updates!

the children are occupied for the moment, so i've stolen a bit to update the world on the goings on in the crandall clan.

emma asked last friday if we could do school, so i dug out the preschool and kindegarten books i've collected and started in. she loved every minute of it & begged me for homework, she is most definitely my child. violette, while not ready for school, wanted to be a part as well. she colored & drew a beautiful picture of me, which will be featured in a photo scavenger hunt i'm taking part of.

last nite at bedtime, i was coaxing emma to bed and she told me that she didn't want me to offer that to her again. sassafrass galore, nonetheless, very clever.

our sweet dog passed away, and it has opened up the backyard for all sorts of adventures. the girls have thoroughly enjoyed discovering the best hiding spots and having races.

theodore's top two teeth popped through, i fear i have a bunny rabbit for a baby. they are HUGE and adorable. he also says "dada" now. his crawling has reached new heights and you can bet that if he is on the floor, he is headed for either one of his sister's hair to tug on, that or the cat's food.

i am doing very well, the year of adventure has been paused for the moment as we currently don't have a working vehicle... w2s, where are you? i am very excited to get our taxes filed and hoping we get back what we plan on ;) we are hoping to get a new (to us) minivan, a computer and a camera for me. i cannot wait to get a new computer and post all of the pictures i've taken. flickr, i miss you! i've tried over and over to post them on this machine, but linux and flickr are mortal enemies, i fear. it freezes if i am on the site for more than 3 minutes, that could be said of most sites though.

it's now to make lunch and hopefully have a successful quiet time!

(i'm getting very, very excited about valentines day!!)

the song for today:

thursday things.

-after the laundry, the laundry!
-beautiful entralac afghan pattern
-vonnegut.
-continuum concept.
-peanut butter cup brownie bites!
-fantastic photography.
-for the sixteen year old in me.
-one of my favorite blogs.

stop! listen!

so, so good. this is now in my ever revolving top ten. please listen and enjoy!

i cannot sleep...

so i am going to share music with you! these are my favorite songs of right now. xox.

MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

realization, pt. 30929038409234.

dearest friends (and mainly myself):

tonite, i have been in this funky, weird place. and that's not the point at all. the point is, i was just lying in bed, surrounded by my three babies. and i had my little ipod working, and i was listening to neutral milk hotel, the song i posted on my blog earlier today. i looked at my daughter's pink dress and i was completely absorbed in how incredibly PINK her dress is, and then i noticed the contrast of the pink dress against our green blanket. and then i saw her little ear poking out from her hair. my heart was exploding with this feeling of urgency and NOW. and then i looked at my baby boy's face, his sweet dark eyelashes and his little nose and his mouth nursing lazily, sleepily. and i turned and looked at my big girl's sweet face, trying so hard to fight sleep. because she loves THIS DAY and THIS MOMENT so much. and i let go of all of my petty problems with today, and breathed. and i realized that THIS DAY and THIS MOMENT is all i have to cling to. and it is so urgent that i'm right here, right now. not preoccupied with happened earlier, with what minuscule thing didn't go my way. or what might happen tomorrow, or the next day. all i've got is the chance to choose to embrace this moment, and to respond to every instance with an open heart and love. always love. and i realize the kindest thing i could ever do is simply pay attention. stop my brain and my anxiety and my incessant self-absorbed monotonous thinking and notice. be a witness to what is here, now. and i have this realization frequently, but i've never experienced this realization so deeply as i have tonite. so if you'll excuse me, i've got a lovey to go apologize to, and dishes to neglect, and songs to sing along with. there is a lot of loving i've got to do, so i'm going to get to it. and i wish so much peace and love and grace and happiness to you, right here and right now.

thursday things.

-rad embroidery designs
-the scriptorium
-free knitting patterns: popknits!
-susun weed's wise woman forum (herbal medicine and spirit healing)
-fascinating
-jabberwocky!
-sweet reunited siblings story.



edited to add this much better version:

(did you get a bit teary? i did.)

halloween and a mini-belated-thursday things.

lots of new pics on my flickr.

-spooky tales!
-let them sing it for you. hours & hours of fun.
-unnecessary quotations.
-i'm not ashamed to like this song.

today starts nanowrimo, and i just might participate.

thursday things!

-halloween food ideas
-audio stories for kids
-patchwork mat tutorial
-wikipedia list of unusual deaths, i found this especially creepy.
-pyrex, i love you.
-regretsy
-little owl pattern
-rumi poem that i love

thursday things.

-pronoia resources
-punny card!
-the gashlycrumb tinies
-quotes on being vegetarian
-this just might work!
-me, on ravelry
-dreads inspiration, plus! he's a saddhu from nepal!*
-new favorite band



(thursdays make for the best rain days.)

*going for the neglect method, again. twist & rip all the way. i'm a few months in, so hopefully they'll look good in about a year.

praises for today.

-beautiful music: http://www.greatcomfortrecords.com/mp3/Bifrost-Arts_Come-O-Spirit.mp3
-beautiful misty, foggy weather.
-beautiful new baby! congratulations to maggie and austin, on this special, wonderful day. prayers of peace and joy for them.

labor day weekend...

i'll be off for the weekend, enjoy your labor day folks!

thursday things!

-adorable dress pattern
-s'mores bars!
-"pretty" is oh so relative. (and i ♥ craigslist.)
-harry potter cupcakes!
-i kinda want everything this chick sells.
-always new stuff up on my flickr - i've been playing in photoshop!
-this little guy always cracks me and the girls up
-lovely poetry

thursday things!

-lovely photography
-interesting looking pasta pie
-for the harry potter fan knitters
-tips for rising early i've been attempting waking up when brady leaves for work, but so far i've been failing. these ideas seem to be pretty good.
-in case you're bored...
-homemade checkers!
-we're up to season 5 on lost! this is the only show, besides gilmore girls, that i've liked in a very long time.

this is one of the few pictures i've taken that i'm actually pleased with.

been on a really big 90's kick the past few days, it's good stuff.

friday nite was super fun, save for the bizarre crowd. how can you stand still while the psalters and mewithoutyou are playing? so silly. brady pointed out you can't dance when you have fancy cameras and phones on your person, obviously. mewithoutyou is the best, though. i seriously wanted to put them in my pocket and bring them home. well played and inspired music, hurray! their sufi vibe is pretty good, too. :)

speaking of sufi, i'm reading a fabulous book on the subject: the sufis. well, it's taking me quite some time to finish as i don't have the same kind of allotted reading time as i used to. but i'm getting through it! and every page is totally resonating.

confession: i'm a heavily active participant in marginalia. i underline, write in the margins, edit, what have you. and i'm loving this sufi book so much, well, basically the whole book is underlined.

is there anything better than tracking a package? i think not. i have several books on the way, and i'm obsessively refreshing. (the creative family and the handmade home, both by amanda soule)

well, i'm off to set my timer and work on my bedroom. the flylady and i are on again.

happy monday, friends. beautiful day to you all!

thursday things. (on friday?)

-http://www.happynews.com/
-soulemama's book will be released on the 11th!
-i'm INFJ, what are you?
-light breakfast.
-(getting addicted to lost, thanks to netflix. and i watched the first episode "just to make fun".)

favorite song, ever.




what are you plans for the weekend?

thursday things.

-teen decomposes plastic bag in 3 months.
-cantaloupe salsa - must try!!
-fun little book recommendation site.
-gives me hope!
-rain days with lovey are the aces. and we get another one today!! this one is preschooler free, and we're cleaning and doing laundry.
-alice in wonderland trailer - so stoked!!

just some things i like at the moment.

-mint tea
-i find the grunting during women's tennis incredibly distracting/disturbing. apparently i'm not alone.
-lovey's latest post

-theodore is a month old today!

1986-present; 2004-forever.

here i am, and 23 at that.
i'm going to make a few "resolutions" on my birthday this year, i'm posting them for accountability.

-23 will be the year of consistency. i will be consistent in parenting my children, i will be consistent in taking care of my home. i will be consistent in treating my husband with the kindness and respect he deserves, at all times. i will be consistent in maintaining my well being: physically, mentally, spiritually.
-23 will be the year of project 365. i will do this!
-23 will be the year of perfecting tortilla making. not too fluffy, not too thin, but perfect pillows of puffy dough, best slathered with butter and honey.



















this photo was taken 5 years ago, on the day the government recognizes as our wedding day. i was ecstatic at becoming mrs. crandall, and i still am. i remember the first piece of mail we got for "mrs. brady crandall", i about peed my pants with excitement. (i know, i know, so horribly unfeminist of me. the horrors!)

there are really no words to convey to anyone else on the planet just how much we're in love. how in love we were 5 years ago, and how much more now.

i frequently hear people talking about how difficult marriage is, how hard it is to stay with the same person forever, and i don't understand this. marriage isn't hard work for us, it's fun! brady is my best friend in the whole world, and i am his. i suppose i should count my many blessings, because i know not many folks have that kind of gift.

have a beautiful day, friends.

happy birthday love!

today is my sweet love's 26th birthday. this is the 7th birthday we've had together, and each year outweighs the previous in love and joy.

let's go to the beach for our birthdays, one of these days.