Friday, February 21, 2014

Trying to Heal

Grief is a strange beast.  Sometimes it sleeps inside you, and you think that you are safe from it.  Then suddenly it awakens and tears at your insides  until you think it will consume you.  Our baby died just 17 days ago.  And it seems that each day there is a task I must complete that takes me one step further along my journey to healing.

I have to believe that I am on a journey to healing.  I have to believe that "healing" is my end destination. Otherwise this pain will be all the more unbearable.  Our most recent task on this journey was to choose Hazel's head stone.  We have approved the image and sent for it.  I am anxious to see it placed where it belongs, guarding my baby's resting spot.


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Sweet Baby Hazel

Tuesdays are difficult to get through now.  Two weeks ago today our sweet baby girl both came and went. She only lived for about eight painful hours.  I don't yet have the strength to tell you her story.  Our story.  

We have been inundated with love and support from our friends and family.  I'm very grateful for that.  It doesn't take my pain away, or bring my baby back.  But we know we are not alone in our suffering.

Sweet dreams, baby Hazel.  Mommy loves you.













Monday, January 27, 2014

Tea Party Wigs!!

If you've read my posts for any length of time, you know that we use the Story of the World for our history lessons.  This year we are in Volume 3, and we've come upon the 2 or 3 lessons that cover the American colonies and the American Revolution.

If you know me at all, then you know that I won't ever be satisfied with brushing over American history in two short lessons!    So I'm taking a lot of extra time to expand on this section of history with the kids.

For example, we're memorizing part of the Declaration of Independence.  All day today I heard my six-year-old vehemently proclaiming "UNALIENABLE RIGHTS!"   all over the house.  Makes me smile.

Today we also read this book together:


We had a good discussion about the seemingly trivial nature of a three-cent tax, and why the colonists were so outraged by King George the III over this tea tax.

We had the most fun making some colonial powdered wigs.  I got the idea from this book



We started by putting some cutt-off old nylons on our model's head.
But we quickly realized that to finish the wig, we needed to take the nylons off her head, or her hair would be covered in glue.

So we put the nylons on an upturned bowl and went to work.  We used stuffing and batting to create our masterpiece.




Looking through our Tea Party book, we noticed that the "Mohawk Indians" who dumped tea in the water that night had painted their faces and added feathers to their hair.
 So we did too.  We dressed up our male model as if he were going to join the Tea Party that fateful December night.


Love his angry "attack" face.  

Yeah, then we realized that we had to really hustle to get the makeup off before eating a quick lunch and heading out the door to gymnastics!  WOOPS!