Take that, King Winter!
Loosen up, already. I’ve got babies.
Warm and Safe
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Category Archives: winter
Eleven: 52
the 52 project
Portraits of my main squeezes, every Sunday.
O, this week you…
…were a total wildman. The picture above was taken at bedtime, and represents the Energy That Would Not Quit which has possessed you for several days straight, and well into the night. Am wondering if you have a secret stash of chocolate-covered espresso beans, or something just as magical, that I should know about.*
…could summon the calm in those moments when Papa and I struggled with very hard news and powerful feelings of sadness. Thank you for that.
…made a huge leap in your reading. It was exciting and you were so proud of yourself!
…were excited about the signs of Spring popping up in our little world, even though the temperatures have reverted back to Winter chill. You couldn’t help running outdoors without enough clothes on because it just looks so warm and inviting. I have to admit, just seeing the sun out after so many weeks of cloud cover made me feel warm from the inside out, too.
C, this week you…
…were smoldering in the maple steam.
…couldn’t resist filling the whole kitchen with more and more seed trays. I wish you could get paid to create the bountiful garden you envision. You would be so happy.
*And if you do, can I have some? I need an infusion of your seemingly boundless energy right about now.
Tea Break
Here today…
Ten: 52
the 52 project
Portraits of my main squeezes, every Sunday.
O, this week you…
…are embracing the March thaw like a boss. You are a total mud monster, a devoted slush stomper and a lover of puddles, drips, drops and sludge.
…extended your helping hands so many times, especially when I really needed an extra pair. You rock a vacuum, son. Thank you.
…proudly served biscuits in a beautiful bowl you made with your own hands! It’s rare you go three-dimensional with your artwork and even though you were so wary of taking the class, I can tell you are pleased with what you accomplished.
C, this week you…
…started seeds for some of my favorite things. I love to watch your hands work. Your sense of fulfillment when working soil under your fingernails is palpable. So excited for what we will create in the gardens together this summer.
…came home with the most delicious golden maple syrup from the boil tonight, the result of many hours tending. And then you finished the dishes while I wrote this, even though you were exhausted. Sigh.
Nine: 52
the 52 project
Portraits of my main squeezes, every Sunday.
O, this week you…
…had major insomnia, which was hard on all of us. Let’s get back to making that Bedtime Tea, okay buddy?
…learned how to crochet and are working on a super-secret project for someone special. I was amazed at how quickly you picked it up. You proclaim to “hate” knitting, but when I told you about the sculptural possibilities of freeform crochet, you were intrigued.
…helped Papa tap more of the maple trees. You love sticking your tongue under the spile and catching the first drops of sap before he places the bucket. I gave you a cupful to drink and you practically swooned with delight.
C, this week you…
…might totally hate this picture, but I totally love it. A little family walk up the road turned into the best snowball fight ever. We had so much ridiculous fun and you, sir, are adorable. O is behind that tree and just pegged you. Ha!
…made grand plans for brewing some maple sap beer. Fingers crossed for an abundant sugaring season!
Good Morning…
Over here today…
Check out the work of the rest of the LT gang while you’re at it, too. The Spring topic schedule is being formed right now…please be in touch if you are interested in becoming a guest contributor!
Eight: 52
the 52 project
Portraits of my main squeezes, every Sunday.
O, this week you…
…happily agreed to share your room with a new feline friend while we get her and Kitzman used to each other. It gives you a sense of responsibility and pride to be entrusted to keep her safe, and she’s amazingly tolerant of your roughhousing.
…made a new human friend, too. You’re still tight-lipped about your adventures at Nature Day every week, but I could tell you’re excited about him.
…reminded me that it’s okay if we don’t cross every item off the list. And boy, we sure had fun once I figured that out. Remember how awful the sledding hill was? The snow was so hard it was like sledding down a pile of granite rubble. We laughed and squealed through all the ridiculous discomfort, trudging up and tumbling down until we couldn’t take it anymore.
C, this week you…
…started tapping the maples. I AM SO EXCITED.
…worked so hard and were so tired and sore every evening, but still we managed to: have our lovely neighbors over for a potluck dinner (in the middle of the week, even!), find a moment for a game of Fluxx, this one, and we didn’t even fall asleep in the middle of it, AND there might even have been a cuddly evening of passive entertainment and cocoa. I’m proud of us for making it a priority to carve out a little time to just be with each other even though we have heavy plates and many cares. It all feels lighter when we allow ourselves to be held by what we work so hard for. I love you so.
morning:noon:night::9
Winter break doesn’t mean a break from our work at home, especially when the bitter cold of February has been stinging our faces, and the rain after every snow storm has left us with crummy sledding. Our part-time homeschooling schedule leaves us with a lot of “break” time as it is, so I try to keep up with our usual rhythm as much as possible. This week it happened to involve making a tie for a mouse.
O will sit down and draw for an entire day, but has a very short attention span for projects that involve fiber in any form. I always thought he’d be so into it, seeing as how he’s been surrounded by fiber arts projects since he was an infant. Although, if that logic were valid, I would be an accomplished blues musician just because I grew up with one. Of course, now I kick myself for merely having sat on the basement stairs and watched band practice for nearly two decades of my life without ever picking up an instrument myself. Now that I want to learn a variety of them, I am hoping I at least absorbed something that I can reach back for and find useful. Right now, I just feel like a clumsy old dog trying to learn some new tricks.
But, I digress. Anyway, two-and-a-half inches is about as far as we can get with a project that involves tying a bunch of tiny knots with embroidery floss, but a necktie for a mouse is ever-so-much more satisfying than a less-than-half-finished friendship bracelet. As long as I can work it out to bring a sense of accomplishment to the task, then we’ve succeeded.
Seven: 52
O, this week you…
…tested me, in about a million ways. We had a great homeschool day, and then we had an awful one. I might have, for one teeny tiny second, thought about wishing you away to the goblin king, but then I realized he probably isn’t really David Bowie, so I scratched that and we got over it. And then we had a wonderful afternoon. Sledding is the best cure for the grumpies.
…found a kindred spirit in Henry Huggins. You’re all jazzed up to save money for a shiny new bike.
…came home from a party this weekend, where the only kid you knew previously was the birthday boy, and said, “I made lots of new friends today!” My shy guy is coming out of his shell.
…made beautiful artwork, and tried something new in your pottery class: clay whistles! I can’t wait to see how they turn out after you glaze and fire them. You felt so proud of your projects, and rightly so!
C, this week you…
…found my grandmother’s sewing machine, fixed the broken pedal and oiled all the moving parts. I’m quite sure it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
…weren’t able to take a sick day when you really needed to. It won’t be this way forever. Oh my, how you have my gratitude for all that you do.
