Snowy Day

This wasn't today, or even yesterday, but last week. We had a couple of days of SNOW! These poor northwest children rarely get a chance to experience any snow at all, and we sure had a good time hanging out, having a snow day and playing in the snow. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better to have a more snowy climate, but then I remember how it can get tiresome after months and months of snow. However, the first fluffy snow of the year always seems to have the same effect--a calm blanket of hush goes over the land and everything seems more peaceful.

The two person scarf on one Gus

Here is Gus wearing what he calls 'the two person scarf'. I made it for my friend Zoe on the occasion of her 13th birthday, and finished it this fall, finally. I was pleased with the results, and so was she. Gus thought it was great because we could both wear it at the same time, because it was sooooo long. I think he's blurry in this photo because he's dancing!

orange again

It's Tuesday--aka busy day extraordinaire! I need desperately to go to sleep soon so I can have another busy day tomorrow. I meant to post this mousey picture with the orange blog but i couldn't yet figure out how to post pictures. now that i'm oh so advanced, here he is. he actually got given away to his rightful owner, a guy named phil who started knitting him in the first place. the children loved this little mouse so much. it made me really want to make some knit toys for them as well. a clone of me would be so helpful some days. I'm also including this one of ella that fits right in with the orange theme.

Dahlialucy

In the interest of including everyone while I'm doing this phototest blogathon, and so that Aunt Karen can finally see all three kiddos, here is Miss Lucy Sky. We visited the Dahlia gardens in Canby this August. It was pretty beautiful. I told each of the children to stand next to their favorite one. There were too many favorites. She was such a good gardener this summer. She got a mini greenhouse and some seed packets from Uncle Tom and Aunt Sally for her birthday, and grew her own zinnias and sunflowers from seed. Pretty impressive for a 3 year old. Of course, she was very proud of them and often cut bouquets for the table. We grew one Dahlia in the garden this summer called Thomas Edison. It is a brilliant dark purple. I thought it was a goner after the slugs ate it completely off, but it ended up having about 6 blooms before the frost got it entirely. Next summer perhaps we can plant some more. I know Lucy will be up for it!

You are my sunshine!

There's Ella. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I took this photo, but when I look outside, it seems like years ago by now. See how she's stretching her arm up? The sunflowers were twice as tall as that! She really had a good time among the flowers in the garden this summer. I will have to post some other photos of her being a flower fairy. Today she and I had a squabble because she didn't want to go outside without me, and I really needed a break. I ended up going outside--should have started with that. I dug the last of the potatoes that were still in the ground. Ella and Lucy came around and we all went in and warmed up and became friends again. Ella was really my sunshine this summer. Gus and Lu had such a hard time getting along, and Ella just hung out in the middle, being peaceful. I need an Ella day like the one I had with Gus....

Happy Day with Happy Gus

This is Gus! Today I got to hang out with him for several hours alone. What a gift! I hardly ever get one on one time with any of my children, and even though I vow almost weekly to do it weekly, well, Ive been pretty weak at doing it. This happy Gus photo was taken on our hike in Lookout Creek Old Growth Grove this summer. It was a great experience for our whole family. We have been hiking with the kids since, well, since they were belly babies, and this was the very first hike that everyone walked the whole way by him/herself. There was one point that we had to portage the kids over the huge root structure of a fallen giant tree, but that was exciting for all of us. Gus is still talking about how great old growth forests are. It really made an impression on him. On days like today it is so amazing to re-realize how fantastic a kid he really is. We had some hot cocoa and he told me the whole story from his story time at school. Then we read a book together. He was sitting on my lap, and I could tell he was a little scared because he kept tensing up and gasping. It's hard to remember he's only six. We were reading about pirates, and he plays pirate all the time, but stories still scare him!

Summer's all gone. Orange you glad?

As we drove home from our very first parent-teacher conference tonight, I felt the chill, saw the leaves a changin' and realized that the summer is really gone. Now, I know it's been gone for quite a while, but I think I've been revelling in this beautiful cool/clear weather so much, that it seemed like it was still here. October is truly the best month of this year, so far. I have to go out, probably on Saturday, after the big Halloween shindig at school and lay my dearly departed garden to rest.
I am really digging on orange right now. I don't think it's from being surrounded by Beaver fans, either. The color of sungold tomatoes, well, I've been wanting to paint them all summer. And the pumpkins, oh the pumpkins, they're just as lucious as always. I just started some new mittens for Ella to match her coat, that are a lovely color called 'Orange you glad.' The other night I helped a 8 year old start on a little mousey and he's going to end up being orange too. I do feel glad, not that summer is over but just that there are so many lovely orange and yellow things to beautify my world right now.

momosarah

momosarah
i'm a blogger you're a blogger we are bloggers all
i will probably get the hang of this sooner or later and not feel like so much of a goon writing to myself (and all of you peeping toms out there)
maybe i will tell you about the name momosarah. there is a japanese folk tale called momotaro. it is about an old couple who discover a boy inside of a peach. their long awaited son came to them in a peach (momo means peach in japanese). what a way to enter the world. well, my son gus, who did not arrive in a peach, wrote me a note that said 'i (heart) you momo' on a paper plate at a pizza restaurant. to him momo was the way to spell mama, and it just made me so happy, and then i thought of peachboy.
i spent a large part of last weekend in a peach of my own. the children and i picked about 50 lbs of peaches at a local farm and boy howdy i was up to my elbows in peach juice for a few days canning and freezing them. we even got to eat peach cobbler and peach salsa. the sight of those jars of peaches just made my heart swell. i guess you could say i love peaches and so momosarah is a good name for me.

blog to iuu wa....

looks like a blog, smells like a blog, sounds like a blog, must be a blog.
my turn to go geeky again i guess, been away from it for too darn long.
i wonder what i will write.
so many thoughts so few fingers.