The Middlest and The Littlest.

The last couple of days Ivy and The Goo have been two peas in a pod. She takes care of him independent of my prompting and he adores her for including him in our conversations and playing trucks with him. She was super sad to see him get a shot at the doctor's office and doted on him the rest of the morning giving him love and treats until he pulled her hair and that was the end of spoiling The Goo. I have to force myself to stop, slow down and watch them play together instead if capitalizing on their occupied attentions. After all, this is a special time they have at home, just the two of them together; The Middlest and The Littlest.

The Little Girl Scouts.

The Little Girls had their Thinking Day on Sunday. Their troop chose to celebrate Taiwan. The meeting was two hours of celebrating their sister Girl Scout troops internationally and included singing, food, swaps and crafts.

Oh, and My Little Girls have sold over 150 boxes of cookies. I am a proud mama. 

Chinese New Year Parade.

A highlight of Savannah's Kindergarten year was when the First Grade put on a dragon parade for the Kindergarten classes, celebrating the Chinese New Year. She was thrilled when her teacher announced not only when the parade for this year would be but how she was chosen be one of the students honored with the job of being the body of the dragon.

What's New With Goo.

The Goo loves to drink smoothie, place it on the bookshelf above and settle in for some literary reorganizing (i.e. pull all the books down onto the floor step all over them. In this photo I have just tidied up and he is scheming his next mess).

 

The Goo loves to pull Ivy's lovely red curls, pull on the skirt of her dress, spin her around in the swivel chair while she is enjoying a movie or looking through a book, pull her glasses off her face and hug her at the worst possible times making it the best possible time, of course.

 

The Goo is a babe of few words (insert the apple/tree connection here if you know his Dad). Luckily, The Little Girls and I have taught him to communicate some manners through a variety of hand waves. He waves to say please, thank you, your welcome and SORRY. We started this waving language intentionally a while back. We all love it especially Ivy who as mentioned before is typically the target of his um...attention.

 

The Goo trills his tongue to make the car engine sound. He has trilled since he could hold a car/truck/plane in his chubby little hand. He really gets going on this trilling sound while deep in play. I never tire of the sound, it is sweet music to my day and I miss it a little while he is napping. 

 

The Goo loves books, even ones without photos. He can sit and thumb through the pages of one of Tim's books for a disturbing length of time. I always wonder just what he could be thinking while turning page after page.

 

The Goo loves to boogie. He dances often and with good rhythm. You know that lull in the afternoon? The one where you really could use a cup of coffee or a luscious nap? That is our best dance time. It keeps the grumpies away.

 

The Goo knows exactly what you are talking about and nods emphatically to agree, or shakes his head and says, "uh... no no." Just like that.

 

The Goo gives great open mouth kisses accompanied with a "MU AH!" I love it. 

Quick Hit.

Snow started to stick today at 1:30. By 4:30 we had 8 inches of snow.

Also during that time Ivy took a marathon sink bath and we had trouble getting Savannah home from school due to a "bus in a snow ditch" situation.

(terrible photo quality I know...had to act quickly, her imaginary play was quite funny)

So here's a bit of excitement on a quiet (ha! remember this?) country road: Kristina, a friend of mine through book club (she's the co-founder of Book N Hookers who has been living in Vietnam the last couple years so I'm only now just getting to know her), has just recently moved in two doors down! Hip Hip Hooray! The bus stop is in front of her house. She saw me standing out front waiting for the bus in not quite blizzard conditions. She called me and told me I better come in for a cup of coffee, she had some news on the bus. Her son had called her from the bus and that is how we pieced the rest of the afternoon together as to where my one child was and where her four older children were. Oh, and Kristina makes the best coffee, I sorta hope she sees me out front in bad conditions more often (minus the anxiety over the whereabouts of my precious Little). In the end*, my Dad came to the rescue and picked Savannah up at school after the school called saying the conditions were no longer safe for bus travel...duh. Savannah said she played happily with her little friend in the gymnasium those two hours after school but she had a terrible tummy ache the whole time because she was a little hungry and a lot nervous as to when she would be going home.

 

*You may be wondering why I didn't just pick up Savannah from school myself. On snowy days, the school strongly suggests all kids ride the bus because the school's road is quite treacherous for individual vehicle travel.

Kunekune Piglets.

My sister Deanna's friend Steve and his wife raise a rare New Zealand pig called the Kunekune. Steve invited Deeds to see their new piglets and My Littles and I tagged along. There is no creature cuter than a piglet; pink skin, soft fur, long eyelashes and sweet swingy tail. So we were lucky the Kunekune sow is very docile and friendly, allowing us to pet and hold the wee babes. The Little Girls were oohing and giggling while piggies tried to suckle their shoes and The Goo was very interested in the babes under the heat lamp snuggled tightly atop each other. We learned so much about raising Kunekune in the hour we spent in the pigpen, farm life is such an adventure. Thank you Deeds for arranging this fun for us.

Hmm.

Three years ago our neighbor two doors up went for a drunken joy ride on his motorcycle up and down our street. He only stopped because he hit our mailbox, then a sturdy cedar tree which propelled him off his bike and into our front yard. His body broken, he was life-flighted to a hospital and unexpected to live. He did live, I see him get on his motorcycle every morning while I'm out running. Last night we had a lot of excitement here at The Honey Hut, and not of the romantic variety. While making dinner I heard a scream and looked out the front window witnessing a truck plow through our driveway, take out our mailbox and come to a stop in our manzanita bushes.

I ran outside to see a woman (a neighbor Gail) and her dog trembling in the bushes. I called out to the driver who responded by trying to restart his truck over and over. After the initial shock, Gail and I realized the driver was not going to come out. I called 911 and we waited with other neighbors 20 minutes for a first responder, a CHP. When the highway patrol came on the scene, the truck driver stumbled out of the vehicle and started trudging down the road. He could barely stand. The CHP ran down the road after the driver and brought him back to the patrol car. I heard the officer repeat the same questions several times, each time saying "Sir, I know you've been drinking. I can smell it on you." What happened next was a report was taken, an arrest made and neighbors dispersed. The tow truck came and Tim got home, he went to talk to the tow driver and officer. The officer told Tim this was the drunk driver's third arrest so he's going to jail for 30 days and the man's physical address: 7 doors down. When Tim told me which neighbor it was, I cringed. I know this guy. I wave or talk to him regularly on my morning runs. I didn't recognize him last night, he was so drunk. This morning there was a knock on the door. A woman stood there teary-eyed. I knew immediately who she was. She introduced herself and told me it was her husband who crashed into our yard. She was sweet and sad and it just got me thinking about the people who are left in the wake, to pick up the pieces after a family member's addiction. Her visit took courage and strength, it spun a new light on our disturbed evening.

Love.

You would have thought it Christmas morning at The Honey Hut by the excitement coming from My Littles. Valentines Day is the best. A special thank you to Margaret and Gordon for making it so special, Great Grandma and Papa for the sweet valentines and to Andy for the card and puzzles for The Littles. 

Ivy has been a big help planning tonight's sweet feast, here making chocolates. Wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day.

Not Martha.

Around Christmas, The Goo took a marker to my white chenille slipcovers. I hyper-panicked. Then quickly grabbed the marker out of his purple, chubby hand and let out a deep breath as I read the most reassuring word: erasable. A week later he took a black Sharpie pen and filled that old white chenille in like it was a blank canvas. Tim asked him in a stern voice, "Did you write on Mommy's chairs?" The Goo shrugged. These slipcovers have been showing their age for a while now but I had been hobbling them along until I could muster up enough nerve, time and energy to make new ones. I made the original pattern and covers when Ivy was just a year old. The process is a horrid pain in the ass. So I have patched, gathered, scrubbed, bleached, soaked and stitched the hell out of these slipcovers through four years, three kids, two adults, two cats (now deceased), some rather uncouth guests who sat there pulling out the chenille while talking (HELLO???? It doesn't grow back, assholes!) and hundreds of washes. When The Little Girls were invited to the Sweetheart Sleepover, I knew I needed to dig deep, find some bravery and at the very least cut out the pattern and pin the pieces together. But I got further than I thought and the process seemed like it was coming together nicely so I started to sew it together with my serger. The serger did great until it didn't (and currently I have not a clue how to fix it). So I got out my regular sewing machine and started up again. The pieces went together perfectly and you know I was really patting myself on the back and winking to myself until the gathering tape broke (look, I know some of you have not a clue about sergers or gathering tape, but believe me when I say "serger" and "gathering tape" I am talking about two VERY helpful upholstering tools) and I lost the strings (think of the most complicated re threading of a string in a hoodie or sweatpants, and then times that by F&*$ and you'll comprehend what I'm saying here). Here is the point in the slipcover-making process where Tim is hiding from me and The Little Girls are home from the party, wishing they weren't, and praying Mommy finishes this project so this terrible mood she is in is behind us and just a horrid little memory. Tim sees the fear in The Littles eyes and takes them to the park. I YouTube a video about gathering with a basic sewing machine. The seamstress shows me the most magical trick, I try it out, IT WORKS! At midnight I am finished. I put the covers in the washer and dryer to de-lint. I put the slipcovers on the chairs...one is 3...THREE! inches shorter than the other, ugh. Luckily an easy fix thanks to a gross overestimate when ordering yardage; take off shorter skirt, cut a new skirt, use magic trick, sew to slipcover. Now the new skirt is only 1 inch shorter than the other. Who cares. Martha Stewart I am not. It will likely start to bother me in a day or two. Right now I feel as if a terrible storm has passed through my brain, my family and my house. The calm has come. Time to celebrate a finished project.

Sweetheart Sleepover.

Jackson and Jenny invited The Little Girls over for a Sweetheart Sleepover. The Littles all made their Sweethearts valentines, they had a special Sweetheart Dinner, enjoyed Sweetheart ice cream sundaes, watched a Sweetheart movie with popcorn and finally snuggled up as Sweethearts for some slumber.

Saturday morning at 7:00, Jared sent me this text photo saying "Good Morning". Hot Chocolate first thing? What a fun party! Thank you Jared, Jenny, Jackson and Hank for inviting The Little Girls over for a special party. Your Sweetheart Sleepover is an experience I am certain they will cherish forever.

(all photos thanks to Jenny and Jared.)

You Got A Little Something...

My Littles are all healthy again, I couldn't be happier! Today The Little Girls hosted an after school  play date with their friends, sisters Riley and Dakota; two darling, well-mannered and sweet girls. I spent the day cleaning and preparing, keeping Ivy on task so she could be a proper hostess. What's that saying something like, cleaning a house with kids is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreo cookies? Yeah...

(photo by Penny)

Happy Birthday...

to the youngest old guy I know: my Dad.

Ready, Set...Sick.

Just a few photos from our weekend, we had a lovely relaxing time. Tim's Mom (doesn't she look so stylish above?!) took all these, I was rather preoccupied with a very feverish and sick Savannah Jane. When we arrived Friday night, she was doubled over with a painful stomach ache. The fever lasted all weekend but finally broke this morning. Ivy spent some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa going to church and playing loads of games. It was great to have extra hands to help with Goo and Ivy since Savannah needed lots of love, cuddles, baths and back scratches. She did rally for a few hours on Sunday, just in time for Grandma's Tea. As you can see, Margaret does a real English Tea.

But today it was back to this. So life has been put on hold for now until this sick Little is happy again.

Can't Stop Thinking About...

-this tote. Perfect for valentines day and you know how I adore Baggu (see here.)
-these downloads for My Littles' Valentines this year.
-how I missed out on these classes. The first sold out in 5 minutes, the second class? 30 seconds. GRrrrrr.
-this recipe I found for Lemon Chex Mix. It is snack-CRACK. Don't make it, it will ruin any will-power you have against junk food. On the other hand, it might be good for your Superbowl celebration. Speaking of the Superbowl, Tim is very excited his 49ers are playing this Sunday. And when Tim is excited, the whole Hut is excited.
-relaxing this weekend with Tim's parents, we're going to Grandma's! Have a FUN weekend and Happy February.