It's All Said and Done

We did it. It's official, we're no longer home owners. We moved out with the help of some amazing family members and a trip to the children's museum Sunday. I tell you, those sisters of mine are amazing - all boxes were unpacked and in their place by mid day Monday.

We sold our house, we closed on Wednesday. It was bitter sweet. I cried some, but overall am sure that it was the right move. I tell myself over and over that it's just the house we left behind, the home comes with us where ever we go. I'll work to hold on to the good memories. So much of our life was lived there. We bought young, really young . Looking over the pictures of the house before we moved in we wondered what we saw, and what in the world made us think that WE could do everything that was done to make it our home. But we did. Life was even made there, twice! Born there once. We also experienced loss there, there are still days when I think Binger should be right around the corner or underfoot. Good times and bad times, joy and anger, and lots of love filled that little house. When we started packing I thought I'd take pictures of the house empty. But when I saw it, I knew I couldn't handle seeing documentation of that house, our house, void of nearly everything that is us. So there are no pictures, only memories that I hope will be forgotten. All our loss was softened by knowing we sold the house to a really nice guy, someone who loves it and doesn't plan to change a thing. He's even going to try his had at gardening in our veggie beds.

Apartment, in a complex no less, living isn't where we'd (I'd- Piper finds it to be a great adventure) prefer to be. But at least we have a roof over our heads. Things are different here, we now have a pantry that is bigger than any closet we had in our house, a dishwasher that isn't me, and a garage. We'll continue to try to make it feel more like home and less like a rental. I'm holding out hope that pictures on the walls and some curtains will the trick. Without putting holes in the wall, of course.

On this eve of the new year, we say goodbye to all that 2010 has brought our family. Look forward to what 2011 will bring...hopefully in the form of our perfect house.

Wishing you all health and happiness in the year to come.

Happy Solstice!

The return of the light! A sunny day, and some goodies - some homemade pajama pants and a winter book.

A happy solstice to all and to all a good night!

These Moments

Snow Flakes

Winter officially is almost here. The cold and snow, however, has been around for weeks now. One day last week Piper and I decided that it was time to take our fall leaves from the windows. After all, our inside no longer matched our outside - it was time. Piper did the take down and then both of us set to work at the mass amount of glue on the panes. Somehow it took a great deal of glue to how those guys up there. With all that scrubbing, I thought we best do our next installation with less mess and less permanency so we can take them with us. Oh yeah, did I mention we sold our house back in October and will be moving in a couple weeks?! We did. Unfortunately, where we'll be moving to isn't going to be our final destination, but a rental house.

So in the few minutes while Calder naps later than Piper, her and I cut snowflakes. She chose the colors. Really, I had nothing to do with matching the snowflakes to the curtains. Nothing, I tell you. I did the cutting - mostly.

Over the first three days of the week we decorated our windows. Piper picking which flakes hung in which window, and which were banished to the kitchen window. I chose to hang them with scraps of yarn instead of gluing them to the windows like we usually do. This way we can take them and hang them in our new windows. I like how they dance a bit when you walk by or the heat goes on.

Piper even make a couple of her own. Snowflakes that required twice as much tape as it did folding or cutting. And lots of 'writing'. She hung hers proudly on the door from the front porch.

We feel a little more festive, in season, around here now. Hope the same is happening in your home.

Mmmm, Smells Like Fresh Baked Pretzels!

We had a family baking night recently. Which was so much more enjoyable for me than baking day. Zac came up with the project, I located a recipe, and we were off. It was all an experiment as we'd never made homemade soft pretzels. Although, back in the day we had quite the short term obsession with the frozen ones you can get at the grocery. We knew where we were aiming for at least.

It was a leisurely baking escapade. We measured and mixed and kneaded. Then we waiting for a couple of hours while the dough rose.

Then we finally got to the fun part. Rolling and shaping, dipping and salting. Piper had one piece that was her's and her's alone. She worked that little piece until it was barely pliable. Then I helped her out with the shaping. A spot designated on the baking sheet so as to not mix her's up with ours, if that would have even been possible.

Into the oven, and a few short minutes later we had wonderful, delicious, hot soft pretzels. The cheese sauce we had was sub par - we'll have to work on that one for next time. I'm sure they don't cover all the food groups, but we made them dinner. Yum. And 'mmmm it smells like fresh baked soft pretzels,' was declared by Piper over and over.

Zac wants to try gummy bears on our next baking night.

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekends' snow. Happy Monday to all.

Weekend Doings

Weekend Doings

We went to bed to snow on Friday. Woke up to more snow on Saturday. Piper had to get out there as fast as she could. She had a new pair of snow pants she wanted to debut. Some pretty pink ones she chose herself. After bundling up well, she went out to 'help Papa shovel'. I think more playing than working was done. While out I heard talk of snowboards, snow angels and snowmen. She came back in rosy cheeked, cold and happy.

Hot cocoa was had to aid in the reheating and on we went with our days.

Hoping you all had a wonderful snow filled weekend.

December

I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December

A magical thing

and sweet to remember.

”We are nearer to Spring

than we were in September,”

I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December.

Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

We woke to December with a dusting of snow on the ground and flakes floating through the air. Nothing of substance and I'd be surprised if it stuck. But it's here none the less.

Wishing you all an enjoyable December.

Our Days

A local blog writer put it perfectly, something I try to remind myself of daily.

"I belong here. In this life. I am linked body and soul to all my limits and freedoms. I can either embrace everything and run excited circles around every piece of it, or I can pull so hard against it all that I break in half. The choice is mine. Everyday."

Little Bit Of Warmth

Since we haven't talked knitting in a while...

It's no secret that I run cold, or that I dislike winter - or more specifically cold weather. This old house of ours isn't well insulated, I feel chilly most of the time. So I layer and wear wool socks and slippers and scarves. This year I thought I'd try something new. A shawl - sounds old lady doesn't it? Not to offend any of you young ladies that sport these.

I wasn't convinced I'd like it when I cast it on my needles. The yarn had been in my stash for years. Cast on as one project only be be frogged barely in. I felt I had nothing to loose, save some time. Not to mention that its a small shawl that doubles as a scarf, as I mentioned - another cold weather staple for me.

I love it! I'm a shawl kind of girl I guess. I bound off a bit over a week ago. And wore it immediately and non stop for a couple of days. I didn't even bother to block it. It's like the perfect sized blanket that can tuck right under your arms to keep it put. It provides a surprising amount of warmth considering its size.

I finally took it off to block it this week. Then handed Piper the camera (scary - for a few reasons) and had her snap a few pictures. I'm satisfied that I indulged myself and knit something for myself. In fact, this has inspired me to do sew myself a few things too. Maybe when my to-do sewing/knitting list starts to dwindle, I might even indulge myself in another.

Research

Piper has a project she's working on for one of her cousins. One that she's come up with almost completely on her own. I've given her some direction on what we could do with her idea. But over all its her concept, a project all her own. A project which she decided required some extra research.

Research that came in the form of play and fun at the zoo. I was happy to oblige her with a research based field trip.

This unusually warm November weather proved perfect for a late in the year trip. So many of the animals were out enjoying the weather. The lion was roaring, loudly. We even got an up close view as the tiger paced back and forth in front of the glass.

Piper decided that I'd be her research assistant. I had suggested she bring one of her drawing pads and pencils. She opted for the camera. Directing me to take pictures of her favorite animals so she could look at them later.

I think we're going to love homeschooling! Hope this week brings more joy and adventure.

Sister Bear

Let me start this post by saying, if you didn't know already, we LOVE the Berenstain Bears around our home. LOVE THEM. I'm new to costume making. Have only made two or three so far in my mama-hood. Piper wanted to dress as Sister Bear for Halloween (and beyond- I'm sure.) Really she had plans for us all to be Berenstain Bears. I pulled off Sister and Brother and called it quits.

Brother's costume luckily required no sewing. Sister's costume I made from scratch. Maybe I'm a bit of a purest. I see the resemblance, but I wanted it to be exact. The pink is a little too light and there aren't any brown or tan dots in the book. It was good enough to satisfy Piper. She wore it out trick-or-treating for the first time ever- we just went to the neighbor's houses. She even got a few pieces of candy out of it.

Hope you all had lovely harvest days.

Weekending

We did a bit of farming over the weekend. Then we survived our first sick-little-and-mama-sleepless-night.

Wish you (and us) health and wellness this week!

Our Calder Man

Our little man turned one year old! Seems like just yesterday we embarked on our journey with Calder as part of our family. He's brought a little bit of trial and a lot of joy to our life. He's smart, beautiful, loving (loves his mama most of all) and loved - so loved. Now if only he'd let me sleep through the night!

We hosted a small party in his honor. We had unseasonably warm weather, a record temperature for this date- in fact. Our fall party wasn't so fall-ish. Without the cool weather we anticipated there was no bonfire or hot apple cider. But it was nice just the same.

He's SO loved!

Apple Picking

We've already been once to the orchard this year. This round we invited some friends. My sister and the two kids (my friend's) that she nanny's for. The weather was great! The trees hung low, heavy with apples so the little girls could reach to pick their own.

Our mission this time was not picking enough to put by what we make with them. Instead it was to get just enough for fresh applesauce for our special little guy on his upcoming very special day. Oh my, has it already been a year?!

And such a cute little guy he is - I could just eat him up!

This one too, I suppose!

Our Laundry

First of all a happy fall to everyone! I was a little delayed in posting our changing of the seasons, then it just seemed too late. We marked the occasion with fresh off the needles fall hats for the littles, a cleaning of the nature table and putting out the fall books. Oh, and some mums for the mama.

On a more fun, well for the littles it was, note - we took a trip to the laundromat. I do believe that Piper may have been there once before, but was too young to remember. Exciting to see a big laundry room filled with lots and lots of machines.

Calder was memorized watching the washing through the front window. Until he discovered riding in the laundry carts. Where he kept trying to pull up on the side unless I was in constant motion with them.

For me, all I could think of was the nights Zac and I spent in this very spot before we put in our laundry room. When we'd put off doing laundry until every last stitch of clothing had been worn and we were out of socks. And even then we'd try to hold off until dollar wash Wednesday. We'd fill a whole row of machines. Try to stagger the drying so that the fold pile wasn't as daunting. And we'd just sit there together, alone. I thought of how thankful I am for the laundry room I have in our home. Even when the laundry hamper never seems to be empty. I'm thankful for the lack of time we have, alone, to just sit together, as much as I'm thankful for the moments we do have.