snowfamily

snowfamily, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ella made

ella made, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Here are Ella's new knitting needles. About once a month I let her stay up late and make something with me. It is nice to be able to work on something with her without the little toddler hands trying to reach for every sharp object we have.

We are hoping to make a few more sets of these to sell at the Chocolate Party to benefit our school next Saturday.

The Rowan Kidsilk Haze is waiting for me to get a knitwit and make an ethereal flower scarf or decorate some little mittens.

miss ruby

miss ruby, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

ella's gloves

ella's gloves, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

good morning

I heard the snow plow go by the house last night and knew that it would be here when I woke up. I kids were fairly unrestrainable when they woke up. Eventually they just came to me room and sang "Good morning, good morning, it's great to stay up late". Singing in the Rain again. Then they tried to do some sun salutations in my bed. I think we have about ten inches of snow at this point, and I think I'm going to go press another pot of Russell's delicious coffee.

props

John didn't wear a beard yesterday, but he spent the whole day with a paperback book tucked under his arm with a conspicuous bookmark. He has been "doing a lot of reading". He just came downstairs today with the book under his arm again.

fourness dressed as his daddy

fourness dressed as his daddy, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Imagine this small person having a tantrum in the middle of Kroger. Theater in the round. He had a tough afternoon. Even at bedtime he was crying that his pajamas just didn't look right.

moses supposes

moses supposes
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

jaunt

Ruby and I just went away for the weekend. A very quick short weekend. It was fun to just have one child for thirty six hours, and I think the big kids enjoyed being with their daddy. I was about to say that I went to two birthday parties, and then I realized that only one was a party. I went to the seventy ninth birthday celebration of a family friend. Today was my brother's birthday, and we stood around in his kitchen talking and eating hard boiled eggs. It was a low key party, and Ruby and I were the only guests, just the way he likes it.

beatbox

beatbox
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

ruby's new poncho

ruby's new poncho, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

she speaks

I'm blathering on about getting ready to go, getting our coats on, getting our shoes on, getting our lunchboxes, getting our hats on, and Ruby calmly looks at me and says, "The door is locked."

She knows all the words.

listening

listening, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

If I put this on in the car Ella will say, "Hush, John, It is the cello"

playing spy

playing spy, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Lyra face paints have been a huge hit around here.

breakin' up christmas

breakin' up christmas, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Hooray Jake, hooray John
breakin' up christmas all night long
Santa Claus, done and gone
breakin' up christmas right straight along.

Don't you remember a long time ago
The old folks danced the doesey-doe.

Breakin' up christmas is a tradional appalachian tune I always think of when we are carrying out the tree and packing up all the decorations. I was sad to see the tree go this year. I think it may be the prettiest one we've had even if Ruby did keep the bottom half fairly undecorated.

These are the nutcrackers I got for the children, and the nut bowl is starting to get low. John has a hard time so Ella cracks the nuts for both of them. I like to see them sitting at the table together eating nuts and talking, just the two of them.

happy new year

happy new year, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

holiday

holiday, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

rubymama

rubymama, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

So, it may be the sixth of January and I have yet to lay down some new year's resolutions. I'm cooking them up in a a pot. Maybe I'm waiting for this tree to come down or my toes to warm up. It is going to be out with the old and in with the new.

I'm thinking about thai cooking, christmas stockings , knit wits, the alphabet, curtains, ways to hide televisions, floor coverings, moving, tiny mittens, cursive, and exercise. I'm thinking about the people around me who are truly genuine. I'm thinking about positive energy, about religion, about Walt Whitman. Bach and beat boxing. I'm thinking about my littles, my partner, myself.