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

7 weeks

7 weeks, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

floyd fest

wagon, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We are back from the woods. Our third Floyd Fest was loads of fun, exhausting. sweaty, dirty fun with three little people. John and Ella camped out for three nights, but Ri and the two littlest came home with me each night. We packed in the picnics and whatever the campers needed, and my knees are still aching. I'm posting six of my favorite pictures, but I didn't capture the ambience of the festival this year. Here are my pictures from last year. The festival is a feast for the eyes apart from the amazing selection of live music. I just don't snap as many pictures with a newborn strapped to my chest. She did wonderfully in the sling. Her only complaint was the Avett Brothers. Too loud for a girl of six weeks. Ella loved days of running around with her friends, hula hooping, and going to see fire dancing at night. Little John, "watermelon man" was happy as usual. He used the stroller as a climbing structure, rediscoved the wheel, and listened to a lot of banjo.

ella

ella, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Ella picked out the beads and strung this necklace for herself. She'd wear a chandelier around her neck if she could. I thought that beading would be a nice Zen activity for her, and it is, but she is so concerned with symetry that she gets somewhat obsessive.

lips

lips, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

peace::out

peace::out, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby::morning

ruby::morning, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

spinning

spinning, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby june, six weeks

ruby june, six weeks, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Ruby June is headed out to the woods to listen to some fiddles and banjos this weekend. When she gets back her mama is going to start blogging again.

girls

the girls, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

five weeks

five weeks, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

going to the zoo,zoo,zoo....

tiger, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

John was cracking himeself up by climbing up on this tiger; we might think that he had climbed on the back of an actual zoo animal..

pipevine swallowtail

hands, originally uploaded by ellajohn

Butterflies were congregating in the wet sand at the water's edge, and they were content to be picked up on scoops of damp sand. Ella also has a sort of freakish affinity for flying things. This little beach is in the state park about fifteen minutes from home. We even camped here last summer, and I'd like to do it again in August.

ruby::lake

ruby::lake, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

On friday we met a friend at the lake for the morning. I was wondering how I was going to take three kids, but Ruby was saintly and took a four hour nap in her carseat at the waterline. There was a nice breeze and I covered the whole seat with a white blanket. Ella and her friend played happily in the water, and even John decided to brave the water. He usually sets up camp with a shovel in the sand, but he put on a floaty and rode a noodle "dolphin" like the big girls.

grandmarie

grandmother , originally uploaded by ellajohn.

four weeks

After not writing a word for four weeks it is almost hard to say anything at all. My mother left monday afternoon, so I've managed to keep all my children by myself for more than forty eight hours. They had baths. I fed them healthy homemade food. I'm going to take the three littles to the lake at the state park on friday, my first solo outing.

I'm elated and yet ready to cry at every second.

Ruby sleeps at night. And I mean all night. She mumbles a bit, nurses, and then falls right back to sleep for hours. If I nurse her she will stay asleep for twelve hours or even more. By day, she is awake and wants to be held. She is content to ride in a sling, and I'm going to have to learn to do everything while she is in there. I'm not sleep deprived, just overwhelmed with the needs of three little people.

It feels very lonely.

ruby::three weeks

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

three week feet

three week feet, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

stalking barbara kingsolver

field trip, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Our big children are back after a week at camp Granny and Grampy. We have been at home staring at wee number three and cruising around the mountains like tourists. We heard that their was a local food restaurant in Meadowview, Virginia that might have something to do with Barbara Kingsolver, so we drove down for lunch. The Harvest Table was homey, fresh, and delicious. The potato salad had grated carrots and fresh dill. I had a chicken and vegetable wrap, and I think that even the wrap was homemade. The menu features locally sourced produce, meats, and cheeses. No, Barbara Kingsolver was not in the kitchen, but this sweet little spot seems right up her alley and in her neck of the woods. I think I've even convinced my husband to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle as soon as he is finished Sandburg's biography of Lincoln. He and I were once in the same book club, but he eventually dropped out when he refused to read any fiction. Hence, he has never even heard of The Poisonwood Bible.

2 week feet

2 week feet, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby::bath

ruby::bath, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby, seven days old

ruby, seven days old, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby, five days old

ruby, five days old, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby june

ruby june, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby

ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

looks like first grade

ella, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

2 days old

2 days old, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby::feet

ruby::feet, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

kate's quilt

kate's quilt, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

sisters

sisters, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

toes

toes, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby comes home

ruby comes home, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ruby june

miss ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

nine pounds, 13 oz
22 inches
born at five fifteen pm on thursday
dark brown hair and blue eyes

five am

We are headed for the hospital at five am tomorrow morning to attempt to coax Miss Ruby out. The doctor doesn't think she'll need much coaxing. Cross your fingers people. Under ten pounds. Under ten pounds. Under ten pounds.

Thanks for all the calls and messages today. That was sweet.

baby owl arrives

baby owl arrives, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

I cut out an owl family of four for John, but I wanted him to have at least one before I left for the hospital. I want to make a nubby stripey brown felted bowl for their nest. His baby owl in his belly has been hurting him for the past few nights. He has been eating a big dinner, pound cake with strawberries, and then his new favorite, "banana under yogurt".