January?

Today is sort of a nasty day. Still, the high is 50. Not what one would expect mid-January. Naomi wakes up every morning with a glimmer of hope in her eye--in fact, Friday of last week, before she looked out the window she convinced herself, and Leviah of course, to dress for snow. Well, it reached 60 that day, and then on Saturday we spent a lovely 70+degree afternoon at a local park hiking around, looking for signs of wildlife and enjoying an oddly warm January afternoon with a picnic lunch.

"that's a big one"--Drew

where the 'big one' snacked on some acorns.

our view looking up from our picnic lunch.

So, Naomi's dreams of snowmen seems distant. Not to say they won't happen this year, but it's feeling less and less likely as the weeks pass. We've barely had need for hats or gloves! I won't complain, we love having days where playing outside is comfortable in a light jacket, but it feels like someone is screwing with my internal seasonal clock. I like at least one good snow storm for fireplace and cocoa nights; it'd be a shame to get to March and not have enjoyed at least one night huddled together with a blanket, our warmest socks and the thrill stomping down snow covered streets surrounded by blue skies and muffling white heaps of clean white snow on the ground and branches above.

Rainy will not fill this craving. It is not acceptable winter precipitation.

In spite of it not being a Nordic winter around here, Drew has picked up the decidedly Scandinavian past time of whittling--spoons. Don't get me wrong, I love feeding little Eliza with one of these delightfully charming and rustic applewood utensils, but I can see an obsession evolving and it's a smidge unnerving...

To Eat and Play

Play for me:: I'm excited to try and make these for myself when I get a spare minute. I'd actually played with trying to make a similar pattern a few years ago and gave up frustrated. Thanks M.S. for making it easier for me...

Play for the girls:: This was Leviah's b-day present. We ALL have enjoyed it as much as she does, it never gets old to try different ways of stacking/balancing them. There are a lot of toys from this shop that we want...

Food for us all:: (which turned into play as they arranged it themselves) Lunch for today.

sliced apples with dad's home-made yogurt (from raw local milk) & local honey from our own hives! Pretty decent ensemble on the fly. As we try to cut wheat/carbohydrates out as a mainstay in our lives, it's little victories like this lunch that help me know pb&j's and mac&cheese aren't the only things my kids will eat...

Some more options that are carb-free & kid friendly:
Peanut Butter and Celery
Dried Fruit
Cashews
Almonds
Cheese (like baybel, slices, cuts of whatever we have)
Cottage Cheese
Plain yogurt with honey
Carrots

what are some of your lunch time staples? 

A Table House for Little Folk

a cozy place for a rest. they pack it full of blankets, pillows, and an assortment of toy kitchen supplies... 

When I was 5 my best friend had a house that fit over a card table. I thought it the greatest. thing. ever. There aren't a terribly many toys that stick out in my mind, but this is one I've always wanted to mimic for my own children.

peeking through the curtains.

Now-a-days there are magnificent ones available from great shops, like this one. They are truly works of art!
And recently the Artful Parent posted her creation as well & so the fire was lit.

The front door.

There's another fire: nesting. Not only have I been relatively productive due to that unavoidable nudge from nature, there's a lingering fear that what I don't get done before this new baby comes I will never get done. Perhaps you hadn't heard...babies are time consuming. So, in order to help fill the hours of time in which I won't be able to direct my attention solely towards them, I'm working on things I think will help Naomi & Leviah remember I love them in the midst of predicted neglect...

It's made entirely of an old sheet and other scraps I've had kicking about--hence the mismatchiness. I think it adds charm ;)

It feels good to accomplish something from the 'stacks'. Now what will fill it's place? What have you been up to?

Tea Party Today (unaffiliated)

We had a little party.

We had a little fun.

& of course, did a little show-tune dancing.

To eat? Egg salad, pb&j, pb&mallow cream & pb&nutella sandwiches cut into shapes, blueberry lemon scones for authenticity, raspberry tea with mango puree and seltzer, veggies, fruit salad with plucots & basil (yum), and good company.

I took the opportunity to discuss good hostessing with Naomi. Manners & courtesy being a theme I've heard some ladies talking about, I realized how important it is that our children have these character traits & being a hostess seems like the perfect opportunity to learn. I believe we'll continue to think of ways to incorporate and build 'playdates' around this notion...