Feeling thankful:

 

 

: for kitchen time with my boys who are such good helpers. And for a successful sourdough rye bread that we all enjoyed after our labors.

 : for a lovely birthday spent with my sweet ones- for breakfast in bed, and hand made cards and treasures from my little boys (a bowl made by Dori entirely from corks and masking tape, and this clock from Ari that will allow me to feel the birthday love all the year long!) for a visit from my dear dear friend and her precious baby daughter, for gifts and phone calls and well wishes from far and wide, and for gifts from my love, including an amazing dinner and cake made for me! I am so lucky.

 : for morning walks, and for afternoon outside time for the big boys, and those few quiet moments in the afternoon while they play outside on their own.

 : for getting back into our homeschool routine after a week of a flu bug (and for none of us getting all that sick,) 

 : for my big boy's discovery of jacks and for Willa's giggles when she watches him throw the ball and snatch the up the jacks. Hilarius baby entertainment!

 : for finally knitting a hat that fits her.

 :and this face. oh this face! (though do excuse all the out of focus pictures lately- something is up with my lens...)

 

: for little boys who play and play and play.
and for a spontaneous supper picnic by the fire this week where we all pretended we were eating on the beach, watching the wildlife and swatting imaginary mosquitoes, for managing to watch a movie with my husband, (though it took us two nights and several stops to nurse a teething baby to get through it!)  for my wonderful parents who sent Perry and I out for a birthday dinner together and took care of all 3 kids (and got the baby to sleep besides!) and for the excitement of the week ahead with my sister and my niece coming for a visit- hurray! 
Happy weekend friends!

 Lots of snow and then lots of rain. A sleigh ride with friends. Making the quickest supper I can think of (chicken soup with dumplings,) so I can keep reading my book. A baby so sweet I can hardly keep from kissing her up every moment. A Krishna comic book sent from India by dear friends and the resulting play and drawing it has inspired. A little boy who takes costumes and being in character very seriously- in the past few days he has been: a wizard, a cat, a knight, Oscar the grouch, a cowboy, a robber and Krishna. The trampoline that gets as much use in the winter as in the summer. Lovely phone calls with dear ones. Sitting in the rocking chair by the fire and holding a sleeping baby in my arms. Evening chapter book time with my biggest boy- laughing together tonight at a funny chapter. A warm bed awaiting me. It is good. Goodnight friends.

 

 

 

learning Twinkle Twinkle

 

A cooking project- his own from start to finish. 

 

a little solstice bunny for Willa.  

 cart riding through the kitchen and living room is a favorite winter activity.

 

Ari's solstice gift to Dori, this little paper mache piggy bank.

 time to clean the "treasure drawers."

 teething baby.

 Ari's dream home found in a kid's magazine. Fireman's pole, rooft-top garden, music room and swinging bed. Plus it flies.

 Today the boys were with my parents skiing and having adventures and I was home with Willa. I remember so well those early days of being a mama when I am just alone with her- the feeling that I should be able to get so much done, but somehow the baby just makes it hard to do anything! When I am home with 3 kids I count it as a good day if I get through the homeschool plan and feed everyone, but on a day with just one baby I write myself a big list and expect I should get it all done. Remembering today to just be with my sweet girl and treasure my moments with her in the rare quiet. Oh, she is a sweet one!  (still wondering when I'm going to get that day to catch up with it all though.sigh. I know the answer.)

what else? We are reading lots:
with Ari: Wheel on the School- it is good!
with Dori - a Rupert the Bear Annual which he loves
with them both Karlson Flies Again by Astrid Lindgren which they think is hilarious. I find Karlson rather obnoxious, but I think that is the point!
and lots and lots of wintery picture books,
for Willa (mostly to chew on, but she likes to lean her head against the pages with babies on them!) The back issues of Babybug Magazine from when Dori was small.
Me- just finished pre-reading My Side of the Mountain which was suggested by a friend and it is wonderful. I don't know how I missed it as a kid!
- the Sun magazine. It enriches my life so. 
- needing a new book. Must get to the library soon. 
and the boys are listening to lots of audiobooks- Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales, and some of the Barefoot books collections (Storytime and the Horse one, and the Pirate one,) and always Sparkle Stories!
loving the Enki coyote stories this week.

and I am having lots of bad knitting luck lately. Frogging and ripping and ripping and starting again. And again. Somehow I can't seem to manage the simple task of knitting Willa a hat that fits her head (but I did a great job of making her one that will fit her when she is 7. Twice. If only Ari wanted a violet pilot cap and a purple bonnet!). Forgetting simple things like, say, checking my gauge and reading the pattern properly. Maybe I just need more sleep. Trying again with a different pattern and different wool, hoping to break this string of bad knitting karma!

Ari made pizza pockets the other day. He found a recipe in his kids magazine and was determined to make them all himself, though the recipe called for things we don't ever have, like pre-made crust in a tube and pre-grated cheese. But he persevered with what we had, and learned how to make the crust with our spelt flour and our sourdough starter and he cut and grated on his own and they were very yummy in the end. He met Perry at the door with a wholesome little pizza pocket, complete with his initials carved on it!

Happy weekend friends.

A few pictures from the past little while. It was a busy holiday season, and we are slowly getting back to our regular routines, which feels good. Today we started a new Language Arts block for Ari, read The Old Woman and the Pumpkin as Dori's kindy story,  made supper before we'd cleared the breakfast dishes, went for a walk in the deep snow (and then the boys went out again in the afternoon to work on their snow tunnels,) started a new chapter book, practiced instruments, and had a great rowdy dance party in the kitchen. Ari worked on his workbook by choice after supper while Dori had his bath and then Perry read to Dori (and Willa too!) by the fire while Ari had his bath and I did a few dishes. Yesterday we took down all the holiday stuff while listening to an audio book (the entire Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) which I think will become a new tradition. Tomorrow we start lessons again, and Ari will do his 94th radio show (that is a lot of hours for the little DJ, and he has loved every minute of it!) and we will eat supper from the crock pot. And Willa is cutting her first tooth, but still is managing to be utterly sweet and adorable. She is sitting well now, and loving solid food and getting a kick out of watching her brothers all day long.
How's that for a quick rambley blog post! I am off to bed- goodnight, friends!

I have had some trouble with my smallwondersblog e-mail account, and have had to change to a new one. If you have sent me a message recently- please resend it so I can be in touch! I am now using taisasmallwonders@yahoo.ca.

oh hello! A month has slipped away somehow. I've been finding it hard to get here these days, and have started several posts and not gotten to writing much of anything. And this is about all I can manage- this time of year is so full, I can just snap a few shots and post them now and then. But we are good. Very good. Enjoying these gingerbread-scented, wood-stove-warmed, snowy, festive days.

Happy Yule to you all!