A Candlelight Night

Putting the clocks forward over the weekend, it was completely dark outside as we sat down to our evening meal.

Lighting some candles we talked about Daylight savings, how we see the sun less during the winter months.

Half way through our meal, The Little Guy commented that we should eat by candlelight more often. And so begins a new family tradition; Sunday evening has become a Candlelight Night!

p.s. We made Latkes for dinner, served with homemade apple sauce and cream cheese - they made the perfect  chilly Autumnal meal. I used this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Here We Are Together


Do you have a special ritual for your evening meals? Feel free to share in the comments; I'd love to hear from you!

Goodnight Bags

A week or so ago I started making night bags for each of the two Little Ones here. These are really simple cloth bags to keep pajamas, bedtime books and loveys in, and then at bedtime all the Little One's things are right there in their night bag; it really helps streamline the night time process for us.

I've had making these night bags on my 'to-do' list for months; but over the weekend I suddenly found myself with a little extra time; My Good Man was out with The Little Guy, and the babies were napping! So, out came the sewing machine, and I finally got around to whizzing these simple little bags up.

Easy peasy ... and they look adorable!


Do you have any sewing projects you are planning to do, or have recently finished? Feel free to share in the comments' I'd love to hear from you!

A Goodnight Walk

On a recent evening, after our family meal, we loaded up the little ones into the stroller, and we headed out for a walk.

The evenings are starting to get a little cooler now, and it felt good to have the slightest of nips in the air. The Little Guy raced down the sidewalk ahead of us, stopping only to check out some mushrooms that have suddenly started growing in a neighbors yard. We all stopped to look at them, and wonder where they came from, and so suddenly too. None of us could remember seeing them yesterday, and yet there they were - well established mushrooms!

We decided that we would stop by a local playground, really not much more than a 'tot lot'; I offered five minutes for The Little Guy to play on the slide and climbing frame there, but he sighed, and negotiated for two minutes! I agreed, and still let him play for five!

Onward! There was a lovely bright half moon, and we all took turns to say "Hello Mr Moon!", and commented on how luminous it was, how close it seemed. The Little Guy and My Good Man trecked off on a mushroom hunt ("We're going on a mushroom hunt, a mushroom hunt, a mushroom hunt" they chanted), while I brought up the rear with the littles in the stroller.

"It's like we're on a goodnight walk" said The Little Guy. "Maybe we should walk alllll night!"  Two minutes later, his energy started to sag, and we looked for a little pathway we remembered that would lead us back in the direction of home.

Traipsing down pathways, cut through the landscaping behind neighborhood homes, we looked for rabbits and more mushrooms, but found neither.

By the time we got closer to home, The Little Guy had gone from alternating between walking and scampering on ahead, to asking to be carried the rest of the way. Nearly home, and we ran into a neighbor, someone we hadn't seen in well over a year; hugs and exclamations all round. Good news shared from all, and the Littles got cooed over.

The last stretch ... we stopped to look at the mushrooms int he neighbor's yard one last time. They were still there! And home; each of us were a little colder than we had prepared for. Into the house, door locked. Lamps and pajamas on.

A goodnight walk!