Building fairy houses in the woods. The wind was blowing and this was very urgent and important work-to make shelter for the little people and make sure the birch bark furniture the boys had built on an earlier day didn't blow away. This is one of the first places to melt out on the property and a favorite spring place to visit. So wonderful to be out in the woods again!

Needle felting: above are Dori's penguins- the left is with some help from mama, the right is totally on his own. I love them both!

Ari's redwing blackbird. He made this on his own, including the nest and the wet felted egg. He threaded a string on its back so it can fly.

First spring cookout. Still a bit chilly but lovely none-the-less. It is such a treat when spring allows us to spend more time outside than in- riding bikes, walks by the river, digging in the garden, playing with friends. We are all so glad that spring is here!

Dori's favorite picture from his favorite spring book "Home for a Bunny" by Margret Wise Brown. We have read this many times together over the past few days, and he gets a kick out of this silly baby bird. I think Ari could read this one to him soon.

 It's raining hard outside, and we are happily watching it wash the snow away. Inside there is some homeschooling and creating and playing and drawing going on, and always the wonderful creative mess of little ones at home, following their creative flow. I do have to remind myself that it is all so good- the explosions from the "imagination box" full of q-tip and scotch tape creations, the elaborate towers and town set ups that fill the entire living room, the endless paper airplane design experiments, the stacks of drawings of monsters and pirates and volcanoes and birds, the (ever so noisy!) tin-box-drum kit that is set up over and over on the coffee table- it is all so wonderful. 

A bonus of homeschooling: doing math on the floor in your PJ's!

We are working with our second 4 process math block of the year and Ari has been really enjoying it, Having left all that new learning from the first block to the "sleep cycle" has really allowed it to settle in and become second nature. He loves the characters from the 4 process story, and finds it fun to do word problems based around them- Max Multiply getting in trouble gathering up all sorts of farm produce was a favorite, and Dori wants in on the fun too. It seems impossible for the younger homeschooled sibling not to be working with concepts that really are too old for them, but I try to keep it in the "play realm," and it is amazing how fluid it is for him. He can easily do simple equations with his own set of counting stones, but there is a feeling of play and lightness to it that is so different from the intense focus of a first grader. It will be interesting to see how he takes to the stories when he meets them again in grade one.

Often he just wants to draw, draw, draw anyway, and ignores what else is going on. This picture was called "The Root Children and the Blue Pigeon." I'm thinking that sounds like the start of a rather fine tale!

We all spent time with the bird books, drawing some of our favorites (hence Dori's blue pigeon!) This is Ari's house finch. 

And there has been time for mama too, some knitting and planning and drinking of tea. And yes, even a nap with my feet up. Ah yes, it is good.

around here:

spring books are out:

maple syrup on waffles; and look at that grin! 

We've been slowly going off GAPS over the past couple months, and every new food we introduce back in has been cause for celebration. These are grain-free waffles (Perry has become the waffle-making expert around here-) but the addition of maple syrup was a thrill. We are eating a few grains now, quinoa, rice and corn (had to get that corn under our belts before the trip to Mexico!) all soaked or fermented- or mostly anyway. I admit, having rice pasta around has been a treat, and some rice crackers crossed our lips on our trip, but I have been trying my best to stay on top of the soaking to keep digestion easy. So far everyone is doing great with the new foods, and it is so satisfying to have foods that were causing reactions pre-GAPS, to be totally fine now. It makes me feel that all that work was worthwhile!

Successful pussywillow hunt

Dori the lumberjack carried this little tree for quite awhile,

The chickens are happy to get out in any little snow-free space they can find.

Already their eggs are noticeably richer and darker in colour though it doesn't look like there is much growing yet out there. They must be finding every little green shoot and spring bug that the snow uncovers and snapping them up. Happy chickens.

family music night

We started doing these music nights this winter now and then, and they are such fun. The boys play their little ukuleles or shakers or Ari uses his makeshift drum kit (he's really good!) and Perry keeps the singing rolling while I'm plunking away on this pretty little baritone ukulele I treated myself to this year. The chording is the same as guitar, minus a string, and though I am still a total hack, I can limp us through basic 3 chord songs for a singalong, which was too difficult with the guitar and my small hands and total lack of practice. I'm sure we sound pretty terrible, but we are having fun!

welcoming back the birds

Such a delightful cacophony in the back willow tree, and the boys are so thrilled with each returning bird friend we see. Spring, we love you!

Spring is being its usual fickle self around here- one day we are playing and knitting in the sunshine, the next hiding inside from the wind and hail and snow. This last dump has melted again, but there is more in the forecast  and I am trying to remember that this is what spring looks like here, and to not take it personally! 

We have a flock of about 20 red wing black birds that are eating from our feeder, and  lots of other birds too. I've been keeping the kitchen window open a crack, even in the wind and snow, just to hear them.

I am needing lots of naps and rest the past few days, finding it hard to fight this cold- most of my usual herbs and remedies are not to be taken while pregnant so I am sipping chicken broth and hot lemon tea and hoping to feel halfway human again soon. The rest of the family is bouncing back quickly and are busy around me. Perry took the boys to their first spring swim lesson today- Dorian's first time ever and he was very proud of how big he is to be going to swim lessons too. It will be fun to be at the lake with them this summer- nursing a baby on the beach and watching my little fishies swim! For now we will welcome spring as it comes, and rest up for all that is ahead.

 

       

 

We are back from our adventures, and what fun we had! The boys were terrific travellers, and it was such a joy to share it all together. Perry and I travelled quite a bit before having children, and though travelling looks quite different with little ones (and a pregnant mama too!) - we had such a wonderful time. The thrill of all the newness- the ocean, the language, the food- was so exciting for our little boys, and it was such a delight to watch them learn and engage and explore and to make new friends, and just dive head first (so to speak!) into in such a different world. It will be a good while before we'll be able to afford another trip like this, but the timing was perfect for this one- before entering the newborn realm again, and with the boys at such a terrific age for travelling. And we are inspired to start saving our pennies for an adventure sometime in the coming years.

The boys and I continued our trip after Perry had to head home for work, and we took a ferry boat over to see my sister's family and to love up the baby cousin for a few days. So lovely. These boys are going to make terrific big brothers (and this baby is going to have to get used to a lot of lovin' and noisy affection pretty quickly!)

and we are home now, settling back in, welcoming the spring that arrived while we were gone, nursing the colds we brought home with us, and just enjoying being home again.

Playing with Papa~

sure do love these boys of mine.