Tender Twigs

Small Success

I love to peek into other lives especially those interested in simple living.  I'm committed to living as responsibly as I can at this time in my life.  I'm always changing and hopefully improving.  I would love to share some of the changes if only to record them for myself.  So I plan to add some new aspects to this blog and I hope to not bore you.  But don't worry there will always be book posts for those who are interested.

It was interesting last week reading all the Earth Day posts.  I found it notable that personal publishing (blogging) allows the writer to say "this is what I'm doing" instead of the usual magazine article "25 things you can do."  I thought about writing a post of all the things I am doing but then I figured there might already be too much out there for anyone to appreciate my list.  The one thing I really wanted to say last week was:

The best day for the Earth is Buy Nothing Day.  Weather it is the day after Thanksgiving or tomorrow, reducing consumption is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and the Earth.

Here is one small success in my quest for responsible living. 

I only have to put out my 20 gallon trash container once a month and my large blue recycling container once every six weeks.  We've reduced our consumption by buying less, reusing many things, and composting our food waste.  I figure once Silas is fully potty trained we will only have to put out the trash can every two months.  Yes, we use disposable diapers but only one or two a day.  I use a combination of disposables, gDiapers and cloth.  I'm really looking forward to being finished with that contribution to the landfill.  I debated the disposable diaper issue and with input from this article (see last paragraph) decided that since we purchase most of the baby products and their toys used, we are already making a significant reduction in what could have been added to the landfill had we purchased everything new.

I'm excited to add this to my blog.  I hope you will join me in sharing your successes in responsible living. 

Long time no post...

Wow, 12 days since my last post.  I'm not busy and life isn't full.  We are just living in the slow lane.  So let's see...some thoughts,

We extended our lease for another year on the house we are living in.  We were sure the owners would raise our rent but they didn't.  I'm super happy about this.

In preparation for the owner coming to the house we spent all day Saturday cleaning house.  Everything is clean, organized and fresh.

We are having a few sunny days here in rainy Seattle.  The windows are open, the kids are playing (and fighting) outside.  It is like my house is twice the size.

I try and purchase a good quality toy or art supply for the kids every month.  Some months I spend a little more than others.  Last month, I found this adorable wooden forklift for Silas at the Goodwill for $1.  He loves it. (Yes, that is the sun shining.)  For next month, I've ordered a set of silk scarves from Beneath the Rowan Tree.  The scarves we now have have served us well but I've been longing for these soft silk scarves for some time.  I am looking forward to adding them to our collection of toys.

I started taking a Yoga class at the YMCA.  The children go to the wonderful childcare area and I have an hour (and a half) break.  I didn't really think it would amount to much but I am getting quite a workout and feel very peaceful after having a break from Cate and Si.  I run 5 days a week but the yoga is giving me a very different feeling. 

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've never used vinegar to clean until now.  We have this terrible black granite tile counter top.  The fingerprints and cloudy grim were driving me crazy until one day I tried hot water and vinegar.  I soak the towel and wipe the surface and the countertops are clean and clear.  I am so happy about this.  If you are interested Simple Frugal Green Co-op (love this blog) has a recent post worth reading 20 Household Uses for Vinegar.

I have given up the microwave which we only really used to pop corn in a brown paper bag.  I read this post and realized I can still make popcorn.  Marybeth makes it sound so easy. 

I am dreaming of a life like this.  We are doing lots of this because I let them get muddy.  And I really enjoyed this.  And do you know who inspired this little list of this'?

Okay then, I am off now to sit on the back porch and read this.  I read Mary, Bloody, Mary in a day last week.  I love reading YA fiction which is usually so fast and easy to read. 

What Happens on Wednesdays

Perhaps only Mom and Kiddo understands the reference from the photo above.  It is from What Happens on Wednesday, reviewed at What Do We Do All Day? in her Urban Book Series.  Cate really enjoyed it.

Cate loves her swim lessons.  She has her first little teacher crush on "Mr. Trey", the young man teaching her class.  Almost everyday she creates a love note of some sort.  Here she has created a pool from wooden blocks.  The blond Caucasian wooden person standing on the edge is Mr. Trey and the cup of wool balls is his ever present cup of coffee.  Cate is the only girl in the class with three very active boys. 

Will you suggest some boy books?

What books should I make sure to read to my two year old boy?  I am moving books around right now.  Rediscovering some of Cate's favorites from what seems like so long ago.  Si likes many of them but I can't help but feel I am missing some really good boy books.

Here is a sample of the books Silas is enjoying right now.  I would love to hear from you and I will write up your suggestions in another post if others are interested.  The images link to amazon in case you are interested.  We love all these books. 

     

     

    

 

A moment...

A couple of days before the Spring Equinox, I pulled our copy of Flower Fairies of Winter from the shelf.  I felt a bit desperate as we hadn't read from it all season.  I read a few poems.  When I read The Hazel-Catkin Fairy, Cate took the book from my hand and asked if she could read it aloud.  She read it flawlessly without any of the stumbles I had made.  And I was no longer desperate basking in that moment of her utter perfection.

Finally, the fairies are calling "Spring is Here."  We had lovely weather this weekend.

 

Like little tails of little lambs.
   On leafless twigs my catkins swing;
They dingle-dangle merrily
   Before the wakening of Spring.

Beside the pollen-laden tails
   My tiny crimson tufts you see
The promise of the autumn nuts
   Upon the slender hazel tree.

While yet the woods lie grey and still
   I give my tidings: "Spring is near!"
One day the land shall leap to life
   With fairies calling: "Spring is HERE!"

My desk is covered in books...

Blogging is a fickle hobby but the one thing that keeps me tethered to it is sharing books.  There are so many books I want to share.  More often than not I don't make the time to share.  I do put books in the sidebars but I am not sure how many click through to the blog to see the books.  Here is my desk. 

I'll share a few of the books I've put here to write about on the blog.  My reading life is out of control, too many books and not enough actual reading.  I'm going to gather up the 90 odd books I have from the library (many just waiting to be blogged about) and return them to the library tomorrow.  So for the rest of the afternoon, we will be reading books one last time.  Tonight I will page through the many books for me and decide which I can reasonably read in the next week.

 

No doubt, you have seen Ida Pearle's A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play.  It is popular for good reason.  I've read it to Silas many times.  Each alphabet word is a verb and I was able to point this out to Cate.  It is a good book to introduce verbs as part of speech.

Gallop, again another popular book.  Si loves our used copy.  Recently, I realized that he learned the star shape from this book.  The last page has a moving star with the words "a star is what you are!"  It is a great book for introducing the star shape.

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms offers a delightful tale of that one day when the tree blossoms start to loosen from the trees and it looks like snow.  If you enjoyed the original Fletcher book, check this one from the library. 

     

My blogging friend Alycia, a school teacher and mother to two adorable girls (her oldest is the same age as Cate) has wonderful book selections and like me is trying to read as many picture books as possible before her daughter is "too old."  A few weeks ago she recommended Most Loved in All the World.  The recommendation didn't include the warning that it will reduce you to tears.  If you are trying to impart a sense of life as a slave and the journey north for freedom check out this book.  You won't regret it.  And then hold our child tight and be thankful that she can always be with you.  Kate recommended The Golden Rule.  This would make a wonderful gift book.  With remarkable illustrations this story explains the Golden Rule in many of the major religions of the world.  And then the little boy in the story asks how he can practice the golden rule and the grandfather explains "You imagine how someone else feels.  For instance, a new child who is joining your class.  How do you think that boy or girl is feeling?"  A Packet of Seeds is a pioneer story of one family heading west to the prairie.  The mother must leave her family and friends, each friend gives her a packet of flower seeds so that she can recreate a bit of home on the prairie.  The mother will need the seeds for hope.  This would make a nice compliment to a study of Little House on the Prairie.

 

I've started sorting out books that I read to Cate that Silas is now ready to enjoy.  Lots of moving and organizing of books.  I have several posts I want to write about this transition to longer picture books.  Month by Month a Year Goes Round and it's companion Day by Day a Week Goes Around are nice to read for learning the months of the year and the days of the week.  Si has taken an interest in what day it is.  Saturday and Sunday being the optimal days because "daddy is home."  I adore What Does a Bunny See? and if you have a young preschooler learning colors check this one from the library.  The text cleverly marries color and flowers and the illustrations are adorable.  Trout Are Made of Trees is a wonderfully easy explanation of the circle of life, leaf falls from tree, lands in the river, digested by small bugs, fish eat bugs and so on.  The illustrations are simple and child pleasing as well.

I also have a small stack of books that I found to do book giveaways on my blog.  When I see books at the Goodwill that I already have but would love to share with others I've started picking them up for book giveaways.  I have a fairly negative opinion of corporate giveaways on blogs but crafted items or books are just right in opinion.  I hope you will agree. :)

I also have a stack of books that I am selling on Amazon but I will write about that in another post. 

One last set of books, I found four Winnie the Pooh (hardcover books published in 1961) at the Goodwill for 75 cents each.  That made my day.  Cate has been listening to the  Jim Broadbent CD of Winnie the Pooh and the books are a current favorite.  They have that wonderful old book feel.  And just one more photo, my little girl wrote this and left it on my desk.