Friday, January 27, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Back 40
It was a cold morning, and last night the winds were so high I could hear this old house creaking as the windows rattled in their frames.There were some trees down on the way to school this morning. This smokehouse hasn't been used since before 1940, except as a home for our woodchuck.
hat
This morning there was hat making and medieval music. Ella showed me the psaltery she made on monday, and they are preparing for a feast for the knights and damsels on friday.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Baby Boy
We got an email from Oregon that Grace has a baby brother. It seems he was nameless at the time of the email. He is twenty inches long and eight pounds, four oz. What a big baby for his tiny little mama.
Anne was with us when Ella was born, and I was with her when Grace was born.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Moving
On the other end, I've cleaned almost all the carpets. The living room has to be finished before the big finale on saturday. I bought four new smoke dectectors, three light fixtures, cabinet pulls for the kitchen and bathroom, and some tile for the kitchen counter. There are two countertops, and I got enough for the easy, perfectly rectangular one--no tile cutting needed. It is porcelain but looks like brown stone, Arezzo Gold for anyone spending as much time at Home Depot as I am. For the sink side I'm going to need some advice from someone who knows what they are doing. I would love a whole stainless countertop, but John thinks it would look mismatched with the stone. Cost is also a factor. If I can figure out how to tile it myself it will be better. The big 12" tiles are two dollars and we could accent with some tumbled stone tiles in brown tones around the sink with brown grout. I have watched too many home shows on cable.
Today I set up the broadband internet and reserved a huge moving truck--26 feet, one load, for saturday.
Baby is going to the doctor this afternoon. He is starting to act a little more like himself, but he spent most of the morning sobbing and coughing. He is still conjested and has a stuffy nose---a cold from Ella on top of the remnants of the Christmas cold. Both of them sounded like they had emphysema--just like every other kid at the preschool. Some of them were barking. Maybe they all have whooping cough. A ten minute steam in the bathrooom, some saline nasal spray, and a little nap have improved John's demeanor. Now I'm ready for bed, and it is two in the afternoon.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Muslim Barbie
"Fulla is 11.5 inches tall, like Barbie, and has long black hair with dramatic burgundy streaks. But her look is more demure - a few mascaraed lashes frame big brown eyes and a hint of fuchsia tints her dainty mouth. She's also noticeably less bosomy than her Mattel counterpart. She's not only beautiful, but she's honest, loving, caring and respects her mother and father - things Muslim parents would like for their kids." This is a description from someone's ebay store.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
morning playtime
John is thrilled to manipulate and chew on toys. Snakey is back, for those of you who remember him from Ella's first year.
Things to Love about Ella's School
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
300th Birthday Party
Benjamin Franklin goes out to dinner on the occasion of his three hundredth birthday.(I tried to use my veto power on this one, but you can see that I lost!) Ella is also wearing her birthday party flower wreath, a purple satin party dress and striped tights. She had a few bits of quesadilla, and then decided to dance.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
5 weird things...
2. I do not believe in the death penalty.
3. I think the telephone is a priviledge not a given. I am hard core phone phobic. Recently I have contemplated talking to a doctor about this. I went so far as to pick up a pamphlet, but I didn't say anything to my doctor, leading me to believe that I also have some sort of social anxiety disorder.
4. Speaking of phobias, I think that most people are going to drop my children when they are holding them. I know intellectually that it isn't true, but I'm just waiting to hear the thunk of their little heads on the floor, and I wonder what I'll do when it happens.
5. I have been coloring my hair for twenty years, and I recently quit. I'm not really a redhead. Or any shade of gold or blonde. My hair is the color of an aging mouse. This isn't really weird I guess, but it is a strange process to be going through.
Thanks for the traffic thoughts Cait. I want my beloved to list 5 weird things about himself on his blog BECAUSE HE WANTS US TO TAKE A STATUE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OUT TO DINNER TONIGHT. And we live in a small town. Steve isn't writing anything here lately, so I'd love to hear five strange things from him.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Moving and Rice Cereal
Thank you to the one person who responded to my delurk post. ONE. I saw a similar post on a very popular site got 419 responses. What the heck. It is obvious that I am unpopular. Nah, I do this for me. And the grandmas. And the friends. And for Monica, the one nice stranger who piped up.
John just ate a tiny bit of rice cereal. He rejected it last week 100% when it was mixed with formula. I tried breastmilk and he only halfway gave me the yucky face. One would think it would take more food to support a twenty two pound sugarlump, but, then again, I am generally starving.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Come on out of the woodwork...
What I'm getting at is I'd love to have some comments. Just say hi. Say anything. I'm dying to know who is from Encinitas, California. Anyone have any moving tips? Decorating ideas?I'd love to talk about countertops. What is the cheapest way to cover up butt-ugly tile from the eighties?
Roll Over, Roll Over
Ella let Sophie use her chapstick and now our noses are running.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Donkey Hokey
Friday, January 06, 2006
Rock and Roll
She is using a hair clip as a pick. No, that isnt' lipstick. It is a combination of chapstick and organic ketchup.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
red tulips
It is time to post some new year's resolutions. I'm a little late, but I've been thinking about it. I am turning forty this spring. This list might take me a few days.
1. Embrace optimism.
2. Get healthier.I would like to lose twenty five pounds by the time I turn forty.
3. Stay better connected with old friends and make new ones.
4. Become a part of a community of neighbors and friends. We are moving into our new house this month, a place we will live in for a few years.
5. Make our new house a home that accommodates the child world and the grownup world.
6. Find a babysitter. Maybe start a babysitting co-op.
7. Quit giving J the eye...or just give him the other eye.
8.I feel that being a parent is something that I'm pretty good at. When I say I want to be a better parent I mean that I want to make homemade playdoh, finally make blue glittery flubber for ella, do more projects that involve large quantities of glitter, glue, wet paint, and anything else messy. I want to sing more songs, better and louder. I want to go on more walks with them and read them more books. I want to help them write books and draw the pictures. I want to paint castle architecture on the wall of the playroom. I want Ella to love broccoli again. I want to bake more bread with her.
9. I am going to let go of the feeling of impending doom. I think it is genetic, and I'm going to beat it.
more later....
hayden dancing
I just took a shower. I generally put this bouncy seat right in the wide open doorway and turn up the morning classical show on NPR. This morning he was absolutely gleeful over a Hayden symphony, waving arms, wiggling toes, and bouncing.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Holiday
On Christmas Eve we drank a lot of coffee. Ella danced the Nutcracker, and went on a hike to find my special rock on the other side of the creek. It is a huge rock big enough for two people to sit on where I used to read as a child. She and John hiked around until it was almost completely dark. She then decorated the Christmas tree and put out our collection of porcelain angels, something that I used to do every year. She, however, did it in her underwear. She put out cookies and milk for Santa and went to bed pretty early. On Christmas morning we gave and opened gifts. We were still in pajamas when my brother arrived around eleven. We had oysters and champagne for lunch.
The next day my aunt and uncle were over for lunch and then we were off to a Boxing Day party in Petersburg. I had so much fun that I didn't want to leave and neither did Ella.I talked to a lot of people who read this weblog, and now I feel that I should do a better job. I had no idea. I met Krislyn, Rory and Nora K's mama, and I'd love to see her again.
On wednesday we headed north to Fredricksburg for Christmas with John's parents. Ella was ready to open presents the minute she got there as she had heard that Santa had left her a box. It was the pogo stick that she has been talking about for a year, and it has a pony head--sort of like a hobby horse with a pogo bottom. For John's first christmas he got a Radio Flyer walker/wagon. I can't wait to take pictures of him in it. Ella opened presents for a long time, and gave Granny and Grampy the gifts that she had painted in Roanoke. There are lots of pictures on Flickr of her with the packages. Click on any picture here to get to Flickr.
Over the next few days Granny and Ella were a veritable vaudeville act of costumes, song, and dance. Ella loved the pancakes and cooking opportunities. They read lots of books and played a new game called "Granny's House". Ella also learned to play checkers. There were secret art projects in the basement and lots of staying up late and eating chocolates. Baby John held his own, bouncing away in his seat grinning at everyone who spoke to him.
John and I went out for New Year's Eve, perhaps for the first time. We did the whole Fredricksburg First Night thing. For us, it is always strange just to be alone these days. We had coffee and strolled around and saw Anousheh Kahlili play in a store window. My favorite quote of the night was from a guy who walked up and said, "That has got to be awkward!" The teenage girls were all dumbstruck. "Look. It is her!" http://www.myspace.com/anoushehkhalili. We walked a labyrinth and had dinner in an italian place. We saw Saffire play at the library. Great show, strange venue. We walked down to the main street to see The PEAR drop at midnight. It didn't drop, and we headed home wondering how Granny and Grampy had fared with the kids. Ella was in bed, and John was drinking a bottle after a five hour nap. All seemed well in the new year.
We are excited to be moving into our new house this month. John seems very positive about his work, and are happy that baby John joined our family this year. He is amazing. Ella started school this year and completed her first full year of ballet classes. She seems happy and well adjusted to life here. We have enjoyed living near our families and friends this year, and have high hopes for 2006.
Alum Ridge, Fredricksburg Virginia
Alum Ridge, Fredricksburg Virginia, originally uploaded by ellajohn. J was wondering why I was taking pictures of the ground, but the light was just wonderful after a cloudy morning.
Christmas Kids
Children's Parade on Boxing Day
Nutcracker
Grandmarie moved the dining table out of the way so Ella could dance the Nutcracker. Her costume is made of ribbon, a ballet skirt, and Pinkie's old blouse. She is very interested in the choreography of the ballet. "How do they know what to do next?" She danced the same way at Granny's--directing the other parts around the sofa in front of the lit Christmas Tree.
460 santa
winter light
We are spending a lovely afternoon in Alum Ridge Park in Fredricksburg. The light is just wonderful as the sun peeks out. Ella plays on the big slide and explores the woods and creek. The funniest thing that happened was when we entered the park we had to ford the creek to get to the parking lot. The Scion is very low to the ground, and I swear that we floated for a moment. John yelled, "Shit" then realized what he had said and started babbling before it became Ella's favorite new word.
Dino Might
Monday, January 02, 2006
So Sorry
I've been hugging my littles all morning.