Happy Birthday, My Matteo Fantastico!

Happy 4th Birthday, my dearest Matteo Fantastico!

Your sweet and gentle nature inspires me to be the best mom I can be...
you deserve nothing less

Your beautiful spirit touches us all.

Thank you for choosing us to be your family, for we are blessed


I love you,

Mama

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from A Small Tribe!

Solstice

On Solstice yesterday, Matteo and I decorated beeswax candles as gifts for his teachers at schoolThe material list was pretty simple, votive beeswax candles, colored modeling beeswax sticks and pattern cutters for the wax.
We heated the wax in the toaster oven for about a minute and a half to make it a little softer to work with. Then put it between two sheets of wax paper and rolled it to thin out the wax sheet.
Matteo used the pattern cutters to cut out shapes. Since it was a little cold indoors, we heated the shapes for a second above a tea candle before pressing them on the votives.

That evening we made Solstice soup and shared a meal with the wonderful Aunt Karina and the boys cousin, Elodie.

The view from the top of Indian Rock

This was also a special solstice for us as five years ago, Ivan proposed to me on the top of Indian Rock here in Berkeley. It's a little cloudy but when it's clear, there's a gorgeous view of San Francisco across the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. I love the fact that Ivan chose Winter Solstice, the date marking the entrance of light, as the starting point for our life together.

Thanks Ivan for an incredible and full (!!!) five years together. A house, minivan and 3 kids later, it's still even better than I imagined.

Your Loving Wife,
Marina

Scenes From Our Home

I love candlelight

The tree that sat undecorated for a week finally is dressed

Assembling granola and chocolate covered nuts for gifts

Matteo looks adoringly at a slightly uncomfortable Luca while Nico says "CHEESE!"

A Time of Preparation

This is the first year that we are formally celebrating the season of Advent. We lit our first candle on Sunday (with the birthday ring that doubles as an Advent Ring :) ) and I've started to decorate the house.

This is the holly that goes on our dining room chandelier every year

And the stockings that are hung on the stairwell with care (for lack of a fireplace). These were made by my very lovely and talented sister in law, Natasha.


On a deeper level, I was reading that Advent is a time of meditation to go into oneself and reflect upon the years end. Walking has always been meditative for me, so it was nice to go for a long walk with Luca wrapped on me just thinking about the season. Of course my thoughts began with the laundry list of things I need to do this holiday season, but they turned to thinking about all the blessings we've had this year... and there have been quite a few! With this feeling of gratitude, I feel like Advent is such a special time and all the things that need to be done for the holidays are infused now with a special joy.

Wishing a Joyful Advent Season to everyone!