Luckybeans

Blessings

Well. That little spot of sunshine did not last for long. We are back into days of snow and slush, sleet, hail, rain, mist, strong wind and all-around cold and grey. Dreary, dismal, dull. I think you understand. (Just to coincide with the Fast and finals, I am certain).

However, Simon gets home tonight for two whole days (we take what we can get). I am on my last two papers, two presentations and final exams. Seven more days of school, but who is counting?

This girl has been playing her heart out. She has gotten good. As in, it sounds like music now and is enjoyable. Especially when she tunes it beforehand. And yes, she does usually have a pencil in her hair and mud on her knees.

This girl has always had a love for bright colours on her person. Some things never change, and her latest finds do make me smile. I remember walking past piles of clothes in the sala ula markets in Zambia and Malawi and squinting. I would then bee-line for the brightest colours, just for her. It still works, except now we are Goodwill and find Mexican embroidered tops instead of oilily dresses. 

I suppose we are always surrounded by things that ought to remind us to be happy (raspberries in porridge are always good, no?). And I think I have been much more aware of that this week than I could have been. Although I will say that having my mother come down this past Saturday and whip both my house and my children into shape with her sunshine-self has serious repercussions. Good ones.

And although the Fast is always so hard, as we light a candle for each day before supper and say a prayer together, my heart feels full and I know we are all ok. We are more than ok. We are happy, we are good.

Blessings. 

A Very Merry Unbirthday

They came. They laughed and ran and played in the unseasonably warm sunshine.

They ate (a lot) and sang for her. She blew out all of her candles, much to her relief.

They slept all over the house, and in the morning resumed their crafting of sock puppets and endless rounds of catch-phrase. 

They were good. It was good. It always is, but I never remember that. I should. I think she was happy. I hope so-- she certainly deserves to be.

Inundation

In an hour they will arrive-- a gaggle of giggling girls to take over the house.

And all I can think about is how much work I have to do. And how exhausting I find being around many people.  I want to run awway and hide.

 

But this cake (pink inside! blue! coconut! buttercream! rainbow sprinkles!) and a slumber party were all she asked for, this almost-fourteen most social of butterflies. So I am trying to brace myself and dig deep into my reserves of good-humored grace.

To-ing

We had a wonderful weekend at the Coast. This morning we woke up to frosted windows and crisp grass-- it is hard to believe we were running on the beach in shirt sleeves only two days ago. The weather was a gift indeed.

The route we take from here to there is winding and lovely. On our way out we stopped by the children's school for their parent-teacher interviews, so we paused for a picnic and a walk in the sunny autumn woods on our way. The forest is a magical place for me, and I am so grateful that it is someplace that we can all enjoy as a family, as well.

I like to meander and inspect small things. Asher likes to offer treasures to be photographed. 

They all like catching the leaves Daddy shakes down from the trees.

Simon and I were struck this trip by how grown Ana has become. Traces of childhood still cling to her, yes, but more and more she is moving into someone new and different.

Bella not quite so much. Yet.

We picked apples from old trees and picnicked by the empty farm house. Then it was back into the car and another hour until we reached this:

Ocean!

We took off along the sand, each moving away and reconverging.

Daddy helped Asher get sorted out. He didn't stay very dry, however.

Bella and Asher kept finding jellyfish (they did not sting). The problem with stopping to inspect so many jellyfish is that your other sister may take advantage of the situation and stuff one down the back of your trousers. In which case you are obliged to walk home like this:

There are many more pictures from the weekend. As I sort through them, I will continue to update here!

 

 

Fall-ish

It was a grey sort of day, with just he and I. He slipped out the back gate, two warm pear-spice muffins in his hands, red-boot shod.

I hurried after him, because I did not want to miss

 

an encounter with a squirrel

checking the conker-tree

 

a chance to view this Japanese maple

 

a hood full of treasures

 

or a walk with this boy.

 

Today I am sneezing and still cocooned in grey, inside and home with a girl. We just watched Emma (her first time) and will drink tea. She and I: she who writes chalk poems in the night when she can not sleep, and I who write scratches here.

 

Gratuitous Poppy Photo

(which bears no relation whatsoever to the contents of this post).

We are heading down to Northern California tomorrow for a wedding. I will post a recap when we return!

In the meantime, I offer my condolences to Simon, who is tiring of hotel food. I will state, however, that the following is a direct quote form this evening's dinner:

"Ana, you may NOT fire catapults from the supper table!"

Too much fried food, yes. But at least no one is aiming it at your head.

Sea Side

It is nearly mid-July and we had not made it to the coast yet. This was a sorry state of affairs, so we rallied and headed out to day. Actually, Bella ended up going to a friend's instead, but she is forgiven as her friend is about to move cross-country. So my salty companions were Ana and Asher. And they are good companions, indeed.

Asher had decided that he really wanted to try his wheel-less skate board on the dunes. So a boy and his board headed out into the sand...

Unsure of what to do, he at last realised that he must become one with the sand and let whatever may come, come.

We hunted up and down the shore, finding things that we documented for Daddy:

a rock with a face, a rainbow of rocks, kelp to twirl, a shell with a hole in it, a shell with a rainbow in it, a rock with lots of holes in it, a bit of dead something, a feather with mist drops clinging to it, a crab claw, a periwinkle shell, a bit of polished orange shell, a seagull skull (we brought that home).

I tried to take pictures of Ana, but she only made this growly-exasperated sort of face at me:

Nevermind.

We also found a beautiful fallen birch tree, half-buried in the sand, the holes that fed sapsuckers still clear, it's trunk showing signs of both moss and kelp.

The photos are not perhaps as spectacular as they might have been due to dirty lens issues. This normally does not bother me, as I would rather simply document than worry about the lens. But I do wish this photo hadn't been mucked up:

Ah well. The good news is that the camera seems to be just fine now after the splash from the creek, although the macro lens does not work any longer.

In any case, it was a  good, good day. And oh, I will sleep well tonight.

 

 

These Girls

 

Some days I simply watch them in wonder.

Over the past few days we have begun needlefelting a Ridvan garden. I am already sick of poking at wool with a needle. Must get children to participate more. Maybe I can swap dish duty... I am sure it will be much more fun when we get to the flowers and nightingales and such. 

I took Ana out for a Talk today. This parenting-- it never stays static. I am trying to figure out how to gracefully parent a teenager. It seems like I am constantly re-inventing how things work, what the expectations are and how capabilities have evolved. I left Asher and Bella home alone and came home to this:

Also, the girls had their first outing today. It is still very cold, so they were only out for a few minutes. They blinked around wide-eyed and never strayed more than six inches from a pair of friendly feet. Tomorrow we are thinking of introducing WORMS.

 

Thirteen. A Greek buffet, Athena's owl, names of gods and goddesses painted on sparkly nails, and an ancient alphabet on the walls. Twelve children (are they still children? They are entering the twilight of sometimes, almost, who am I?). Gifts of lip gloss and band tshirts. 

And a girl who is still as much herself as she ever was-- talking too much and too fast, a ready laugh and quick smile, friendly and open and excellent company that only improves with the passing of time. 

Happy birthday Ai Ana. We love this journey of becoming. You do it so well.