Saturday, September 03, 2011

john b

john b by ellajohn
john b, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

natural bridge

sept3 004 by ellajohn
sept3 004, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

three

natural bridge by ellajohn
natural bridge, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

ella

ella by ellajohn
ella, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

This big sassy fourth grader has been under the weather for a while now. We went back to the doctor this week, and she is getting another Lyme test. She had a rash, large circular marks on her torso and legs, and has had a headache and nausea. Last week she had a very high white count, and by the end of this week it was going down. Today the rash seems to be gone. I'm looking forward to hearing from the doctor on monday.

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Thursday, August 25, 2011

play dough

play dough by ellajohn
play dough, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

She wants to be in the red room too.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

flower picker

flower picker by ellajohn
flower picker, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

I think there were more yellow flowers than she could comprehend. We camped for the weekend and then came back to start school on monday. It is a new year of sorts for mamas. I have a lot of work to do at school this week, but next week I'm considering some new routines, the library, bike rides on the Huckleberry, a new photography class. I'm looking longingly at my knitting needles.

The nights are dipping into the forties, but the days are hot. I love the long slow fall into winter. I get quite the thrill thinking about cooking beans in the crock pot.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

gone camping

tents by ellajohn
tents, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

sweater

I slept with the door to the outside porch wide open last night and woke up cold. The birds were awake at one in the morning talking in the trees outside my window, and this morning I'm wearing a sweater. Change is in the air, in the minds of spiders, and in the slant of the sun.

I've been working on many things to help start the school year, and now my head hurts and I can't turn my head to the left. It is just stress, and I'm really ready to let it go. I'm ready to knit.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

end of summer

pony by ellajohn
pony, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

This is the last week of summer. Next monday we'll head back to school, the fouth grade and another year of kindergarten.

We are going to make one quick trip to the woods for a little camping before fall starts to settle in around us. Woods with wild ponies, blackberries, a big campfire, and quiet nights.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

6

rainbow head by ellajohn
rainbow head, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

We were a block away from home when we spotted this and jumped out of the car.

John had a great birthday. He was surprised by 22 kids and their families at the lake. We swam, played, and ate watermelon and ice cream sandwiches.

He said, "This is amazing".

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Sriracha Grilled Tofu

I love Korean food. I like the funk and the pow and heat that makes you break out in a sweat. We have only one child at home this week, and I want to make this. Children just can't eat this.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

joytime

ruby by ellajohn
ruby, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

I took Ruby to the lake today, and she spent most of the time crouching down in the water and jumping up as high as she can. I asked her what she was doing and she replied over and over, 'jumping for joy".

We should all take a few more cues from three year olds.


lunchbox time

reuseit.com by ellajohn
reuseit.com, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

John needs to bring his lunch and snack in separate bags this year, so I think the snacks will be traveling in this little washable robot bag. I also ordered a couple of bamboo sporks and have plans for making a pile of cloth napkins.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

floydfest X

floydfest 10 by ellajohn
floydfest 10, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

We are home from four days of a music festival up on the mountain in beautiful Floyd, Virginia. I slept on a yoga mat in the woods for three nights, and it might be the year to invest in something more comfortable. On saturday night when I went to bed the ground was still vibrating with music, and I heard it didn't stop until four am. I still haven't declared a "favorite" for the weekend. Yonder Mountain String Band. Peter Rowan, Larry Keel, Old Crow Medicine Show. Too many to count really. It was a beautiful summer weekend with shooting stars, fireworks, thunderstorms, Dark Star Stout, friends, fiddles, banjos, dancing, and happy kids.

henna

henna by ellajohn
henna, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

Someone is growing up quicklly. No face paints for her this year, but she did want to get a henna design with a snake, the sun, and the moon.

puppets

puppets by ellajohn
puppets, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

up

up by ellajohn
up, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

sparkles and feathers

sparkles and feathers by ellajohn
sparkles and feathers, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

festival ruby

festival ruby by ellajohn
festival ruby, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

sun

sun by ellajohn
sun, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

dancing

dancing by ellajohn
dancing, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

Monday, August 01, 2011

yoga

yoga by ellajohn
yoga, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

She calls it "yoda".

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

gone camping

gone camping by ellajohn
gone camping, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

We'll be back on Sunday.

shine

high summer by ellajohn
high summer, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

waves

waves by ellajohn
waves, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

red

red by ellajohn
red, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

orange

orange by ellajohn
orange, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

summer

summer by ellajohn
summer, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Moo

Moo by ellajohn
Moo, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

We were out at the park in Newport listening to some old time music, and the kids and I walked over to visit some cows and watch the swallows swooping and diving at twilight. The largest cow gave us a big "Moo", and Ruby thought that cow was talking just to her. She may have read about cows saying moo in storybooks, but this was her first real live cow conversation. This is her telling the story. Three is joyful, theatrical, and downright loud.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

festival

ellablue by ellajohn
ellablue, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

I have taken a little break from my camera this week, but I promise I'll be back with a vengeance. I've been in the car a lot and it has been too hot to leave it in there.

Yesterday we stayed up to our necks in lakewater as much as possible. Today the littlests are playing with Legos while papa and Ella bike from Wytheville to Galax.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

faerieland or bust

faerieland or bust by ellajohn
faerieland or bust, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

We are headed out to the magical woods next week for four days of camping and music. The kids don't want to talk about anything else.

John has been in bug camp all week, so the girls and I have been out and about. It it is hot and humid, and tomorrow we are going to the lake for the day.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

tuesday

One day someone will buy my house, and we will move somewhere else.

today

sunflowers by ellajohn
sunflowers, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Thursday, July 14, 2011

John, July 2008

my own baby by ellajohn
my own baby, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

The little man is about to turn six. These days he spends more time talking about Star Wars legos than cuddling baby dolls. Not that he knows the first thing about Star Wars, but he needs four hundred dollars for the Death Star.

He had some strange circular marks on his leg and shoulder the other day, and I took him to the doctor. They aren't really sure what it is, but they are going to treat him for Lyme disease just in case. At his age it is fourteen days of amoxicillan. He is pretending that it tastes great to make his sisters feel like they are missing out on something.

Monday, July 11, 2011

pink echinacea

pink echinacea by ellajohn
pink echinacea, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

bread

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by ellajohn
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

Bake it. Life if really too short.

Friday, July 08, 2011

self

self by ellajohn
self, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

The hardest part about taking pictures of yourself is that then you have to see yourself.

my little man

my little man by ellajohn
my little man, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

He has a lot of questions. The other day he said, "Mama, why do you girls wear your testicles on your chests?"

I thought I was going to fall down.

sunflower field

sunflower field by ellajohn
sunflower field, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

We visited some friends last week and spent the whole day with them. The children would have happily moved in with them and spent the rest of the summer. They took rabbits in the house and set up a bunny school. The two three year olds picked all the blackberries they could reach and then fed them to each other with Junebugs zooming and buzzing around the sunny field. We ate in the yard with the chickens, did some swinging, and then went swimming.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Sunday, July 03, 2011

summer

self by ellajohn
self, a photo by ellajohn on Flickr.

I'm at my mama's playing, cooking, reading, wine drinking, taking pictures, picking blackberries, eating fried green tomatoes, making peach pie, eating breakfast outside, going swimming, playing with rabbits, collecting bugs, and generally enjoying summer.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011