Lord of the Rings

My kids can hardly be described has children anymore, I mean the older four of course. In the next 6 months they will turn 15,13 and 11. In our homeschooling path we hardly ever followed a standardized curriculum and basically never used school books but when they were younger I could organize activities, mini lessons about subject of their interest or create with them booklets ( we had a ant booklet and a pirate booklet that were great ! ). In the last couple of years they showed lesser and lesser interest in whatever activity I had\have in mind and since I strongly believe in letting them free to build their own path to adulhood ( with my constant presence and help ) I let them decline and do whatever they thought it was better for them. But still I missed A LOT the time spent together sitting at the table working along. Then few months ago, thanks to an old Lord of the Ring video-game we found in the local second-hand store, the three middle kids, Leo,Seba and Milla started to ask me informations about Tolkien and the book ( I love LOTR ) and finally they asked me to read it aloud for them. JOY ! BLISS ! and few weeks ago we decided to make a big map of the Middle Earth to understand better the journey of the fellowship AND they agreed to collect all the poems AND to focus on the most interesting descriptions and make drawing out of it. I MUST BE DREAMING. I mean we're not only working together, but on somthing I love and they love, drawing and reading ( two of my all time favourite ways to spend time.
Here few pictures of our mornings...

 Here we are working on the map.

To make it a little more durable we covered it with transparent adhesive paper

Almost ready to focus on the description of the day...

 James works with us, he asked a 'workbook' for himself and he wanted his pencils and a sharpener :)

 And here we are all busy. Gaia is working on a project of her own since she doesn't like LOTR.

As you can see we all have a black cover workbook, I found them in a departement store at very cheap price ( 2 E and 99c) and they are especially for watercolour drawings.

Here the description and my watercolour

Here Milla working on her drawing, she still has not finished it, very detailed one .

Seba's

Leo's

And once we're finished ...

...everything goes back in the art basket.

I LOVE IT.

And now it's time for some outdoor fun ;)

See you soon !

Baking with Jimmy

Today we woke up in the snow wonderland. It has been snowing all night, with strong wind. So after lunch we all headed out for some outdoor fun. Jimmy enjoy a lot to be pulled in Seba's Stiga sledge and it's always a problem to bring him back home ( or I should say drag him back home). So Milla and I started walking back and forth in our street pulling him. The first time we passed in front of the house he declared ' Not inside mom, lt's walk for a little while more '. So we walked back and forth two more times. At the third he called me ' Mom, let's go back home for a while now .. I'm frozen ' eheheh so veeeery sweet.
But of course inside we went, and to warm up I thought that it could be a good idea baking something. As usual James is eager to help me...

 Woderful, the world covered in a soft blanket

He is such clever and sweet helper, learning everyday something new, but mostly learning the meaning of being a family : togetherness.

So after a couple of hours we had several goodies ...

Shortbread cookies (before and after cooking )

And two loaves of bread, one of normal shape one braided ( my first attempt, it turned out well in my opinion )

This time I cooked the bread at a lower temperature for longer time (180C for 50 minutes ) and the result was a super soft bread with a delicate crispy crust .

Delicious !

Have a nice week !!!

Finished !!!

Just a very quick update, it's very late, but I'm so happy about my new finished project that I really want to share it :) ...

As I was working on this little project of mine I couldn't help but stopping from crocheting every now and then and admire the colours and the pattern that was freely flowing out of my fingers. I treated the yarn as I treat my watercolours, I chose them one after the other as they pleased my eyes and played with them, creating an appealing pattern ... which I wouldn't be able to repeat since it was just a spontaneous occurance.

But what was the purpose for this ? ...

Can you get the hint ?

Here it is !!!!

And I LOVE IT !!

My little black travel journal was in need of an upgrading heheheh ... I grew tired of its black and plain look and now it's fabolous don't you think ? 

p.s. If there's anybody out there, might you be so kind to drop me a line here ? The blog is rather new and I'd love to have some feedback about it :)

Thank you,

mamaF

Nature Journal

Few years ago I found out about nature journaling. I've always had journals, recording my experiences,feelings, prayers, Bible studies so the idea to dive in a new kind of journaling was very exciting for me. I started on 2010, when we were living in Tuscany, to collect wild flowers and plant and draw them or bring my journal with me in the woods or pic-nics. When we  moved here in Finland on 2011, I started  recording for months, beside everyday happenings, also weather, temperature and sunrise and sunset and kept drawing from nature. Then I bought few books from the marvellous Clare Walker Leslie, the two that really opened a new (journaling) world for me have been Keeping a Nature Journal , Drawn to nature through the journals of Clare Walker Leslie . 
Last march I decided it was time to upgrade my nature journaling to a new level, so I started my first 'real' nature journal. In it I record temperature, weather, shortly what it is happening nature-wise and then I sketch something and usually colour it with watercolours ( I really love watercolours ). Now after almost 10 months I can say my way of journaling it's not only about nature, I draw mostly houses or interesting landscapes, few animals and plants, very often the same subject in different seasons or time of the day ( I have drawn the same tree outside my bedroom window in every season now ) and I also like to keep track of the sun in peculiar moment of the year ( solstices and equinoxes ) since here in the north it changes dramatically ( we have 5 hourse of sunlight in late autumn and 20 hourse of sunlight in late spring).
Anyways, what I wanted to share today it's my latest entry, I'm especially proud of it, I really like the way It looks. It's a watercolour of our house as it looked the 30th of december.

Two work in progress pictures

 

The finished work

Two of many

I could describe myself as a craft-addicted ( and pictures addicted, painting addicted, writer wannabe ... you got the picture ahahah pun intended of course ) but in this right moment of my life I'm kinda working to make all those passion something 'more'. So at the moment I have litterally dozen of projects going on and I happily jump from one to the other without negletting none of them. Of course it may take a week or two before coming back to one of the projects ( depending if I'm finishing one, in case I just concentrate on that one ) but I'm quite satisfied to see all of them progressing somehow and most of all having quite clear in mind where I am going and what I want to achieve. Here two of my WIP.

This is part of a looooooong term project. I need it finished for may and I hope it will turn out as it looks in my mind. I'll try to update my WIP while it progress also to keep track of my work.

This is a colourful blanket I started more then one year ago. I almost forgot about it until few weeks ago when I started a de-cluttering camp and got hold of this lovely basket filled with woolen goodies and included it in my 'stop the pity party and roll your sleves up' plan to better my life.

I can't wait to see it finished. 

:)

Love&Light

When my little one was about to arrive we bought for him a little bed, you know the usual 'fenced' ones, even if i already thought to co-sleep with him. Well the little bed has been just an additional closet for the last 2 years and half. Then few weeks ago he started asking about this odd and messy piece of furniture near mom and dad's bed and we told him it was his own bed that he could use whenever he wanted. So to sweetly encourage him my handy husband modified the little bed to be more suitable for the needs of a indipendent young boy. He took away one of the sides and lowered the bed at about 30cm from the floor so that Jimmy could go in and out at his own will. Jimmy seemed quite excited but he never even wanted to try to sit over it. Well no problem for us, we are enjoying our co-sleeping journey and we are ready and willing to give hime all the time he needs for this big stap ahead. Today we went in the nearby town in a departement store and as usual Jimmy was overly fascinated and attracted by Christmas lights. he asked us to buy a strand of colourful ( and unexpensive) led lights.We agreed and he came home proudly holding in his hand the box with the lights. When we arrived home he asked daddy to help him putting the lights around his bed. When we switched on the lights he Ohoooed with his blue eyes wide open and declared ' Now I can sleep in my bed' and laid in there under the blanket. It has been such a sweet moment. Well, no he is not sleeping in there now, but I can see a big step ahead in his journey and the just the way I wished it to happen, at his pace, in sweetness and acceptance.

 Jimmy for the first time in his bed

 We had to take away all the store bought dolls and teddy bears because james is afraid of them, he only likes this woolen dolls I make for him and loves them dearly

Wonderful isn't it ?

Just out from a fairy tale.

First !!!

So here we are on year 2015. Many exciting things are going to happen. My oldest doughter will turn 15 in three short months. 15 !!! Where did the time fly ? My twin boys will be 13 in june, my youngest doughter will be 11 in less then 2 months and my little boy will turn three in june. In 18 days i will turn 39. All of us are about to start a new season in their life and I'm quite curious to find out what future holds for us.
Here some memories from yesterday and today.

I don't know why blogger keep turning this pic, but well, this was my last 2014 lunch, Gaia cooked it for me. She is so sweet and kind with me, I'm not sure I always deserve it ! It was delicious !

  

Me and Jimmy yesterday evening, Do you see my apron ? I was making pizza, as we always have pizza on New year's Eve

Traditional Italian meal of 1st of january, pork meat and lentils .

In general I follow a vegetarian diet but on special days or if someone is cooking for me I eat what I've been offered

Hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmellows (?sp) and Christmas sweet as last holiday treat ( again my doughter made it for both of us, I know I'm a lucky gal :) )

2015 here I am, ready to live you at the fullest !!!!