Mary Mary quite contrary

...how does your garden grow? 

with silver bells and cockle shells

and pretty maids all in a row

(from top left) strawberries, onion, potato, garlic.  still working under ground (not pictured): tomatoes, carrots, herbs

the garden is almost ready, now i just need to read up on how to harvest a garden.  i can't say it looks like the garden i pictured as a child reciting that poem, but hopefully it will make some good eating!

it won't be long before i can teach kiddos first hand about the importance of eating clean.  what better way than to start from the roots!  jamie oliver's food revolution is such an inspiring story.

year one, whew!

don't laugh but a one year old birthday party is a lot of work!

not only is this blog a way to showcase my art and decoarting tips, but also a way to document life.  so, as mollie turned one year old last friday i had a chance to relect on how i have changed as a person because of her.  i also thought of a few things that keep replaying in my mind as a new parent; ideas that have stuck this year as a result of reading, observing, and listening to others, and myself for the first time.

1. obviousy, one of my revelations would be that a person under the age of one can teach you more about life than anyone on earth.  from "searching for God knows what" by donald miller i found this quote life changing: "reality is like a fine wine.  it will not appeal to children."  once i grasped that idea, i realized that i am not a child any longer, therefore i am the adult and what it says to me is: A. i like wine, and B. life is difficult but can be enjoyable too.  aging is a beautiful process and a positive part of life.  take responsibility and look at struggles as growth.  pray constantly.

2. also, at a MOPS meeting our speaker said something (not sure what exactly) that stuck, and when i learned to sympathize with my child or any person that is when i connect and form a relationship. however, when i see the crying or complaining as negative, trying to solve the issue myself instead of simply understanding their grief and moving forward, it causes that person/child to hold things inside. basically, there is no perfect child/person and i want to embrace her differences, celebrate unique qualities instead of fitting into a mold. 

3. in the baptism preparation class they talked about how those books for kids that say, " my first bible" and have cute pictures of jesus...they aren't the real thing. when teaching children about the bible and God's word, use the real thing and don't pretend that these other cute books are Holy.


4. i finally realized that i have a new job. at the beginning i was still trying to do too much aside from being a mother. "the mission of motherhood" by sally clarkson might be old-school but gets to the core of the beauty of being a stay-at-home mom.  i feel so blessed to be at home, but i do look at it like a job everyday. maybe my painting has slacked lately, but i am fulfilled by a bright shining face running around me all day long!  "the mission of motherhood is strategic in providing the next generation with whole-hearted, emotionally healthy, and spiritually alive adults. it is not simply a lifestyle choice. it is a divine calling that will indeed affect eternity."

5. and lastly, this first year has brought a few topics up about the future in discipline that i want to address.  after reading the TIME mag article "the case against overparenting," i have concluded that there is a fine line between letting your children learn from mistakes and being their puppet master.  i pray that over the years i can stay grounded in that aspect.  i can't judge the NYC woman who let her 7 year old son on the subway alone.  she is yale-educated and argues that letting her son ride the subway alone is just as dangerous as allowing kids to visit relatives, because as she points out 80% of kids who are molested are victims of friends or relative...or refusing the vaccinate your child for the swine flu as some have died from it.

of course there are still issues to be dealt with over the next year, like the conflict over santa/easter bunny/tooth fairy thing. essentially, my husband agrees with me about being honest, but we need to find a way not to spoil the surprise for the other kids who believe!

promise new art work next month....

Dear Springtime,

you are very inspiring.  you make me do strange things.  like plant a vegetable garden in my backyard.  should be interesting to see if anything grows, considering i didn't take into detailed account the spacing of the seeds.

after reading this great article detailing how to plant everything in texas i might have done a few things differently. 

when life gives you eggs, make an egg tree. my thoughtful mother saved these hand painted wooden eggs from when we were growing up, and let me use them to make my own homemade egg tree.  kinna funny that  it only symolizes sweet childhood memories, not the reason for the easter holiday at all. every mother has their own way of doing things differently from their mother--no offense to mine, she did a wonderful job if i am trying to mimic her easter egg tree! well, one of my goals as an individual mom is to emphasize the special meanings behind the symbols of religious holidays (along with teaching about god's creation on a daily basis).  did you know that in christian times, the egg was a symbol of new life just as a chick might hatch from the egg? 

we know about the egg, but what about the rabbit?  the hare was was associated with the pagan celebration of the goddess Eostre, from whom the word Easter is derived. Eostre was associated with fertility, so was connected to both hares and eggs as symbols.

there will always be some sort of symbol around a holiday and i think it is important not to be confused or confuse little ones.  my hope is that my children will understand and question all things that god has created.  when do you draw the line at letting them believe in a fairytale and showing them the true meaning?  for example, the easter traditions of the easter bunny and easter eggs do not have any real ties to the christian celebration of easter, but rather these easter traditions, that are practiced today, are evolved from pagan symbols.  if there is some significance that i can relay from praying/researching (ie. the egg symbolizing new life), then it is good.  if it is a false representation of the holiday, ie. santa clause, and i cannot come up with any reasonable relation to christ, then i disagree. 

reminder: must discuss with husband tonight.

new addition!

NO, not that kind...
guess what i finally have though?  a new camera.  i know all of you are very relieved to give up squintting and turning your computer screen or your head to understand my postings.  this thing is amazing...for the first 24 hours of it's adopted life it did not leave my neck.  i snuggled with it in bed, put a shower cap on it for a shower, and annoyingly captured every moment of mollie's existence.  i am thrilled for two main reasons: mollie's first birthday is coming up, and of course better photos for art.  but the very best part--it was free! 

here are some interesting examples of what my new addition can do:

soothing nursery

while i realize this is a tad delayed, i thought i would post a few pics of my most favoritest room in our house just before mollie turns ONE.  that reason being, it has calming abilities and it sleeps my most precious angel. 

personally, i see a nursery as being a neutral room.  even before i found out her gender, i envisioned something that could carry over from the rest of the house, as opposed to being the typical pink or blue.  while those are certainly cute rooms too, i saw the colors and textures as more organic and raw from nature.  soothing for the baby as well as myself.  i am pleased to say that my idea transpired into reality.  thinking back when i would nurse 10 times a day in that room, i never really wanted to leave.  and now when naptime or bedtime arrives, i feel mollie's calmness as we enter into her little haven.

crewel fabric for bumper, blanket, and pillow--leftovers from kitchen curtains in MV, thanks mom!

i chose the jenny lend crib because that's what i had and i thought it was the most simplistic(plus it shows off the pretty bedding better than the bulkier ones)

i am very thankful that the glider is so comfortable and sturdy.  it was made by the same girl that did the bedding.  i chose the brown mattlesse pipped in sage because it would be durable and comfortable.  and it is.

the changing table is great.  magic moon-think it closed recently.  the black and white photos above (which are crooked b/c mollie likes to play with them while her diaper is being changed) are one of each of my parents-mollie and billy, tommy's parents-brenda and jim, and of course mollie's parents:-).  we were all around 3 or 4 yrs old.

kathlyn painted the toy chest.  mollie loves it!

these vintage nursery rhymes were a gift.  a very creative, thoughtful and adored gift!