mister and missus claus

Christmas. You can Flick it.

peace :: out

460 santa, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We've gone over the river and through the woods.

solstice tree

originally uploaded by ellajohn.

garden ella

garden ella, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

a tangled web

Ella went to see her first movie. She lasted between seven and ten minutes. The dad has a piglet under one arm and an axe under the other. She wavers. A few minutes later the barnyard animals are taunting Wilbur about the smokehouse, and she whispers that she would like to go home. As in right this very instant. I was proud of her. Twenty two dollars poorer but proud. I love that sometimes she is still so little. She says that she might want to try again if her friends can go with her.

poised, is that the word?

missing one important concept, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I thought it was time to insert a little reality into this little blog. It has been looking a little syrupy around here lately, so I thought you should see the food stuck to the face of a man poised to wipe.....who has not even pulled down his pants because he really has no idea what he is doing.

He is nothing if not enthusiastic. He wants to keep the alphabets from the fridge in the potty, and he must fill a teapot with water whenever there is water in the bathtub and fill this potty because that is the way he thinks it should be.

Further proving that he is his father's son, yesterday I found him in this very spot flipping through The Economist. Pants up, of course.

globe

globe, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

smiling jack

smiling jack, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

tree

tree, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

The tree is tiny and dense and Ella thinks that it is beautiful. Friday we are planting it before we head out of town.

ella's house

ella's house, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

stay out of the closet. no peeking under the bed.

No more Flickr for family members. Blog, fine. Flickr, you are in danger of peeking into the back of my closet at some of your tiny little christmas gifts. Don't click. No. The rest of you. Fine. I've been baking today with tiny yipping animals at my feet needing drinks of water, milk bottles, little bean burritos, apples, story books, changes of clothes, naps, lunches, dinnners, and pajamas. These tiny little yippers also have running noses. Ella is pale and wan and yet wants to hoola hoop in the front yard. The night before she thought that Santa Claus was jumping on her bed, but it was just the fever talking. She is taking tylenol and soups and tea.

The children are nestled all snug in their beds and our house smells like chocolate and incense.

One week

The tree is up. The Charlie Brown Christmas was watched. The risotto was eaten; Ella had ten bites, all of them with commentary. All children were asleep by seven.

I need to make a list of all the things that need to be done this week, but I must say that I have enjoyed the Christmas "process". I'm ready to clear away all the supplies and bask in the glow of the lights, but I still have thirty five cards to make, parmesan black pepper biscotti to bake, a package to mail to Massachusetts on monday, cookies to bake, another little tree to decorate with all white ornaments, twelve squares of the checkers set to sew down, and packages to wrap.

kiss

kiss, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

turn around lady, I'm driving

turn around lady, I'm driving, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

guh raf

guh raf, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

birthday pancake

birthday pancake, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

nutcracker

There must be something festive going on because I keep talking about all the nutcrackers in our yard. Yes, those would be woodpeckers.

We took Miss Ella to the Nutcracker at the local university this weekend. Her ballet teacher was dancing, and now she has a whole new vision of that woman; Sarah is a real ballerina. I was quite impressed by the performance. Ella and Emily were both completely caught up in the magical story, and both loved walking down to watch the musicians in the orchestra before the performance and during the intermission. Ella took Sarah a bouquet at the stage door but was fairly awestruck by seeing her in the full makeup.

Granny and Grampy were here for the weekend, and this morning Ella staged Dolly's fifth birthday party during breakfast. (Dolly is, ahem, a doll) She had five candles in a pumpkin pancake, and she sat at the table wearing a paper hat.

Last night was the third annual building of the gingerbread house. I'm so happy she is finally making shingles.

snoweater

snoweater, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We had our first snow of the season yesterday, an hour or so of heavy snow and then blue skies. Ella thought it was arranged just for her as they have been studying snowflakes all week in preschool.

peanut snowman

peanut snowman, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This little guy is so easy that a four year old can make them! Paint a peanut white with a few drops of glue in a tablespoon of white paint. Roll in salt or sugar. Tie on some yarn. The hat is felt or construction paper. I made the carrot out of a rubber band, but paper would be fine. A safety pin on the back of the scarf makes it into a pin, or it would be a sweet tree ornament.

some fruit for the woodpeckers

some fruit for the woodpeckers, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

The woodpeckers were at it again today. Life in a wooden house isn't always quiet. Ella was a bear today. She wanted to make 22 clothespin dolls for her class tomorrow..or a trillion million. I'm feeling a little beaten down by it all lately, the toys on the floor, the request to be a vegetarian who eats fried chicken, and the best quote of all from yesterday, "Do you know how much my mom hates plastic?" I know, she is five. No filters.

handmade thrifty irish sheep

handmade thrifty irish sheep, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

When I have two or three nerves left I like to make a little something. This is the sleeve of a felted fisherman sweater and a black sock.

I've been trying to wean John, and he is fighting the good fight. He stomps his little feet in a rage. He also trys throwing food, or, if we are in the grocery store, groceries. Giving up nursing means giving up the five minutes of peace in the afternoon. During the day he will take snacks and whole milk, but at night I have much less willpower. I'd sell my soul for the little bit of sleep I do get, so when he wakes up in the middle of the night I tuck him into my bed and get back to the business of sleeping. The hours between midnight and six am are not functional ones for me.

2

2, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

parade

scoots miles down main street, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

She rode her scooter the entire parade route with the local trails group.

ella and the birthday girl

ella and the birthday girl, originally uploaded by ellajohn.