~ pulling through ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Though with a happier and more balanced momma,

 we're doing a bit better than 'pulling through' these days.

Here's to more backyard wagon rides.

Here's to more giggle parties in the kitchen.

Here's to more genuine smiles and laughs.

~carrie~

~ sunday hike ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pictures courtesy of my smartphone!

On Sundays, we make time to stretch our legs outside.

Today, we walked the Persimmon Trail at our local botanical gardens.

We heard our first frogs of the year!

Daddy shows the girls how to cup their ears to gather more sound.

The ground was still damp from rain the night before.

The late Winter and early Spring rains bring out amphibians of all kinds.

We walked slowly down the trail,

creeping toward the sound of frogs in the creek.

The wet leaves were quiet under our feet.

Those frogs are so smart!

As soon as one spots us, he quiets down.

His neighbor notices that he's not singing,

so he quiets down too.

The silence makes its way down the creek,

until the frogs seem far off again.

Walking along the edge, 

frogs are invisible right before your eyes! 

We leave the trail, and walk along the edge.

 A thicket of invasive Elaeagnus ahead provides cover along the creek,

and the chorus is loudest there.

We leave the camera and backpack behind,

and crouch down

weaving our way through the dense undergrowth.

Behind a large sycamore tree,

we can just see the large still pool.

The sound of the frogs, several different species,

is so loud in our ears it is no necessary to amplify it at all.

We all sit there in the dampness, struck by the amazing sounds.

It seems as if the frogs are just under our feet,

and I close my eyes to focus on individuals.

I am breathing the sound.

Overhead, a chickadee makes conversation.

The minutes of magic have passed,

the girls are restless, 

though Mike and I could have sat there the rest of the day.

The three of them walk slowly forward,

less and less cautious as they peacefully jostle for position of the leader.

For a moment, I think that the frogs may not notice them, 

but then suddenly - - - silence.

Three blonde heads whip around toward us.

A single frog continues to sing just near Mike.

Then he realizes he's the only one, and then everything is silent around us.

The mood instantly shifts from quiet reverence and awe

to playful exploration. 

We make our way out of the thicket,

and back on the trail.

~carrie~

~ waldorf-style dolls for baby ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***Thank you to my sister, Rebecca T. Jones, for photographing the dolls!***

For my cousin's first birthday, 

I decided that she simply must have her very own Waldorf-style baby.

And when Lela caught wind of my plans,

she wanted to make one of her very own to give as well.

~ copyright Rebecca T. Jones ~

Lela's doll is mostly handsewn by her.

She sewed two squares of linen, wrong-sides together,

then turned and stuffed with poly-fil.

(The linen was a destashing gift from my friend Julie!)

She formed the head out of more poly-fil inside an old baby sock.

I sewed a tube of organic cotton knit "skin"

(from A Child's Dream Come True)

and then she fitted the head inside and sewed it onto the body.

With her blessing, I made invisible stitches around the neck,

then reinforced with more invisible stitches on all her seams.

(We were backing each other up - we discussed the importance of safety around babies!)

*I chose poly-fil because it was easier for her to stuff and pack tightly than the wool.*

~ copyright Rebecca T. Jones ~

Lela was present for the sewing of the face,

though I made the actual stitches. 

She helped with eye and mouth placement,

and securing knots in the back of the head.

From her vision, I sewed a tiny gnome hat for her baby.

Lela gathered the sides to form arms and a puckered dress,

and went over her doll to look for any places that needed more attention.

Then I stitched on this tiny heart,

and she came back to oversee the blushing of cheeks.

~ copyright Rebecca T. Jones ~

I couldn't be more proud of her effort with her first doll!

And that it was a gift for her baby cousin......

I know she'll always remember this.

My doll is made from a pair of corduroy pants that belonged to me as a young child.

The heart is denim, made from the hemmed remnants of my Papa's jean overalls.

I thought it would be special to give my baby cousin something 

made with the fabric from her great-grandfather and her cousin.

~ copyright Rebecca T. Jones ~

I am so pleased with how this simple baby turned out.

The corduroy is soft yet durable, and her body is like a warm little pillow.

As I was working on her, my mother and I kept passing her back and forth for snuggles.

I do believe she wants one of her very own. 

~ copyright Rebecca T. Jones ~

 The dolls were so satisfying to work on.

 I need to make some more!

~carrie~


p.s. I just shared this post with Linda over at Natural Suburbia for her Creative Friday.
p.p.s. I also shared this with Nicole at Frontier Dreams for her Crafting On.