Thanks for stopping by.  I have been swept up by summer!  Just a few lines to say hi and thank you for reading my blog.  It really means a lot to me that you come over here and read my words and look at my pictures. I hope that you are having a fabulous summer! Until next time! Annie

Homemade Ice Cream

We spent a lovely weekend at a dear friend of ours Amanda Porter's.  You might remember her mentioned in previous posts as she is a handcrafter of wooden toys and owner of Green Acre Toys.  Her home is a work of art in itself.  It is set on a beautiful piece of land, surrounded by trees with no other houses in sight.  Her home is sustainable with solar paneling, wind powered and in the cold months  is heated with a rock stove.

Last year began a tradition of gathering people on her land to celebrate with dancing, art, yoga and this year making ice cream! It was a lovely day with sons and daughters helping mothers and friend.  We worked together  to make yummy, cold ever so delicious, refreshing ice cream. 

 Ingredients

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1 cup half and half

1 1/2 teaspoons vanila extract

1 cup whipping cream

 

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge

Add sugar and salt

Stir until disolved

Stir in half and half, vanilla and whipping cream

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Presenting the ice cream maker.

Daycare Happenings

 Summer has kissed our skin and we are tickled pink by stepping out of routine and into a more organic schedule.  Have a look at what we have been up to.

 

 Reading books

Climbing Trees

 

Dow's Lake has a great little cluster of trees where children can climb and be little monkeys.

Owen has been practicing riding his green machine.  There have been a few falls with a few tears and the learning curb continues. I hold my breath as I watch him go with the bike doing dramatic sways as he learns to keep the handle bars straight.  

Ian his younger cousin by 2 years is riding with ease. He is a determined little guy and has refused the help of adults and has learned by himself.  He is strong willed.

Outdoor artwork.

and splish, splashing in Lac Leamy. 

What are you up to this summer?

Luna Girls

 

I am so excited!  Tara Porter and I have launched our new endeavor; Luna Girls. Luna Girls is geared for girls from 9-12 where we will do yoga, dance, theater and teach hand skills like knitting, sewing and felting.  We will also do adventures out into the forest to learn survival skills and plant identification.  We have so many ideas and so much passion for this project we might just burst.

Another great component that I am excited about is to get mothers and daughters to connect in a meaningful way. Having a daughter myself I feel the need to keep the doors of communication open and do fun things that promote confidence and good health.  As an adult yoga has been what grounds me in keeps me strong within myself.  I wish as a young girl I had been given this tool for everyday life. 

Growing up I didn't have much direction and I must say that it would have been nice to have had some guidance.  In todays world the media has such a strong influence on our children. I believe that it is up to us adults to help them navigate through this crazy world. Please have a look at our Luna Girls blog and pass on the info to anyone you think might be interested. 

Falling in Love

Often I  roam the parenting world with blinders.  I navigate the waters with a thinking that I know my children, their strengths, their great qualities and their tender spots.  With these preconceptions I interact with them and parent.  Then sometimes they say or do something that completely blows me out of the water and I stare at them with new eyes.  It's like I am seeing them for the very first time, like they are new children that I am discovering.  In these moments my mind goes blank and my heart opens and for a glimpse of a moment I see them for who they truly are. Their light shines through and they touch me in a very deep way.  I had a lot of those moments this past weekend.  We spent  a lot of  time by ourselves by a beautiful lake swimming, talking, reading and being together. There were no distractions just us, trees and water.  It felt so good to connect in this way.

  

Owen amazed me with his mud creations.

Zoe loves art and is always amazing me with her view of the world. It is so insightful and often and I must act upon her advice as it is so wise.

We celebrated Canada Day in Wakefield.  Our family friend gave Zoe and Owen a handful of flags to give to other children.  Zoe was too shy so the responsibility fell on Owen who took it with pride.  It was the sweetest thing to watch him approach children and offer them a flag.  Some refused his offering and he took all in stride. 

That night we sat around the fire and told stories and sang songs.  There were so many songs that my children shared with me that I didn't know and didn't know that they knew!!! I was flabbergasted and so grateful for the time spent together.

Here is a song that Owen shared with us.  It is really cute. 

There are no bananas in the sky, in the sky

There are no bananas in the sky

There's the stars, the moon and a coconut cream pie

but there's no bananas in the sky!

I love falling in love with my children all over again and again.  They hold my hand as I walk the path to inner growth.  Through them I see myself more clearly: my strengths and my weaknesses come through giving me a platform from which I can work upon. Thank you Zoe and Owen for all that you are and all that you bring to me. Love Mommy.