Slow Knitting - Slow Living

It has been quiet around here. Life seems more important than writing. I marvel how quickly the baby is growing. There is something new almost hourly - she is discovering her feet, her tongue, new sounds, the ability of grasping and moving things. She is still in this very precious age where everything is blissful present.

 

She is such a happy baby - waking up with a smile, blowing bubbles and beaming at everyone and everything. I don't want to miss a second of this. With the second child you know it will pass too quickly. I savour every moment, every feed, every smile.

 

And a lot of house work and doll-sewing remains undone. Even when she sleeps I just want to sit close by, watching. Knitting is a good thing. I can occupy my hands a little without disappearing in work or behind the sewing machine. I also finally made a little flower-crown and a bag for Henni.

 

I feel the time whooshing by. People are getting more hectic in preparation for Christmas. There is hustle and bustle everywhere. How come this time for reflection becomes so terribly busy every year? Do you feel it too? How do you respond? I tried to slow down - more knitting, reading, cuddling, floating through the day without a definite plan or time frame.

 

 

I got a book about courage in children from a friend and it has been an interesting read. Two pieces of advice stuck with me:
 

1. Try something new and leave your comfort zone every day

2. Make unlimited room and time in nature for the children to play

 

I've done the fist by starting a bottom up raglan cardigan for baby - I did quite a lot of frogging and calculating but it seems to come along nicely (maybe I should make a hat and tiny mittens to go with it?) And I've tried the second on Sunday afternoon. It was dark and rainy but we went to the park and I found a little dry spot to park the pram and myself. And the big girl played in the mud and puddles and wet leafs for almost two hours. I challenged myself by not commenting and not forbidding anything - she climbed very high, rolled in the leaves, got very dirty and wet - and extremely happy.

 

What are your challenges these days?

Es ist still hier gewesen - das Leben lässt kaum Platz fürs Schreiben. Ich will keine Sekunde dieser besonderen Wonne-Zeit des Babys verpassen. Jeden Tag gibt es Neues zu bestaunen. Und dabei bleibt dann die Haus- und Näharbeit liegen. Stricken geht noch ganz gut, da bin ich nicht so weit weg in der Arbeit versteckt und nicht hinter der Maschine.

Ich lese ein Buch über Kindermut. Zwei Ideen daraus haben sich in mir festgesetzt:
1. Häufiger etwas Neues ausprobieren und die eigene Komfort-Zone verlassen und
2. Den Kindern räumlich und zeitlich unbegrenztes Spiel in der Natur ermöglichen
Deshalb stricke ich jetzt zum ersten Mal eine Raglan-Jacke - und ich habe schon ordentlich aufgerippelt und rumgerechnet, aber es macht sich langsam - und war mit dem großen Tigermädchen stundenlang in Regen und Wind unterwegs bis sie glücklich und matschig und nass wieder nach Hause wollte.

Herzlichst, Lena

Linking with Nicole and Ginny