Where the sidewalks ends.....

I often wonder when I am out in the world with my boys how they are perceiving the world around them...what do they notice the most...what brings in the wonder.  It would fascinate me to dive into their little minds and relive what it is like to be a kid again.  There is one thing I know that is definite....I can learn more from these two little boys than anyone or anything else on this planet.  They know more than me....they see more than I see!

A couple weeks ago, I decided to take them out, let them lead me, and I was going to document it.  I told Ayden to lead the way, tell me when to stop the car, when to take a picture, and what to take a picture of.  It was fascinating to see what caught his eye the most.  It wasn't places you would typically think people would be drawn to. He took us to old buildings, under bridges, gravel roads, fences.   He saw the joy and beauty in these places that some people would shun away.  A huge lesson for us adults!!

"There is a place where the sidewalk ends 

And before the street begins,

 And there the grass grows soft and white, 

And there the sun burns crimson bright, 

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight 

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black 

And the dark street winds and bends. 

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow 

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, 

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

 And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, 

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know 

The place where the sidewalk ends."  

-Shel Silvertein

Dear Ayden

Dear Ayden,

You have started a journey, an adventure, a path full of discovery.  You are starting preschool!  When I rub your back and sing to you at night, I close my eyes and take my mind back to the first 48 hours of your life and how amazed I was by you and the love I felt for you!  You gave me the best gift of my life....motherhood.  I feel blessed that I was chosen to be your mother.  You have grown so much and every single day you bewilder me with how magical you are.  You father and I thought a long time about this part of your life and what we wanted to do as a family.  After long talks, we chose this small  cooperative community that you will now call preschool.  You are going to move mountains my baby boy and I am so happy that for right now I will move mountains with you!

Your daddy and I love you more than all the stars in the sky!

Love,
Mama

Preschool!  One of the first decisions we have had to make as parents that seemed harder than any decision before.  Preschool seems pretty easy...I mean it is preschool.  But there are so many choices and different paths and then I have to take my beliefs and views and make sure I am following them.

Homeschooling, Waldorf, and Cooperative preschools were all our choices that floated around our house and my mind for the past two years. Homeschooling was really the one I was leaning hard on and one that is still an option in our near future!  I also fell in love with a great Waldorf school in my area but it was full way before I started looking at it.  So, as my children's education journey unfolds I still have a lot of decisions to make but right now I love our choice and the little community that I am now apart of.  

We chose a little cooperative preschool that is within walking distance of our home and one that we fell in love with.  I was able to meet and spend a lot of time with the teacher and the parents way before Ayden's first day.  This journey he is about to embark on is so exciting for us and we will be right by his side the whole time!    We love all the aspects of what a cooperative preschool brings to us and the other families involved....from the decision making to community forming!  It warms my heart and relaxes my mind that I get to be involved in this journey with my first baby boy!

Oh and did I mention that it is the same co-op preschool that I went to as a kid!!!!!

Peacefully,
Alyson

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."  -Angela Schwindt

Slowing Down and Menus

Before I had kids I was always on the go, working two jobs, rushing to get here and there, and wanting more all the time.  The minute I found out I was pregnant with my first son, I forced myself to slow down.  Knowing there was a lot for me to learn and a lot of changing about to happen...I slowed down to embrace it all.  I wanted to embrace every second of my pregnancies....the amazing times and the uncomfortable times!  So that is what I did!  I knew my little ones would enter this world when he or she was ready so I did not feel rushed to go into labor.  Plus I wanted all the time in the world to prepare my body and mind for childbirth and motherhood.

Everyone I know who had kids before me, warned me of this time warp that was about to occur.  Everything happens at lightening speed!  I kept thinking to myself that everyone was just exaggerating.  Man.....they were SO right!  It's like the minute you bring your precious little one into this world a button gets pushed and everything starts happening fast.  This tiny little one that once was small enough to by in my belly will start growing and it happens in the blink of an eye.  So I kept it slow and I continue to keep it slow with my new little one.   Especially in these first few months of life.  We can never relive these first few moments with our children, so I have to let everything else go and just be a mom.  Being in the moment and soaking in these amazing souls that so blissfully call me their mother is exactly where I want to be.  The fast paced world can wait, I am raising my children here!  I am embracing every stage my new little baby boy is in and not rushing to get to the next stage.  He will get there when he is ready for now we are enjoying the rolie polie, raspberry sounds, grabbing on to toys, and laughing stage.

My first!  Look at how big he is now at 3 1/2 years!

My newest little!  Almost 5 months!  

And all this growing calls for some good healthy whole foods!  On to our menu of the week!

This week's MENU:

MONDAY:  Sauteed Cod with Garlic-Shallot Butter, Colcannon Potatoes, and steamed broccoli

TUESDAY-  Out to sushi

WEDNESDAY-  Veggie stir fry over brown rice

THURSDAY-  Fish tacos and black beans

FRIDAY-  Simple Vegetable Soup and a green salad

SATURDAY-  Memorial for my amazing great aunt who I miss dearly!

SUNDAY-  Healthy Tuna Melt, Spinach & Apple Salad, and Kale Chips (recipe coming soon)

What are you making this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

Always kiss your children goodnight - even if they're already asleep.  -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Halloween and Menus

My littles were cute as could be this year (but I think I will say this every year).   My oldest little man was Mario and his baby brother was Toad (toadstool).  My lovely friend's mom was so nice to make both of my boys' hats!  I can't wait to learn how to crochet so I can make hats like crazy! We had a little family/friend Halloween gathering to celebrate Asher's first Halloween and went trick or treating around the neighborhood!  One trick or treater, 10 adults, and 2 little babies!  My son needed a whole entourage of people while trick or treating.  It was fun even if all of us adults went......we are all kids at heart anyways!  My oldest little has been very shy about trick or treating the past couple years but this year he was all for it with no fear involved!  Except the fear of wearing his Mario mustache!  He was very iffy about this fake mustache being pasted on his face but after he realized how cool mustaches really are, he was sporting the thing!  There is something truly magical about watching your children in costume running through the leaves on a crisp fall night!  It brings such a smile to my face and reminds me why being a parent is honestly the biggest blessing of all!

Here are some pictures of our month long preparation for this fun holiday......crafts my children and I made, decorations I made, my favorite wreath that I have ever made, pumpkin hats my aunt made the boys, my favorite white pumpkins, our carved pumpkins, and Halloween night!  One of my favorite holidays ever!

I'm a little late posting my menu this week but that is how it goes as a mama sometimes!

This week's menu:

MONDAY:  Halloween feast:  Vegetarian chili, cornbread, and a green salad

TUESDAY:  Baked salmon, Gratin Potatoes, and a green salad

WEDNESDAY:  Leftovers and salmon salad

THURSDAY:  Out to dinner with the family

FRIDAY:  Zucchini, black bean, and rice skillet (we use fresh tomatoes instead of canned)

SATURDAY:  Broccoli Quiche (we will use mushrooms instead of bacon) using homemade whole wheat pie crust and green salad

SUNDAY:  Hungarian Mushroom Soup, Hearty Kale Salad (omit the bacon), and homemade whole wheat bread

 What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"Witch and ghost make merry on this last of dear October’s days."  -Author Unknown

Cooking With My Littles and Menus

One of my many passions is being in the kitchen cooking or baking for my family!  I love creating something that is delicious and is good fuel for my family's bodies.  Ohhh...but it wasn't always like that for me in the past.  I hated cooking when I was in my early twenties.  I would have rather gone out to eat.  Plus, I never felt like I was a good cook.  I mean I could barely cook grilled cheese!  It wasn't until I met my husband and we started cooking together that it sparked a passion inside of me.  But I still wasn't that great at cooking!  It was when I got pregnant with my first son four years ago when I realized how important it was to know what I was putting in my body.  Then I knew that cooking my own food was the best way to be healthy.  So it began, my mission to cook and to cook good food for my body, my husband's body, and my sweet children's body.

I think being a good cook was always inside of me since I come from a family of amazing cooks.  My mom has always been such a health conscious, wonderful cook and same with most of the woman AND men in my family.  It just took me starting my own little family to really bring that out in me.  And my husband couldn't be happier.

With my passion of cooking comes my passion of teaching my little ones how important it is to grow our own food and to cook it.  So since day one, my children have always been in the kitchen with me....wearing them, sitting on the counters, or standing on stools!.  They are right by my side learning the ways of the kitchen and how to fuel the body that houses our soul.  I hope one day to pass on my love for food and cooking to my amazing children!

 
THIS WEEK'S MENU:

MONDAY:  Thai Green Curry Coconut Shrimp with Basil  (We added broccoli and cut the curry by half to make it less spice for our son).

TUESDAY:  Eggplant-Zucchini Lasagna

WEDNESDAY:  Homemade minestrone soup and a green salad

THURSDAY:  Veggie stir-fry over brown rice

FRIDAY-  Baked Salmon,  Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin (I will use half the butter and use milk instead of cream),  Fried Green Tomatoes with a Remoulade Sauce (Just using the sauce in this recipe).

SATURDAY-  Leftovers and a green salad

SUNDAY-  Green Pizza and Apple, Walnut, & Endive Salad

Since it is the holiday season is starting I am going to add to my menus the extra baking and cooking I will be doing for the season!

EXTRAS:
Zucchini bread (some for now, some for freezing)
Canning homemade tomato sauce
Canning homemade applesauce for my baby boo
Homemade pesto for freezing
Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"Mother's love grows by giving." - Charles Lamb

Harvesting and Menus

It is that time of year again....harvesting time!  This is when we are drowning in tomatoes and zucchini and we struggle to keep up with the basil and parsley that grow faster than I can run!  I love every second of it!  Now starts the scramble of preserving of it all....tomato sauce, salsa, zucchini bread, pesto, dried herbs, you name it!  All of this will be canned, frozen, or dried so we can reap the benefits all year long.  I will be sharing pictures and recipes soon of everything we are making and preserving!

We heart tomatoes!  

I love watching my three year old run around helping us harvest and picking fresh veggies off the vine to eat right there.  Our 3- month old just loves to be carried around the garden or laying on a blanket soaking everything around him.  Raising our children to know how to grow their own food and eat healthy has become an important part of our family.  I am feel blessed that my parents taught me these lessons, so I can pass it on to my children.

Stay tuned to some preserving recipes and for what we will be planting for our winter crop!!!! Here is our menu for the week!!!!

MENU:

MONDAY:  Whole wheat spaghetti with fresh homemade tomato sauce and a green salad

TUESDAY:  Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Casserole with whole wheat tortillas (We use olive oil instead of canola.  And we use fresh tomatoes instead of canned.)

WEDNESDAY:  Homemade Tomato Basil Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (We use fresh tomatoes instead of canned.)

THURSDAY:  Leftovers and a big green salad

FRIDAY:  Baked Dijon Salmon,  Parmesan Stuffed Tomatoes,  and Balsamic Roasted Potatoes

SATURDAY-  Dinner at a a good friends home.  We are bringing fresh baked bread, a green salad, and Apple Ice Cream with Caramel!!!!!!

SUNDAY-  Fish tacos with black beans

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unself- consciously to the soughing of the trees." -Valerie Andrews 

And then there were four......

 Where have I been for the past month, you ask?!  What have I been doing?  Well....this precious beautiful little human has taken us on a new journey.   We have been soaking up some newborn love!

After a long and warm summer solstice evening, on the morning of June 22nd my husband, my son, and I welcomed our new beautiful baby boy into this world and into our growing family with so much love. He entered this world in a complete natural state with a mighty 9 lbs and 4 oz. We have been spending these days snuggling him, taking in all that he is, cherishing every moment, and adjusting to our new roles. I am in love!!!! Welcome to this world, my new love, Asher.

As some of you know, my dream was to have a home birth but because of circumstances out of my control, I had to have a hospital birth. But that didn't stop me from having an incredible birth team....my husband, my mother, my doula, and my incredible amazing midwife. I was able to have an intervention-free and drug-free birth in a very peaceful, spiritual, and respectful environment. After delivering a 9 pound baby completely natural I feel like a warrior!

I feel so blessed to be the mother of two boys.  I am so ready for the fun adventure that lies in front of me.  The world of boys is quite an exciting world.  My husband and I don't find out the sex of our babies before they are born.  We love the surprise and being able to find out the sex together as we hold our little one is a very magical experience.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  Also, for myself and my husband, we feel that it is more natural for us to get to know our children this way then the typical "girl" "boy" image you get from an ultrasound.  This is strictly only our opinion and how we like to do things.  Of course every family is different and you must do what is right for your family.  Nevertheless, we are overjoyed to have two boys and to watch them grow together!

Parenthood has been the most amazing, incredible journey we have embarked on.  Being a mother has been more rewarding and more beautiful than I ever could imagine.  Life just makes so much sense after I have held both of my sons for the first time.  The instant feeling of unconditional love is beautifully overwhelming.  I feel blessed to have experienced this love yet again with my new beautiful babe.  Oh, its incredible!

I am working on Asher's birth story now, as well as my first son's birth story!  I want to be able to share my birth stories to you all in effort to help normalize birth in our society!  Stay tuned to these stories and to my weekly menus that will be coming back!  

I am ending this blog with a blessing that I read to my sons.  I actually read four total but I am going to share the other three in later posts.  

Apache Blessing

May the sun bring you new energy by day,

May the moon softly restore you by night, 

May the rain wash away your worries

And the breeze blow new strength into your being,

And all of the days of your life may you walk

Gently through the world and know its beauty.

Peacefully,

Alyson

Saving the Planet through Play

One of my One Small Change Plans for this month is being outside more and enjoying what we work so hard at home to save...our environment.  I think I have done a pretty good job with this.  While my boys sleep, I go for early morning walks almost every morning either with girlfriends or with my mama.  My family and I have been going on lots of mini adventures outside to our backyard, on walks, or the park.

When we go on these fun adventures outside, it usually become a small little learning experience for my son.  We have been talking a lot about Planet Earth and what our planet gives us.  I have been sharing photos with him of the planet, animals, trees, different beautiful sites from around our world and I am amazed on how much he is loving it.  My son is the future and if we want this world to be a better place,  we need to start with our children.  They hold our future and what happens to it.  So the first step, is showing our children how beautiful and amazing this world is and in return they will naturally want to protect what they love.

When we go outside on an adventure, everything we talk about at home starts applying itself.  My son will see the trees and say.."Those big trees help us breath."  Or he will find a earth worm and state..."He is BIG.  He is crawling around all this dirt and helping it."  I get a great big grin on my face and then it opens up to a wonderful conversation about trees or worms or whatever subject he picked all by himself.  This becomes not only a learning experience for my son but also for myself.  I am learning so much about myself and this world just by being a mother.  It is truly amazing.

Here is an organization called, Cool Moms Care,  that helps mothers encourage their kids to change the world around them by helping the environment, other people, and themselves.  They provide tips and ideas for "5 minutes of caring."  Since being a parent is full time, this site gives moms (and dads) tips that are quick and easy to apply to any busy schedule.  I just found this site and can't wait to read more.  It is also a sister site to Cool People Care, that provides more quick tips for everyone (not just parents) on how to make a positive impact in this world.  All you cool people out there, check out these sites!

Here are a few pictures from our park adventure on Tuesday.  They are all taken by my husband, who is the master mind behind the camera and who teaches me everyday on how to be a better photographer.

Happy playing,
Alyson

"All the woulda-coulda-shouldas layin' in the sun, talkin' 'bout the things they woulda-coulda-shoulda done... But all those woulda-coulda-shouldas all ran away and hid from one little did." -- Shel Silverstein, Author