We've been dreaming about the garden this week, pouring over seed catalogs and reading though our garden journal. Ari enjoyed helping me choose seeds, and then, when that got tiresome, went to work on his own "home school project" of drawing the plants we will be growing.
These are our pea vines and our brussel sprouts. They are now up on the kitchen wall helping us to remember that green things will grow again someday.
Ari and Dorian attended a fairy themed birthday party last weekend. Ari insisted he needed a toadstool hat in order to be a "boy fairy" like the little characters in a
Children of the Forest. He changed out of his PJs after these photos were taken and dressed all in grey, they way the children of the forest do. Dorian wanted to be a magical lion, though the costume was quickly abandoned once the party fun began.
Lots of playing outside this week. Dorian is doing well on skis, but gets frustrated. We borrowed the ski attachment for the chariot stroller so I can pull him in it when he is not wanting to ski, but it is hard work! I am not a great skier, and the extra weight makes it rather tricky. Ari wants to ski ski ski and likes an adult with him, so we are trying to find a solution that works for all. Sometimes Dori sits in the garden and cheers us on while we ski back and forth in the front field.
I borrowed Joel Salatin's book from my mom and am enjoying his ranting and raving quite a bit! I was fascinated by the description of his farm in the
Omnivore's Dilemma, and was hoping to read more about it. I'm guessing he must have other books that lay out his farming practices better than this one, but I am still finding it an enjoyable read as food security and homesteading skills have been on my mind a lot lately.
And I am making some headway on Perry's sweater, though it still feels like a way to go. I've never knit anything adult sized before, and woah- there is a lot of knitting in an adult sized sweater! I might put off my plans to knit myself one for awhile and work on some small, easy, instant-gratification projects for a bit.
Happy Thursday everyone!
Oh, my! I'm reading the same book. I found it at the thrift store last week. He's such a character. I love it. I first heard of him in the Omivore's Dilema and have kept tabs on him since. Lovely post, as usual, BTW. Wave!
ReplyDeleteOh, fun that you are reading it too! He makes me laugh, but has lots of good things to say. It makes me itchy to get out in the dirt again!
DeleteDear Taisa...I have been an absentee friend as of late ~ and I am having fun catching up! Oh, gardening enticements abound here, too. Guess what? I spy a journal the very same as mine...and I love it! It is rather handy and helpful. I always start the year about now with such good intention and detailed notes, and then it slowly falls by the wayside as more time is spent outdoors actually in the garden. Does that happen to you, too? Maybe this will be the year I'll be more diligent...I love the little toadstool hat! Huckley has a similar one to dress up as the children of the forest. We might do a little play with all our children one day based on that book ~ fun!!! Hugs of happiness sent your way:)
ReplyDeletexo Jules
Jules- Yes, we love that garden journal! It is all warped from being left in the rain and smudged with dirt, but we love it. We are not very consistent about writing in it either, but last year I was a little better at recording which varieties did well. Oh, a Children of the Forest play! Couldn't you live a little closer so we could put it on together? Sigh.
DeleteHugs to you and your lovelies!
I love Ari's rich black soil and the toadstool hat! All of Elsa Beskow's books are favourites around here too! Great photos!
ReplyDelete~ joey ~
Joey- he was quite certain that black was the colour for soil- not brown. I good sign I think!
Deletethat toad stool hat is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Maura!
DeleteOh, Taisa. I love the sweater you are doing for Perry- what a gorgeous color! I still have yet to actually purchase the yarn for the sweater Andy was supposed to get for Christmas last year. . . he is so utterly simplistic, he wants charcoal gray.
ReplyDeleteOh, those boys- and your homelife, our lives move so similarly! We are together dreaming of the gardens!
I love, love the children of the forest costume- though I don't see his gray outfit, I can only imagine how adorable!! I have wanted to dress up my littles as the children for years- maybe I can entice them to all do it together this Halloween, with Shea in braids!!! Oh gosh. Then, I could be the mama and put my baby on my back!
<3 have a wonderful weekend!
Oh, your little forest children would be so adorable! And you in your apron with the baby on your back!
DeleteI love Joel Salatin. He was quite an inspiration for our farm 3 years ago. I LOVE the little toadstool!
ReplyDeleteI just had that book from the library...his ranting and raving sure is fun to read, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteI love the toadstool hat!
I noticed the black soil, too. :) I am, as always, so impressed with your projects, esp. the adult sized sweater! I would probably use yarn as thick as my arm if I attempted something like that.
ReplyDeleteSkiing for small ones is sometimes much easier if the poles are entirely removed from the equation - though I am sure the Jackrabbit program espouses the same. We have similar ski time with Felix - he skis for about 30 seconds ( though he is on the strap-on baby skis, which look like they would indeed by frustrating), and then he hops in and out of the Chariot a lot. And kudos to you, classic skiing with a Chariot is really hard - I have skied many km with a Chariot behind me, and only about 1 of them have been classic skiing!
gardeniong and seeding dreaming here too. the oldest filled out his veru own seed order in january, mailed it off and was so THRILLED when it showed up down the driveway in the mailbox. and little basil babies are growing near the bright light on window sill (they couldn't wait!)
ReplyDeleteyour knitting is so very beautiful. i am still hoping to find a super chunky neutral off white or similar to begin a rime frost cowl. it will be a huge step up for me. already the circular needles have me confused as i practise on them. i tried knitting with two yarns together to see if if i could come up with chunky, but it seems awkward on the circulars.
lovely photos as always, you are so very talented :)