Category Archive

Sophie in just her diaper. She’s oddly lumpy, and incredibly squeezable.

Storms in the distance.

The whirlwind visits of family from afar.

A conglomeration of nieces, siblings, and daughters. Can you see what doesn’t belong in that photo?

Simple fixes to concerning vehicle issues. It’s so nice to learn that the problem is an $11 part!

Evening picnics on Great-Great Grandma’s quilt.

Making do, in the good old Ozarkian way.

Sisters and nieces. They’re kind of summery, and I sure do love ‘em!

Fishing. We’ve fished in about every body of water in the Ozarks over the past couple of weeks, and Kinsley caught her very first fish. But that’s another post for another time.

Summer sunsets.

Swimming. Canoing. Gardening. Plump, juicy blueberries, warmed in the sunshine. Even the to-do list has a certain charm in the middle of summer. There is so much richness to be enjoyed this time of year!

Journal Entry 5/19/08

As the sun peeked over the horizon and made its way through the window, onto my bed; it kissed my face. I thought of our weekend at Dan and Candace’s place. The highlight of our weekend, indeed! And how could it not be when sweet, little sunshiny kisses hit our cheeks on and off through the whole stay? And like the sun rises and sets, each kiss from our precocious little nieces, dampened our faces with moisture like the morning dew.

Upon our arrival we were enticed with a delectable menu creatively prepared by Candace, whose appetite for innovative recipes (influenced by the Confessions of a Pioneer Woman) tantalized our curiosities. She sited the recipes on her fifty’s retro, white enameled, metal cabinets. We gave our invitation of helping hands. She gladly accepted, but with our meager efforts she managed quite well; most of which could have been done without us, including a wonderful conflagration upon her busy stove top. Fireworks wouldn’t have done any justice; the excitement alone was quite exciting and entertaining! She calmly said, “What will put it out?” and I said hastily, “Baking powder! Oh, er…no, I think its baking soda!” Just like I said she could manage well enough without us.

We enjoyed a Cheese macaroni dish that consisted of green and red peppers, red onions, and…cheese! Brilliant! (That certainly didn’t give credit to the pioneer-lady, sorry about that), anyway, what ever was in it, sure pleased our palates…

…Along side this “palate-pleaser” was a beautiful, mostly homegrown salad (greens and scallions given by Grandma Brand of course) and arrayed creatively in a striking wooden, teardrop shape bowl was green and red bell peppers and…scallions! My brilliance strikes again, (she still could do better without my help). Let’s just say… you had to be there!

Oh, I did forget the stuffed jalapeños filled with…yikes; here I go again…cheese!! (Cream cheese…that is) At least they were wrapped with bacon and no doubt, deliciously HOT! I better quit while I’m ahead or am I? Uhgg, I left out the most important thing, dessert! Grasshopper Pie! There that was easy.

All in all it was very entertaining and very complimentary of Candace’s character. She enjoys the “far and outrageous menus” to which everything prepared was a palatal success, indeed!

Kinsley and Sophie, rug rats of the sort, displayed their precocious characters to the hilt. Crying and whining in a tizzy like manner, probably not even sure what they wanted or why they were fussing. They probably were mimicking what we “big” people tend to do, who knows. Their delectable nuance of character kept them entertaining at all times. Kinsley, in her own little world certainly thought she was the center of attention would carry on a “know-it-all” adult conversation; at least she appeared to have it all figured out, and maybe she did. Sophie on the other hand, puttered around with her two-inch length little legs, going from one thing to another; cloth on her head, ball in hand, examining crumbs and crying for Mama and her “binkster.”

We had beautiful walks down the city-park sidewalk, which led to the city park.

Our eyes found animated wild flowers waving their cheerful blossoms in the gentle breeze that tantalized and led them to the bubbling creek that runs through the little town.

The banks were also adorned with flowing, hair-like, tall grasses which gave a soft continuity against the rocky banks.

The activities of our stay consisted of basket ball at the park, without a basket ball— hum, “who would-a-thunk” (a Mark Jacobson term)? The only ball available was a soft soccer ball that Dan and Candace had…“Hey, whatever works!” The English family joined us there and all had a wild game of soccer-ball/basket ball game, they didn’t seem to miss the proper ball.

The playground was Kinsley’s and Sophie’s delight other than almost getting plowed on the court and totally oblivious to it all. Sophie found the slide to be thrilling and her face in an almost fright, gave “us” observing more of a thrill! Kinsley gave her Uncle Jared an exhausting time (to his delight of course) with her “peek-a-boo” games.

We headed to the Huzzah, I think or at least it was an arm of it, to slash on buoy-boards and plastic donut floaters.

It didn’t last long though, the water was too cold. Kinsley took it upon herself to release the “warm liquid kind” onto the only blanket we had to sit on. She thought what was wrong with that, it’s a normal fact of life!

Sophie examined the geological finds of ornate rocks though half her time was spent trying to balance on them which set her to get angry and think that it was her Mama’s fault or anyone who was near. My kids shivered and chattered most of the time, they didn’t want their Aunt Candace to get her feelings hurt you know.

Nathan took it upon himself to use Sophie’s floating ring and had a cute ride down some cute little rapids. He looked like an over-sized spider that found a nice spot to spin its web. Kind of gross with those hairy, spindly legs hanging out over the sides; if I had a fly-swatter I might have used it!

Gage and Glen, once back at D& C’s home, continued their racer-like bike rides down the sidewalk, dodging each other before a collision took place (I had to resign myself to whatever course it took, luckily nothing happened and they got to enjoy their uninterrupted fun).

Nathan and Eric took to mowing for Dan. I think they felt sorry for him; poor guy, he needs a break here and there; he’s a busy man you know! Ahh, gee (that’s what the kids would say)!

Nathan and Natalie were big helps in the kitchen washing dishes and mopping floors and at best helping with their tiny little cousins demanding needs.

We all found it a delightful weekend and a break from the monotony of our lonesome hill. Tears ended the stay for the little guys and following the next day, Gage didn’t unpack because it made him sad; he even said he was going to keep his toothbrush in there too, and didn’t see why we couldn’t just go back. He’d be ready if we had a change of mind.

To sum it up: “If you stay out in the sun long enough, you’re bound to get sun-kissed and better yet, if you stay out in the sun long enough with you nieces, you are bound to get the ultimate sun-kiss… ” — Aunt Paula of course!

“They always had flowers of some kind on the dinner table . . . it gave the one little festive touch now that showed a woman had been at work trying to make things beautiful.”

~Grace Livingston Hill

We filled the girls’ wading pool over the weekend, which has thrilled both girls beyond all imagination.

The water seemed especially photogenic (if water can be photogenic), and I think I actually took more photos of the water, than I took of the girls. Poor neglected things.

Nathan entertained the girls (and myself) by “squeezing the water”, as Kinsley phrases it.

At first, there was some concern about the cold-ness of the water.

But, they eventually overcame that, and managed to have a grand time.

The water also served as a very nice reflector for photographing small water fairies that happened to be in the pool.

Kinsley wants to spend every waking moment out in the pool, now.

…The bed-room should be capacious and well ventilated; fresh air frequently admitted; and if the season of the year permit, and there is no dampness of atmosphere, a window should be constantly open during the day…

From The Maternal Management of Children, in Health and Disease written by Thomas Bull, M.D in 1840

We seem to have acquired a nasty stomach bug, and it is clinging to us for dear life. The girls and I have been sick since last Wednesday with various amounts of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. We finally seem to be beginning to mend, and are enjoying some sunshine and light exercise today as part of our therapy.

Thankfully Dan was able to spend some time at home, assisting with the illness, and cleaning up the results of the illness.

It was sort of a second (or third) celebration of Dan’s birthday. We settled ourselves into the backyard for some watermelon and observation.

Sophie seemed to prefer the green stuff on the bottom of the rind.

Kinsley noticed that the melon was the same color as her new shoes.

I have been a long time reader of Alison’s blog, Brocante Home Chronicles. She is a big proponent of what she calls the Puttery Treat, an idea which I find very enticing.

Then, today I was glancing over Sense and Sensibility (a message forum geared toward historical sewing), an off-topic thread entitled: Taking Care of Yourself as a Mum… got me started thinking.

The train of thought went something like this:

I have a moment every now and then to relax, and when that time comes, I’m usually so overwhelmed that I don’t know what to do, and so waste that moment staring blankly at the computer screen (sad, but true). So, if I wrote down some of the great ideas which the lovely ladies at the S&S forum had given, as well as some of my favorite puttery treats, along with a few of my very own ideas, I could put them all in a pretty jar on my window sill and draw a slip of paper out when I had the time. But next I thought that I could also keep the list right here on Gentlewood Cottage, where I could refer back to it, and add or subtract to the master list as I see fit. Then, the thought struck me, that if I had a copy of the list online anyway, I could copy and paste it into Random.org’s list randomizer, and come up with a single treat that way as well.

So, that’s the long explanation for the list which you will find below.

:: Find a pretty water glass to help motivate me to drink plenty. Add mint leaf or a slice of lemon, lime, or orange in it for prettiness and taste.

:: Go for a walk. Attempt to indulge all five senses on the walk. Watch the clouds, keep an eye out for little critters, new wildflowers, and birds, stop and breathe in the smells, touch the various barks and leaves, listen to the music of the birds and insects, pluck some of the wild raspberries along the pathway.

:: Do a workout video

:: Listen to some classical music with the girls while stretching.

:: Fold a pretty tea towel in half and sew together. Make half inch hems either end and thread elastic through, before adding a ribbon loop and feeling virtuous because now you have a pretty place to store those plastic bags which seem to multiply in our home.

:: Demote a blanket to garden duty and leave it folded in a basket near the back door for chilly Spring evenings outside. Allocate a garden pinny and hang it from a ribbon tied laundry peg on your doorknob.

:: Chill fruit tea in the fridge as you do your housework, then sit down with a pretty little cup and the morning paper as reward for scrubbing the bath so wonderfully well you can see your reflection in it.

:: Make a drama out of lunchtime…select a beautiful tray and the bestest china you own, add a napkin and a tiny bud vase, and sit quietly, meditatively, as you eat…

:: Use white vinegar and a cotton bud to clean the crevices of your phone. (The blasted things get soooo grubby don’t they?) Then give the whole thing a gentle swipe with a cloth scented with lavender or orange blossom.

:: Clean out the girls dresser drawers and add a cotton ball soaked in lavender

:: Hunt out an old fashioned enamel coffee pot and use it to water your houseplants while you wait for the kettle to boil in the morning…

:: Dust your light bulbs with a cloth infused with aromatherapy oil for a gentle scent when you switch them on…

:: Choose a pretty teacup and use it to scoop washing powder into the machine.

Dan and I (with the company of my parents) have set of on a seven day juice fast. While we’re not buying all that alkalizing, enema, dry brush, cold shower stuff (which Dan is convinced the guy made up to see what odd things he could get people to do), we are doing the juicing part. And the fasting part. We’re in day two, and it’s not going too bad. Today I have more energy than I did yesterday, at least. Food still sounds really good though. The neighbor just invited us to dinner, describing in mouth watering detail the Chicago Dogs which they would be serving.

Yesterday we had carrot, strawberry and pear juice. It was pretty good. This morning we had apple, pear, lime and celery, which was also very good.

I made this veggie broth stuff, which, as it turns out, is also pretty good!

Think we’ll make it seven days?

We headed out early Saturday morning for a whirlwind weekend trip which included acting as delegates to the 9th Congressional District in Missouri, a baby dedication for my sister’s youngest daughter, a multi-family spring birthday bash, and a Non-Binkster Party.

Ah, evening. Undoubtedly my favorite time of the day. Yes, that clock in the background reads 12:46. Sometimes, evening begins a little later at our house. We were having a serious withdrawal episode last night, which lasted till a little after midnight, but we made it through unscathed.

Dan and I succeeded in getting both girls down, got the dishwasher loaded and started on it’s task, checked the email, then crept softly to our bedroom, feeling as if we were suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. We had been looking forward to a bit of Wodehouse before bed, but after a whispered conversation, we decided we’d better snatch whatever sleep we could, instead. Settling into bed, Dan reached for the lamp switch, just as we heard Sophie’s tiny little trumpet voice call out in the darkness “Mama? Mama!”.

Sometimes, I don’t know how I would survive the girls if it weren’t for my husband in the foxhole with me. Of course, God is in it all with us, too.

We’ve been attempting to get the girls outdoors, now that the weather is becoming more agreeable. Papa is planning to start beehives this spring, and has spent a good deal of time explaining what it is that bees do. Kinsley has apparently taken it all in, because she explained to our librarian (in great detail) how it all works.

This morning, she was reading an Usborne book of spring-ish things, and was commenting on how the flowers have to grow so that the bees can carry the pollen. It got my wheel turning about a little science lesson which she might be interested in, so we pulled on our crocs and set out to the back yard, armed with two pots, a spoon, some Larkspur seeds, the Usborne book, and of course, the camera.

After waving at the neighbor’s dog, sampling the various grasses, and searching for a good spot with soft dirt, we settled in. I read over the page about how a seed grows, and then helped the girls fill their pots with moist, sweet smelling soil.

Kinsley dreamily pressed her soil into her pot, commenting about Cardinals and Robins.

Sophie packed her soil into the pot with much intensity.

I gave them each several seeds to put in their pots…

…and then dug out a bit of soil to sprinkle over the top. At this point, we found an earthworm. The girls were delighted and terrified at the same time. In an odd way, it made me think of all the people throughout the Bible who found themselves face to face with an angel. Don’t you imagine that they would feel a mixture of terror and delight? Anyway, I tried to explain what a worm does, put I think I lost ‘em on that one. They were too busy squealing with laughter and jumping backwards to get away from the worm to listen.

Once inside, we carefully watered the pots, and placed them in the kitchen window sill to nap in the sunshine.

Kinsley is having an Anti-Binkster week. It began with the ceremony of driving out to Granddad’s office to leave the binkster in a pretty gift bag, tacked to his bulletin board. Granddad has been a great proponent of Binkster Weaning, and Kinsley knows that. She often makes commentary about this or that thing which Granddad will do “if I don’t have my binkster in my mouth” and she always point out to him when she doesn’t have her binkster in her mouth.

We agreed that we would have a Non-Binkster Party at the end of the week, Grandma has promised a few presents, and Papa and I have promised that Kinsley will be allowed to chose a (small) gift for herself, upon the completion of seven days without a binkster.

Papa and I have tried to bring small rewards into our daily activities, pointing out that each one is another milestone she has reached because now she’s a big girl and no longer needs her binkster.

On day one, we set up a “big bed” in Kinsley and Sophie’s room. Kinsley has been thrilled, and has drug every single relative who has stepped through our door. She announces that this is a Non-Binkster Big Girls Bed.

So, all that to explain these photos of the girls’ bedroom.

We’ve painted some old furniture, brought in a few new things, and rearranged everything. In a very Non-Binkster sort of way.

We also know how to entertain ourselves with them.

“The atmospheric conditions have been very unfavourable lately,” said Owl.
“The what?”
“It has been raining,” explained Owl.
“Yes,” said Christopher Robin. “It has.”
“The flood-level has reached an unprecedented height.”
“The who?”
“There’s a lot of water about,” explained Owl.

Rainy day things:

1. Read.

2. Work on one’s beauty routine. Don’t worry Papa, I watched over the whole activity, very carefully.

3. Plan and organize.

4. Snack on fruit in pretty vintage dishes.

5. Fluff bedding in the dryer, scented with April Fresh Bounty sheets, in preperation for a warm and cozy nap.

6. Snuggle with a heated rice bag to cure heartburn, real or imaginary.

7. Abandon heat bag for a romp in Papa’s recliner.

8. Allow Frances to snuggle with the rice bag.

9. Explore contents of toy box.

10. Nap.

11. Wrap Marme’s birthday presents.

12. Tackle Mount Laundry.

13. And, finally - snuggle up in my chair with coffee and Agatha Christie.

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” ~ Longfellow

I’ve always thought there is a certain coziness about a rainy day. The sound of the raindrops hitting the roof and windows, the fresh smell that comes with the rain, and even the muted colors which can sometimes seem dreary.

Anything can seem cozy to me, If I consume copious amounts of coffee.

The plants have been loving the rain, and it’s encouraging blooms on my peace lilies.

The town where my 97 year old great-grandfather lives has apparently flooded. I hear tht the citizens are vacating by boat, in many cases. The country highway leading to my grandfather’s farm has been closed down due to flooding, causing my great aunt and uncle to have to drive their back-hoe through the flooded areas to get to my grandfather and take him to higher ground. A childhood friend of my grandma’s, living in the same town, apparently walked out of his shop (he’s still working as a machinist at the age of 80) to check on some equipment he had in the back of his lot, near the creek. He didn’t come back. They just found his body near where he must have fallen into the creek. It’s so sad! Life was normal for him and his family just yesterday, and then it began to rain.

Breakfast

Cleanup

The much craved “chocky milk”

A bath

And Frances enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

Cozy!

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

My middle name is Damara. I used to not like it, but I’ve gotten quite used to it, and I think I’d keep all my names! After experiencing the agony that goes into naming babies, I think it’d be pretty rotten (to one’s parents) to go and change your name…

Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

If I were a fashion designer, it’d have to be for baby, toddler, and children’s clothing. That’s one of my favorite things to do anyway! I’d lean heavily towards the vintage (as in 30s-early 60s) mixed with some more modern prints and styles. I would not use synthetic fabrics, that’s for sure!

Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why?

Is it a bad sign to not have a favorite chore? I do love to make the bed, but it has to be done just so, or I’d rather not make it. In fact, one time I came home, and freaked out because my bed was made, and knew that I did not make it. When I say freaked out, that may be putting it a tad mildly. In reality, I saw the bed, grabbed the phone and called Dan to see if he had been home and made the bed. He hadn’t. So I called my grandma who lives nearby to see if she had been over. She hadn’t. I knew it couldn’t be my mom, because I had been out with her. So, I did what any logical seven-month pregnant woman would do, and I got out the gun, went to my neighbor’s house (he’s a sheriff’s deputy) and asked him to come check out my house, “Because I knew someone had been in there”. He asked me how I knew, and I told him because my bed had been made by someone other than me. He had the nerve to give me a strange look and ask me to stop waving the gun around and go stand by the door while he checked out the house. He found no one, and went home. Just about then, my mom called. She had stopped by my husband’s office, and had heard that I was freaking out over my bed being made, and called me to tell me that when she came to pick me up, and while I was in the bathroom, she had made my bed for me! That evening, when we went for a walk, we saw the neighbor again, I thanked him for dealing with my hysteria and he asked if I figured out what happened. When I told him that my mom had made the bed, he said “Yeah, usually criminals don’t make beds”.

Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?

I’m scared of earthquakes. But I don’t think that resulted from anything in particular in my childhood. Actually, I hate this kind of question.

Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

On a clifftop in Ireland, overlooking the sea. Okay, not really. I’m sitting in my computer chair, in my sewing room/office, typing on the computer, where’d you think?

I can see my keyboard, my one year old, an abacus, a Curious George book, about a million yards of fabric, a plastic pink pig, a miniature dachshund named Frances - oh three. Never mind the last few then. But what I can smell, that’s another story. And now I know what I’ll be doing when I get done here - changing a diaper, that’s what.

I’ve been given the amazing opportunity to acquire some new things for the camera, and not even at my own expense. It’s like Christmas, only early!

When the new lens came in, I shot the two prettiest things that were near at hand. Kinsley is always more than happy to ham it up for photos, as long as she can see them when Mama’s done.

Dan’s brother Mark sent us a box of some of the loveliest pears we’ve ever seen. The delicate combination of red and green begged to be photographed. The bowl of pecans in the background were one of many gifts bestowed on us recently by my grandparents.

And his sister, Holly sent us this amazing little nativity set. It was handmade in Spain, and picked up on their travels there.

I think it may be one of my favorite nativity sets of all time. It’s simple, and yet elegant. And to think of all the tiny details, all added by an attentive someone’s hand, instead of a machine, or factory line!

We are finally getting around to decorating. We really wanted to put of getting a tree until the week of Christmas, but we started getting worried when the selection was getting obviously picked over at our local grocery. So, last night we set out to purchase the tree. Kinsley was sooo excited. We had already set up a small table top tree in her room, and decorated it with vintage pink glass Christmas ornaments, so she was beginning to get an idea of what a Christmas tree was. Anyway, when we got to the store, Dan and Kinsley checked out the trees. Kinsley was running up and down the small row of trees, feeling each one and squealing with delight.

Unfortunately, all the trees available were so dry that they were already browning around the edges. So we decided to drive over to the next small town about ten miles away, and check their Walmart. They had already sold out of trees - before December 13th! So we drove to the grocery store in this town and were able to snag the very last lone tree.

It’s actually a very nice tree.

It reminds me of the trees of my childhood.

This morning, I walked into the living room just in time to see the tree slowly starting to fall. I don’t know if the girls and the dog had anything to do with this, or if it just happened - but right now the tree is being held up by three adorandak chairs. Try as I might, I simply was not able to hold the tree up, fight off the three female vandals and tighten all the screws on the Christmas tree stand. So, Dan will have to tend to that when he gets home. Our Christmas Tree stories are never very ordinary, for some reason.

Oh, and here’s one more random photo of the decor at our house. The “mantle” is one of my most favorite things to decorate!

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?

Sorry. As a Christmas gift… don’t tell!

Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.

So many things! I’ve been a skeptic all my life.

Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?

Strange question. I don’t much care for celebrities. If you could call Ron Paul a celebrity, and the job of president the position of boss, then I’d go with that. Otherwise, I’m not interested!

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Be careful how you choose your friends. Especially if you have a handsome brother.

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Oh - I love this question!

Once when we were first married, I had a dream which I have remembered ever since. It was of a lovely room - high up in the trees, with lots of open windows and fresh, lilac scented air wafting through the room. It was a light room, with wide plank walls, brightly painted white. The couches were white and cushiony, with a soft white ottoman. There was a sisal grass area rug, and vases of peonies and lilacs. There was soft jazz playing in the background, and we were sitting on the couch, playing a game on the ottoman with a puppy at our feet, a little girl playing with a pile of blocks, and a baby in a basket nearby. I’ll never forget the smell and feel of that room!

Western Christian liturgical calendars are based on the cycle of the Roman or Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, including Lutheran, Anglican, and Protestant calendars since this cycle pre-dates the Reformation.

Generally, the liturgical seasons in western Christianity are Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time.

Thinking of the advent season and on creating memories, as well as incorporating new and old traditions from both of our families, I have come up with this list of ideas and projects:

Advent::
From the Latin adventus, “arrival” or “coming”, the first season of the liturgical year begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.

Advent in a box

Advent Candles to light and enjoy on Sunday evenings with cookies and tea.

I think it would be fun to decorate just a bit every night, in the spirit of preparation (what is advent for anyway?) and maybe to get a tree somewhere in the middle of the season.

Christmastide::
Christmastide begins the evening of Christmas Eve (December 24) and ends on (or, in some Anglican traditions, the day before) the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

The Twelve Days of Christmas and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) through the morning of Epiphany on (January 6). The associated evenings of the twelve days begin on the evening before the specified day. Thus, the first night of Christmas is December 25–26, and Twelfth Night is January 5–6. This period is also known as Christmastide.

The twelve days have special significance to us as this is a tradition we have observed in some way since our first Christmas. Sophie’s birthday is on Epiphany, (which means, appropriately enough, appearance” or “manifestation”). So, you can imagine the possible celebrations to arise here.

Some possible ways to observe these days::

Christmas
Boxing Day - sorting through toys with the girls and taking some extra to a needy family.
King Cake
Sophie’s first birthday
12 Candles
And of course, re-reading the 12 Days Poem to the girls.

Inspired by Amanda, I began thinking of the small traditions that make Christmas such a magical affair. Really, the whole winter season should be a cozy celebration of the many blessings which we usually don’t take the time to notice. For some reason, that special breathtaking joy which is the Christmas spirit has eluded me in recent years as an adult. Am I the only one to miss the feeling of Christmas from when I was a kid? What made it so special?

I think one thing that went in to the excitement was the bringing out of things that were only seen once a year - which I think is the point of Amanda’s winter book list. I picked up her idea and ran with it. I imagine a small rubber made tote filled with special cozy books (as my girls get older, maybe some familiar read-aloud chapter type books. The tote should smell magical when it is cracked open at the beginning of Christmas. Sprinkle the books with some scrumptious Christmas Potpourri. Maybe you could include a surprise letter written to your children and tied with a beautiful ribbon. Maybe a beloved but nearly forgotten game, and some Christmas music to be played as the books are looked at and placed in a prominent basket near appropriately sized reading chairs with lap quilts a puffy pillows. Anything to create sweet memories and the anticipation of opening the box next year…

Below is a list of several winter/Christmas books, which I would love to include in such a tote. I bet one could find many such books in a post-Christmas trip the thrift shop!

Letters from Father Christmas - J.R.R. Tolkien

Lucia and the Light - Phyllis Root

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey - Susan Wojciechowski

The Night of Las Posadas - Tomie dePaola

The Snowman Raymond Briggs

The Real Santa Claus: Legends of Saint Nicholas - Marianna Mayer

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas - Emma Kragen

On Christmas Eve - Margaret Wise Brown

The Night Tree by Eve Bunting

The Snow Bear by Miriam Moss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - Dr. Seuss

Trees of the Dancing Goats - Patricia Polacco

An Orange for Frankie - Patricia Polacco

Uncle Vova’s Tree - Patricia Polacco

Welcome Comfort - Patricia Polacco

Cranberry Christmas - Wende Devlin

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Peef The Christmas Bear - Tom Hegg

A Silent Night For Peef - Tom Hegg

The Other Wise Man - Pamela Kennedy

Twas the Night Before Christmas - Clement Clarke Moore

An Early American Christmas - Tomie dePaola

A Tale of Three Trees - Angela Elwell Hunt

Snow - Uri Shulevitz

Father Christmas and the Donkey by Elizabeth Clark

One Winter’s Night - John Herman

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L. Frank Baum

A Cold Snap: Frosty Poems - Audrey B. Baird

The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg

Lost! A Story in String - Paul Fleischman

The Friendly Beasts: An Old English Christmas Carol

The Legend of the Candy Cane - Lori Walburg

The Story of The Nativity - Elizabeth Winthrop

Who Is Coming to Our House? (Board Book) - Joseph Slate

Mary’s First Christmas - Walker Wangerin

The Crippled Lamb - Max Lucado

The Tiny Star - Art Ginolfi

Winter Lullaby - Barbara Seuling

Snowflake Bentley - Jacqueline Briggs Martin

This morning, Kinsley brought me the chair which Uncle Jared crafted and said,

“Did Uncle Jared make this for me?”

“Mmm-hmm”, I answered.

“Awww, Jared is a nice uncle.” She said.

Then she asked me to set it up for her. I did. It wasn’t satisfactory, so she and Sophie worked on it for a while.

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Kinsley tried it out, and found that it needed more work. So they worked some more.

Finally, they were able to get things how they wanted them. Kinsley sat.

She said, “This is cozy!”

Sophie did her best dog imitation in celebration. The imitation is perfectly silent, but has lots of expression.

By the way, if are ever suspicious that you have had a couple of Hobbits working on something in your home, look for small, brightly colored rubbery plastic things left behind. It’s a dead give-away.

I may have mentioned doing some work on the kitchen? Well, this is it. I decided to spare you the before shots.

I put up these shelves while the girls were napping the other day. When Kinsley woke up, she came in the kitchen and looked around.

“Nice one kitchen, Mama! Did you cut those?”

:: Flowers in my kitchen window ::

:: Kinsley experimenting with water ::

:: Sophie. Just being way too cute. ::

:: My handsome and talented brother, Zion ::

:: A ridiculously fat baby foot ::

The niece line up…

:: Maddie ::

:: Bessie ::

:: Natalie ::

You’d think with this much beauty in the family, I’d be a knockout, huh?

:: Even my own daughters are breathtaking! ::

:: And they’re characters, to boot. ::

:: Even Sophie has not very photogenic moments, though ::

Then, there’s the nephews. Just a few, mind you. I have lots.

:: Gage - who has been called things like “bowling ball head” and “Racoon” in his day ::

:: And Glen - who’s about as wirey as they come. Man, can that boy work. ::

Was that thirteen already? Wow!

What things make you feel welcome when you’re visiting overnight or for any length of time? We will be hosting some special guests early this autumn, and we want to put them at their ease. Any suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know! Here are the things I have thought of so far…

Clean white sheets.

Puffy white pillows.

Good conversation.

Good Wine.

Late night snacks.

Candles.

Bath salts.

A basket with clean towels, toothpaste, mini-size soap, shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion is a nice touch.

An extra blanket on the bed.

There’s so much to tackle today that I barely know where to begin! I’m going to try to list my goals in order of priority and see how far I get today…

Upload and edit sling pictures

Revamp sling auction and relist

Relist doll sling

List two or three other auctions

Sew, pack and ship sling

Take duck and bug photos and list on etsy

Fold and put away all laundry

Clean out fridge

Clean bathroom

Water plants

Re-clean/organize my studio

Take out all trash

Plant the azaleas

There’s so much more to do, but I think I’ll try to keep it realistic and stop there. Here goes!

Doesn’t bath time make for the best-ever photo ops? Girls are contained and can’t run of the camera.

And you get to see soft little body parts which are generally kept bundled up and away from the cool air this time of year.

And that wonderful after bath calmness. It last right up till the time you start to lotion those warm and lavender scented bodies.

Spring may finally have reached the distant hills of Missouri. It’s a lovely sunny Monday morning! Kinsley is finally well, the house is in order, and we’re awaiting the arrival of Dan’s parent’s who will be meeting Little Sophie for the first time.