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"a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: your first pomegranate.. at first bite you hated it, but then you ate half! my little suspicious girl!

Alma Aiko: “volare… oh oh… cantare… oh oh oh … nel blu dipinto di blu, felice di stare lassù!”

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

advent calendar: done!

this year i played in advance, took it super easy and i’ve done it! my first advent calendar is ready!! i’m very excited because even if it is very simple, i made it by myself (with a little help from my daddy but he has offered!) and it is not fill with just chocolate and sweets. there are activities such as hand painting, candlelight dinner, there are movie nights and treasure hunts to find four new christmas books i’ve bought for our library.
i hope zoeti will enjoy her daily surprises as much as i loved make them!
   

Spelt and oat biscuits

Breastfeeding makes me very very hungry and even if I try to eat as much fruits as possible,the only thing I really crave for are sweets! I'm lucky enough to share this passion with a friend and new mama so when she finds recipes with low sugar and no butter she email me.
These biscuits are healthy and delicious! The recipe comes from ribes e cannella (Italian food blog) but I changed something: I used regular milk instead of oat milk, almonds instead of hazelnuts and half of the dose of sugar (but I added more honey).
No need to say that I love them and so do my husband!

 
The recipe is (my version):
50 gr of brown sugar
70 gr of honey
50 gr of corn oil
100 ml of milk
50gr of almonds (coarsely chopped)
100 gr of chocolate (chopped)
100 gr oatmeal
250 gr of spelt flour
1 spoon of baking powder

Bake 20 mins at 180° C

47/52

 

"a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: you helped daddy with Alma’s crib and then you absolutely wanted to lie down inside, pretending it’s yours… always balancing jealousy and kindness, big girl’s attitudes and baby’s behaviors.

Alma Aiko: since we believe in bed-sharing (at least for the first months) this crib is just for naps… if you ever decide to take a nap somewhere else but mommy’s arms! at least you’re enjoying  the bees!

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

Morning routine with two kids

Waking up and have a toddler and a newborn to deal with in no time can be a little... scary!
Alma has nearly four months and I have created my own routine and I have few tips to share with you!

First. Play in advance.  I try to prepare (or at least think about) what the girls are going to wear the day after. And prepare the diaper bag! I forget always something so i can't imagine what could happen running with a baby in my arms and a screaming toddler to grab some diapers and a dress. I bet I'd have diapers just for one daughter or three pair of pants and no shirt!

Second. Work with the kids.  if you can’t beat them, join them. When I tell somebody about my hectic mornings, the answer is always "why don't you wake up before them?" Yes, it would be easy, if only they wake up around the same time!! Zoeti loves surprising me by waking up one morning around seven and the morning after around eight. So if I really want to wake up before her I need to wake up at six... But that's the time when I breastfeed alma!
So the plan is: let's do everything all together! I have breakfast with Zoeti while breastfeeding Alma. Then we move to the bathroom all together: I change Alma's diaper while Zoeti washes her hands and face, we brush our teeth together and then Alma watch us while I dress Zoeti. The truth is that moving all together is hard (I sit Alma on a little chair which is quite heavy to move) but if I leave someone in the other room she will cry in 5 sec! So I prefer this way: when it's breakfast time everyone eats and when we get out the bathroom everyone is clean and dressed.

Third: Keep calm and ... Smile!  My friends know that I'm not that type of person that face the unexpected easily... I'm a Virgo after all and organization is my second name... But when you have kids you change! A lot! So if we are ready to get out, I've already put the coat on Alma (and she's already crying), Zoeti has the shoes on and I'm ready to close the door, well that's the moment when somebody tell me "I have to pee"... The first times I was... like "what? Are you kidding?!" But now my reaction is "ok... Let me undress Alma, take off your and my shoes, and your clothes, and close the door, and we'll go to the toilet" ! very zen! Ok, my reaction is not ALWAYS this one... But if I start yelling the result is a screaming baby and a crying - screaming - stubborn toddler: a disaster!

Fourth: let somebody - whosoever! - helps you!   Really, everybody! A couple of weeks ago I was to the playground and Zoeti asked me to go to the swing. I couldn't because I had Alma crying on my arms, so a daddy helped me and pushed her! There are very good people out there so let them help you!

Fifth: eat chocolate!   Ok...maybe this one works only for me but when I'm exhausted and the girls are screaming, I eat some chocolate and everything starts to get better!

my diy owl

when i started my sewing course, i wanted to learn to sew dresses. i could dream about create dresses perfect for me and for my daughters… the truth is that one single course it is not nearly enough to draw and sew a whole outfit! but it is enough to understand something about sewing! i have seen this owl (and bought the template) when i have been to abilmente with my cousin and we wait all these months to actually make it (hello unfinished projects!). it was a funny morning, chatting, having coffees, playing with alma and sewing.
   
now i really want to sew other stuffed animals and dolls…. stay tuned!

46/52

  "a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: in the morning, with your dummy, your hat, your blanket and your cough. again.

Alma Aiko: in your daddy’s hand, grabbing and tasting everything and everyone…

from the past week: these joyful portraits (and wise words) and these two portraits at the window (theo & leah’s daughter)

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series