playin' and makin'

Well, we have survived the flu bugs and are (mostly) through the post- sick- grumps, and we've been busy creating and building and making all sorts of things. We made some mousie valentines- they just need their tales and messages of love written inside for friends and family.
After the valentine project the boys made their own paper craft project that involved cutting up tiny pieces of paper and stirring them in the kitchen pots. I also heard the door open and close several time and found lots of paper bits outside in the snow- coloured hail apparently. At one point Ari held out the pot of paper and said "would you like any gloomy spectacles?" I'm not sure if that is something you wear or eat, but I was took some just the same and thankfully it didn't make me gloomy at all.

I finished a pair of fingerless mitts and this was the best I could do at photographing them myself with a 50mm lens. I like the final product, but didn't enjoy knitting them much- long ribbed tubes in thin sock yarn took forever and was pretty mindless. Looking for a more interesting next project. But it was fun to end up with something for myself! During the week of sick I spent some sewing time turning an old sweater into a dress and pair of pants for a birthday girl. I had such fun making this- figuring out a pattern for the dress and finding materials I had on hand to make it work. The purple trim is from a merino wool jersey top that I had used parts of, but I still had enough for this. I hope these will be some good warm layers for a little girl that has been having trouble staying warm in the cold weather.I also worked on a project that I had to borrow the boys new paints for. More on that later.

And both Ari and Dorian have been building and creating elaborate scenes. They start with setting up a wooden train track and they they get to constructing buildings and barnyards and animal habitats around the tracks.I especially liked this part of one of Ari's scenes- a robin wearing a "cape" playing electric guitar on a (literal) rock stage. The glasses came from my mom, and they come in handy when the small creatures need to rock out!
Dorian set up this scene on top of the toy shelf. I love listening to his little voice as he plays- he really sinks into his play with a lot of depth for such a little one, and the characters are always chatting away to each other, solving their problems and then getting tucked in to bed. Sounds good to me!
I hope you had a great weekend, friends.

new words

Dorian has has been changing and growing and learning so much lately and I've been feeling like I want to preserve it all somehow. He is so much fun, such a happy and contented little guy, often off playing his own games- he loved the wooden cars and the toy animals and the pots and pans. He has been practicing his jumping lately- which is so outrageously cute as his feet don't leave the ground despite enormous energetic attempts and a big proud grin. He also has some groovy shoulder-shrugging-head-bopping--spin around dance moves that are very fine.

Tonight he learned how to play the kazoo just in time to join Ari's "band," and he was so very proud of himself. (If you would like to picture this scene for a moment- Mama and Papa snuggled on the chair with the boys on the couch singing and ukulele-ing and kazooing for all they're worth, us holding in our laughter at the cuteness of it, them, ever so earnest about their performance. We do keep each other entertained over here.)

He is talking a bunch these days- his newest words are "moomie" (smoothie,) "up" (for up, down, out etc.) "hot" (for hot, cold, or otherwise uncomfortable,) "pop pop" (popcorn,) "oooohhh noooo!" when something has gone wrong and "woaaah!" when something is impressive. And, most importantly, "nanu." (his word for mama's milk.) I hear this one a lot!


And Ari too has lots of new words and complicated stories to share these days. Like yesterday he was telling me about a guy who makes music on a tree (a cool video we found via Wendy that we all love,) and how he uses his fiddlestick to make a sound on the branch. I was confused for a moment wondering what he meant by fiddlestick, but then I realized he meant a violin bow of course! Could these kids be any cuter?

I hope your weekend is full of lots of sweet moments!

moon pajamas

At the supper table Ari looks out the window from his seat and excitedly points out the moon peeking out from the clouds.
"Did you bring the moon, Papa?" he asks.
"No. The moon comes out when she is ready," says Papa. Ari thinks about this for a minute.
"And she comes to play with us. She puts on her PJ's and comes out to play with us!"
"Oh!" we say. "Wow!"
"Ya look," he points. "Look, can you see her PJ's? They are very shiny. "
"Yes," we say. "They are."
And they were. Those moon pajamas were beautiful and wonder-ful and shiny. Just like my sweet moon-loving boy.

dragon hugs

Yesterday Ari and I were in the garden picking the last few strawberries of the season. I went around behind the bed to pick the back ones and he called out,

"Mama, the dragons are there!"

"Oh no!" said I.

"Oh it's okay, they are friendly dragons. They don't eat people, just strawberries."

"Hmm. That's good. What are their names?"

"Toby and Filo. One is green and white and one is soooo brownish."

I just keep picking strawberries and smiling.

"They are so friendly mama. They love to hug people and snuggle them in their beds!"

"Oh wow!" I say. "I would love a dragon hug sometime."

"Mama!" he says with wonder and awe in his voice, "One is snuggling you right now!"

and so it is that I got a friendly dragon hug right in my own backyard.

I hope you all have such luck in your next few days.

And us, we are heading off for another camping trip and to attend the end of Ali's amazing skeena swim.

We are feeling pretty lucky all round and excited that we will get to meet up with Annie and her family while we are there.

As far as that giveaway I mentioned, I didn't get the post together so it will happen early next week. Promise.