What Is Your Word?

What child of the 70's doesn't have fondue for New Year's?

Cream puffs and candy for dessert.

Tacquitos per Jack's request.

For the past several years on New Year's Eve, our family had chosen a word (for each of us) that describes our personal goal for the coming year. It must be something positive, something that encourages principles that we believe in. The younger kids get a gentle suggestion for choosing their words. This year we are as follows:

Jon: Peace (though he states his word was actually going to be "independent")

Jack: Self-control (just a little direction in choosing this one)

Madeline: Tolerance

Julie: Sharing

Bill: Joy

Crawling Sarah

Saturday

More snap circuits. This time it was a radio.

Jon, ironing. "I am an ironing fool." he says.

Such a nice and quiet day. Went for a walk this afternoon in the mud. Yuck. This evening found the kids all engaged in their own activities. Madeline read her new favorite book--Rolling Stone's Rock and Roll Encyclopedia. (Thanks to Uncle Jayson for the idea.) Jack graduated to the "big" experiments in the snap circuit book. Jon decided that ironing was the greatest idea ever. Sarah slept. Now, what will tomorrow bring?

Just a Few Christmas Pictures

Sarah, sucking her finger, looking sweet.

Sarah with her new teething doll.

Jack putting together snap circuits. (Which I highly recommend as a toy)


Madeline, reading as always.

Jon, as only Jon can be.

A lovely, simple Christmas. The requisite pajama presents on Christmas Eve, Chinese food for dinner, early morning wake-up call (even by the older kids!), staying in our pjs until mid-afternoon, playing with new treasures. No cooking for me and a nice party with friends to finish off the day.

I spent some time this morning researching Epiphany. Anyone celebrate this? It's a holiday that culminates with a cake, so I'm thinking about hopping on board this one. Any holiday with a cake is a good holiday in my book. The only part of this idea that won't work for me is that you're supposed to leave the Christmas decorations up until the 6th of January. Then have an undecorating party. NO WAY! I am all about putting it all away today. As in the day after Christmas. I'm ready to reclaim the space. Note though, that I do keep up twinkly lights in our living room all year, so we are not totally without cheer.

Only 7 more days until Jack's birthday. I'd better get going on this.

A New Quilt For A New Baby

Started piecing a simple baby quilt for my good friend who recently found out she was expecting. Not sure if it will be for a boy or for a girl, so decided on a brown/blueish/greenish scheme.

Finished top.

This is what I saw outside my window, while sewing.

Cut and ready to sew.

I Won't Ever Make It As A Meteorologist

Well, I said it wouldn't snow. I mean, it didn't even look like a snow sky. I guess I was wrong. This is what it looked like this morning:

We had about 3 inches by last night. Very windy, sleety, and cold overnight. Not sure what today will bring, but I know that we will be warm and cozy inside the house. There might be some snowman construction and fort building by the boys, but it won't last long. Jon always takes his gloves/mittens off, believing that they hamper his ability to handle snow. Then he becomes hysterical when his hands "are freezing/burning!"

While standing in the kitchen, looking out the window towards the chicken coop, I feared I saw a dead and frozen chicken just laying in there. I watched for several minutes and it never moved. Yikes. I woke Bill and made him go out and offer mouth to beak resuscitation. Luckily, Ms. Chicken was only gazing about, enchanted by the winter beauty surrounding her.

An Old Dress

This is Sarah, in a dress that my grandma made for me a-l-o-n-g time ago. This is knit on tiny, little needles in a Fair-Isle pattern. It's amazing! To take the time and put forth the effort to create such a treasure is a quickly disappearing art. I have come to appreciate these little bits of creativity and work so much more in the past few years. Of course, just after the pictures were taken she promptly spit up all over. Now the dress is soaking, to be worn again someday soon.

Helpful Brothers

Jon, feeding Sarah.

Still feeding. Notice the HUGE hole in the arm seam of his pjs.

Jack, snuggling with Sarah. He like to put her in my bed and cover her with blankets.

Bawk

These lovely ladies have been providing us with fresh eggs for several weeks now. I believe it will take 2 months of egg production to recoup our lumber costs for the structure. With a little shock training for Daisy the Dog, we are able to let the chicken roam freely about the yard and woods. Every evening at sunset, they all congregate outside the coup, ready to be shut in for the night. Aside from chicken poop on the porch a few times (the chickens walk right over the sleeping Daisy--she's sure they're responsible for the shocks she received and is now horribly afraid of them), they have become a welcome addition here.

Sarah's View

A picture, by Jon, of where Sarah is most happy. Carrier courtesy of my parents. Can you believe this carrier (it's an Ergo, for anyone who's interested--highly recommend it) was found via Craigslist in Salem and shipped to me in VA? I cannot find one here within a 100 mile radius. Crazy!

She has the best laugh

Still Here!

There's been a new chicken coop AND the accompanying chickens. New forts for boys, complete with flying flags. Lots of winterizing the house. Undecorating for fall and redecorating for Christmas. Visiting family. Lots of knitting and sewing for Christmas. A little shopping. Plenty of reading. Advent. Good cooking and baking. Lots of baby rocking.

Pictures to follow.