In Which We Get Visitors

I get a little bummed out sometimes not having the people closest to me, well, very close to me. At the risk of sounding creepy, if I could just put all our family and closest friends on the same street so we could all just hang out whenever we wanted, I would do it. Maybe I was spoiled growing up with my best friend right down the street, but now she's an hour away and that gets tricky between the "schedules" and health of 7 children between us. Last week was spring break for us and she managed to come up for a few hours. And even though, when I look at these pictures, I still think "Man we look like we live in a dirt pit," the kids don't mind so why should we?

I never take good pics when Meg and I are together. I hate to stop visiting long enough to concentrate on my camera. I do love this picture of Tate and Polly though.

And these little curly-headed, dirt-smeared dears.

Their visits never last long enough, but we'll take them any way they come.

We'll also take this guy any way HE comes. Remember Milo's feet? Well, here is his perfect little face! This pic was taken in the hospital when he was less than a day old. I was lucky enough to be stopping for my brief introduction when he decided to wake up for a little bit and look around. Is there anything sweeter?

My brother and Amy have had a dicey couple of weeks as new parents of newborns often do, but they brought Milo to us on Sunday and we're so glad they did. Elle finally got to tickle her baby cousin!

Tate again with the face peering! But he's my sweetie about that baby... just keeps asking me about babies and about all of them when they were babies and he says "I can't wait to see Milo again; he's just so cute!!" I love the look Milo is giving Tate here.

And then after all the tickling and peering and ooohing and aahing,

I think we wore him out.

And then Aunt Liss got to hold him while he slept and that was nice. And then I got to hand him back when he fussed and, I must confess in spite of all the warm fuzzies babies bring with them, that was even nicer. :-)

Honeydo Saturday

Poor Mike. I had him hanging things and rearranging all over the place this weekend, but it DOES feel good getting a few thing done. I now have a place for my aprons.

I have the kids' artwork hung to inspire me when when I'm in my little crafty space. Oh, and I DID to something with those pillow cases.

And my Daddy's drying rack is hung.

Speaking of my daddy. If you thought he was talented after looking at the drying rack, check out what he made for Ellerie's birthday.

So good to have handy men in my life.

Paint With Me Thursday-Toys

No art supplies other than my camera and easy-peasy built in iphoto tweaks. Glad H, that I was not the only cheater-cheater-pumpkin- eater this week ;-)

For more "toys", check out the group at Simply Feather.

Splash Week is Fun

The kids are loving Splash Week at the YMCA. I love it because it's free lessons. They love it because they get to swim. We're doing it with TWO extras that I am watching this week. Am I tired? Yes.

But there is something about watching your little ones learn and enjoy ANYTHING that makes it all worth it. The dragging around, the car seat buckles, the whining for snacks, the frequent reminders from the life guard to NOT run on the pool deck are all rather stressful.

But the joy on their faces and the "Mama, Mama, did you see?"s, and watching your big boy jump into the deep end of the pool.....

....well, I'd say it's worth it indeed.

Of The Outside and Paint With Me: Mood

Thing have been CRAZY around here lately. Between the weather getting nicer and spending more time outdoors and my babysitting an extra kid most days during the week, it has been enough just to keep up with the laundry and the cooking. So here is my mood submission for Paint with Me Thursday. Questionably artistic and done as hastily as most of my stuff around here right now, but my mood nonetheless.

Now that we're feeling uncomfortably busy, let's add in the extra of outside projects. Ties taken from around the outside of our two big maples and rebuilt into what will be a garden in the back. And we are AGAIN attempting to get grass to grow in our ridiculously sandy soil.....at least in the front this year.

Since we are now dirty and tired, let's throw in some bees. Yup I said bees. See all those little mounds of dirt? Apparently my deliciously sandy soil is also host to a heck of a lot of ground bees. Half of the back yard and part of the front... all the parts where the grass is crummy... is host to lots and lots of little solitary bees.

Here's a close-up of one of the holes they have their nests in (dark spot right at the base of the dandelions) I tried to get pics of the bees, but they are so fast and I was using the wrong camera and I didn't have time to be patient. Man, I hate looking at these pictures. Someday, we are going to have some nice grass. We look like we live in the desert!!

I was seriously wigging out about the bees before. There are SO many of them. But the more I am reading and seeing, the more inclined I am to just leave them alone. I am actually convinced now that we had them last year, and I just didn't pay any attention to them. Now that I know they are there, I feel like we can just be respectful of their habitat for the few weeks a year they are a bother. I can't justify all the chemicals on my lawn, the money gone and the destruction of mostly peaceable bees just to be rid of them. I'll just make my kids wear shoes in April.

Next week is spring break around here. And this year that means me and 5 kids (babysitting two that week) toting off to the local YMCA every morning for free swim lessons (gotta love splash week) and me feeding them and praying they don't destroy my house in the afternoons. I might not be around much. But hopefully I won't go crazy.

A Love Affair

It was love at first sight.

And, really,

I could not just leave him there by the side of the road,

abandoned.

Left by a generation that has deemed him

"unsafe."

In spite of his lack of buckles and straps

(or, perhaps, because of)

and his being of a certain age,

and in spite of me no longer being of the

babymaking sort,

I love him dearly and shall not forsake him

though his bottom is a bit saggy.

and a few of his snaps have gone off

(if you know what I mean).

He is sturdy, useful, reliable and has lots of bounce left in his chassis.

And he lets me push him around.

Not just a love affair, but a perfect one at that.

Milo

Well, we've had a little excitement around here and it's isn't just that I figured out how to knit these darling baby booties with my own modifications (see end of post), although that was kind of exciting for me too. Baby What's-His-Name came 10 days early and is no longer What's- His- Name. Milo Andrew, we're so glad to finally meet you. I didn't ask permission from the proud and exhausted parents to post his GORGEOUS little face (I'm talking heartbreaker here, people), but I'm gonna assume his feet are okay.

Milo was 8 lbs 8 oz at birth and 21 inches long. You can imagine Amy was rather glad to get him out early. His feet, thankfully no longer jabbing at her ribcage, are just like my brother's and so much like Calvin's as a newborn. Check out that big toe! You can see why I needed to add some size to "newborn" booties, 'cuz these are not your run of the mill newborn feet.

I won't get all sentimental right now over this little man, named after my grandfather, who has made my big brother a daddy. I won't babble about how his coming has been such a fun adventure for my kids sparking strange conversations with Tate who doesn't really remember me being pregnant with Elle. His asking about childbirth and deciding very firmly that he doesn't ever want to have a baby in HIS belly, but his insisting that he remembered being in mine: "I think it was dark." I won't go gushing on about how much we've all just loved Milo from the moment we knew he was conceived, but if Ellerie's BAWLING tantrum last night (Mama **SOB** **SOB** I want to see the BABY. **SOB** I want to *SOB* *SOB* tickle him!!!!) when I went to meet him at the hospital is any indication, then we do so love him an awful lot.

Milo we're awfully glad you're here safe and sound.

I realize that anyone with the smallest sense about knitting could probably modify this easy pattern to make it bigger, but I felt sort of proud of myself and I want to remember in case I need to make another pair someday, so here are Milo's baby bootie modifications from the original pattern found here:

(worsted weight yarn, size 6 needles)

CO 8 st (leave longish tail to sew seam)

K 26 rows

add 14 st to each side

K12 rows

bind off (leave longish tail to sew seam)

overlap sides over toe, right over left on one and left over right on the other

sew up toes and sides

turn out

Ellerie is Three Today!

Darling Little Bird. I could have posted so many beautiful photos of you today. You truly are a doll. But, you know what? You're way more than that. You're funny. Really funny. And smart and expressive and athletic. I'm sure neither of the boys taught themselves to skip at two. You crack me up with your dramatic faces and you have such a bright energy. Your love for pink and girlie things is outrageous to me and proof that God has a sense of humor. You're loving and sweet, but oh so independent and I love it all. Enjoy your day and the year to come. I think three is gonna be pretty peachy.

Just like you.

Easter Weekend

Good Friday at Nana and Papa's:

Easter Sunday on the way to church:

carrot pattern found here

..and at Grandma and Grandpa's:

credit for these last three photos goes to my darling husband

Can't even believe I managed to narrow it down to THIS many pics. A busy weekend, but oh so good. More to come as Ellerie's 3rd birthday is tomorrow and she's already had two parties.....Oh my head is spinning!