shotsnaps

Five Golden Rings

2011-12-29T08:11:00.009-05:00

This is the sixth Christmas since John and I joined hands that my increasing belly means more than too many munched cookies. That first Advent, with a modest, inaugural baby belly, I was so utterly caught up in the newness of living with my Heart, teaching high school for the first time, and with the inconceivable fact of life growing inside me that I didn't ponder Mary much, if at all.

For every large-bellied Advent since, though, when my thoughts invariably turn toward the coming Messiah, I feel the smallest kinship with His mother and wonder. What were the curlings of her heart as she touched her rounded belly? When she felt the first impossible fluttering of the King's feet? I find it astonishing-- every time-- that God chose me to carry another little soul within; how much more so did she find it that she carried the very Creator of all souls!

Could there be a more confounding road to redemption? The Lord of all worlds entered this earth by birth through a human woman, and He wrapped Himself not in external glory and power but in the paper fragility of human skin. Skin to be bruised, beaten, and broken. A mystery ineffable.

I'm sitting here in a cold house listening to the harsh wind whistle and shriek around every eave and edge. The world outside is cold and bleak, and the wind hurls the snow past the window in a perfect and unbroken horizontal line, but the coming promise of spring lends even this beauty.
Without the Promise, hope fails.

So it is with the Christ.

Mary knew the words of the prophet Isaiah, and perhaps after Christ's death, she saw her Son in them:

Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Face to glorious face, she heard the mighty Gabriel proclaim that her heart would also be pierced. From the very beginning, her life as mother carried such weight, with joy and sorrow mingling. This is why, during a season of anticipation and true joy, I can't help but remember His death, as well. Life is shot through with death from the second it begins; light with dark; joy with grief. At the same moment that God accepted the cradle, He also accepted the Cross.

Despair is shot through with Hope.

As we continue (in this house, at least!) to celebrate the twelve days of Christmas and to exult in the birth of a newborn Baby, this is indeed cause for joy. May it be so not just for twelve days of the month but for twelve months of this year and in each and every one to come!

Only 20 Pounds More to Go!

2011-12-29T08:10:00.002-05:00

Errr...I mean 16 weeks...

All of my bones have disappeared-- cheekbones, collarbones, hipbones, shinbones, anybones, and everybones. My chin has melted back into my neck, all sharp edges are perfectly round and plump, and I'm well on my way to another successful 45-or-50-pound-weight-gain-for-a-seven-pound-baby. It happens every single time. (Through no small effort, I've already reached the 30-pound mark.)

I think I still have a bit of elbow bone left, though, which I suppose means I haven't been working hard enough. Don't worry, I'll get on it. Candy bowl! C'mon! Get over here! You didn't expect me to actually stand up and walk over to it, did you...?

For those belly-lovers among you, here I am at almost twenty-four weeks. I suppose I should set up an appointment sometime, huh?

Also, I realize the shirt is rumpled. Just be glad I changed out of my wool sweaters and bathrobe for the picture. No, I am not joking about the sweaters OR the bathrobe. It's haute couture on the hill, and I shamelessly wear them nearly every day. In fact, when Susie asked me why I was dressed in "going out clothes" and I told her I was going to take a picture of my belly, she thought it was the funniest thing ever.

(Also again, I realize that due to the dreary lack of daylight, the picture is grainy. Sorry. I knew that if I didn't take a picture when the spirit moved me, I would never take one.)

(Also, lastly, I picked the picture in which I look least round, barring the impressive belly. Great angle! Jut that chin!)

Advent

2011-12-29T08:09:00.001-05:00

The fourth Sunday of Advent, we lit all the candles save one.

A baby who always tries to make the room dark before she should.

She's persistent but not often successful.

The joy of having one's children read scripture during family worship.

And more.

The Little Bits

2011-12-29T08:08:00.000-05:00

Tannenbaum

2011-12-29T08:07:00.000-05:00

We continue to decorate a Jesse tree throughout Advent until Christmas Eve, at which point we transform the tree into a gaudy expression of loveliness.

When the Big Night arrives, the girls always want to wear lights, and they get one calm turn each before total decorating chaos ensues.

Luci wasn't very impressed with the tradition.

Pip was Pip.

Millie thought she was royalty.

Royalty with a ragamuffin child...

Nixie was a pixie.

And the Bird?

She wanted to share the spotlight.

Nice hair, dolly!

Don't be fooled by how peaceful these two pictures look

The reason why there aren't any more is because the living room was CRAZY until the very last bulb in the box was slapped on the tree.

Phew. Until next year...

Small Gifts

2011-12-29T08:06:00.003-05:00

More to come later.

Truffles of many flavors.

Jars of homemade sugar scrub.

And many containers of vanilla extract, ready to use next June. (Oops. I should have made it this past summer).

Can you tell Someone bought vanilla beans in bulk?

Making

2011-12-29T08:05:00.001-05:00

Making one of our favorite cookies ever. Cherry-filled.

And mint-filled.

Making messes.

Making sugar cookies.

Making mischief.

Making moustaches.

Making men.

Sweets.

2011-12-29T08:04:00.005-05:00

The Table of Sugar Consumption.

Top o' the mornin'.

The gingerbread girls.

Thankfully, Millie didn't notice that her counterpart was a little worse for the wear.

I made up for it by (accidentally) tempering the chocolate perfectly this year before pouring it into the molds. So glossy! So smooth and shiny!

Don't think I'm a bad mother. I'm just sentimental, and since Christmas morning was the only day of the year that I was able to eat sugar cereal as a child, I've continued the tradition with my own. Yeah! SUGAR CEREAL! It may not seem like much to you, but my girls think it's the best.

Plus, we drank eggnog.
Sugar, ho! (Ho, ho, ho.)

Gifts

2011-12-29T08:04:00.000-05:00

Stockings.

Presents from Grandma and Grandpa:

McGamma, Luci was smitten with her Sing-a-Ma-Jig. She wouldn't let go of it and kept laughing and squealing as she held it (him? her?).

And I like that she and John's wonderful gift-topper/note holder to me share the same posture.

One of my favorite parts of the morning was watching Pip, wearing her nightgown backwards, ignore all the presents and hooplah in favor of sedately eating the orange from the toe of her stocking.

She's a peach.

Housing Dilemma

2011-12-29T08:03:00.001-05:00

With a singular focus, Su helped me with the tedious job of gingerbread men decorating.

I love her.

They're homely, but DONE!

Then we led the first man to his home. He was ecstatic.

He became slightly less so as we led his siblings to the same home, and you should have heard his shrieks when we layered on the remaining 6 dozen!

Christmas Afternoon

2011-12-29T08:02:00.003-05:00

After worship (I forgot to take a picture of the girls all dolled up), we came home and got ready for the big gathering at my sister-in-law's house. They have a gorgeous "Great Room" they've been building onto their addition for the last several years, and it's the perfect space for us all. My brother is a talented carpenter (and schoolteacher), and he's taught his whole family the ropes over the years.

My parents, my siblings, our spouses*, and our immediate offspring total 40-odd bodies, so this roomy space is perfect! Plus, the rest of the house is open for little people to make messes in...

Thank you, Wendy, for your graciousness!

*I hate both the words "siblings" and "spouses," and I just boarded them next to each other in the same sentence. Blech.

Oh, and that amazing tree cost ten dollars. Every year, they go to our local tree farm and strap a ten-buck monster onto their vehicle. I don't know how they all get home in one piece, but they do!

For McGamma: that banana costume (of Alex's?) that you sent up has found a new home! Simeon the Brave wanted to be a banana-- among other things, like a boot-- for Halloween, so Wendy asked my mom to alter the costume to fit a 3-year old. He was delighted!

We pooled some money this year to buy my mom a necklace with all of our birthstones on it.

Isn't she pretty? This is the epitome of Mopsy. She laughs a lot.

She's a great mother. We probably should have bought her seven necklaces, one for each of us, but one seemed to be enough.

The Leftovers

2011-12-29T08:01:00.000-05:00

A literally lost tooth, for which a used spark plug served as substitute under the pillow.

Sleeping baby wrapped up in robes.

Together enjoying a book.

The yearly trip to the mall, whose smooth, shiny floor just begs for little girls to slide around on it.

Victorian St. Nicholas! (He tied for first place in our affections, along with the woodsy Russian St. Nicholas.)

An ~~stupid~~ inspired decision to strip wallpaper and paint the dining room three days before Christmas.

I finished early Christmas Eve, and it looks lovely. I'll take pictures sometime.

Girls who want to help.

Wild elderberry liqueur, finally ready.

And pretty.

And this picture, which I find funny for the fact that every time I scribble out a border for our weekly school verse, Millie feels compelled to add my "artist's mark" to it. AJO made these scribbles, and don't you fergit it!

Blurry Stocking-stretching

2011-12-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

John helped.

And the doorknob helped.

First Things First

2011-12-08T07:56:00.003-05:00

Guess who's taken it upon her pale shoulders to potty-train her very own self?

Yup.
This one.

Even besmirched with marker,

she looks angelic.

Unfortunately, the common denominator of this excursion into the world of potty entails the bigger girls shouting at various points during the day, "Mama! Come quick! Luci took her clothes AND diaper off and she's running to the bathroom AND SHE ALREADY [you fill in the stinky blank]."

Turns out she hasn't yet learned the finer points of stripping and sprinting for the bathroom while there's still a need to sit on the toilet.

But look!
Angelic.

The Goods

2011-12-08T07:55:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in the comments, Pip was royally feted at the hospital. Doctor's visits have been rare for my girls so far, so she loves any appointment, and her day at the hospital was the cream of the crop.

We arrived before the sun came up, and she watched hours of cartoons.

Afterward, still dopey while coming out from under the anesthetic, she sported the tell-tale blue of a popsicle eater while watching more television. I also want to draw your attention to Mousey, the chosen companion. (Stinker was MIA; he probably hid as soon as he heard her plans to bring him along.) Millie made Mousey's anesthesia mask and embroidered "FAMILY" from edge to edge. Quite a dashing ensemble, I thought.

Today we confirmed that the biopsy was clear, Piper's stitches were removed, and she gave more blood (eight vials at once!) for a few additional tests. One wince and nothing more. I'm so thankful that stoic Pip is the protagonist of this tale. She shed not one tear during the whole business and only gave lots of looks like the one below.

And I'll gladly take dozens more just like it, Little Pip.

Saint Nicholas is Thrifty, Too!

2011-12-08T07:54:00.002-05:00

Who knew?

On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, the girls and I lit lights in every window,

they lined their shoes in a row,

and, in the dead of night, St. Nicholas-- the real saint, mind you, not the slick modern incarnation-- filled their shoes with all manner of things he bought 90% off on Christmas clearance last year. (Yeah, he's so thrifty he even buys candy with a long shelf life a year ahead of time. Go, Saint Nick!)

I can't wait until he fills their shoes with bags of gold for their dowries!
(I'm waiting on the bags of gold, smarties, not for my little girls rushing off to get married.)

Millie Learns Her Letters

2011-12-08T07:53:00.000-05:00

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

2011-12-08T07:52:00.002-05:00

....with bated breath, no less.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce

THE PIGGIES.

It was nearly impossible to top the mullet's appeal, but I think we did it!

Aren't You Glad Norman Rockwell's Dead?

2011-12-08T07:51:00.000-05:00

The day before Thanksgiving was brimful of good cheer, peace, harmony, and hard-working girls. Early on, that is...

Annika scooped pumpkin seeds while Luci brushed her hair.

Susannah showed off her slicing skills.

Piper broke bread.

Everyone laughed as they made a quadruple batch of stuffing for the turkey. (Don't judge me. I'm a stuffing-lover.)

Even Lucinda helped.

She even joined me in eye-burning misery

as I chopped onions.

Normon Rockwell would have rushed to find his brushes if he'd looked in the windows. By that afternoon, though, I was tired, overwhelmed, and grouchy, and right before bed, the girls looked like this.

Bring it, Rockwell.

Thank Full

2011-12-08T07:50:00.001-05:00

I only took two pictures on Thanksgiving Day because when everyone arrived, I couldn't locate my Fancy Camera. Turns out I'd put it in the side drawer of the buffet table. See, that's what I get for cleaning the house. Industriousness never pays.

So instead of pictures of our lovely guests gathered around the lovely harvest table and the lovely feast that could have fed fifty, here are the pies I made bathed in the morning's first sunbeams,

as well as a picture I took while swinging from the chandelier.

My mom also brought four pies, which meant that there were almost 7 pies leftover at the end of the day. Oy. I guess we forgot that this year there were only 12 mouths to feed instead of 40. (Don't fret; I won't let pie go to waste!)

And just for you, Joel, here's a picture of the garland of thanksgiving, which, by the way, requires that I cut out a billion leafs each year, in requested shapes (e.g. "Mama, can you please make me some more beech leaves?).

And the promised close-up of the Leaf of Accusation. A.A.O. is thankful for you, no doubt, but couldn't help shedding some of her bewilderment.

Wy, Joel, WY???? Wy, indeed?

p.s. Joel, I think most of the girls dedicated one leaf of Thanksgiving to you, but you can bet I exposed your two-timing reason for not driving home. Just wait until Christmas, buddy...

Piles of Raw Meat for Vegetarians and Animal-lovers

2011-12-08T07:49:00.006-05:00

My brother Andy and my niece Aponi have both shot deer this year, and since Andy is generous, he gave us some.

The arrival of the first deer caused more glee than I think is probably healthy. (Side note: if you're sharp-eyed enough to notice the overflowing garbage can, then please also note the overflowing rack of clean dishes in the sink. Those two piles balance each other out, or so I've heard.)

They inspected the windpipe and the leg movement and the sinews and fat, which you can bet I counted as a science lesson.

At the start, though, our sweet Susie just stood back and softly murmered, "Poah deeah. Poah deah." All she needed was a harmonica.

This is the first year that Millie has expressed an interest in the butchering process. She was fascinated by the whole thing, so I finally let her join in. I'm glad I did, because Andy's giving us a second deer tomorrow morning, and I'll gladly take any help I can get. And, hey, you know, if you're in the area...

A.K.A.

2011-12-01T08:42:00.008-05:00

At exactly three and a half years of age (today!), Piper Joy still doesn't know her name. I keep an extra-tight grasp on her in public places, because if she were to wander off to be found by, hopefully, a morally upright individual, this is how the conversation would proceed.

M.U.I.: "Oh, hello, little lamb. You've lost your mommy?" (For some reason, I assume M.U.I.'s will say "mommy" instead of "mama")
"What's your name?"

Piper: "Pippi"

M.U.I.: "And what's your last name, sweetie?"

Piper: "Pippi Long'tockin'."

M.U.I.: Beginning to think she's pulling a leg, "What's your other name?"

Piper: "Tuhguhplum." [sugarplum]

M.U.I.: "But what is your full name, darling?"

Piper: "Luddy Duddy." [lovey dovey]

M.U.I.: At wit's end, "Do you have any other names, honey?"

Piper: "Yets. Nut Bee-ah-ee." (nut berry)

M.U.I. Hopelessly asking anyway, "Is that ALL of your names?"

Piper: "Yets."

So, we don't intend to lose her. Ever.

John and I have tested Pip many times on this front and made weak attempts to teach her the proper response to the time-honored question, "What's your name?" but, so far, nothing but the above has stuck, so Pippi Long'tockin' she remains.

I almost posted this clip last January. Of course, I now see that it's the probable genesis of our current problem, but, at the time, her sweetness compelled me.

"No, hoo gooten!"
(I apologize for the baby talk. I hate to hear my voice. Blech.)

Nearly a year later, Pip's pronunciation of her names is much clearer, so M.U.I.'s will know exactly what she's saying to flummox them.

____________________________________________________________

Also, if you think of it today or before sunrise tomorrow morning, send up a quick prayer for the Sugarplum. She has an early appointment at the hospital for a "better safe than sorry" biopsy for a likely benign mass. Don't worry, though. Today, Millie's making a anesthesia mask for 'Tinker, too, so that he and Pip can fall asleep together. (Lucky skunk.)

Fly By Night

2011-11-21T18:58:00.006-05:00

November strides by without a glance, wrapped in grays and browns and leaving half her clothes behind as she passes. They cover the land and join the leaves, now dry and dull, that stir with each wave of wind returned. Sunshine is worth more these days. We rejoice when it spills through the windows and, like orphans, we follow it from room to room.

At times, November seems a too-long month of too-little light. Too-cold house and too much dark. It's not all bad, though. There are other too-muches pleasanter, like these:

Too much tea, too much coffee, and too much cocoa
Too many blankets and too many sweaters
Too much sitting and too much reading-of-books
Too much water in a too-hot shower
Too many rosy faces painted by a too-strong wind
Too many canning jars stuffed with too much food
Too many floors covered with too much stuff
Too many rooms bursting with too much energy

And more for giving thanks:

The surprise of waking to find myself spread with sunshine;
Early morning light that sets dim corners on fire;
Five girls who fashion these days;
Little kicks within that startle me out of monotony;
The hope of new life;
Date nights; going steady; having a Heart;
Seasonal incentive for doing dishes-- it thaws out the hands!
Seasonal incentive for mopping the floor- company for Thanksgiving!
Seasonal incentive for eating candy- sacrificing my health for the children's sake!
Wind blowing every which way;
Lonesome honks; a sky-high parade; fall's fare-thee-well;
Migrating birds overhead, hundreds that rise and fall as one, that ripple and swell like a large, black sheet hung in the sky;
Those same blackbirds clustered in noisy traveling bands in the trees next to the house;
Winter sunsets splashed about;
Bent and crooked fences in fields now abandoned;
The elegance of trees in their bones, lined against a swathe of sky;
Dark nights and strewn stars with no competition but the moon;
The beauty of bare things.

Most of all, I'm thankful for endless new beginnings. They bolster each night and gird each morning. I daily fall; I hourly flop; so, these beginnings, I can't do without.

And there you have it.
Today's ramble to chug this train out of the station.
____________________________________________________________________________

John needs his netbook (which hates me as bitterly as I hate it) for work, so I'm leaning on the internet whims of ye olde laptop, who connects one day out of five these days. Let's hope I finish posting snapshots before she finds out what I'm up to!
Here goes nothing...

All Five

2011-11-21T18:57:00.001-05:00

These snapshots don't have a proper post, so I'm giving them one.

Luci caught with her hand in the peanut butter.

I suppose it's my fault for dressing her that morning.

Piper caught sleepy on the couch one morning.

Piper caught comfortably (?) asleep in the Moses basket one afternoon

Susannah caught holding Turkey. (I know what you're thinking, but we're not eating Turkey on Thursday. Plus, I warned them not to name the chickens...)

Annika caught reading in a sunbeam.

Bang-less Millie caught reading on the lonely loveseat.

Freshly be-banged Millie eating early morning muffins.

You'd Better

2011-11-21T18:56:00.002-05:00

If you don't like October, I don't understand you. What's not to like about a bounty of backyard apples, a crazy dog,

gold dripping from every branch outdoors

and indoors,

and littering the ground,

storms that take us by surprise, and a rising wind that whips off leaves and turns us wild?

The last asters,

last leaves,

last berries,

and last lace.

Pears for show but not for eating

and showy pears for show AND eating.

It's all there to like, so we did.

Sunrise and Dew

2011-11-21T18:55:00.000-05:00

In summer, the weeds reproach me with untamed boldness, in winter, with shriveled sadness, but in fall, their golden tangles are perfect.

See, fall makes everything beautiful, even a neglected garden.

Buried Treasure

2011-11-21T18:54:00.001-05:00

I looked up one morning and saw a man riding a bulldozer past the kitchen window. Weird, huh?

We walked outside to find our lush lawn turned brown. This will hopefully keep our basement from flooding many times a year.

The girls had fun finding all sorts of treasure-- pottery shards, square nails, scraps of old tin, and more.

This was part of the "more"-- the girls' first encounter with a praying mantis.

Normally a bug/snake/creepy-crawler lover, Annika was uncertain. He reached her shoulder before I took pity. (Luci's concern here is the highlight.)

They all took turns passing him around,

before I held him

and set him free from scary, little girls.

The Boring End.

Love Hurts

2011-11-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

I enjoy the bond that's developing between Piper and Luci. It's so sweet to watch.

Half of the time, anyway....

Weakling

2011-11-21T18:53:00.002-05:00

At the time I took this picture, I was thoroughly sick of canning, but I couldn't resist the contrast between rich purple grapes and white pears.

I'm a sucker for beauty, especially when it occurs in the only artfully cluttered spot in my house. (Note: I did not say the only cluttered spot in my home, simply the only "artfully cluttered" spot. Thank you, Abigail, for your honesty.)

More All Hallow's Eve

2011-11-21T18:52:00.003-05:00

You've seen them already, but here are the gnomes (thanks to McGamma's clearance shopping after Hallowe'en last year),

Friendly, little gnomes, aren't they?

The Cowgirl, who shows off her mad riding skillz,

as well as her fetching grin,

Annie Oakley, who set the whole town on fire with her cap guns,

And Nausicaä (of the Valley of the Wind) struck a familiar pose.

It's called, "Mildred, please stand still so I can take your picture."
"But what do you want me to doooo?"

Yup, do that. That's fine.

p.s. For those who wonder, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has been Mildred's favorite movie since she was five. The girls don't watch many movies, but this one has stood the test of time, and her allegiance is unwavering. That the dress is sloppily sewn goes without saying, but it's supposed to resemble this one she wears after the ohmu revive her.

p.p.s. We cut her bangs, for reals, but the rest of her hair is just tucked under in the back to make it look as much like short hair as we could.

I'm an Unsung Hero

2011-11-21T18:52:00.000-05:00

I walked into the living room to discover a tragedy about to happen.

"NOOOOOOOoooo! Don't eat the apple!!!" I desperately cried.

Too late.

She must be an imposter, though, because she didn't seem any worse for the wear.

First-fall

2011-11-21T18:51:00.000-05:00

This year, October also brought snow (barely) enough for sledding.

The girls were ecstatic and jumped at the chance to check the mail.

Piper didn't even use that excuse. She just wandered out bare-legged and stood alone in her raincoat.

The next afternoon, there was still (barely) enough left for a snowman.

Here Comes the Sun

2011-11-21T18:50:00.000-05:00

I liked it better this way. Melting.

I Dunno

2011-11-21T18:49:00.001-05:00

She just looked cute, staring into the bathroom at her sisters.

In Which I Remind Myself of My Mother

2011-11-21T18:48:00.002-05:00

By serving freshly-made yogurt for an after-school snack.

(But the resemblance doesn't carry much further, unfortunately.)

With Credit to Sarah

2011-11-21T18:47:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of October, we enjoyed a wonderful weekend with our Owen family. While they were here, Dude, McGamma, and Aunt Sarah took the girls out for a fun date to an apple farm, and I sent my camera along with Sarah so that we'd come away with a few pictures of the weekend (considering I was too lazy to take any).

So, thanks, Sarah, for all these pictures. You and Fancy Camera are a good fit (Psst. Christmas is coming, Sinterklaas.)

The girls enjoyed The Haunted Barn for the second year in a row.

This remains the highlight.

What is this, you ask? Gruesome "Lawnmower Guy," of course.

While they were out, Millie looked older than she's allowed to,

Piper cuddled with Grandma,

they all went on a woodsy hayride,

and they came home to a gorgeous sunset.

The next day, Sarah took these pictures of Dude being an exemplar Grandpa....

turning his sweet Luci into the Terror of the Seas.

Pretty convincing, hm?

North Country

2011-11-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

Too long ago now, we drove with some friends to see more friends-- my cousin Leah and her family. Our memories of time last spent with them involves visiting by candlelight, catching fireflies, and eating freshly-popped popcorn every night, so it's been a while.

We borrowed my brother's tent, and the girls enjoyed their first-ever tent sleepover. The guys set up the tent in the dark, and we woke to the vision of cow fence outside the entrance.

Thanks to McGamma's gift of a birthday pinata, which Millie saved for just this occasion, I got to watch farmboys whacking a purple castle with a big stick.

(It was worth the wait.)

The visit was not long enough, but our hosts still managed to feed us like kings at every single meal (bacon! Bacon! BACON!), teach Mildred the rudiments of spinning wool (thank you, Leah! It was a highlight for her), and serve us the richest homemade ice cream I will ever eat (those Jerseys have magic cream)

Luci enjoyed the ice cream just as much as I did,

and Leah was considerate enough to promptly serve her a heaping second helping.

On the way home, we almost took a pit stop to see an old friend who has grown into a forest,

and upon arriving home, we discovered my father's fastidious egg-gathering ritual. (Man, we just eat the things!)

Here's to next time! We love you people!

Feast

2011-11-21T18:45:00.003-05:00

John will routinely make the whole family a feast for breakfast (the girls actually call them "Papa's feasts"), so it's only fair that they return the favor once in a while. The girls made him this breakfast, forced him to lie down on the couch and close his eyes, and while I sat on a nearby chair, Millie asked to use the camera to document the experience.

So Mildred's eye, instead of mine, saw

the cheerful breakfast on a tray

the ritual fork-feeding (I don't know why they had to feed him, but apparently, they needed to),

and the Mama, doing a routine check of the tonsils.

C'mon now; you know breakfast in bed at your house follows the same pattern...

The Great Pumpkins

2011-11-21T18:44:00.002-05:00

True to form, I waited until I heard there was to be a frost before harvesting the pumpkins, squashes, and everything else save kale and the root vegetables. I actually waited until 20 minutes before dusk, at which point I rushed the girls out of the house and frantically started heaping squash while they picked their pumpkins.

As I worked on heaping this higher,

the girls (or so I presumed) were picking their pumpkins and piling them in the wheelbarrow. It wasn't until Millie fetched me and asked me to go inside for the camera that I realized they'd actually been styling their pumpkins for a photo-shoot.

So, I went inside, got the camera, and changed the settings to allow as much light as I could without using the flash in order to honor their request. So much for flash-hatred. Light was so dim at this point that they were hard to see, so the pictures are grainy, but here they are, anyway!

The girls with their studio set-up.

Mildred arranging everyone for the shoot.

Everyone surrounded by their pumpkins. So happy! So sweet!

Then the wheelbarrow tipped over and spilled the babies out, which made for a few minutes of mayhem. Millie soon ordered everyone back on track, and here are a few of their individual shots.

Pumpkin pixie:

Laughing Pip:

and crying Lu (she was unhappy that they only gave her the tiny pumpkin...truly):

And a picture of the sunset before we went inside.

Thanks a million for the seeds, Molly! They gave the girls an entire summer of delight and culminated in this daring, dusky raid of the patch.

In Case Your Eyes Are Sore

2011-11-12T21:57:00.004-05:00

Here's a sight.

I offer it as a good faith token of snapshots to come before the moon turns blue.

You Can Quote Her on This

2011-11-11T11:08:00.004-05:00

"It's the easiest thing in the world to skate over a clean floor with sausage feet."

-Mildred Elise Owen, muttering to herself and the empty kitchen ten seconds ago

p.s. It's Veterans Day, everyone. I'll post a post-y post someday. Internet access has been sporadic recently, and I need to seize this moment of connectivity to create/email the girls' quarter reports. You know, instead of posting quotes about sausage feet and like fare...

p.p.s. I know I'm way behind on responding to emails. If the internet sticks around until tomorrow, I'll catch up! Pinky swear.

And I Don't Even Crunch

2011-10-14T13:47:00.005-05:00

Hullo.
My name is Abigail.

I'm a current successful user of homemade laundry detergent and homemade deodorant.

I occasionally wash my hair with homemade "shampoo." (It's more vinegar than shampoo.)

I'm almost out of toothpaste from the ol' glory days of CVS'ing, so I just made homemade toothpaste. I haven't used homemade toothpaste since high school. *Also, if any kind reader thinks that this flurry of homemade toothpaste use is sad and pitiful and wants to mail us some toothpaste, please don't! I thank you for the thought, but I prefer the homemade for our fambly. (Yes, I just typed fambly, which is much more weird than making toothpaste.)

I'm about to make a batch of homemade yogurt. (I haven't eaten homemade yogurt since high school.)

I'm also going to grind grain to make whole-wheat rolls for supper, but only after the girls and I gather half-wild pears to make spiced caramel pear butter.

As I sit here in the midst of a house that a casual observer would mistake for a war zone, I was thinking that maybe, instead of cleaning the house (which, in case I didn't mention, looks like a war zone), I should learn how to make rubber.

It's wet outside, and I need boots.

Or, barring the making of rubber, maybe I should write a boring blog post.
Any votes?

Dona Nobis Pacem

2011-09-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'll come on sometime for words, but here are silly snapshots, at least. I spent a while loading them when I should have been doing lots of other things.

It feels wrong somehow to post frippery when a few friends who read this blog are in the midst of heartache.

Quickly, a simple request to continue in prayer for those affected by the flooding. I'm praying for you and your family, Elizabeth, during this uncertain time, and I trust God will sustain you as He brings you to what waits unseen.

Also, if you would, please pray for the grieving people of Unguja and Pemba. The horrific tragedy that occurred last Saturday lies heavy on many. S., I continue to pray for you and all those you love there.

Labor-free

2011-09-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

I took these pictures on September 1st, which was the last time I picked up my camera, so this is as recent as I can give you. I have nothing for the last 2 and a half weeks-- not one drop.

My brother Pete, friend-in-law Sarah, and their boys were in town for Labor Day weekend, and we had them over for supper. As soon as I pulled out the camera, Simeon's eyes lit up and he began making silly faces. That boy is the cutest little ham I've ever met.

The reason I pulled out the camera is because the children were putting on a musical show that was just too good to miss.

Simeon forewent the instruments, instead using his considerable clowning powers to amuse the audience.

The aforementioned audience...

Pete and Sarah's youngest is a beauty. Little Henry Joy-joy.

The show lasted quite some time and underwent various permutations. Here, Haven recites a Robert Louis Stevenson poem while playing the violin (but Henry's expression is what distracted me). CHARGE!

He has a few drops of elfin blood, that one.

My girls aren't so elfish, but I like them heaps.

Mama-love.

Debbie, that child-charmer, read poetry with Mildred, and everyone gathered round like flies.

Oops. Sorry. He kept distracting me.

I like this picture because of Haven's flip on the left.

Millie reading a R.L.S. poem. Aunt April, if you're reading this, that's the book you gave her as a baby and inscribed, "To Millie: future poetess." She treasures that book, so thank you!

I Guess We'll Keep Her

2011-09-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

Luci proves herself handy during pickle-making season. After I set aside the cucumbers that are too long or too plump for pickles, I slice a few into spears, and she begins the arduous task of consuming.

Even though the labor is taxing, and the pay is slim, she perseveres.

She puts on a cheerful spirit and eats.

I recommend getting a Lucinda of your own. If my model is any indication of the line as a whole, you'll be mighty glad you did.

Destination: Here

2011-09-17T11:13:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, we were honored by a visit from some college chums and their lovely daughter Lucy. I didn't take many pictures, but I couldn't resist some of Lucy. Fred and Elizabeth are good-looking, big-hearted, talented, artistic people, but they didn't tug the camera-strings as much as Lucy did. She is, without bias, one of the cutest children I've ever seen, with a personality to match.

Creamy skin, blue eyes, vibrant hair, and a sober stare that makes you wonder what thoughts she has locked inside.

I would steal her if I could, but Fred and Elizabeth would have none of it.

Elizabeth, as stylish and pretty as always, gives Lucy a swing on the "higher-higher." (That's what Lucy calls swings. See? Cute!)

Look at Lucy's hair! I just can't get over how beautiful it is.

Lastly, and not totally related to abnormally cute children, since Elizabeth lives with Celiac disease and can't have gluten, I made these gf cookies during her stay.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I'll post the recipe on buildabelly, because they're not something that any chocolate lover should live without.

Come again, chums! We love your good company (and the excuse to make these cookies!).

Uplifting

2011-09-17T11:12:00.002-05:00

The bigger girls help me a lot. Sometimes, they even help with canning. Other times, however, while I'm elbow deep in canning jars and rings and lids and all manner of frustration, they save the day in a different way.

With roller skates made of legos.

And with giant googly eyes.

Wild Elderberry Use: A Pictorial Guide

2011-09-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

First, track down some elderberry bushes (the ones growing wild in your yard should suffice).

Next, even though the berries can sometimes cause nausea if eaten raw, allow your "help" to eat as many as they'd like.

Place a guard on the accidental window to keep an eye out for berry pirates,

even if they spend most of that time admiring their lavender nail polish instead of pirate-watching.

Pirates!

Take pictures instead of picking berries.

After you finally put your nose to the grindstone and actually harvest the berries, pile them on your kitchen table. Admire them.

Here's the clincher. Now, remove every last berry off its tiny stem and place them in a large bowl, taking care not to include pieces of stem as they are slightly toxic.

Admire your fingers.

Admire the bowl of tiny jewels.

Thanks in large part to your "help," admire what is now the cleanest area of your kitchen floor. (It stayed that way for several more days, unfortunately. Why bother cleaning it when it's canning season?)

We harvested over ten quarts of berries and canned elderberry jelly, elderberry syrup, elderberry liqueur, and still had a gallon of elderberry pulp leftover. I froze it in smaller portions for winter muffins because it lends blackberry flavor and packs an antioxidant punch.

Hail, the Mighty Elderberry!

Death Comes

2011-09-17T11:09:00.002-05:00

Even to cute kittens. Smoky had her babies prematurely a few weeks back. Five were born on a Saturday evening-- one stillborn-- and another was born the following day. Weird, I know. Over the course of the next week and a half, they died one by one, due both to their prematurity and due to Smoky's frustrating lack of maternal attention. She would wander off for an hour, a kitten would grow too cold and weak to nurse, and so on. (As sad as this was, I must admit relief for not having to find homes for them all. Hardhearted!)

I walked into the sunroom one morning to see Millie, our cat-lover, cupping the last two in her hands.

She wanted me to take this picture because they formed a heart.

Frugal (Not-So)Fancy-pants #3

2011-09-17T11:08:00.007-05:00

Even though this outfit is not terribly fancy, it's frugal, and, plus, it's all I have to offer you. Sundays are such a whirl that I always forget to take a picture of the truly Fancy.

Exibit A

Suggestion: Wear this outfit when you take your socially starved children Out and About for the day. It's suitable for carousels, custards, and playgrounds without losing its I'm-too-good-for-t-shirts appeal.

Black flats: hand-me-downs
Jeans: hand-me-downs
Black top: rummage sale
Gray hair wrap: the dollar store
Total: @ $1.15 (the tax, you know)

Optional accessories:
1. Snobbish squint: cost- congenital cataracts that make it impossible to open one's eyes outdoors (I'd give you mine if I could)
2. Your Very Own Lucinda: cost- impossible (Sorry, but this one's mine for keeps.)

Exibit B

Suggestion: Wear this outfit for a few days until it's broken in and then wear it for a few more.

Sandals: a gift
Dirty jeans: rummage sale
Dirty shirt: hand-me-down
Dirty sweatshirt: rummage sale
Total cost: about 25 cents

Optional Accessories
1. The Aforementioned Squint: Equally at home with slobs and fashionistas; cost- cataracts free at birth
2. A Big Basket of Freshly-dug Onions: basket cost- 10 cents; onion cost: a small fee for onion sets + labor
3. Dirt- Comes free with the onions and digging labor

Aaaand, a new feature on Frugal Fancy-pants.
Side by side comparison.

A Big Day

2011-09-17T11:07:00.001-05:00

Apart from our family trips, the girls and I were homebodies all summer. We drove to town for groceries every couple of weeks or so, but only if I had to, which I usually didn't because John was good enough to pick up groceries for me.

Because of this, we missed out on the free carousels that we usually enjoy each summer. So the weekend before Labor Day, we slipped out to get in a ride or two before the season ended, and we rode until I was dizzy to make up for all the missed opportunities,

Luci was scared silly and kept trying to climb onto my head. (She doesn't like swings yet, either. Weirdo.)

and then I used some of my Fabulous Finds earnings to buy us custard and Italian ice.

To top it off, they played on the playground.

What a day!

Look at this sweet girl. She doesn't even know she has a mullet, but look at that pose! Stylish.

In Lieu of the Frugal Fancy-Pants Post That Should Have Been

2011-09-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to be a picture to show the universe my frugality and fanciness, but instead I bent down to pick up a hairband at the exact moment that Millie took the picture. I was wearing one of my favorite outfits of the summer
Brown heels: 67 cents
Green skirt: hand-me-down
Brown shirt: gift
Green belt with red strawberries: rummage sale
Necklace of red wooden beads: free from a rummage sale (A lady forced them upon me so that my children could lace them for play, and I used some of the red ones for a necklace.)
Hair and many split ends: free
Total: about 75 cents

If only I'd posed for a second picture...

Piper decided to remedy the situation by taking matters into her own hands for a Frugal Fancy-Pantsless Post. I walked into the bathroom the next day and discovered this.

Heels: 67 cents
Birthday suit: absolutely free
Total: 67 cents

Piper wins!

Brimful

2011-09-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many times in the last couple of months, I've stepped out to the garden with a basket to pick "a few" cucumbers or peas or beans or onions or insert-needed-vegetable-here, only to lose myself and come back 15 minutes later with this.

I am so thankful that we're able to have a garden. As much of a pain as it sometimes is to plant and dig and tend, I am glad, through God's sun and rain and growing grace, that I can help provide for our family.

I love these beets. I planted this variety for the first time this summer, and after thinning these smaller ones, I was struck by their lovely shape.

If Dagwood were Pregnant, He'd Eat This

2011-09-17T11:04:00.002-05:00

This is such a great sandwich.

Toast a slice of rye bread.

Spread it with a mixture of cream cheese, sour cream, freshly chopped dill, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Layer on some thinly sliced cucumbers.

Thickly spread on a second layer of the cream cheese mixture and a second layer of cucumbers.

Then, pile on the rest of the cucumber slices in a precarious mountain of yum.

Eat. Long for a second sandwich immediately.

A Trip to Bridge's Bane

2011-09-17T11:03:00.002-05:00

I haven't bragged about my little sister in a while. She could give Mary Poppins a run for her money in the Practically Perfect department. In addition to luring children to her like the Pied Piper lured rats (great picture, eh?), she recently graduated as co-valedictorian from my alma mater and, in a floundering local economy, was just hired for her first teaching job. (Those who knew me at Houghton, keep your traps shut about how greatly improved a Johnson model she is over me. I, however, am much better at roller-skating while fully-costumed into swimming pools than she is or ever will be. So there!)

A few weeks ago, we went to visit her at her new apartment, and she showed us around her charming new town. We drove to a produce farm-market and saw bacon! (Um. I mean pigs...) I posed in front of the bacon-pigs, but until I can get a picture in the same spot wearing grubby clothes, I can't use it for Frugal Fancypants. (More's the pity.)

We attempted a family, papa-less portrait in front of the pigs, to the great amusement of locals who must have thought we were City Folk.

Also, we ogled goats.

And we ran from goats. (I include this picture of my mullet-headed child because I love her. Plus, she's wearing a dress I wore when I was a baby, which requires documentation.)

Goats!

Looking coy...

Chatting about the weather...

Proudly showing off the beard...

Suffering my children's company...

Let's not forget the bacon.

They were the feistiest, most hyper pigs I've ever seen. So funny.

We drooled on their peaches, but for $20 a bushel, we weren't interested.

Instead, we bought a bushel of bruised and battered peaches for six dollars. Yeah! They were smushed, and some were moldy, but we have chickens who love moldy fruit. This is the first time in four years that I've found cheap peach seconds, so I was beyond thrilled. Finally, peach pie and peach jam and spiced peach syrup again!

Debbie, in a stroke of Practically Perfect genius, topped off our visit with a stop at the ice cream shop where she treated us to enormous cones.

Thank you, Deb. You're a pal to both big and small.

Fair Trade

2011-09-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

That same night, we attended to the peaches. I would have indulged my usual practice, but fruit past its prime doesn't allow for procrastination. The bigger girls were a help and slipped off the skins with gusto.

Meanwhile, with Luci as ringleader, the littler girls stole marshmallows.

We ended with 8 quarts of peaches, 10 pints of chunky peach jam, and a peach-feast for the chickens. Not bad for six dollars, some sugar, and some pectin!

The Greatest of Them All

2011-09-17T11:01:00.005-05:00

I've waxed overlong in the past, so this year, I offer a short commentary to accompany lackluster pictures.

We arrive and wait outside of the bathroom. This should be an advertisement picture for the fair.

The free circus wasn't as impressive this year as in years past, but the girls were still transfixed.

This clown was not funny-- not even a tiny bit funny. He revived my certainty that I could fill the role.

Nor was this young contortionist funny, though she was amazingly flexible.

The Michael Jackson impersonator was not funny, either, and since the girls don't know who Michael Jackson is, his well-executed moonwalk was lost on them.

But he did juggle flaming torches, which earned him points. (I think of Mister Lonely and want to watch it again.)

This man, however-- this Fabio of the Equine World, this "I-can't-believe-it's-not-butter" on bareback-- was very funny, though not intentionally. I thought he was the funniest part of the show and couldn't stop giggling at his manly feats of horsemanship.

We toured a train. This poor woman had expired already. There was nothing we could do.

This woman was furious that we surprised her without her wig on and studiously ignored us.

I planned ahead, apparently, and dressed my girls to coordinate with the vintage decor.

Onto the free petting zoo!

I include this picture because of Annika's expression given to the chatty man at my elbow.

Mildred has always loved zebras.

Piper does not share this love.

Susannah fell head over heels for the sheep.

I liked the bored baboons.

We all liked the showy parrots, whose shy temperaments belied their feathers.

I have no pictures of the yaks, the giraffes, and other exotic animalia, but I do offer a blurry picture of a baked potato.

We don't spend oodles at the fair, because most of the activities are free, but one necessary (NECESSARY!) expenditure is for baked potatoes. For one dollar, one receives a baked potato with desired toppings (I always request sour cream, butter, and cheese, because I'm a pig). This year, in a moment of largesse, John bought eight giant baked potatoes for our lunch....and then promptly kicked himself for not buying nine. You see that man in the lower left corner of this picture? The one with salt & pepper hair who's engrossed in his potato-eating?

He's the real reason I took this blurry picture of a baked potato, because he was the customer directly behind John. He gave his order, and in a flurry of excitement, he received a voucher for a year's worth of sour cream because he'd just ordered the twenty thousandth potato of the 2012 Fair. Do you know what I could have done with a year's worth of sour cream?! I could have gained enough weight for 15 babies, that's what I could have done. Oh, well.

But wait! There's more!

Another necessary expenditure (NECESSARY!) is buying 30 tickets to the Rainbow Milk Bar. By the end of the day, I was so full of chocolate milk, my skin turned brown.

Millie had anticipated this moment for weeks. She bought four tickets with her very own money and ordered herself some chocolate milk. Ahhhh. She's a girl after my own heart.

Lucy ruined her dress by the end of the day, but the four cups of chocolate milk were almost worth it.

Butter! Butter! Butter! (Sorry for the lousy picture. I didn't really care about artistic merit the whole day; it was more about the butter.)

We had fun watching the acrobatics troupe Zuma Zuma.

We watched a bit of a big band performance. I enjoyed this couple's pizazz.

Drank more milk.

Went on our yearly ride. (Thank you, county fair ribbon money.)

Millie looks like a petulant child here, but, contrary to appearances, she was not pouting. For the first time, she realized just how high we were and kept muttering, "I'm scared." I was too busy trying to haul Piper back inside the car to take more than this one picture, but I'm glad I did. Millie and I had a good laugh when we saw it in the safety of our house.

Oh. I guess that's all I have.

We saw lots more, and our feet were sore by the time we trudged to the van.

The Abrupt End.

Bonus Snapshots from Elizabeth

2011-09-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Fred and Elizabeth took pictures during their visit, and Elizabeth mailed me a cd copy of them (along with other things she should not have sent to keep from spoiling us!). It's always fun to see other people's perspectives, so I just uploaded a few pictures; I don't even know which ones! Let's find out together, shall we?

....

Ah, here we are.

Millie swinging a basket of corn.
???

Typical chaos by the cherry tree. I think poor Lucy's in the upper lefthand corner, barely surviving an underdog from Millie. (And don't you approve of the safe placement of the metal ramps, sharp side up, just under the swing?)

I'm really curious about what Fred was doing here. I don't remember, but my guess is reciting some kind of kefir incantation.

There are many pictures of me in the kitchen. I guess I was in the kitchen a lot during their visit. I look scared here. EEEEK!

We made a lot of cookies.

Dinner and conversation in our as-yet-unpainted dining room.

Another batch of new baby chicks was born during their visit.

Lucy sorts the buttons.

I spend too much time in the garden.

I fill too many baskets.

I've told you about my slapdash food photography methods before, right? Here's proof. (Step one. Grab a napkin. Cover the piles of vegetables with said napkin. Take a picture of the cookies.)

Here's my handsome Heart captured on film. Thanks, Fred and Elizabeth. Come again and bring your camera!

If You Would

2011-09-09T10:16:00.001-05:00

...join me in a prayer for the surrounding towns. Devastation from flooding is evident everywhere, and even though sun and blue poke through right now on our hill, at the same moment that I sit here cozily typing, thousands of people are displaced from their homes, unsure of what they'll find upon their return. Five years ago, this area experienced what was then called "The Hundred Year Flood" under the assumption that such extensive damage couldn't come regularly. The floods of the last few days, however, are worse and farther-reaching.

I've been thinking of you and Rebecca this morning, Elizabeth, and I hope you're okay!

The girls and I haven't gone out driving (or diving), 'cause I can't muster the energy, so these are photos I lifted from the internet. The girls and I were just here a few days ago; they couldn't believe it.

photo: Jonathan Archie

photo: Jon Fuller

And this is one of the local highways near our old apartment.

Lots of Rambling Links + A Small Pep Talk for My Very Own Self

2011-09-07T13:23:00.011-05:00

We're in the middle of torrential rains. Surrounding areas are in a state of emergency. We live at the top of a hill, but our basement is flooded, and the water continues to rise. John is en route to Albany with a client and keeps finding flooded roads and roadblocks. What better time to give an unasked-for curriculum post? (It's all your fault, Sarah C.P.T., for that one harmless comment I just read.) Here's a rambling rundown of materials we use in each content area, but, first, please take this disclaiming apology for how many times I mention money. Sorry- scrooginess is in my blood, and I haven't yet been able to shake it.

This post is for nosy homeschool junkies. I give you many links to ignore. Please leave me some links in the comments! I welcome good ideas/tips/tools.

We start school on Monday. For those of you who've already begun, hurrah! Don't judge me. I've been trying to get everything done before school and just now accepted that it's not all going to get done, and that has to be okay. I'll continue canning and trying to clean and paint and prepare for winter, squeezing it into the few moments I hope to find and probably never finishing much, but now I need to prepare for our school year. (Yup, wasting an obscene amount of time writing this post counts as preparation.)

We loosely follow a classical educational model with a healthy dash of Charlotte Mason thrown in, which in theory and on paper is awesome. In practice, it's awesome, too, as long as I do my work ahead of time, which doesn't usually happen. Basically, we don't have a set curriculum from one source, we use living books as much as possible, and generally use an amalgam of resources in any given content area. I love this. It frees us to see everything as a potential teaching tool, it costs a heckuva lot less money than any set curriculum, and it releases us from some of the boundaries I so dislike about many modern educational models, in which teachers are tied to incoherently ordered textbooks and in which different content areas haphazardly lay out facts and tidbits that seem irrelevant and unconnected to one another. The detriment? Um...I have to do a lot of the work myself.

I have found The Well-Trained Mind to be quite useful, although if I tried to do everything that they include, I would have a nervous breakdown in the first week. It's enough a part of what I do, however, that I pull my old copy out each year in August as I begin mapping out the soon-coming school year, and I definitely recommend getting it out of the library to trawl through if only for ideas and the lists of resources at the end of each chapter. If one doesn't take their scheduling as a Must Replicate Exactly or Be an Utter Failure, it can be a great source of help.

What We Use Most
We use cheap composition notebooks a lot. We pair them with history and science instead of workbooks, and find them useful for just about every other subject, as well. The girls write down grammar definitions and parts-of-speech lists, spelling words, science questions, sketches and history narrations, etc. This year, I bought lots of cheap folders, too, because I want to also have the girls create a couple of lapbooks each quarter. We've never done anything of the kind, and I think they'll really enjoy it. Plus, it will be a fun way to pull together information on composers, artists, and whatever else we decide to compile into a lapbook. (Wish my good intentions good luck, please. They'll need it.)

Books. Lots and lots and lots of books. If you've been to our house before, you know we have groaning bookshelves scattered throughout the house. If you don't frequent library book sales, you should! Most of the books we own have been purchased for a dime each or in big boxes for a few dollars at these book sales, and, without them, I'd have to
1. work harder
2. plan better
3. find lots of money on the sidewalk (Charlie Bucket!)
4. go to the library regularly, which means a 35 minute drive-- not the end of the world but a pain, nonetheless.

I can't tell you how many glorious books (and not-so-glorious) I've brought home in the last ten years, and the slow acquisition of these books has been a great boon to our homeschooling adventure. I find great pleasure in looking through homeschooling catalogs or online lists (such as Ambleside's excellent booklists) and mentally checking off the books that we've picked up for pennies. This is a dorky admission, I know, but I'm among friends, right?

Another thing that saves us money (and for which I'm thankful for the Well-Trained Mind recommendations) is that the books I do have to buy for a heftier price through Amazon or another vendor are usually one-time purchases that can be used for all of our children. Most of my fellow homeschoolers are in the same place we are-- a place where no overflowing fountain of money for homeschool purchases exists-- and so it's a real blessing when one purchase can be used over and over again.

Literature:
Anything and everything. I told you about our bookshelves, right? They're a great source of classic works of children's literature (E.B. White, Lewis, E. Nesbit, etc.), Padraic Colum's Children of Odin, Children's Homer, and the Golden Fleece, D'Aularies' Greek myths, reams of fairy tale collections, these thrilling children's versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey, Arthurian tales, and Shakespeare, as well as supplemental science books, historical biographies and historical fiction (like Rosemary Sutcliff's excellent historical fiction; G.A. Henty fits here, too). I look on our bookshelves each quarter and pull off a few classic books that haven't been read before, as well as some books that go along with whatever we're learning in history and science (IF we're learning anything in science...see below). When-- or before-- these are exhausted, we go to the library and do the same. I've found that handing my children a stack of Good Books to read is the easiest and most rewarding part of homeschooling. I love it. They love it. Everybody wins.

We've not done any vocabulary before, but this year I'm giving the oldest two a-- you guessed it!-- composition notebook in which they write unfamiliar vocabulary as they read. These lists will form their lists of vocab. to look up and learn.

I generally have the older girls read aloud to me for a bit each week, but most of their independent reading each day is done silently at this point. I don't have them summarize or answer questions in notebooks for their independent reading at this point, either, because they do enough writing in the other subjects; any more would be overwhelming. Instead, I occasionally ask questions and have them summarize that day's reading orally for me. Book reports will come at some point, but I'm not worried about including them just yet. As their writing skills increase, I'll expect more finesse with their written accounts, but for now, my main focus for them is understanding and enjoyment, as well as developing the ability to orally recount what they have read.

Math:
Saxon
It's the most expensive investment we've made in our homeschooling thus far, but I like its solid instruction and ease of use. I don't think I've ever heard a bad review of Saxon math, which makes me feel good, not being a math nerd, myself. Now that we are in the stage of textbooks, which can be passed down to successive students, it costs about $15 per student per year for the test workbook, which isn't too awful.

Handwriting:
I buy handwriting paper at the least expensive supplier and employ copywork of quality passages from literature and the Bible. In kindergarten, we stick to the alphabet first, and then simple sentences-- say, from Frog and Toad. In first grade, we begin copying more complex sentences, and in second through fourth grades, we copy longer paragraphs from literature and large portions of scripture, as well as poetry. Starting last year, when Annie was in second grade and Millie in third, we began alternating copywork with other writing activity (e.g. Mon.: copywork, Tues.: dictation, Wed. copywork, Thurs. dictation, Fri. writing an original letter, story, or poem). I keep the dictation passages simple, as this is their first exposure to writing down what they hear, and it is overwhelming at the start.

Memorization:
The girls memorize poetry and scripture, mostly, but this year, I'd like to include passages from Shakespeare and other works of lit., as Millie will be reading her first Shakespeare play, and Annie will read some excellent storybook versions (as well as a crumbling antique edition of this, if all goes well). The scripture they've learned so far is in large chunks, such as Psalm 1, Psalm 100, and Deut. 5: 1-17, etc. I'd like to do a single verse each week this year, too, though. Maybe a "verse(s)-a-week" time, because the amount of scripture they have memorized is woefully small compared to what I remember from my childhood. Part of this is due to our church having an inclusive Sunday school so they aren't memorizing scripture outside of the house. In my childhood, one verse each week for Sunday School times 52 weeks times however many years = a goodly amount of scripture bound around. To be honest, I need this discipline just as much. It's been years since I memorized scripture with diligence, and I have no excuse save laziness, which isn't an excuse at all. Moving on, I use the Harp and the Laurel Wreath for poetry and literature selections to memorize, as well as just pulling books off our shelves for worthy poems (A Child's Garden of Verses, anyone?).

Science:
Oh, science. We have large periods of time when science falls off the map entirely, which is perfectly fine in the classical model, but when it happens, I still feel guilty for not preparing better. In the past, we've taken nature walks, and the girls have collected plant samples and sketched in their nature journals, but last year we didn't take as many. They're outside all of the time, and learn about the world year-round simply by playing and being, but that won't always be enough. We were given a microscope last year, so this past summer they looked at various nature treasures for fun. I loosely follow the science schedule outlined in The Well-Trained Mind, but we still haven't touched on some of the areas (i.e. astronomy). I just bought a telescope at a yard sale on our way home from the retreat-- the only sale I've been to all summer-- and we can't wait to begin star-watching this fall. I really like the schedule in The Well-Trained Mind and I think it's a great resource to have, but I don't feel ~~capable of~~ bound to doing it exactly as they lay it out, either. We've studied plants, animals, and the human body, but I don't think we'll do much with chemistry and physics this year apart from perhaps a fun experiment from time to time, even though that's what Annie and Millie are respectively "supposed" to be learning this year. Instead, I'll stick with studying more plants and animals this fall, and delve into astronomy, weather, and revisit the human body, since these are tangible, relevant areas to the girls at this time in their lives. Plus, due to those "periods of time," there's yet lots to learn.

Core science books:
The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
The Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Natural World (buy the used one for $6 instead of the new for $60. I did, and it arrived like new.)
The DK Encyclopedia of Animals
We also use a zillion science books we've picked up for $3 a box at library book sales, ranging from the Magic School Bus books to tons of vintage, 10-cents-a-pop Golden Book field guides to general books on nature to question and answer books to books on specific animal groups and weather and astronomy and chemistry and microscopes and.... well, too many to list. (Seriously, a zillion...)

Bible:
The Bible
and
The Children's Story Bible

Spelling:
I started homeschooling using only the Webster's Original Blue Back Speller, which can be used from K through high school, and then I added Wanda Sanseri's spelling rule cards to that. It didn't work out all that great, so last year, we began to also use the Spelling Workout books with Sanseri's spelling rule cards (found cheaper here). Webster's speller is for bonus words for spelling bees. I buy only the workbook of Spelling Workout without buying the teacher's book, and I also have the girls put a plastic page protector over whatever lesson they're on and use a dry erase marker so that we can reuse the workbooks from year to year. (Call me Scrooge. Or smarty-pants.)

Art:
Drawing with Children (easy to find secondhand)
Drawing for Older Children & Teens (I just found this for a dollar at a bookstore- yeah!)
Both of these books are top-notch, though they require reading beforehand to internalize the information before passing it along to your children, especially if you've never encountered it before. I've never had any art instruction because it just didn't find a place in the small Christian school I attended, so I've learned a lot through Drawing with Children-- basic stuff, mostly, like "fill the page," but needful! These books are both highly recommended by many, so if you find one for pennies, grab it and run. Last year I splurged on Discovering Great Artists, and I love it! It's definitely worth the cost, and it includes more specific art activities than Drawing with Children, as well as succinct artist bios, so it's a good companion book.
I also snatch up any artist biographies I see at library book sales, which doesn't happen that often. We have a few of this series from book sales, and I want to check out more from the library this year, as well as more great books like Anholt's artist series, which we haven't read. We have some hardcover, coffee table-type art books that we've picked up at library sales, which I need to use more than I do. A good art history survey book would serve the same purpose. I'd love to have a look at this one sometime, even though it's pricey, and we don't need it.

I try to have one formal art lesson and one craft per week, but art history has been hit or miss in the past. With last year's addition of the Discovering Great Artist's book, I think it will be easier to include that this year, as well as my discovery of this site, which has some great and free lapbooking ideas and biographical/timeline information for both artists and composers. And the library? Well, it has fun books like this.

Music:
We've picked up several folk songbooks at library book sales-- two favorites are Gonna Sing My Head Off and an older edition of American Folk Songs for Children. We also sing and memorize psalms from the psalter each week, and alternate between psalm memorization and silly folk songs and ballads. I'd like to eventually find (you know, just stumble across) a piano so that the girls can learn to play. For now, I found a keyboard (stumbled across it on the side of the road. See-- it happens!) that we'll use to plunk out tunes. We also have a fun toy band set and a genyoowine penny whistle, so we're a regular orchestra. Each year, I get this wonderful c.d. (which I just noticed is 60 bucks on Amazon...what?!) and this book out of the library, because they're great, as well as whatever classical kids c.d.'s and accompanying books I can find. This year, I'd like to hunt down Venezia's composer books from the library, as well.

We only did this with one composer last year because it requires planning ahead to get the c.d.s from the library, but this year, I want to do an immersion in the music of each composer we study, e.g. read a few biographies and then just play his more well-known music nonstop around the house for several weeks-- let the girls listen during handwriting and art, let them dance around to it in the afternoon, play it while I do mounds of dishes, etc. This promotes familiarity with his style and more famous works without having to work at it. We simply enjoy it and learn by osmosis.

Last year was the first year I felt okay about our art and music times, because we actually had them! (That lets you know what the previous year was like.) This year, I hope to include even more of this because we all enjoy it, and it's foolish to spend hours of frustration banging our heads against the wall in a different area to the exclusion of art or music. They are necessities and should be treated as such, along with math, reading, and handwriting.

History:
So far, we use the Story of the World series, which I really like. It engages the girls without being too fluffy, and I love its sensible, sequential order. It follows the classical pattern of learning about history from its beginning to the modern period every four years. The girls draw a picture in their history composition books and write or narrate a short summary of each day's chapter beside it. I've never plunked down money for the accompanying activity books, which are twice as expensive as the core books, but I've heard they're great. Over the last several years, I've slowly added the following supplemental books, which I highly recommend. I bought them used on Amazon, and they arrived in beautiful condition. They are set up chronologically, as well, so it's easy to couple them with the History of the World series.
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia (for older readers)
The Usborne Book of World History (So great! This is geared toward younger readers, but I really enjoy it, myself)
The Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World
The Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World
Hillyer's A Child's History of the World, which I'll have Millie and Annie both read this year on their own time as a fun and worthwhile overview.
And, of course, we have a zillion biographies floating around our bookshelves, from easy reader to juvey fiction, ranging from Clara Barton and Helen Keller to Louis Pasteur and Patrick Henry.

Grammar:
I'm interested in the Shurley grammar books because they receive such glowing reviews but we'll never get them. EXPENSIVE!!! Instead, we use the First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind series, which I'm happy with, and, as with the spelling workbooks, I have the girls write with dry-erase marker on a page protector so the workbooks can be re-used indefinitely. I supplement their lessons with my own off-the-cuff additions, which usually involves dissecting and diagramming more complex sentences than the workbook provides, and which are implemented using a dry-erase board and their grammar composition notebooks. Fancy, I know! Plus, we make up songs. Memorizing the complete list of prepositions to the tune of Jingle Bells was a big hit last year, especially the last line..."Prepositions, prepositions, we-heee loo-oove yooou!" And we do. We really do.

Latin:
We begin Latin this year. Yikes! I was supposed to start with Millie last year, but I held off because I felt inadequate, and, plus, starting this year means that I can teach Millie and Annie together, which I try to do in as many subjects as possible. I plan to use Latina Christiana for this.

For kindergarten (Hello, Susie!), we use Saxon 1 for math and the Phonics Museum for workbook and primers. We bought the whole-kit-shebang when Millie was young, which includes fine art alphabet cards and cool interlocking consanent blends, all of which I've found useful but I can't recommend due to the great expense. Even the workbook is unnecessary and pricey for simple reading instruction, but I've still found it useful for everyone but Millie. Millie was bored by it, so we saved it for Annie. Annie found the writing exercises and "games" a lot of fun, and Susie seems to, also. The primers, on the other hand, I can wholeheartedly recommend to just about everyone. Enough Dick and Jane fluff! These are so much better, and I've never seen anything like them anywhere else. ("The first 10 readers are used in the Kindergarten program and cover topics such as Daniel and the Lion's Den, Greek mosaics, Benjamin Franklin, and the Civil War. The first grade readers, books 11 through 31, feature Cyrus the Archer, Ella Fitzgerald, moon missions, the bubonic plague, Sir Galahad, and more.")
For teaching reading, we also use the set of basic phonogram cards from Wanda Sanseri, which are really all a person needs in order to teach a littler person to read. The other stuff is all fun and good, but it's not necessary. If someone wanted/needed a bare-bones approach to reading, I'd recommend two things: Sanseri's phonogram cards and the Veritas Press readers, and nothing else. (And not even the readers if one's budget didn't allow it.)

I spent almost $200 on total school supplies for three girls this year, which is a lot, I know, but when compared to the cost of private school or homeschooling with a set curriculum, it's reasonable, especially considering most of that amount was for non-consumable books that we will reuse indefinitely (and half of the total amount was for math!). If I was a millionaire, I could have easily have spent a thousand dollars on books for the girls to read, encyclopedias, history and bible cards for organizing timelines (they're so cool!), and a host of other wonderful, helpful, but ultimately unnecessary things. It's easy to become enamored with what could be if only I had such and such and such a tool, but the truth is that learning is something that occurs all the time, and that most knowledge comes through living. If I deliberately use my time and the ample resources we have-- if I am wise and diligent and throw myself wholeheartedly into learning with my children, then they will learn and, more importantly, they will learn to love to learn.

One, two, three...LET'S GO, TEAM! RAHRAHRAH!

(So. Did it work?)

Correction

2011-08-24T08:51:00.007-05:00

The baby is now around the size of a sesame seed. S/he grows!

Breakfast schedule this week:

Monday: leftover eggplant curry and naan + leftover ice cream from Millie's party
Tuesday: leftover Asian-inspired slaw with somen + leftover ice cream from Millie's party
Wednesday: delicious garden omelette prepared by my loving husband + ice cream leftover from Millie's party
Thursday: wild elderberry muffins with flaxseed, lemon, and cinnamon + ???

The ice cream's gone! What do I do?

Poppy Seed

2011-08-19T12:39:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago, I contemplated entering the 5k race that my brother and sister-friend-in-law are running on September 1st. I felt up to it because I've been slogging somewhat regularly all summer, lately for almost 3 and 1/2 miles each night, but I may have ruined things by inexplicably crashing for the last week and a half.

I haven't run in over a week. (A few days were cold and rainy. Pitiful excuse.)
I've been eating SO MUCH junk food. (Seriously, truckloads of candy.)
I've been mad at myself for wasting sinful amounts of time on the computer and on the couch and on the chair staring into space, during what are the busiest weeks of the year! Waiting for me are cannerloads of garden bounty to preserve, homeschooling preparations, house de-cluttering, chicken coop shoveling, more basement junk hauling, and house painting yet unfinished, for Pete's sake.

I've just been so very tired.

So yesterday afternoon, with a foolish grin splitting my face and joy leaping in my chest, a very small slothful part of me stood apart, simply thankful for justification.

Guess Who's Pregnant?

2011-08-19T12:38:00.001-05:00

Smoky is. Now she believes she has the right to tread on the comfrey leaves I was stringing up for drying and to sleep anywhere she darn well pleases.

Cheeky cat.

p.s. I love this picture because her tail looks like a periscope.

There's a Door in My Mouth!

2011-08-19T12:37:00.001-05:00

At almost seven and a half years of age, the Nixie lost her first tooth. Momentous!

I took this picture a few minutes after she tugged it out.

She couldn't stop laughing

or sticking her tongue in the empty space.

This last picture is here because it's only fair that the world enjoy it as much as we did. Taken at face value, it's nothing special, but if you pretend that the arm belongs to an otherwise invisible man who's accosting her, then it's a pretty great snapshot.

Very Lightly Step Around

2011-08-19T12:36:00.000-05:00

In the small woods by our house are many treasures, including Twisted Tree, future Treehouse/zipline tree, young trees to shimmy, and Faerie Fallen Down Tree.

Oodles of toadstools festoon Faerie Fallen Down Tree. (The name lacks clarity, so let it be known that the Tree itself does not make faeries fall down, nor do fallen-down faeries litter the ground beneath it. Rather, the Tree Itself has fallen down and lies decomposing on the forest floor, which makes it just the spot for faerie-sightings.)

Fungi are lovely in the light.

'Pillar crosses the mountain.

In the shade, their color dulls, but I still like them...

pressed together and all lined up with nowhere to go.

I Heart Mildred

2011-08-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

She's nine now. It really happened, and young girlhood is beginning to slide by into young ladyhood-- not quite yet, thank goodness!-- but it glimmers and sparks around the corner, and I pray God grants us sufficient grace and wisdom as our Baby Bumpkin grows into bigger bones, bigger questions, bigger thoughts, and bigger dreams.

We love you, Miss Millie. You are a precious gift.

The Trimmings

2011-08-19T12:34:00.008-05:00

This past spring, thinking ahead, Millie made a birthday list. For her birthday she wanted
-a horse, a REAL one (unsurprisingly, this is a monthly request)
-a pair of gardening gloves
- a small sewing machine ("if you can find one cheep at a yard sale")*
-some chapstick
-some books
-a cherry pie

Each request was spelled atrociously, but, with the exception of the horse and the sewing machine, she's pretty easy to please.

*I feel the need to insert this small truth. If "Someone" reads this post, and "Someone" thinks that would make a perfect gift for Millie, let that loving and big-hearted "Someone" know that Millie doesn't need a little machine because she is learning to properly use the big machine and is doing well. That's all. :)

Anyway, the afternoon of her birthday, I told her to read a book in the library and forbade her from entering the kitchen. She thought I was decorating her cake, and I let her think this because, in fact, I was making the cherry pie about which she'd forgotten. Mildred has a history of passionate cherry pie love and talks year-round about the piece(s) of cherry pie she gets to eat at Thanksgiving.

I'd canned some sour cherries specifically for her pie, and it was fun to imagine her delight when she saw it.

(When in doubt regarding sugar, sprinkle a pound on top.)

Then, because I had made a pie and the house was a wreck, I piped a scary horse onto her cake instead of failing at something more elaborate. SCARY!

And then I hid her pie on my bed, leaving it to cool and promptly forgetting about it until later that evening when I took this lousy picture.

I asked Debbie to take some pictures of me bringing it in, lit candle on top, after we had cut her birthday cake, and my favorite picture was this one.

As soon as she blew out the candle on the pie, she turned to my mother and sweetly said, "THANK YOU, Grandma!"

This picture shows her expression when I retorted, "HEY! I made that pie!"

Here is her response to the sweater my mom made for her. (Her reaction to the stylish apron my mom also made for her was about the same.)

Here is her response to Annika's gift.

I took no pictures of Millie opening her super-fabulous gifts from McGamma, Dude, and Aunt Sarah earlier that afternoon because my ears were ringing from all the delighted screams of four girls jumping up and down. (Seriously, Dudette, they were SO exited and SO loud. I'll post pictures of them playing with the gifts later...)

And here is my Dad after the party, telling jokes. Andy thought he was masquerading as an Amish gangsta.

Maybe he was.

One Morning

2011-08-19T12:33:00.000-05:00

Piper woke up.

And she made a funny face.

One Afternoon

2011-08-19T12:32:00.001-05:00

Su reflected on great and mighty things.

Kuplink, Kuplank, Kuplunk

2011-08-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

We picked blueberries again, and I took two bad pictures.

La-dee-dah.

Year of the Zucchini

2011-08-19T12:30:00.001-05:00

But isn't every year?

Skip on by buildabelly, all you cooking folks.

I've idled away some time during the last two weeks putting up recipes and haven't even touched the backlog. What I have done, though, is post a bowlful of recipes that use zucchini. I even made zucchini and yellow squash-topped pizza last night (though I haven't put up the recipe yet). Good golly. What a summer!

Wish You Were Here!

2011-08-17T15:13:00.004-05:00

Um. Could the same person who found my new glasses also return the lens cap to my camera?

It's been missing since the church retreat, and, for the sake of efficiency, I choose to believe the glasses and lens cap are together.

Maybe they're vacationing by the lake. Lazy laze-abouts.

p.s. While I'm begging, for a month and a half I've also been missing the small, smooth, gray piece of magic cloth with which I cleaned the camera lens. I stole it from my husband's computer case, though, so I guess it serves me right.

p.p.s. It's the strangest thing, but I also have been missing my favorite $100, 000.00 bill for a looong time now. Baffling, really...

While Someone Drew the Bath

2011-08-15T11:20:00.001-05:00

That someone was me, but since I was in the hall taking these pictures while the water ran, I think that someone was actually Nobody.

Retreat and a Half-hearted Surmise

2011-08-15T11:19:00.003-05:00

I mentioned several posts back that we were pulling out of the driveway for a lakeside retreat, right? All expenses save gas were covered by the church, and we had a wonderful time worshiping together, sharing the Lord's Supper, singing psalms, splashing and boating in the lake, eating three greasy meals each day that we did not have to cook on dishes that we did not have to wash, acting extraordinarily silly late at night (one of my greatest talents), and enjoying the company of good people. Now we're back, and after deleting half a dozen blurry pictures, this is all I have left from the four super days we spent with friends old and new.

Surprisingly, given my blog title and the sheer glut of pictures I post, I remain conflicted about camera use to chronicle family members and the moments that one strings together to make a life. Of necessity, the photographer must step outside of the moment in order to capture it. Some may disagree with this, but I believe that one cannot be wholly present in a moment that one is capturing. There is an inevitable disconnect that occurs as one steps back to frame the shot, consider lighting, mood, and expression, and choose when to press the shutter. Even when the photographer has no awareness of the technical aspects of photography, there is that moment when they remove themselves from something in order to "capture" it. This consideration is less relevant when one is photographing landscapes, objects, or people and events not as immediate to oneself as, say, one's children on their lakeside retreat, but when one steps back to capture personal memories, I believe sometimes the gaining of the photograph comes at the expense of the true memory itself. This is why I find it easier to photograph the girls when they're playing and unaware of me than I do in activities of which I am a part. One example is swimming. I can't swim with them if I take pictures of them swimming, and I like swimming.

If the logic of that last brilliant sentence didn't convince you of the pitfalls inherent in today's technology, then nothing will.

The End.

I ran across this poem by Wendell Berry the other day. While not fully revealing the detriments of today's age of photographing EVERYTHING, or, to be sure, not giving a fair shake to the benefits of the ease at which we can now photograph EVERYTHING, it still gave me pause, and I think it's worth a read even if you disagree with the conclusion if only for Berry's use of spare poetics.

_____________________________________________

The Vacation

Once there was a man who filmed his vacation.

He went flying down the river in his boat

with his video camera to his eye, making

a moving picture of the moving river

upon which his sleek boat moved swiftly

toward the end of his vacation. He showed

his vacation to his camera, which pictured it,

preserving it forever: the river, the trees,

the sky, the light, the bow of his rushing boat

behind which he stood with his camera

preserving his vacation even as he was having it

so that after he had had it he would still

have it. It would be there. With a flick

of a switch, there it would be. But he

would not be in it. He would never be in it.

–Wendell Berry

___________________________________________________

And, so, here are the rest of the vacation pictures for which I was not present! :)

There were late-night folk songs, hymns, and spontaneous jigs accompanied by guitar-strumming Michael and an authentic Alabaman banjoist whose high melodies were a true pleasure to hear. Yes, we did sing "Oh! Susanna," and I fully appreciated that he had a banjo on his knee.

Brown-eyed girls.

Secrets for sharing.

Small beauties.

Early morning runs and hidden sunrises.

The modern marvel of whirling glowsticks.

and the ageless marvel of sleeping children.

Who Could Ask for Anything More?

2011-08-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

We came home to cucumbers in need of pickling,

vacation laundry to hang as the sun set,

and a salamander in the basement.

Surefire

2011-08-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

You know your baby's rapidly becoming a little girl when she prefers her occasional Toasty Oats with milk.

By "with milk," I of course mean "swimming like round, cardboard fish in Milk Lake on the table."

That cheesy grin is worth hours of clean-up.

A Row of Ribbons

2011-08-15T11:16:00.001-05:00

While John was at work, the girls and I went the county fair before the free gate closed, and we immediately rushed to the exhibitor's building to see how many ribbons we won. This is important for much greater reasons than mere self-worth and vanity. Each blue and red ribbon we win translates into MONEY, which, in turn, translates into ELEPHANT EARS and TAFFY and a FERRIS WHEEL RIDE at the state fair come September. (This year, the ribbons also translated into a pair of cherry red heels on clearance for a foolish mama, but that's neither here nor there.)

I have a few gripes with the exhibits, mostly the fact that there aren't many classes in which children can enter and that the only two sections in the photography class are "color" and "black and white," but it's still a fun whirl every summer. And, as I've mentioned, the elephant ears and taffy are dependent on those ribbons.

I only lasted about three hours. The bigger girls could have chugged along, but Luci and Pip and Abigail were becoming cranky, and since we had already shared our elephant ear

while watching the miniature horse pull,

after hand-picking sixteen 8-inch long sticks of taffy (You read that right. Sixteen sticks. So what? The unsurpassed taffy of Fowler's is a treasured tradition from my childhood, and I ate four the first day)...

and watching barrel-racing and walking the midway six times and turning down the carnies who thought we were a traveling daycare and looking at the chicks and the roosters and the bunnies and the cows and the goats and choosing which rides we'd hop on if we'd won twenty times as many ribbons and scoring a free bottle of water from a kind woman and seeing a flood of hundreds of youthful, yarmulke-decked heads illogically descend on the most red-necked of bumpkin fairs and bumping into my brother and his family and using the restroom with its bowl of candy for generous tippers at the door,

it was time to go.

I didn't plan this, but Piper's dress has taffy on it. Perfection.

I include the obligatory stairstep picture of fair-going girls, but that's all I've got. Sorry, but lugging both a baby and a camera around is tiring.

We Grow Children, Too

2011-08-15T11:04:00.001-05:00

The girls look maniacal here, when, in fact, they were...
okay, they were maniacal.

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a contest to trim the most green beans using razor sharp knives.

Unless, that is, you have the choice of lip-syncing to the operatics of Charlotte Church,

concentrating, then grimacing, and then concentrating anew,

or nipping a few bites on the sly.

After taking these pictures, I made pickles while they finished. What a boon it is to have older children willing to help.

Oh. Because I have no idea where to place it, here is Mildred with an armful of kale. She's a kale-lover. (Can't you tell?)

Don't Ask Me the Purpose

2011-08-15T11:02:00.000-05:00

I only took the pictures.

Curlicues.

Jewel-tone stove.

A Long Post of Long Island, with Credit to Sarah

2011-08-15T11:01:00.003-05:00

I've already given a ~~lazy girl's~~ poet's defense of not taking pictures on vacation, right? Good, 'cause I took about four pictures.

At the tail end of July, we took our annual summer holiday to L.I., where loving family, glorious flowers, good friends, fabulous food, a beach, and other splendors await.

Chief among these "other splendors" is Television. To clarify something before you look at the zombies below, let it be known that our children watch no television. They used to watch a movie about every month or so, until recently, when John instituted Tuesday night Robin Hood viewing. We watch one episode a week, which means that, with faithful viewing, we should be finished in the year 2014, sixty years after its original debut. The girls anticipate Tuesday night all week long for half an hour of black and white wildroot jollity.

You may think this is healthy for them. You may think this is unhealthy for them. I give you permission to take your pick.

What I know is that on vacation, the girls look forward to breathing television like it's oxygen, and this is what it gets them.

T.V.-HEADS! MUSHY BRAINS!

To be fair, this was shortly after they'd all awakened, and they endure much teasing from me for being television zombies.

John stole his sister's car (he has a history of doing this), and took me on a date to buy his parents a modem. He put the top down, which made it an incredible date.

Then, he made an impromptu stop at a book sale, which made an incredible date even better.

THEN, while at Best Buy, he displayed his prowess on small, electronic devices, which made an incredible date so dazzling that you're jealous. (For the record, I don't know how to text and have only sent one in my whole life. I think it said, "Hio, Jogn! Im texxtung!"

Guess which line I typed below...

(Hint: John types, then I type, then John finishes up.)

So there are my four pictures.

BUT WAIT!!!

John's sister Sarah borrowed my camera and took these pictures! Way to go, Sarah!

Here are all the cousins together. I always admire Sarah's talent in taking group photos of these girls, which is a difficult task. This year was no exception...

Anna is talented in the art of cosmetology and painted the girls' toes and nails brilliant shades.

Piper gave beloved Aunt Sarah a goofy look.

Anna and Alex- sisters and wonderful cousins.

Neighbor-friend Judy and the McGamma at one of the many feasts we indulged in during our stay.

Neighbor-friend Nick and Dude.

And Sarah also took the following pictures with her camera, generously copying them onto disk for me.

Dude and McGamma have a little pool in the yard, the perfect size for the girls to lounge in without fear of them drowning but not so shallow that bigger folks (ahem- me) can't also enjoy it.

Annie finally learned to swim!

Piper shivered,

and Lucinda squinted.

Um. I guess Piper also squinted.

Dude and Mom Owen always are the epitome of hospitality. They make it seem as if we're at a luxury hotel, only better, because it's a luxury hotel with roasted marshmallows.

Here I shush sleepy Lu.

John cuddles with a sleepy Nixie.

Luci gobbles delicious fruit.

Hehe. The zombies watch television.

The zombies eat corn.

The zombies play with Alex.

And THERE'S MORE!

We went to a water park. Wait, let me edit that statement.

WE WENT TO A WATER PARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John's family lives within convenient distance of an amazing water park, and even more conveniently, they had free tickets for most of the girls and I! I can't even begin to tell you how much fun this was. The girls' experience with rides has thus far been limited to the free carousels in our area and our yearly ferris-wheel ride at the state fair, and none of them has ever been on a water ride. Now, place those three girls, one mama who went to a water park on a senior class trip when she was seventeen, and four indulgent, gracious hosts in The Water Park to End All Water Parks, and you have yourself a pretty good time.

It was awesome.

And guess what? Sarah-- that same Sarah who took the above pictures-- has a waterproof camera, and she chronicled parts of the day! Behold....

Here we are on the first ride of the day. Look at our greenhorn delight!

The second ride was great fun. We whooshed through a pitch-black tube before shooting out the end. The girls didn't like this one so much...

so, later, we rode the first ride again. Happy, happy!

We went down slides and tubes and tunnels for at least five hours.

And then we fell asleep on the ride home.

Thank you, Sarah (and McGamma, Anna, Alex, and Trevor)! What a great gift.

When we arrived home, we discovered a naughty cat in the rafters.

Naughty!

Oops. I Lied.

2011-08-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

I did take more than four pictures. I forgot about these pictures John and I took at the beach using the small camera. You know, the one Dudette said was "for my purse." John's mom is newly retired from working for the town, so she always makes a little call before we go to the beach, and the attendants wave us through. Going to the beach is something the girls and I look forward to all year, and we know it for the gift it is.

The day was cool, and neither John nor I felt like swimming like we normally do, so instead we sat, read, and watched the girls. I also had fun experimenting with the settings on the small camera, which I don't use as often as the Fancy one, and I took dozens of dull pictures.

When I went to test the water, John took some pictures, and I love how interesting his shots are. They make mine look too safe and tidy in comparison.

My three favorite pictures that he took are the following three. I like this One for obvious reasons.

I think this one is funny.

And I found this picture of my goosebumps especially moving.

Just Say NO, Moe!

2011-08-08T08:38:00.003-05:00

Just now, Millie bounced into the room and announced, "In nine more days, I turn NINE!"

My response sounded something like this, "Grrklprh?!"

Our eldest turns nine in nine days.
Someone comfort me, please.

____________________________________________________________

p.s.

I took the above picture of Millie a month ago. At the time, I couldn't account for the odd expression on her face. A moment ago, however, everything just clicked into place.

Because You Care So Very Much

2011-08-01T11:03:00.004-05:00

I wanted to give you all a headache by loading the last few pictures from July before we left for a church retreat by the lake today, but it's not happening.

Blueberries are flash frozen and bagged, chicken is marinating for weekend spiedies, the girls and I ate ROAST ROOSTER for breakfast because I forgot to cook him for supper last night and had to roast him before we left, laundry is done, the house is clean enough, the girls are washing dishes as I type, the van was vacuumed bare of Long Island's sand and then stuffed to its nonexistent gills, lemonade and lunch are packed, and still we wait.

We wait, because poor Nixie Pixie is on her way to the surgeon who will hopefully tend to her Lump of Mystery that's defied antibiotics for the last month. I don't know what he/she will do (perhaps lance it?), but John will buy her an ice cream cone when they're done, and there's nothing like a date with a bearded Papa, even if one has to bring Lump along for the ride.

Don't you fret. I'll ride the shotsnaps tsunami later this week.

7/30

2011-07-30T20:21:00.002-05:00

I always sit by the window when I type these posts, and tonight that choice rewards me with the keening song of coyotes outside the window and a strong, cool wind that makes me shiver.

I welcome them both.

Moths gather by the dozens, light-compelled to flutter against the screen, their wings a blur of dull browns and greys. With no knowledge of futility, they'll stay as long as the light shines.

This morning, just as driven, just as aimless, I went for a walk through a fresh-cut field and into the woods. It's been a blue moon since I simply walked and sat in the stillness of a sunny morning without a destination, goal, or overt purpose. It is good to do so. Observing small things and hearing quiet noises-- the wind in timothy, one lonely cloud shaped like a hand, a brown rabbit too curious for its own good, coarse stubble in my shoe.

And, now, dark quiet all around, broken by mindless barking from the yard and minor noises as John moves through the kitchen. I am more tired than I have been in a long time.

May we all find rest tonight.

Romance and Roses and Shots in the Dark

2011-07-30T20:20:00.000-05:00

John took me on a date. All wheedling and pitiful, I asked if I could take a picture of us.
He grunted.

Half an hour later, he said, "Here. You wanted to take a picture."
YEAH!

So even though I look goofy, and he looks like I just punched him, I'll happily take it.

Us. Together two.
(Handsome man.)
Awwwwww.

Blue Mud Dauber Wasp

2011-07-30T20:19:00.000-05:00

On the windowsill.

Ready for fisticuffs.

TKO!!!

Iridescent in the sunlight.

Gen. George Washington Would Be So Proud

2011-07-30T20:18:00.005-05:00

The curlers served an additional purpose save independence. We went to a circus party! I love circuses, about which loyal readers weary of hearing, and we happily forewent our usual celebration.

I kicked myself for only taking a dozen pictures, until I saw the color that Rebecca, hostess extraordinaire, captured with her camera. Here are my paltry few, but, by all means, see more here. (And you really should, 'cause it was fantastic.)

We left our house in a whirl, as usual, and I unrolled everyone's curlers and applied face paint in the van. This was less than fun, but why break with tradition?

Here's Pip an hour into the party. She held fast to her wish to be a tiger, so a tiger she was, smeared face paint and all.

Annika wanted to be a tightrope walker; lo and behold!-- there was a tightpipe at the party!

Susannah was a trapeze girl, which provided the perfect excuse for eye glitter, pleasing her immensely.

Little Lu was my baby clown.

She couldn't have cared less what I called her, as long as I permitted her to splash in the water for several hours. I did. When night fell, I had to strip her because she was soaked to the gills and shivering.

Adelé is not my child, but if her parents ever tire of her, Piper and I will gladly claim her as our own. You hear that, Mister & Mistress? GLADLY!

For nearly ten minutes, I watched Adelé try her best to clean the nasty red circle off of Luci's nose, to no avail. It was hysterical. She doggedly splashed and scoured, splashed and scoured, and didn't even let Piper distract her from the task.

Millie was a bareback rider, and she decorated her hobby horse with ribbons only to discard it once we arrived in favor of nobler pursuits.

Susannah on the trapeze.

Have you ever seen a trapeze artist having such a jolly time?

John was our chauffeur but declined to dress up, and I have no pictures of him, but here I am, makeup worn and weary, at the tail end of the night with the founder of the feast. (Dude and Dude-mom: note the shoes!)

Here's to crazy pals who like to stress themselves silly! Three (silent) cheers for the mime!

It's a Sparkler

2011-07-30T20:17:00.001-05:00

The girls sparkled a few at Uncle Andy's the following week.
Yeehaw.

It's a Sunset

2011-07-30T20:16:00.000-05:00

Yeehaw.

Just moments before, this sky was so glorious I could barely breathe. I sprinted home, grabbed the camera, and took this picture, all in the space of a minute or two. Perennially late, I only caught the glowing remains of a skywide blaze.

Frugal Fancy(literal)pants* #2

2011-07-30T20:14:00.003-05:00

*See the genesis here.

I've had grand plans for a FANCY frugal fancy-pants post, one with glossy poses and airbrushed noses, but, unfortunately, plans are never enough.

The last two months have provided 8 Sundays in which I've worn outfits worthy of this post, outfits which practically begged me to showcase them, but I turned them down in favor of

1. unbuckling children from carseats
2. hauling bags in from the car (why does it feel like I pack for a vacation each time we go to church?)
3. kicking off the ridiculous heels that I wear because I'm vain
4. making popcorn for supper
5. tucking sweaty daughters into bunkbeds
6. flopping down on the couch
and, most importantly
7. staring at the fly that just won't stop buzzing around the room.

I'll try to impress you next time, but for now, please accept this meager offering.

Exhibit A:

Suggestion: Wear this outfit when taking your daughter to the physician for a mysterious lump that refuses to diminish.

-Wedge-heel sandals: free in trade
-High-waisted, wide-legged jeans: rummage sale
-Vintage polyester tank that belonged to an old woman: rummage sale
-Gray pleather belt: rummage sale
-Black bead necklace: rummage sale
-Gray/black gauzy scarf that belonged to an old (once young) woman: rummage sale
Total cost of outfit: about 30 cents

Optional accessories:
droopy eyes: cost- loss of a good night's sleep
cat's tail: cost- too many bags of cat food

Exhibit B:

Suggestion: Wear this outfit when you want to get caught in a thunderstorm and frantically plant seed potatoes.

-Boots: a gift

-Jean shorts from the mid-90's: rummage sale
-Shirt: hand-me-down
-Sweatshirt: post-baby gift-card purchase (I don't remember...$4.00?)
Total cost (in actual dollars spent): about ten cents

Optional accessories:
-shovel, hammer, tape measure (if you want to look authentic)
-fifteen pounds of aged manure smeared all over your body (if you want to smell authentic)

Until next time, let's be frugal, fellow fancy-pants!

I Am Truly Sorry

2011-07-30T20:13:00.001-05:00

I give you more flowers.

In shadow.

In sunlight.

Piper Has Passed the Baton

2011-07-30T20:12:00.001-05:00

It is a certainty.

Here's the rundown.

I don't hear Luci for about five minutes. I leave breakfast cooking on the stove and find her in front of an open unlatched cupboard with an open container of paint that I didn't know was in the cupboard.

She looks cute.

I clean her up.

To keep her from the path of mischief, I set her by my feet. Literally one minute later, I hear a satisfying whooooosh and look down to see her by an open unlatched cupboard with a pile of oatmeal at her feet.

She looks cute.
I clean things up.

Five minutes later. She's awfully quiet. I poke my head around the kitchen island to see her gleefully stuffing marshmallows into her already stuffed mouth. She has finished a quarter of the bag and extends a marshmallow of peace towards me in hopes of avoiding a lecture.

She looks cute.
I take it.
I eat it.

I strap her in a highchair using five feet of mariner's rope.

The End.

Jump-Start

2011-07-30T20:11:00.001-05:00

I'm pouring butter down buildabelly's throat in an attempt to revive her, and in anticipation of her recovery, I sometimes take pictures of food.

I think it's funny when I occasionally see food blogs in which the food is prettier than me (not that that's saying much, I know- be quiet!), because my method of taking pictures of food for which I post recipes goes something like this.

"Mmmmm. Oh, this smells/looks/tastes so good! Everybody to the table, quickly!"
And then everyone comes, and I sometimes remember to take a picture, grabbing whatever dish/towel/cloth napkin is nearby to throw in the corner of the frame to "enhance" the picture.

I was reminded of my professional photography methodology when I loaded these pictures tonight.

A.
A picture of chicken spiedies, taken to replace the pale and wan picture I posted a couple of years ago:

Snapshot #1.

Snapshot #2.
Wait a minute...

Snapshot #3.

She actually came running in from the other room with a fork so that she could dig in. Semper peratus!

B.

Ooh. This is a good one-- an exotic barbeque sauce that was so much better than the rubber chicken on which I basted it.
Snapshot #1.

Snapshot #2.

And snapshot #3. Carpe diem!

Here Comes the Sun

2011-07-30T20:10:00.001-05:00

One morning, I stood in a swathe of tiger lilies and watched them open. One can literally watch them unfold as the sun's rays hit.

Unlikely

2011-07-30T20:09:00.001-05:00

A few weeks back, the girls and I had to go to the doctor's office-- a rare occurrence-- and everyone looked presentable, so after the appointment I thought I'd take a picture of them for the McGamma.

The thought's the important part, right? Not the fact that I only realized once we arrived at the doctor's office that Piper had no shoes, and most definitely not the fact that I only realized once she sat down in the waiting room that she also lacked underwear. It was a great day. (The following week, we went to the doctor's AGAIN. That time, Annika left her shoes at home. Thankfully, she was wearing underwear.)

Oh, yes. My failed attempts.

F.A. #1

F.A. #2

F.A. #3

Aaaand F.A. #4

Luci is not in these pictures because I was holding her at the time. She was cranky and wanted only to do this: