Niko and Nonnie: Living in dreams...

Photo courtesy of Penguin Classics

Now into my third trimester of pregnancy, I have noticed that I suddenly have greater bursts of energy. I am genuinely grateful for this because I honestly felt really rough there for a while. I would find myself getting increasingly dozy in the afternoons, and literally dragging my feet up the stairs to bed at night. The heat in Texas certainly does contribute to a kind of malaise that takes its hold slowly and lulls you into a lazy stupor. My nurse practitioner told me that generally it is thought that the second child weighs upon you hardest, but in fact, it's actually the third one that totally knocks you for one exhausted, messy loop. I felt reassured by these words, knowing that what I was experiencing was not only normal but also expected.

Perhaps it is because my hands have been quite busy lately, all of this readying of things that need doing, writing lists, and turning things over and over again in my mind. I have several friends giving birth soon as well, and as a result, I have been creating N&N pieces for their darling little ones and sending out parcels. I am so very excited to welcome all these new babies into our world when the time comes.

All the while I am still homeschooling the children, and looking forward to developing enough curriculum now so that I am not back-pedalling once autumn comes along. I admit that motivation certainly comes in waves, with various peaks and valleys for all of us, but inspiration is never lacking. In fact, I would describe inspiration as overwhelming these days, so much information everywhere and a limited way I can assimilate it all. My mind jumps from all of the projects I'd like to work on, to all the handmade things I plan to make for our new son - a mobile for his crib, toys, receiving blankets, hand-sewn onesies... then on to refreshing summer recipe ideas and all the way back down to Earth again to the practicality of ordering banal things like hangers and wall anchors. Ordering books still seems to take precedence over my other purchases, and you can never go wrong when you rip open a parcel and crack open a new book, or less glamourously, buy an eBook, download it and sync it to your eReader device.

This book, pictured above, is currently in my shopping cart on Barnes & Noble's website. It is an absolutely stunning rendering of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, illustrated by Yayoi Kusama, acclaimed Japanese Contemporary artist. One of the most interesting things about Kusama is that she has suffered from a rare medical condition since she was a child, whereby she sees colourful dots on everything. This is reflected in her artwork, giving it a kind of dream-like quality that allows her imagination to soar openly and vividly - it is simply exhilarating.

Beyond the humdrum of everyday chores and life in general, is my constant desire to live in my dreams. One not-so-faraway day in the future, when we move yet again, I would like to move to a country house. Surrounded by land and trees, a walled-in garden, with nature all around, I envision the children just running free each and every day, taking in the landscape and living an outdoor life. A place for our cat to enjoy the sunshine outside, without us having to worry that he'd get lost, a glass-walled conservatory for me to read and lounge while our birds sing in the bright light of day, a farmhouse kitchen for my husband with soapstone counter tops, wide wooden plank floors, double sinks and induction burners...these are the places and spaces that occupy my mind, and keep us wanting to achieve more from the lives we've been given. I never thought I'd want to leave the city - we've always lived in cities - but I am just at the point where it no longer works for us as a family, particularly with the spirited, high-energy children we've got. Moreover, city life is no longer what my husband and I wish for us as a family.

Here in downtown Austin, the children ride their bikes in parking lots and go for walks along the creek (where we see all kinds of animals, from wild Quaker parrots to water and garter snakes, to turtles, and even lizards). It's extraordinary to have this kind of wildlife running through the city, and I would love to experience the very same in quieter surroundings, without traffic fumes or having to watch for cars and trucks constantly. Well, let's leave the snakes off of my peace and tranquillity list - they are an unnecessary addendum I could do without!