whew...

Well, I have been out of it with illness, and the kids as well, on and off for a little while now. Today we forayed out of the house to get additions for our life. Groceries and a trip to the library filled in the pieces well. I finally got a copy of Animal Vegetable Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver after waiting since um June maybe. Well worth the wait I think as I have already started reading it and am really enjoying it. More of the same type of local eating talk that is found in This Organic Life or Plenty and she is fun to read as well.

We watched The Education of Little Tree yesterday as I attempted to sit still for a while to rest. What a really inspiring movie. Someone on an unschooling list I am on recommended it as a good unschooling movie and I have to agree. I am tempted to read the book as well but for now my reading plate is full as I also received Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller from the library. And I am reading a few metaphysical-ly books as well. Much to enjoy.

While sick I spent a good amount of time knitting and I finally finished my sweater! Hooray! I am actually wearing it as I type right now. It is very warm and comfortable and I have spent so much time with it that it felt just right putting it on, as though I had been wearing it for years, which in a sense, I have. Hauling it around for at least the last several months. I am quite happy with it and can also see how you could nip and tuck at a garment forever, searching for just the right...length or width or feel or drape or whatever. It is fun. Now I am going to finish those gloves that I left the last three fingers off of the second hand.



Finished sweater! Samuel's photo of me in my finished sweater!

Santa brought the kids each a watch this year and Samuel is making great strides in learning how to read one. It is great for one of us to have a watch because I don't wear one and Samuel likes to know what time it is. What better way to learn to tell time! He has the second hand down and even timed me last night when I said five more minutes. Hmmm. I wonder how literally he is going to take this time thing. We talked extensively today about what a complicated system it is and Samuel asked numerous questions about why they made the clock the way they did and why it was so complicated and how it would be better if they just had one hand to look at.



Eva has been having a lot of fun playing with her playmobil wildlife care center and with the pattern blocks. She loves her orca whale and shark and take them in the bath whenever she gets a chance. She has also, apparently, been taking many pictures because I just looked at the pictures on the camera and there are a slew of Eva shots. Some of them I am not sure of and others are definitely care bears sleeping in little beds and such, as well as several of Samuel with his newest guys Maxilos and Spinax.



Jack has since torn up his Christmas squeaky and we presented him with a new one today which he promptly took away into a corner to squeak.



Samuel and Evan playing chess, Samuel with Maxilos and Spinax, Maxilos and Spinax at last!

And here is Charlie, who really likes to take his time getting out of his cage. He is quite cautious when leaving, so much so that I can go across the room, get the camera, take his picture, return the camera, come back over to offer my hand and he is still thinking about it. He is not, however, cautious about taking snacks and takes those promptly from my fingers. Anything. Pretty much anything. He wouldn't take the dried apricot I offered him the other day. But he does look forward to eggs and toast in the morning.