually 4.30pm rolls around: Back down the street I go to pick up Gretchen from daycare. Today I managed to snap one little pic before she saw me in the yard. I stayed a little while to chat with our neighbours before walking home, with Gretchen in tow, to check on dinner.

Around 5.30pm: Baby G decides it's time to play in the sink. Some water stays where it belongs, some she drinks and lots ends up all over the counter. She adores her time pouring water back and forth between bowls and measuring cups & I love listening to her count everything in sight.

After dinner & a warm shower together, it's finally 7.30pm: I get her teeth brushed, her pajamas done up and we head up to bed. She loves to climb up the stairs all by herself. Then it's time for nursing & snuggles as she drifts off to sleep.

Around 8.30pm: I sneak out of our bedroom and leave her to doze peacefully in our bed. Such a sweetheart.

Then comes mama time (some reading, some blogging, time with the boy & cleaning) until I go to bed myself (usually between midnight & 2am -- something I am working on. It's my goal, someday, to be in bed by 10.30pm each night).

Goodnight, dear hearts.

Wordless Wednesday (Ready For My Close Up)

Always My Baby

No matter how big.

This is how we made dinner together the other night. "Up, up, up, mama," she asks as I stir the boiling pasta. "Hot!" she tells me, pointing at the stove. (Throughout the day she likes to run up to the oven, quickly poke the door and yell "hot!" whether it is or not. She's our resident safety expert.)

Gretchen is twenty months old today and eager to help. She wants to fold (re: unfold) the laundry, she loves to sweep & mop (leading me to believe she'd like her own pint sized tools of the trade). She likes to snatch up a baby wipe to clean the floors, tables, walls and her nose.

She likes to rearrange the fridge and cupboards, she wants to play with water in the "Sink, mama, sink!" She wants to turn lights on and off, to put things away and to chat about everything as we do it.

She's so clever, so smart, so eager & willing. And even when I know things would be much faster if I did them myself (says the stubborn, independent woman deep within me) I love that she wants to help & so I always let her.

She's growing up fast, dear friends.

And we're both learning so much.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Three

Johanna: A special moment of my day. Watching my sweet little boy use his crayons on a large piece of paper. My little boy is growing up so quickly and is trying out so many new things.

Desiree: Last Monday was the day my life changed. I realize that sounds drastic, but it's true. Last Monday I started a new regime & my home has never looked better. Without getting to gushy about it, I've started following the word of the FlyLady & if you knew me, your jaw would drop upon entering my home. It's been just over a week & the entire main floor of my house is clean. If you knocked on my door unannounced, I wouldn't even panic. I wouldn't have to hide dirty dishes in the over, I wouldn't have to pile things on the stairs to get them out of site & I wouldn't even have a heart attack if you asked to use my bathroom. It all starts with shining your kitchen sink. Trust me.

And My Head Still Feels A Little Fuzzy & Unpleasant

Many apologies for my teensy hiatus -- unintentional, but made worse by the sneaky optic migraine that took hold my entire being last night. It nearly caught me off guard, but I recognized the aura before the pain kicked in & was able to lay down for a few hours while baby G & daddio hung out. After some time under the covers with a cool cloth on my head (thank you, Ryan) and a shower with the water pouring directly on the top of my skull I was able to conquer enough of the pain to function for the rest of the evening.

The residual pain lasted until about dinnertime tonight.

If you've ever had an optic migraine, then I feel for you (and if you haven't, I hope you never do). They usual come and find me every few months. This was my first after having quit coffee just over four months ago, which really bummed me out. I had been hoping that staying away from coffee might have been what made them stop, but no such luck.

Sigh.

Other than that I've had a fairly uneventful couple of days, which is just fine by me. I'm enjoying these mellow autumn days with their cool morning and nights, and their rainy (though sometimes sunny) afternoons. Everything outside smells crisp and clean and vibrant.

I'm just breathing it all in.

And so, with my cozy new hat atop my head, goodnight, dear friends.

(Winston says goodnight too.)

Heidi Braid Love

This is exactly why I haven't cut my hair in over 13 months (and counting). I absolutely adore her tresses.

I'm also very much in love with this woman's style. My gosh.

On Autumn's First Friday

And at the end of this gorgeous autumn day I'm off to enjoy: some reading for my doula course, a warm cuppa of chamomile & echinacea, my favourite mustard coloured afghan, the scent of our wise new candle & the warmth of my living room.

I hope you're finding peace on this night as well, dear hearts.

The Rush

There's nothing like

the rush

you feel

as your little one

closes in

for a

HUG.

(Thank you for the photo, Caren.)

Fawned Friday

01. My tent adoration continues.

02. This makes me chuckle a little.

03. Loving these simple business cards.

04. The world's cutest fingerless gloves.

05. Perfect for Gretchen's future reading nook.

06. My friends are lovely.

07. Wooden toy love.

08. Where does inspiration find you?

09. Serious living room style.

10. Do any of you FLY?

11. This is completely bizarre & I love it.

Conversations With Gretchen

Gretchen, what are those?

Skull-ulls!

Yes! And what are the squirrels doing?

Chillin.

Star Wars Planetarium Love

I am 100% sure that this Death Star planetarium will be making its way to our home sometime in the near future. Perhaps a Christmas present for myself the boy Gretchen?

PS. I just rewatched this video from last Christmas & I can't believe how much she's changed. Oh my word.

Wordless Wednesday (Thisaway)

Because I Want All These Moments To Last And Last

Do you see those eyes? They make me melt (and that hair is so wispy and light and my goodness, yes, it smells just heavenly).

She insisted on swinging like a big girl today, up on the big kid swings, two hands on the chains and off she went. (It's times like this when I realize that she must have already done this while at daycare because she took to it effortlessly -- a little wondrous, a little heartbreaking, but as always, I'm so proud of her.)

I'm not ready for her to turn two.

(In four months I won't be either.)

We took to the park this evening, creeping between the trees, picking up berries & rocks & leaves & dirt & bits of what not. She loves to kick the leaves and carry sticks that are taller than her.

And I take a step back to watch. Because her independence often astounds me (especially after afternoons of intense separation anxiety & tears, but I know she's taking it all in stride. Or maybe I am. But at least we're trying.)

So serious. So beautiful.

Eventually it's time to head home.

Bathtime, bedtime, storytime.

But first she gives the earth a hug (and counts to ten while pointing to spray paint markings on the road because she thinks that they are numbers).

After her bath she snuggled up on my chest and drank her milk til she fell asleep. I rubbed her back until my hand tingled & my heart felt the very same.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Two

Desiree: Autumn has always been my favourite season. September has always been about school supplies & jumping in leaf piles, fresh paper & cider. Just the smell of the season gets my whole body excited. I can feel it in my skin (I can feel it in my bones). I hope that Gretchen loves it as much as I do. So far, I think she just might.

Johanna: It was a cold morning, minus 5 degrees and fog was rising steadily off of the Yukon River. We were on our way up North to visit some friends of ours and I asked Winslow to pull over onto the side of the road so that I could get a picture. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains and frost was touching the tops of each blade of grass and each little plant that was in that field. It was the first morning that I realized that we are in for a long long winter ahead.

Powwow

Today, my grandmother and I brought Gretchen to the Curve Lake powwow.

She was in awe of the dancers in their gorgeous regalia, she clapped along & nodded her head to the rhythm of the drums. She saw lots of other kids & ran with them, she spotted the lake and stepped in it, she snuggled in her sling & enjoyed her milk and watched everyone shopping in the marketplace. (I, sadly, forgot to charge my little Canon's batteries, and so I apologize for the camera phone quality captures.)

It really is a spectacular sight to behold. The dancers, the music -- it's completely enchanting & incredibly moving. I'm so happy to have spent the afternoon in their presence.

At the day's end, we took a little ride back to our car (on a golf cart!), and said goodbye to the reserve.

Gretchen was asleep by the time we pulled up in front of our little blue house.

The perfect Sunday.

She Wanders, She Leads

When she walks there are no straight lines, no destinations, no timelines to follow.

She serpentines through the park, past the trees & the flowers, the people & their dogs.

She's oh so curious & ever so sweet.

She wanders with secret purpose.

And grins her secret smile.

My tiny little girl, showing me the way.