Look! Baby Foo-Foo had a Litter!

These pictures are of Baby Foo-Foo nursing her first litter. I believe she had six puppies all together. The girls played this game with so much joy and excitement all day long. It's really fun to see them play together like this. They have played together before, of course, but they more often play side by side but each doing their own thing. And when they do play the same thing it is usually very directed by Penelope with Violet either doing what Pen tells her to, or not - in which case it all goes downhill. But this new thing where they both play happily together and more on the same level is new and quite a delight to behold from behind my knitting needles or book where they think I am otherwise occupied and not even aware of them. But I am actually watching with great interest, it is so funny and cute to see them completely absorbed in the little worlds they create together, having little disagreements and resolving them so they can get back to their game. So wonderful to watch these sisters growing into friends and great playmates. So wonderful to be able to hang back and do my own thing while they do theirs. So wonderful to be able to know and love their two and a half and five and a half selves.

This Moment, Friday, February 22, 2013

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

A Pair of Socks for Her

I recently made a pair of socks as a gift for someone, and Violet was fascinated by them. She watched me knit almost every stitch, was cuddled in my lap for most of the knitting, actually. And she was sad when I gave them to their intended person. So I made her a tiny pair just for her. She was in my lap for most of the knitting of these too. She liked trying them on as I knit, to marvel at the progress. I loved knitting her something special that she had requested, something just for her, this amazing little person that I adore.

Valentine's Day 2013

Making Valentines for friends a few days before Valentine's Day.

A very sleepy in the morning Violet, happy with the chocolate her Daddy left for her.

Penelope wearing the hat I made her for a valentine gift.

Vi didn't want me to take her picture, she's hiding in the background.

Happy Chinese New Year 2013

Making almond cookies.

Dinner

Dessert 

We celebrated Chinese New Year with homemade lo mien and lettuce wraps and almond cookies. We didn't do the crafts and other things I'd planned because the blizzard kind of took over, but we will be learning lots about China in the weeks to come because Penelope chose China as her country for international night with our homeschool group. 

Spinning and Carding Class at Coggeshall Farm

Baby Nemo

Violet with our favorite rooster.

Penelope showing her friends how to hold the rooster.

Violet waiting patiently while the older children had their class.

Yesterday Penelope took a class with a bunch of her homeschool friends at Coggeshall Farm. It was great, and the added bonus was we didn't need to leave out town! The children could choose to sign up for basket weaving, candle making, or spinning and carding wool. Penelope chose the wool class, and happily that's what all her friends chose too, so it was a class of good buddies.

I didn't stay with her for the first part of the class, where they each got their own spinner and actually learned how to use it, because Violet was not signed up and I wasn't sure she'd behave. She and I walked around the farm with the other toddler sibling and his mom. But later the kids came out to meet the sheep their wool came from and when they headed back in we tagged along, mostly to warm up a bit. Violet was actually very well behaved and patient, so we stayed for the rest of the class.

The best part of the trip was getting to see Baby Nemo, the new calf born at the height of the blizzard he was named for. Less than a week old, he was the cutest, sweetest thing. His mother, Constance, is a first time mama and having a bit of trouble figuring the whole motherhood thing out. She was so freaked out by the storm that was raging and shaking the barn when her baby was being born, and when he arrived she didn't recognize him as her baby. The farm people had to hold her still and keep her from hurting him as he learned how to nurse. It took a few days, but she has come around and is becoming a good mama with the help of the sweet people who live on the farm. They are keeping him away from the public right now, but they let our group of well behaved kids go right in the pen and pet both mama and baby. It was pretty special.

Blizzard 2013

Beginning of blizzard, still very wet, but the kids were excited anyhow.

Town common, people park there when there is a parking ban.

Snowman on the common, cars parked for the storm.

Swinging is more fun in a blizzard.

So is the slide.

The storm was beginning to pick up, about 2 minutes after she went down this slide it was completely covered in snow again.

Watching the blizzard from the couch.

Reading a giant pile of books while the storm raged on.

Our street all covered in snow.

Our street.

Hiding from the wind.

The tire swing was buried.

Playing with our neighbor, Ethan.

Lots of snowy cars on the common.

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Dragging bags full of snow in for the fridge.

We packed bags full of snow to stick in the fridge to keep food cold while we had no power.

Trying to sled in our yard.

I pulled her around the neighborhood while Violet was napping.

Parking ban lifted and many cars dug out and gone.

Piles and piles of snow everywhere.

Strangeness I've never seen before, snow peeling away from the fence.