Milizlinx

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Quilt week

A long time ago I started another quilt project. I've worked at it on and off since then, just when it suited the waiting times, the park days, etc. Breaking off to crochet something else, stopping for extra busyness... so now, a year and a bit later, I'm only about half way done! But this last week gave the project a big boost forward. I've had a "bad back week"... where many days all I could do was lie on the couch and sew. And a few more days where I could manage to walk painfully down to the park and sit and sew while the kids played. And a few more days where I could sit on the couch and sew, stewing about all the things I'd rather be doing but really ought not to yet. Now it looks more like this:

15 squares closer to a full quilt. Nine more to go. Then I can try to figure out the pattern of squares I so meticulously sorted out over a year ago! I'm hoping to up the pace so we can enjoy this quilt for at least some of this winter...

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Park Day Muse

Structures swarming with kids
Little kids dashing in, out, through, under splashing water
Bright splashes of colour: hats, shirts, shoes, shorts
Shrieks, yells, laughs, cries, animated discussions loud on the wind
From my three loudest of all

Timid ones on the fringes
Loners happy in sand construction
Daredevils swinging loose from the top
Others drunk from endlessly soaring swings
Instant friends, crazy unrepeatable games

Parents on benches, at tables, on blankets
Shading under roofs, beside trees
Phone playing or talking in self-made isolation
Long suffering grandmas little ones pulling in to play
Babies sleeping in strollers, jounced on hips, drooling snacks

Dad doing Tai Chi much interrupted
Mom friends deep in conversation together
Couples doting on first child's play
Hawk-eyed guardians hovering
Mom-managed play limits: none at all or constant correction

Languages I understand
Languages I recognize
Languages I can't quite place
Eliciting curiosity, longing, planning
Stirring the world-traveller in me

Reminding of many places of play
Where our language was the other
Our childcare different
Living life an adventurous challenge
Feeding the longing to go again

Bubbling up gratitude and wonder
Such privilege and richness!
Playgrounds aplenty
Well-kept, sound, safe
Casual public play

Building awareness of world change
Mixed kids jumbled together without thought
Mixed couples no longer rare
4-5 languages weaving together casually
On Canada's playgrounds

Creativity from the last week

We've had a simple not-doing-anything-major week for once. It's been nice to see what comes each day! Creative moments all over the place:

Jasmin at work with whatever is at hand...

Post-it note cute critter

New fantasy dog species discovered

Egg carton volcano valleys

Grace's creativity included a new song or two like this one, a few chapters of the book she's writing, and reading at least 5 or 6 good books...

Aiden constantly made and remade lego versions of Octopods and gups, watched the construction team pave the top end of our road, came just a bit closer to riding his bike without training wheels, and began cleaning the bathrooms and floors with Daddy (after all, it's a boy job to him!) Aiden has also enjoyed beginning school with mom - getting a jumpstart so when things get chaotic teaching three at once, there is more wiggle room.

And Mom and Dad's creativity:

We sold some shelves on Kijiji and, upon discovering they didn't fit in either the buyer's or our car, came up with a fusion culture solution. It wasn't very far, but I did feel rather strange biking this through the streets in Barrhaven and not Asia somewhere!