rainbow school

rainbow school, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Friday was Ella's last day as a first grader. Even the sky was celebrating. She is so lucky to be at this amazing little school.

dance

dance
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

ella hugs her teacher

ella hugs her teacher, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

birthday ring

Who can believe that Ruby will be celebrating her first birthday in less than two weeks? I ordered her a Spiel und Holz birthday ring that we can use for all the children's birthdays. It is natural wood with white candles, and I got her a gnome, a fairy, a red hedgehog, and a a number one. I've always wanted one, so we are starting some sweet new birthday traditions in our home. I'm going to make her a little wool felt birthday crown as well.

I celebrated my forty third birthday this saturday. We were all a bit tired with all the school festivities last week, but my little tribe worked so hard to make it a wonderful day. They told many hilarious fibs about why and where they had to go shopping, but they managed to get a new picnic table into our tiny car, unassembled of course. We had shrimp for dinner and a cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Yesterday we went for a hike at the pond, and today we went to a cello concert. Summer is finally here.

listen to my hike

listen to my hike
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

My beloved and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary on saturday. We spent the weekend in a a cabin at Mountain Lake with our children, hiking, swimming, playing lawn chess, and birdwatching. We listened to the clamor of frogs at night and songs of the barn swallows by day. There was hot tubbing, pool shooting, and even a magic show.
Almost one, three, and seven required some heavy lifting.

On saturday we wanted to go on a hike around the lake but knew that John probably wouldn't make it and would have to be carried. I told John to go ahead and enjoy the walk, and I kept the kids in the cabin. John and Ella got in bed and slept, and Ruby and I played on the front porch. When he got back I decided to take the same hike. It was gorgeous. The forest around here is so primordial. I saw a scarlet tanager, a flicker of orangey red in the rhododendron. I walked a narrow path through fern and moss and twisted tree roots, and then the path grew rocky, winding through rocks the size of city buses. I emerged from the woods to walk across the empty lakebed imagining the myriad of fossils beneath my feet.

ella::john

ella::john, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

mountain lake

mountain lake, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

rocking ruby

rocking ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

vegetables

vegetables, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

first time in the sandbox

first time in the sandbox, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

man, three

The little man thought he'd try something new today and yelled at me quite loudly in the drugstore. He thought I might purchase him a digital camera if he was just loud enough. Oh, the despair.

ruby

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

best family in my whole entire life

best family in my whole entire life
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

pink lemonade and the chicken dance

We took the children and one of their little friends to the local Mexican dive last night at seven pm. I know, the witching hour. A mariachi band started, and they were scared that those loud guys in costumes were going to get close to them. They did. Ruby absolutely loved it and was dancing in her high chair, conducting with a straw. Daddy was the only one willing to dance, but little John said it was the best day of his life.

eye

eye, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Here I am in my driving machine. I am a hauler of children, library books, imaginary petshops, and a violin. My trunk generally contains lunch for three, snacks, a stroller, gardening tools, and grocery bags. I am a traveling preschool on wheels.

headed for the second grade

orange, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

positive

While I'm over here boiling in my own cauldron of bile, I thought I'd link to a more positive vibration. This is where I'm headed, as soon as I can pull my head out of my backside.

happy girl

happy girl, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

look, no hands

look, no hands, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ella

ella, originally uploaded by ellajohn.