Can of worms....

 

It has been a challenging month.

 

*Sigh*

 

The kind of month that leaves you weary to your bones and wondering if your sanity is the next thing to go.

 

 It started a couple weeks ago when Claire touched the stove element and burnt her hand. It

 blistered almost immediately and she howled for hours while we did our best to keep her hand in a cup of cold water.  It was a struggle to keep it bandaged, but we did our best and it has healed well.  I have never seen her so miserable in her life.  Little did I know that things could get worse. The following week she got a fever that lasted for two days. Initially, I thought it was because her molars were coming in (which they were) but then, while we were on the ferry, Nate noticed some blisters on her hand and in her mouth. It didn't take me long for me to put the pieces together and realize that Claire had something called hand foot and mouth disease. The only reason I knew is because a couple of  my friends had just gone through it with their children and I remember hearing them talk about the symptoms.

 

In the days that followed Claire, cried incessantly and reminded us what sleep deprivation felt like. She hardly ate anything other than yogurt and pancakes. There were times where  I felt like I was loosing my mind. Nathaniel found me curled up in a corner crying  on more than one occasion. It has been difficult seeing her in pain and not being able to make her feel better. Not to mention the fact that the constant whining has worn my patience and sanity to a nub.

 

Yes, folks....life in the Lord household is not all apple picking adventures and whoppee pie tasting. 

 

I suppose I could share the less glamorous aspects of my life more often, and trust me, there are many, but I would rather share the things that bring me joy. But since I have already opened one can of worms I might as well tell you that we dealt with an epic case of head lice in September, that Nathaniel dislocated his shoulder and might need surgery and that I am feeling very insecure as a mother and how I parent my children.. I could also tell you that I am not excited about Christmas, that I am tired and I am questioning whether I want to go ahead with being a foster parent. I love my children but I don't always like them, and I think I am a bit obsessive compulsive at times.

 

How is that for a can of worms?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Monday: Mushroom Madness

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodbye Fall

Yesterday I finally packed up our fall décor. I love this leaf garland I made from some leftover felt and yard a couple of years ago.

 

 

 

Amelia filled our windows with artwork she created at preschool.

Our collection of miniature pumpkins and leaves. 

 

My screen saver this fall

On the consul by the front door 

 

Even the strawberry leaves are an explosion of color.

With the help of an exchange student who stayed with us for a couple of days, I finally processed two pumpkins and froze the puree.

 

Hello Pumpkin Spice Whoopee Pie! How I have missed thee! Indulging in this marvelous mouthwatering creation helped me say goodbye to fall.

 

 

 

Fall Bucket List

 

I'm not quite ready to let go of fall.

I am still sighing when the wind casts leaves into the air, or I catch sight of a tree that looks as though it is on fire.  I have grown fond of waking up to blankets of fog, and of running in the cool, crisp air. I have enjoyed swaddling my neck with colorful scarves and sipping pumpkin chai lattes.* SIGH* 

 

I am NOT ready for sideways rain.

 

Well, that is not entirely true. I bought a pair of hunter boots at the beginning of October and they are going to come in handy.  Usually, I am thrilled to bid Halloween farewell and pull out my Christmas decorations. I am nowhere near ready to do that yet. I haven't even started thinking about Christmas gifts or baking.  Perhaps it is because I always have grand expectations for the Christmas season and I am always EXHAUSTED afterwards. This year Nathaniel will be working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and possibly New Years as well. Blah! Anyways, enough of my moaning and groaning. I am going to cling to fall until the bitter end.

 

Perhaps I will get excited about the Christmas season after I have completed this list.......

 

My Fall Bucket List

 

Collect leaves and press in wax paper

Make Pumpkin Pie

Go to the pumpkin patch

Jump in leaves

Carve Pumpkins

Make apple pie

Harvest Apples

Drink a pumpkin spice latte

Do "fall" art with my children

Wear scarves and boots

Have  bonfire and roast marshmallows

Make autumn soup

Make whoopee pies

Make apple cider

Make applesauce

Eat a caramel apple

 

Wow, I just realized how much of my list involves food. It is a good thing I like running. (Smile)

 

Wordless Wednesday: Art that makes me happy

 

 

Interview: Nicole

 

Tea or Coffee

 

Always coffee. I love the caffeine and the smell

 

I collect

 

Babies, (smile) bottles of wine and cookbooks

 

Favorite City

 

Paris. There are so many parks where people eat pastries and read books. Instead of playgrounds, they have statues and art.

 

Spring or Fall

 

Fall. I love the colors  and the mild weather. It is dry but not hot, which means that I can wear layers. Also, my birthday is in the fall!

 

Bloom of Choice

 

Roses, Dahlias and Asters.

 

Right now I am

 

A stay at home mom

 

Longing for

 

Just a little more free time

 

Most prized possession

 

My piano

 

My Design Esthetic

 

Tuscan farmhouse/ old country charm.

 

Passionate about

 

Books, reading, parenting, food, babies and literature.

Sometimes you just need to......

Sometimes you just need to .......

 

Indulge in a decadent  pastry.

 

One that makes you feel as though you have been swept away to Paris.  surrounded by brass pedestal tables, well dressed women, gold leaf wainscoting and classical music.

When I am craving an exquisitely crafted pastry I go to Mon Petit Choux Café on commercial street in Nanaimo. I savor every crumb and I either people watch or write in my journal. It is one of my favorite happy places.

 

 Be inspired 

 

I just adore décor magazines and I often bring a pile home from the library. They are a delight to look at  a cup of hot tea in the morning. The other day I was reading a House and Home Magazine and saw an incredible dining room bathed in delicious raspberry linen wallpaper. *SIGH* It inspired me to inject some color into my "cream colored" bedroom.

 

Sometimes, all it takes is a trip to my favorite boutique store. I love looking at all the painted furniture, the linens, the Annie Sloan paint products, and the stencils. Today I picked up a beautiful stencil called "Springtime in Paris".

 

Be creative

 

Try a new recipe, paint a wall, write, take photographs, design a card, sew, actually make something that you pinned on pinterest, re-arrange your furniture, create a gallery wall, the possibilities are endless....

 

Today while the children were playing I pulled out my new stencil and used it to transform a pair of  brown side tables I found on the curb this summer. *Bliss*

 

 

why....because the dishes will always be waiting, and the floor with always be covered with crumbs.... but your creative spark is fleeting. Stop hesitating!  It is better to create when you are inspired than wait until you have the  time to do so.