wooby riddy nice

Little John is suddenly talking his head off, and he keeps me laughing all day. When asked what he thinks of his new baby sister he looks profoundly proud and says, "Wooby? Wooby riddy nice!"

He like to eat very plain food and frequently wants to eat plain raw fruits and vegetables, no cooking and no mixing. Today I found him sitting on the steps eating a fresh green pepper. "Cwunchy and widdy dewishus."

He is mama's boy and a homebody. Too many errands and he says, "Mama, take me home to watch Curious George." He loves books and baby animals, legos and blocks, tractors and construction vehicles. He is all boy, but loves to have his nails painted.

He likes baby owls, mama's bed, and dirt, but that dirt better not get on his hands or he is going to need some more "day clothes".

john and mama paint

john and mama paint, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This afternoon John and I made our own animal books. I love the smell of tempera paint and that thick old fashioned construction paper.

first day

first day, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Ella was both excited and nervous for the first day of the first grade.She joined her friends and didn't even look back.

welcome to wet mountain

welcome to wet mountain, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

2 johns

2 johns, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ella cicada

ella cicada, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We are back from our last hurrah, a weekend of camping. While all the responsible folks stayed home and did their back to school laundry and sharpened their pencils, we sat by the lake and savored the last bit of summer.

Let's be honest. It was hard as hell. A nursling. Two kids in diapers. The woods. Those lakes have so much sun and sand. By nightfall my plan of building up the fire and putting my feet up with a Starr Hill Dark Star Stout dissolved into climbing into bed with the littles at nine pm. Daddy's mattress deflated, and mama was afraid to walk to the bathhouse in the dark at three am.

On saturday one of Ella's classmates was there, so she thoroughly enjoyed having another six year old to play with. On sunday some of the girls from swimming lessons were at the lake, so again she had some buddies. Not that a six year old dragging around a giant blow up turtle has any trouble making friends.

wednesday is the new thursday

I was so happy to find that this week has more days than I thought. I spent the whole day thinking that today was thursday, and that I was going camping with three wee people tomorrow. I was making lists and planning exit strategies. We are camping five miles from home, and it is Ruby's maiden voyage. Number one on the list is finding the queen sized mattress or buying another. The food is going to be very simple, and luckily Ella was waxing poetic about Bush's vegetarian baked beans cooked over the campfire in a cast iron skillet. So, saturday night it is going to be BBQ chicken and tofu, corn on the cob, baked beans, and watermelon. We'll be lake swimming, sand digging, butterfly hunting, walking, and sitting by the fire listening to the roar of the cicadas.

ruby, 9 weeks

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

route 11

route 11 rockbridge, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This picture looks so much better in the large size. All you need now is a mason jar of sweet tea.
We drove up to Waynesboro to pick up Ella on sunday. she been visiting her grandparents all week. One week until the first day of school.

the cairn of august

the cairn of august, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I haven't been writing about vegetables with all the baby goodness around here, but I've been waiting for these to arrive. We did the same CSA as last year, two shares, and we added on a fruit share and a dozen eggs. With the high prices as the grocery store we are paying less for local and organic than we would be for big organic or trucked and tasteless. These are the same vegetables that are at our local farmer's market but at wholesale prices.

This weeks we got tomatoes, purple basil, sweet corn, italian roasting peppers, radicchio, little red potatoes, peaches, nectarines, honey crisp apples, and twelve eggs too big to fit into my refrigerator's egg compartments.

happy birthday, little man

just born, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Three years ago tonight I gave birth to a ten pound, eleven ounce baby boy. Yes, the hard way.

He broke five bones, punctured his lung, and had a lot of bruising, but within days was at home.

Now he wants a puppy and a "tat", both named Georgette.

happy third birthday john

happy birthday, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby june

ruby june, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby june :: eight weeks old

ruby june, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

john in the sky

john in the sky, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

summer

backstroke , originally uploaded by ellajohn.

driven

Ella is apparently "desperate" to have a few things. Her own room, a bunk bed, a pink ipod, a barbie doll, and a puppy. Unfortunately, she isn't going to get any of these things any time soon. She is also currently obsessed with her birthday party and her Halloween costume, both months away. Tonight I asked her for a glass of water while I was nursing the baby, and she said that it would require two dollars. John sent her to her room for the rest of the evening.

Little John went to the barber shop for the first time tonight. He looks very handsome and ready for his third birthday party. I ordered his cake tonight, carrot with cream cheese frosting, and his toys from the "birthday man" aka daddy are hidden away in the closet. John found him a big metal front loading tractor and a John Deere farm set. He has requested that his party be about....ORANGE. Oh, he is the sweetest piece of cake in the whole wide world.

the mama workout

I've gone to "town" every day to take Ella to swimming lessons and a playground excursion, and I am exhausted. My knees are aching. I have got to get in better shape to keep up with three children. I weigh less than I did before I was pregnant with Ruby, but I feel all lumpy and big. The gear for three kids is heavy when it involves an infant carseat, a picnic, towels, and three changes of clothes. This afternoon all four of us fell asleep in the living room floor. I'm going to start powerwalking with the stroller when Ella starts school, and maybe I can get to the gym after bedtime once or twice a week and take a wrecking ball to the baby house.

cucumber picking

cucumber, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

John found the faucet in the middle of my mother's garden and quickly became "washing man", i.e. soaking wet. I love going here because the children need absolutely no toys. Ella spent last week there, and I have been thinking that this kind of week has the kind of authenticity that children truly need. She always comes back with a heightened sense of where food comes from. That and the desire to watch some TV.

two plus one minus towels

I took Ella to swimming lessons this morning and forgot to bring snacks and towels. I'm still working on my getting out of the house skills eight weeks later.

mimosa

ella, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

zucchini pie

Zucchini Pie
Makes approximately 6 servings. ·
3 cups peeled and sliced zucchini · Also good with grated zucchini.
1 cup Bisquick · (Or self rising flour)
½ cup Parmesan cheese ·
½ cup grated cheese·
4 eggs ·
½ cup vegetable oil · (Less works fine)
½ cup chopped onion ·
1 clove garlic, chopped ·
parsley
½ teaspoon salt ·
1/3 teaspoon oregano ·
Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°.In a bowl, combine zucchini, Bisquick, Parmesan and other cheeses, eggs, oil, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, oregano and pepper to taste. Grease a 9-inch by13-inch pan or deep-dish pie plate. Pour ingredients into dish. Bake about 40 minutes.

note to self on how to make dinner this winter

a year of crockpotting