sick house

For the past two weeks I've been stumbling around glassy eyed, making food and changing diapers, driving to school and knitting my socks, making lists and running the dishwasher. Ella, John, and I have all had strep, and now I've got it again. Tiny people have thrown up in my hands and pooped in their beds. I've boiled our toothbrushes and purchased disinfectant bathroom cleaner. I've washed my hands until they are raw. I'm just so tired that I can't believe that it is sunday night.

needle felted

ella's headband, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

outside day

outside day, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

john counts to 100

john counts to 100, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

saying something

Well, we are here, all recovered from the scarlet fever. Really. How quaint are we? It was painful, and I actually spent some time lying in my bed moaning. Medieval. Ruby has a bit of a fever and runny nose, but it is mild and unrelated.

I'm ready for spring.

I'm ready for something new. But I think I better learn the technical aspects of my new camera first.

star

star, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

winter girl

winter girl, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

snowflakes

snowflakes, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

The snow kept us home from school today, but the kids were up doing homework before eight this morning.

I'm turning my thoughts to the New Year, new inspirations, new ways to think about things, perhaps a new address and a new rhythm to our days, one that will get us out of the car and into the forests and meadows of our small mountain town.

play

ella plays, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

On Christmas morning there was a castle in our living room. I wanted to get them a present that all three would want to play with, and I think I was successful. It was made in Maine by a family owned company called Elves and Angels. The figures are made in Germany, and we have knights, a horse, a royal family, a dragon and a wizard. Ruby has rounded up some other wooden animals as well, so there is quite a menagerie in the courtyard.

Between Santa and the tall stack of presents that poured out of Granny's station wagon, the kids were showered with gifts, geodes to crack, real tools, and a life sized waldorf friend for Miss Ruby. John has been playing Legos and racing little cars around a track. This week they are back in school and trying to figure out how to incorporate some of their new gifts into their science fair projects.

I'm almost sad to see the season pass. I had such a nice time staying at home, and I'm ordering a white christmas again next year, that and bigger stockings. I'm still working on a few handmade gifts, but today I cleared the christmas greens out of the house, and the tree will come down this weekend. We'll settle a little deeper into winter.

gingerbread

serious housebuilding, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Granny and the kids made gingerbread houses.

the first light of advent is the light of stones

the first light of advent is the light of stones, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.

The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Roots, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit by whom we live and grow.

The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
Animals of farm, field, forest, air, and seas.
All await the birth in greatest and in least.

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind.
The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.

Steiner

We set up a Waldorf inspired advent table this year, and Ella really seemed to enjoy it. We used our birthday ring and put some of the elements from the verse in the four corners. She loved the crystals, seashells, and bones , and she received some amethyst, quartz, and zeolite crystals to place there.She put the little wool faeries our friend made in the corner to represent the light of humankind. She has been writing poetry lately, and she liked reading the verses aloud when we lit the candles, and by Christmas Day she had it memorized.

We put up our twenty five red felt stockings in the kitchen to count our December days, but we didn't even do every day. I was determined that I wasn't going to purchase "things" to put in the stockings, so I made little scrolls that said things like "bake cookies" or "drink hot chocolate together".

Happy Birthday Grandmarie

Happy Birthday Grandmarie
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

christmas ruby

christmas ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Can you tell?

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Mama got a new camera just before the holidays, but she hasn't really had time to learn how to use it. After a year of saving birthday money, change, and making waldorf dolls for other people, I got the Nikon D3100. I've always had a Canon camera, but I'm going to give this one a spin.

sunflower

sunflower, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Sunflower is Ruby's handmade gift for Christmas. I still haven't finished her pile of Princess and The Pea mattresses, but they are in the queue.

winter elf

elfing, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

About two days before Christmas John gave his sisters a knowing look and wondered out loud what Mama was making him for Christmas. I'd been wanting to make him a Meathead hat from Larissa Brown's book, Knitalong, Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together, and I slipped out to the yarn shop for a little celebration of the last minute. It wasn't finished by Christmas morning, but I don't think he noticed.