January and February Knitting

When we were preparing to move to St. Maarten, I knew I wouldn't be knitting warm woolen mittens, skull caps, or sweaters for my family. So, I went through my stash and gave all of my wool away and only brought one project - Suss Cousin's Fantasy Throw. But, since I've started that blanket last August when we moved here, I had a burning desire to make warm knitted things and had to think of some babies to knit for! When my mom came to visit, I had a shipment of yarn sent to her for her to bring to me. My mother and sister in law went to the yarn store for sock yarn for me. And, my friend Clare chose three of the happiest colors of Spud and Chloe's cotton for me to make her baby Stella something with. So, aside from a few little gnomes, bunnies, a gnome house, and some dish rags I've knit up, here are some things I've knit up over the last two months.

Blue Sky's kitty hat for an expectant mother here on the island that is moving back to the States next month.

An adorable pixie hat for another expectant mom on the island moving back to the states in a month. This pattern was free and I found out about it by reading the blog Sew Liberated.

These stay-on baby booties are for the aforementioned babies moving back to cooler weather.

I loved working with these colors to knit up a baby surprise jacket for baby Stella. And I hope the modern rib hat from Spud and Chloe's free patterns online will look cute on her one day!

Here are two of the panels I started working on last August when we moved here and am about to pick up again. Other things on my list to knit while I'm here are another summer kerchief, a juvenile sea nettle, that my friend Adie sent me the pattern and yarn for, and I'm thinking of some little Easter decorations and presents for E, like the knitted Easter eggs from Purlbee and the rabbit from Spud and Chloe's free patterns. I'm so grateful for my knitting which can go anywhere with me - unlike my piano which I couldn't lug across the sea.

Valentine's Day

For breakfast I made peanut butter and jelly pop hearts

from Jennifer McCann's Vegan Lunch Box.

For lunch I made the "Heart Beet Salad" from the same cookbook.

Ezra and I made chocolate chocoloate-chip walnut cookies from Veganomicon.

using dutch cocoa of course

We went for a walk on the bluffs by our house and watched the waves crash to the shore. Ezra threw rocks from the precipice making my heart leap. I drew a line with a stick showing him how far he could go... Here he is laughing with daddy about how their rocks were falling into the sea.

We saw these cotton looking plants at the top of another precipice.

and down below the waves tumbled upon the rocks and these crags jutted out of the sea.

Later that day, while Michael returned to his study chamber, Ezra and I went to Plum Bay.

Later that evening we saw this beautiful sunset from our kitchen window.

And the next night, we went to dinner at "Lal's Curry in a Hurry" to celebrate Valentine's Day and Michael's second successful block exams of the semester.

Love.

This Week in Pictures

We started our week by baking pretzels on baking day. I substituted whole wheat flour for all of the white flour, since we try to abstain from eating any refined flours or sugars, but the pretzels came out very dense and practically inedible. But, it was a fun activity and Ezra enjoyed the dough as usual!

The weather has been very mild and breezy here, so we brought our art activity outside to the balcony one day. Ezra set up all of his stuffed animal friends in chairs around him.

and while watching the boats go by from our seventh story view....

Ezra drew this masterpiece.

I have been enjoying watching his skills as an artist develop. I was happy to see him make this all by himself without any encouragement from me along the sidelines. This was purely from his will and imagination.

Something else that comes from my sweet boy's own will is to help mama clean the house. Whenever I start doing the floors he runs over and says, "Ezra do it!" I love my little helper.

Ezra asks to paint almost every day. Here are a few of his best creations from this week.

Ezra had his friend Cruz over for a play date and the boys made soup in their aprons. The best play to observe for me is that which imitates real life. They were both offering the other food and saying thank you very much! It was adorable. I wish I had the resources to make a small table and chairs like we had back home. But, we are on a tight budget and don't have all of Michael's tools at our disposal.

Last night the surfers arrived at our little beach down below. We haven't had any surf here so far, and it is fun to see some action down below other than the boats that cruise by.

We also went to the beach this week and had a Valentine's Day Party at the AUC Playground, but I didn't have my camera to capture these fun times. But, it is all being kept in our hearts which swell everyday with love for our precious time on this island. We are grateful for all the friends and beauty around us and for Michael, whose dedication and willpower brought us here. Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetheart who has made all my dreams come true.

Mixed Up Day

Today we were supposed to have "Pool Day" but it didn't happen. Instead we started off our morning working with some play-do, followed by an impromptu baking session. I was busy making pizza dough for our calzones for lunch, when Ezra saw me working with flour and decided he wanted to bake.

So, we made several dozen gingerbread cookies using the recipe in Sharifa Oppenheimer's "Heaven on Earth" handbook for parents of young children.

I love this recipe and used it to make gingerbread men cookies for Ezra's second birthday party to pass out as party favors. It's a great treat that isn't loaded with refined sugar. And Ezra can truly help out with the mixing and cut-outs. The dough rolls out into a nice thick slab perfect for little hands to push in cutters and tear off the edges of the different little shapes.

Afterward, we played with a new baby friend who came by for a visit. Some days are good to have nothing planned, but I was thinking that would befall more on the weekends.

My mom, however, who grew up going to a Waldorf School in Germany, said their painting day was on Saturdays when they went to school for a half day. So, maybe we will have another day of planned activity for Saturday, and Sundays will be our rest day. Since Michael is busy studying everyday of the week and truly has no rest days, I think that's a good idea.

Painting Day

Today we did our first watercolor on wet paper the way that is described in Brunhild Muller's "Painting with Children."

Ezra was content to spread the red paint all over his paper.

He worked with great concentration and held his brush with care. I love watching his fingers.

His face is pretty cute to watch too.

Red.

Beach Day

Today we went to Le Galion Beach for the AUC Spouse's Organization's "Beach-a-Week." I thought Wednesdays would be a good day to make our "Beach Day" so that I could combine a beautiful day at the beach with the chance for Ezra to play with some of the other children living on the island.

It was a perfect day today where the breeze kept us cool in the warm sunshine and was strong enough to blow several kite surfers back and forth across our view of the ocean. The green covered mountains that surrounded us looked so majestic with the palm trees swaying in the foreground and the blue skies and wispy clouds floating all around us.

This was the setting for our beach day today, where Ezra got to play with the other children and I got to enjoy the scenery and swim a few laps in the salty water. We are so lucky!

Music Day

Today was "Music Day." I sang songs while Ezra listened and then we pulled out the musical instruments. Although Ezra didn't join in singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Wheels on the Bus" he made a little music blowing his harp.

Baking Day

Today was our first official "Baking Day." In an attempt to create a new rhythm for Ezra and me while we while away the time here on this island, I am incorporating the Waldorf practice of daily rhythms into our lives. Of course we've always had a natural rhythm of our own, with regular sleeping, waking, and eating times (for the most part) we are now adding a daily activity to our rhythm. So I decided that Mondays will be our day to bake.

Today we made Apple Cake from "The Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book." Before leaving America for St. Maarten, I brought several books about Waldorf philosophy, particularly pertaining to the early years. I am hoping that someday Ezra will go to a Waldorf school. But, until then, I am happy to homeschool Ezra.

Today I wasn't sure he was going to bake with me. I handed him his apron and asked for his help with the stirring. At first, he resisted, but he quickly changed his mind and asked for his stool. This is not our first time baking together - it's a favorite pastime of ours. And, he loves mixing up the batter so he can reach in with his finger before the flour is completely saturated with the liquid ingredients of the recipe, so that he can have a little taste.

It gets hims every time. Next Monday we're making pretzels.