Mothers' Day 2011

Deb and I had many adventures! We went to Amish country with Miss Rose and E, visited our grandmothers, and braved the rainy weather to see sights around the town as much as we could in a short time. But the day before Mothers Day, Deb and E had to go home to the other babies and Larry.

My kids and Daddy anticipated that it would be a sad Mothers Day for me, and they did everything they could to make it happier.

In the morning, I was encouraged to stay in bed for a while and read. When I was called to breakfast, all these gorgeous smiling faces greeted me.

Some very-much appreciated gifts had been bought! A tablecloth I had wished for, and this pretty petunia plant, and a bird-decorated ironwork hanger to hang it from. And some gorgeous handmade cards from my gorgeous, thoughtful children.

The kids had made baked oatmeal, fresh strawberries, orange juice and coffee, and there was probably other delicious stuff too, but I have a really bad memory, even for things that I really appreciate.

Early that afternoon, a praying mantis somewhere became a mommy. We had seen this funny thing in the japanese maple, and thought it was some kind of cocoon, so I was surprised when I walked out in the yard, to see this wet-tissue-looking mass hanging from the "cocoon."

When I went closer and saw what it was, wow -- it was so fascinating watching the teeny tiny praying mantises squeezing out like little worms, and then unfolding their antennae and legs, one by one by one. It was very methodical and machinelike and lifelike all at the same time. All the children came out and watched, and the neighbor kids came and had a look too.

When Deb and I were up in Amish country, we did some spring yard-saleing at whatever interesting sales we came across as we were driving around. We picked up such a lot of cool stuff, books and music and clothes and crystal candy jars -- but of course, the item that really got the baby girls going was the Easy Bake Oven.

I think I have wanted an Easy Bake Oven, myself, for, like, forever. I mean, how fun are they!

On Mothers Day, we spent the afternoon baking little cakes with Gater and Bert. We found that ten minutes per cake is a very long time to wait when you are two or four years old. But wait they did.

Our first cake was such a bright pink, and it tasted pretty much like cooked playdough. I learned since then that it is a better idea to just throw the ingredients together myself. I've been cooking a long time, lol.

But anyway, Gater very much enjoyed serving teeny tiny wedges of cake to everyone in the family. Ellie wanted some too but Gater was very adamant that the cake was *not* for doggies.

Wannie was sold on the cake for sure.

Gater thought it was pretty good. She immediately wanted to make more, in different colors.

Miss Rose enjoyed the cake too, just as much as anyone can enjoy cake with the color and aroma of playdough.

This is to remind us of why we should wash out-door-babies' hands before they eat. Oh well, call it natural vaccination. She survived. She even liked it.

This centerpiece is brought to you by Roks. He made all those flowers, all by himself, which is quite a big undertaking for a six-year-old boy. I was pretty impressed and I asked him where he got the great idea for those flowers. He was too embarrassed to tell me! Which made me all the more curious, because I could not imagine why he would be embarrassed -- was he looking at something he shouldn't have? Well, he finally admitted that he learned how to make the flowers from that "whiny baby show", Caillou! LOL

Roks also made the beeswax candles. He had made four hand-dipped candles, and gave them to his most favorite people. One for the pastor, one for Mrs. F, and two for me. He is such a sweetie, and has such a creative spark.

So that was my Mothers Day this year, and it was not too sad after all. It was a very good day.

Easter, 2011

It was a wet spring -- a very, very wet spring, and I think even a record-breaking wet spring. It did not seem to stop raining for at least a month.

But spring did bring two rays of sunshine, my sister Deb and her newest baby, E.

They arrived just as I was finishing up matching dresses for all three of the little girls, for them to wear at Easter. Miss Rose also got a new Mamma-made dress, but not matching.


Easter morning was as crazy as ever, with everyone running around trying to get ready for church.


Roks was looking spiffy in mint green, Bert in lavender, and Joman in robin's-egg blue.
Just right for springtime.


Miss Wannie was enjoying spending time with her little cousin so much!






Miss Rose made hats for the baby girls. Wannie really liked hers.
And it suited her, I think.


After a particularly strange and off-putting morning at church, of which I cannot share details, we went to Grandma's for Easter dinner.


Here is Miss Rose in her new dress. The fabric for this dress was such a nightmare! Never ever again. The pattern was lovely though, I plan to make her another one in a better, more manageable fabric.


Here are the girl cousins.


And here are the boy cousins.


And here was a challenge. How to get all nine children to smile/look pretty for the camera, all at the same time? Between Grandma, Aunties and Mamma, there are probably 150 variations of this particular photo, and I bet not one of them has all the kids looking the same way and smiling at the same time.
You can't take away the cute though, the cute is overwhelming.


Here is Wannie, turning her hat into what we call a "Wee-Woo." A Wee-Woo is any hand-knitted or crocheted item that Wannie hugs to her face while she sucks her thumb. I guess it is because we gave her those handmade afghans when she was a tiny baby, and the texture of the knit or crochet is comforting to her. Of course, we think it is so adorable when we give her a new sweater or hat, and she does this very thing with it.

It's so rewarding.

Birdhouses For Spring

Spring finally arrived with the promise of finer, sunnier, weather.

It lied.

It rained ALL spring, didn't it?

That's the way I remember it.

At any rate, Daddy got the little boys into action, beginning to prepare some birdhouse gourds he had dried in the garage all winter, for painting and use as, well, birdhouses.

The little boys had a real fun time with this project.
Next spring, they can finish them up, and then maybe the year after that, they can hang them out and see if any birds nest in them.

Ha ha, I jest, I jest. I should shut my mouth, being the queen of unfinished projects.

The Appalachian Festival

I don't have many pictures from the Appalachian Festival. The basic rundown is that we arrived, it was hot and muggy, we walked around a lot of artisanal stores, enjoyed the view, looked at the river, watched people make furniture and pottery and quilts and violins and jewelry and food and log homes and canoes, listened to bluegrass music, made a guy play a hundred songs on his dulcimer (Roks), charmed people out of small gifts (Gater), followed Native Americans, ate pulled pork and pulled chicken and pulled brisket and coleslaw and funnel cake, sawed souvenirs with a crosscut saw (Joman and Roks) and sat in a tepee.

Joman sat and talked for ages with the tepee owner. She had made many of the things inside it, and was living in there for the duration of the festival.

It was cool and breezy inside the tepee.

I really, really, really want a tepee.

So do they.

School is More Fun in Spring

Since Spring and mild weather has arrived, suddenly, as always (I took this photo just a week ago and it already looks so much more lush, green and grown out there!), we've been enjoying whatever work takes us outdoors, including school work.

I didn't order a science curriculum for Roks this year, since he is only 5, and not quite ready to be bored to death with a formal science study. So I have put together a little science/nature course for him, and we are focusing on seasons/observation/plant study.

This child is very artistic and loves to draw, amongst all the other artistic things he does. Right now, one of his most favorite prized posessions is his nature journal (working on his second one now). I make the journals at home since all those little books are so expensive at the ed. supply store. I just fold used printer paper/junk mail/old assignments so that the clean side is showing, then staple the loose edges into the fold of a piece of construction paper, for the cover. I made a whole bunch of them this year and we use them for Roks' language arts assignments, journals, or any time he wants to write a book. They are fun and free. :-)

Yesterday we went out to observe "nature" -- taking note of what we could see, hear and smell. Some of the things we could see and hear were: redwing blackbirds, a woodpecker, a hole in the tree, the next-door-neighbor's dog, a big hawk, bees and ants, blue sky, and lots of green grass with drifts of little pink-white flowers. We smelled lilacs-- just starting to bloom, jonquils, and a sampling of all the herbs that are reappearing this year. Mint, chives, thyme, parsley, sage, and lavendar. Then Roks drew an ant. :-)

Joman has a really interesting curriculum this year, studying the nations of the East, including Australia. Many neat enrichment activities with this curriculum.
Of course, the nice weather is so distracting....

and so is this.

Easter Annie

3 weeks old

Stay tuned, will try to post again later today. Busy busy busy!

But it's not all bad...

I just took a little walk outside in the rain (in my slippers, not such a good idea, LOL) to see the magnolia tree, which is beginning to bloom.

Can you believe it? It was the dead of winter a week ago, and now the magnolia is beginning to bloom. There are buds on the weeping cherry tree, and hundreds of worms wiggling in the driveway; and in the herb garden, parsley, sage and thyme are already growing back. The lavender is greening, and the crocuses have bloomed.

A week or two ago, if someone had said that spring was just around the corner, I would have never believed them.

Soooooo happy! Spring is on the doorstep, winter is almost past.

Better Homes and Gardens.

Don't I wish. LOL.

Anyway, here are some pics of the home and garden as it was this morning.

First bouquet of the year -- lilacs which scented the whole house within an hour or two.

I fell in love with these sweet red old-fashioned roses and had to buy them. They remind me of fairy tales for some reason. Do you like?

Joman planted two pots for me, to stand by the front door. Here is one of them. Joman really enjoyed gardening and did much of the planting.

I forget what this is called. It is supposed to be a ground cover but is very invasive and has all but swallowed up several shrubs. According to the description I found of it in a gardening book, the flowers should be cut back because they are "unattractive." I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because I love the flowers. They look like Queen Anne's Lace to me, only they last much longer as cut flowers.

Another plant I've drooled over, and now have in my garden. This lavendar clematis is growing up the lamp post. I have another deep purple one, which is climbing the front wall of the house.

These hostas by the front door just popped right up this year. We planted about 6 or 7 more in a shady area by the mudroom door. They are doing fantastically well, and the deer must be happy eating elsewhere, because so far they have not touched the hostas.

This looks a lot better in real life. LOL

So does this. But now you have some idea of how things are laid out. A lot of what looks like weeds, isn't -- it's ivy (foreground) or small plants. But a lot of it is weeds. We mulched, but the weeds are going to continue to be a problem.

I bought a "knockout" rose this year. Along with the rest of the city. I think they are very popular this year. Seem to do quite well with the heavy clay soil though, so I hope it's a keeper. You know these plants will all have to fend for themselves. :-)

Second bouquet of the year -- peonies for looks, lilac for scent, and that Queen Anne's Lace - looking stuff just cuz I like it. :-) This bouquet is almost a week old now, and looks well for its age, don't you think?

Oh, I almost forgot the things in the window this year. Daddy planted the pots for the window this year -- several herbs and this morning glory, which grew well from seed and is starting to flower. I've always wanted morning glories. :-)

My dear children gave me this cup-o-tea planter for Mothers Day. LOL.

Sorry for the brief descriptions on it all...but I gotta hit the sack.

Love you guys!