3.31.2010

brilliant blues.

another spring day.

grow.

3.30.2010

all in a day.

today was the kind of day i needed.
busy - yet laid back. my favorite combination. i haven't picked up a stitch of knitting, sewn a single seam, or read a single chapter of my new book (all of those being things i really would like to do).

but i did start my day with the sweetest snuggles from a sleepy bea and that was a good sign. it was the kind of day where i didn't feel guilty about letting henry play games on pbskids.org for an hour while i played domestic goddess and spied bea sitting in a chair looking at books and 'reading' to herself. this was followed by some sibling interaction and bed jumping. them, not me.

lavender.

then it was time to head out doors. the sun was shining but it was pleasingly cool. i had grand hopes of getting the garden ready for planting and tidying up the back deck. neither task was completed, but that was okay. i pushed littles on the swings, watched them transfer dirt from one planter to another, take countless trips down the slide, jump through the hula hoop, and torment each other here and there.

i did get the basil, parsley, and cilantro put in. i bought new gardening gloves, though i seem to use my bare hands more often than not. i watched henry find a tree to climb (his favorite part of his day), eat mint right from the plant, and move rocks. i watched bea push a rocket all over the yard, get dirt caked under her nails, and witnessed her being completely content in what she was doing.

climbing.

i watched the littles follow matt around the yard when he got home, show off for him, tell him about their day, and 'help' him chop down a scraggly, dead tree. i made turkey burgers on the grill, did the dishes, spent time on the computer, listened to some great new (to me) music that was recommended by a virtual friend.

i left the front and back doors open. we listened to the birds. i saw a pileated woodpecker while i sat eating my dinner.
i was grateful to savor the little things that really aren't so little when you look at the bigger picture.

3.28.2010

painterly.

we had some strange weather today. gray, misty, and chilly this morning giving way to waves of sun and rain in the afternoon. it's 9:oo pm and i still have the windows open.

when the sun finally broke through henry asked if he could paint outside. so i set him up with paint, brushes, and taped a huge piece of paper up on the sliding back door. he painted for a little while and then asked me if i know the guy who paints with drips.

"jackson pollock?", i asked.
"yes", henry said.

so i asked if he wanted to paint like him.

painterly.

matt came out to take a look. henry told him he was painting like 'jack pollock'.


a couple of weeks ago we bought a year pass to the high museum because we got a great deal on a family pass. we haven't used it yet, but thursday i plan on taking the littles down there. every thursday is 'toddler thursday' and they have an art/craft project for the kids to do and of course you can hang around the museum. many times the project relates to an exhibit being shown. this could be really great or really, uh, interesting. i'll keep you posted.

art by henry.

3.27.2010

36 - 8


i signed up for an online photography workshop at c & c photography.
i have never taken a photography class or workshop before, so i'm really excited about these assignments.

the first is framing an egg. and while i of course didn't couldn't restrain myself to taking only 36 frames, i did only end up with 28 frames i felt worthy of sharing. i'm no good when it comes to using artificial light. so, i held out for the sun (and held out and held out). let's just say it was rather gray around here. so i shuffled my egg from the kitchen table, to the kitchen counter, and to bea's room trying to catch the light. this is where the bulk of my shooting took place, trying to get my whites white and not gray or blue and not washed out.
it took some time. all this while trying to protect said egg from two curious little ones.
blackwhite big collage

blackwhite collage


then one day, i lost all sanity, and took sweet egg to the playground. egg did not have as much fun as i had intended. i think she was afraid of heights because she stayed close to the ground.
quad collage

on another day, we ventured into the woods. egg seemed very at home here. she found many cozy spots to nestle into and contrasted very nicely with her surroundings. she didn't make it back home though as she was cracked the minute we began our mosey. she hides her flaws well, that egg.

trio collage 2

trio collage

egg collage 1

3.26.2010

chillaxin.

oh spring.

you bring us warmth. you bring us cold again.

you show us our glaringly white winter legs.

3.23.2010

soccer? not so much.

the first day.
saturday was henry's first day of soccer. he was so excited about it. until the practice started. they started with stretching, he didn't want to. i told him i'd do it with him. nope. okay, no big deal. then they started playing games (with parental involvement). nope. nothing. no interest what. so. ever.

and he was the only one. it was so sad to watch. i didn't want to push him but i wanted him to just try. it was a difficult situation to be in for us especially because we didn't expect that reaction from him. matt and i took turns going on the field with him and trying to initiate play. it worked a couple of times. but then he got upset and started crying. maybe it was too much. it was a little chaotic and he wanted to play just not the way they were. he wanted to go to the big goals and kick the ball when they were lined up to kick in the little ones. that kind of thing. and we kept getting these pitiful looks from other parents. i didn't mind. i wasn't going to force him out there. i was just sad that he wasn't having a good time.

hopefully this week will be better. his friend emery is playing too, but she was signed up for the session before us. so we're going to go to the early session instead. maybe if he's got a buddy playing he'll follow her lead.

3.22.2010

long overdue.

way back in february there was this thing called valentine's day. maybe you've heard of it.
i'm not too into it, but it is fun for the littles. i got around to making them each something (though bea's didn't quite turn out - i'll share that later).

i walked into my lys knit night some time ago and was immediately drawn to this book. i wanted to make just about everything in it! when i brought it home it was a big hit too and the requests came flying in. first on the list was this guy

Picnik collage

he's made by knitting up a few rectangles in garter stitch. super simple. i used ella rae classic except for the feet and bowtie which are leftover berrocco. the stitching up part was a little awkward for me but i did the best i could. he's a bit wonky, but so are we, so he fits in just fine.

i'd never knit a toy before and i really do want to tackle that book. so many cute things (ravelry link) to make!

my goal is to at least have a toy in the works always. right now its felted super bouncy balls. (that's really hard to type with a straight face).


i'm also chugging away on bea's shrug. it is slow going. i made a mistake somewhere and hopefully ripped back to the right place. now if i can figure what row i'm on it should be a breeze from here on out. hopefully it will still fit here when i'm finished.


and for those of you reading this. thank you. it means a lot to me that you are taking time out of your day to stop by here. i've been here sporadically and i'm hoping that will change, but i just haven't had much to say. so, thanks for sticking around : )

3.19.2010

let the sun shine.

let the sun shine.

saying goodbye to winter today.

the weather was beyond enjoyable. all the woolens dried in one day! windows and doors were open. a certain young boy was running around shirtless, which then led to a little sister doing the same. strawberries were eaten out on the back porch. snail shells were hunted. dishes were ignored. more fruit was eaten outside. the swings were flying high. welcome home from work beers were enjoyed on the lawn. a curmudgeonly dog soaked up some rays. and a large salad was enjoyed for dinner.

now off to tend to those dishes.

glad to see you spring. see you tomorrow.

3.18.2010

a list.

even the shadows are budding.

a few things i know today.

~ the age 3.5 is testing me. especially when it is awake at 10 pm.

~ i needed a nap today. but i was a glad i didn't fall asleep.

~ i need to be more present in this place. for myself.

~ i have some of the funniest children on earth. they prove it everyday.

~ a sink full of dishes is okay. at least right now.

~ i'm in the mood for some changes.

~ i want to wake up early tomorrow. but in the morning i won't want to.

3.14.2010

sunday morning

the original.

the boy who was inspired

3.03.2010

letter love.

letter love.

his curiosity about letters (and writing and reading) is such a joy to me. i really am enjoying the journey and progression. from recognizing his first letter (H, and that was it for a long time - it's still his favorite letter) to learning more of them every day. to asking what signs say (and i how know what they say) and wanting me to read him anything and everything. and now when drawing asking me what people's names look like. i write the letters while saying what they are then lay the piece of paper near him so he can look if he likes. then i'm done. hands off.
at first the letters he would write were all over the page, and sometimes they still are, but now he's trying to put them in order. at least in his way.

through this, i am also learning about his way of learning. he doesn't like to be asked questions. he won't answer them. he likes to be the one doing the asking. he doesn't take well to being directed much either. (i have no idea where that comes from). instead, i have found that if i show him materials, how to use them, and back off, he is much quicker to pick them up. he definitely wants to go at his own pace and in his own style. so far it's working.

and it's honestly rocking my world right now. this curiosity and his desire to know and not being afraid to ask. it's the coolest.


***just in case you can't tell, he wrote jessica. the 'ica' is flowing around the bottom of the page and back up. did i mention this is the coolest!?***

3.01.2010

10.


the lovely, and expectant sarah of bee house hives tagged me to make a list of 10.

10 things that make me happy to be specific.
so, these are 10 things that are making me happy right now.

my boy wanted to buy flowers.


1.
my littles love to be read to. bea loves word books, henry has been into nature/science.

2.
bea is almost done teething. at least i don't think any more teeth will fit in her mouth.

3.
my kitchen table, so much so that i have started a set on flickr for it.

4.
the flowers on my kitchen table.

5.
80's music . . . seriously.

6.
some long awaited books are in the mail and on their way here.

7.
quiet nights with matt.

8.
wild curiosities of a three year old boy.
for example, wondering if he is going to have hair on his chest when he grows up.

9.
that bea can not be still (or quiet) when she hears music. i love love love having a tiny dancer!

10.
spring is on its way.


if you have not played along yet, please do and leave a link in the comments if you do. i'd love to know what's making you happy these days!