Overdue Photos

Here are a couple of subjects I should have posted on previously.  This first has become, to me, rather commonplace.  While I'm impressed, I'm not surprised about it anymore.  But occasionally someone will see it for the first time and ask, "Have you taken a picture?"  Well, I finally did this week.  So, here it is:

Yes, that is D2, sleeping soundly in a shopping cart.  I've had some remarkably successful shopping sessions because of this ability, but I still don't know how he does it.

The next is not on the same order of cuteness, but I am pleased with it:

My new winter dress, that I sewed sometime around Thanksgiving.  It is made from a lovely, slightly fuzzy peachskin material.  Luckily I do not suffer haptodysphoria.  I followed Simplicity 2338, and added pockets.  These flowers by the Delightfuldesigner are a perfect match!

Culture Shot

Feeling restless a few days after Christmas, we headed for the hills on the east side of Seattle

and found the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

It has these lovely doors

and a nicely varied collection inside.

Can you see how much the boys appreciated this cultural experience?

I thought it was wonderful.

We are grateful for vacuum cleaners

Dictionary Moment: Floccinaucinihilipilification

After looking up "duff," which the Caterpillar found in a fire safety pamphlet, I flipped randomly to the F section of the SOED and found this vaguely related word.  Duff, in the context, means "decaying vegetable matter covering forest ground," but more generally denotes "something worthless."  "Floccinaucinihilipilification" caught my attention by being a very long word (29 letters and four Latin roots), right in the middle of the page.  And it means "the action or habit of estimating as worthless."

It sounds like a bad habit to me.  When you are tempted to dismiss something as duff, consider it carefully.  Do you want to be guilty of floccinaucinihilipilification?  Let us value people as children of God, the world around us as His creation, and the new year before us as full of opportunity.  Not, of course, that everything has equal worth.  When we meet items or habits which are not of worth to us, let us replace them with that which is more edifying. 

Seize the year!

"This was a great Christmas!"

. . . Rollo repeated frequently.  A few scenes . . .

Scoot helping decorate outside.

We could see the full moon through the clouds Monday night

as we strung lights and supported ladders,

but the clouds thickened and started to rain before the Earth's shadow was noticeable.

Suffice it to say that the moon is often eclipsed around here.

Christmas Eve, after going carolling in the rain.

By the way, these guys decided on a new name for December 23rd:

"Christmas Adam"

Since Adam came before Eve, you know.

Why didn't I think of that?

Some of these boys were more awake than the others.

A new squad of army men monitored the proceedings.

Rockin' Rollo with his surprising robe and long-awaited guitar.

This season I've been feeling more literary than crafty, but I did enjoy sewing Rollo's robe.  I also crocheted this green Santa hat for Scoot, and followed my old standby pattern to make slippers for Rollo and the Caterpillar. 

I hope you had a merry day as well!

The First Gift of Christmas

No, it is not the first gift that I have planned or ordered or purchased this year.  But it is the first that I finished making and actually wrapped.  D2 carefully placed it where the tree will be.  I'm not sure that is the best place for it.  Certain of his brothers don't handle anticipation very well. 

D2 loves wrapping and giving presents.  Yesterday he found a little bag to use.  First he presented it to me with one of Scoot's slippers inside.  Just what I always wanted!  He took it back, of course, then offered me the bag again.  I felt it from the outside, and found his little fist. 

"Oh, what a wonderful present," I said.  "Do I get to keep just the hand, or the whole boy?"

"The whole thing!"  Our smiles were bright as I tried out a little hugging and tickling on my present.

Vous savez bien que l'amour, c'est avant tout le don de soi!

You know very well that love is, above all, the gift of oneself!

--Jean Anouilh

A Week of Saturdays

That's what it felt like after the snow.  The boys were previously scheduled to come home early that Monday, which was convenient considering the weather.  Dandelionslayer left work early, and arrived home late.  By then the wind had picked up and started blowing down trees and knocking out power.  Ours was restored by the time we sat down to our candlelit sandwich supper.  Others were not so fortunate.

On Tuesday, school was cancelled due to treacherous roads.  Dandelionslayer's place of work was also closed.  So that afternoon the boys played with friends, and we cautiously drove to a grocery store.  Nearly there, and feeling successful, we slid into a ditch.  Friendly people stopped to help us out.  We returned the favor to others on the way home.  It was nice to be of service.

The snow was beginning to melt, and the main roads were fairly clear by Wednesday, but some of the schools were still without electricity.  Dandelionslayer doubted that his afternoon meeting would be well attended, so he stayed home, too.  Sticking with the pattern, we spent Thanksgiving day relaxing, particularly grateful for light, heat, and hot water.

On Friday we set out for an adventure.  Rain had dispersed the snow at home, so some friends drove us to the other side of the Hood Canal and up to where it was still snowy.  We took a hike along the Dosewallips River, scouting out the area for a future camping trip.

A light rain fell as we sloshed through the snow, listening to the beautiful blue-green river rush by.  Mostly we walked along a road, but we did have to climb up and around a part where the road washed away a few years ago.  I guess the river took over that spot. 

Here's a partly frozen waterfall.  We didn't actually hike very far, but it felt like it with little boys setting the pace in their inadequate shoes.  It was interesting to see the mossy evergreen forest covered in snow, a lovely landscape of green, brown, white, and mist.  And we were glad to go home and warm up again.

Saturday was a real Saturday, of course.  Sunday was rather a relief.  It was wonderful to have everyone safe at home, playing games and watching movies during our week of Saturdays.  But it was also good to get back on track with the Sunday routine before sending them back to the crazy world again.