rolling

rolling, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Moving the children's kitchen up from the playroom to the living room has been a lot of fun. Our house looks even more like a preschool, but I get to see this little person don her chef's hat and apron many times a day. Here she is "rolling" herself out. It is the kind of play that suits all of our ages. Ella writes the menus and orders, John generally cooks, and Ruby is both a cook and a waiter.

ruby at the stove

ruby at the stove, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

kneading

kneading, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

tree on stump

tree on stump, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We spent the weekend in Richmond, and I did the Monument Ave 10K with our friend Esther. My toenails are still aching, and I have a blood blister on my heel, but our team raised nearly four thousand dollars for the Massey Cancer Center. Thanks to all of you who donated to the efforts of TeamSter. I want to do it again next year, faster and with better socks.

happy birthday Hallie

happy birthday Hallie, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

This little Waldorf style doll has a crocheted wig with an entire skein of incredible red hair tied on one strand at a time. I know how a little girl likes to make braids, then ponies, and then let the dolls hair down. When I saw this haircolor I knew that I had to make this little one for a feisty little redhead in our lives.

Hallie the Second

16' waldorf doll, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Here is my latest Waldorf doll.

sally, five

sally, five, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

kindergarten

kindergarten
Originally uploaded by ellajohn

He is going for his half day visit next week, and he can't seem to stop singing about it. Today he was out riding his bike with John and had his first big fall. He skinned his knee and had a bloody nose, and when he got home he didn't want to talk about it. Tonight in the bathtub he said that he really hadn't crashed. He just had some birthmarks that I had never noticed.

crochetting

crochetting, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

These are super quick to make me feel a little bit dressed up. I even started a hat for myself but ran out of the yarn. I love the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride wool, and there is a little ruffle at the wrist.

celtic woman

celtic woman, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

We are enthralled to be able to do anything outside.

college

sbp, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

high school

1984, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

middle school

sixth grade, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Spring

Just in case anyone needs to know what I want for mother's day..... I'm sure I'd be just as happy with one made out of macaroni, but isn't this just so pretty?

birth of the cool

John says that when he puts on my glasses he can see everything in 3D. Actually, he says, it looks like he is about to fall in a big hole.

Today he shouted that he needed to talk about some letters that might go with double circles that make the ooooooo sound. He knew that an L on the end sounded like "OOL" and he wanted to add a SSSSS sound to write "cool" and a "Tu' sound to write "tool".

He is going to learn to read and write before he masters the alphabet.

past blast

leaf looking, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

she blinded me with science

she blinded me with science, originally uploaded by ellajohn.

Every child at our school does a science fair project. There are no ribbons and no winners, but each child in kindergarten through eighth grade gathers on an early spring evening to stand by their work and present it to friends and family.

I picked up some "crystal" pipe cleaners to make models of the crystals she grew in solution, and by the end of the night they had become a hat. I'm always amazed by how poised she can be speaking to adults.

needle

Because my husband is so very groovy, he sent me on a virtual scavenger hunt for Valentine's Day. A google map led me to this incredible patch of forest to meet with an acupuncturist. I was met by a friendly dog and walked up the drive in the snow. I would swear that there were faeries there and certainly a few ghosts. I crossed a small arched bridge and entered her round healing house. In a cloud of bergamot and spearmint, she put four needles in my ears, one in my right wrist, and many in my left foot. I was left alone in a humming room with a view of the woods. My brain continued it's usual chatter, but I felt warm and floaty.

Solitude is what I crave right now, so I had a perfect day. Afterwards, I went out to lunch by myself and drank cup after cup of spiced tea in an indian restaurant. Then I fingered the yarn at a local yarnshop. I bought some Malabrigo Aquarella in a lavender, blue, rose colorway to finish an over the top Waldorf doll for Ella. She has long grey hair with the lavender woven through it and a circlet of felt oak leaves and needle felted acorns. I've been wanting to experiment with making dolls that are not young girls, and I am inspired by the mother earth character in The Root Children.

Everyone is asleep, and I can sit with my tea and Ravelry. A friend showed me how to knit Continental style as opposed to English, and I can't wait to try it. Isn't life all about learning and unlearning? Picking or throwing? What shall it be?