hit the slopes.

A & G have been wanting to snowboard for a while now. They wanted a lesson of some sort - someone to show them the basics - but without the crowd or chaos of a 'class'. Over the holidays we talked about setting up a private lesson, and today was the day! We couldn't have gotten better weather - sunny, no wind, in the low 20's. It felt even warm out there!


Brice decided to take a vacation day and join in the lesson too (woo hoo!). They learned some of the basics - and then they were off! While all three of them did really well, I must say that one little 5 year old whizzed around like he'd been snowboarding forever. Must be from all the yoga ball circus tricks he does at home - great balance!


The hour flew - they had so much fun. The instructor was really nice and patient - I think he dragged A up the hill a dozen times. Who knew that the toughest thing was going to be the (wobbly freaky crazy fast) tow line up the hill? After the boys saw about 10 different people wipe out trying to hold on, they didn't feel so bad. ;)


Me and my bum spine had to watch from the sidelines - but I didn't mind - I had a wonderful time taking photos, soaking up some sunshine, breathing winter air, and watching. I loved seeing them experience this new thing - their intensity, joy, frustration, excitement - so...so MUCH!


They had such an awesome day - and can't wait to go back!

hoarfrost.

Someone painted pictures on my

Windowpane last night --
Willow trees with trailing boughs
And flowers, frosty white,

And lovely crystal butterflies;
But when the morning sun
Touched them with its golden beams,
They vanished one by one."

- Helen Bayley Davis

We have been waking up to this the past few mornings.

I walk outside in wonder each morning, camera in hand, no shoes no coat, watching the sun hit the crystals. As the wind blows the sky fills with a thick sparkling fog.


Wow.

settling into winter.

Ah, the home time of winter. Quiet yet busy days, soaking up the sun when it shows for even a brief moment, and puttering with our projects - building, writing, crafting, knitting, baking, making.


Writing lists (what is it with little boys and lists?), making comics and stories. Trains, molecule models, growing salt crystals, making verdigris coins. LEGO, microgreen growing, sprouting, chess games, saving and counting coins, piles of books to read. Knock-knock jokes. LOTS of knock-knock jokes.


Painting, drawing and performing. Dancing, science show watching, piano playing. Monopoly, tinker toys, maps, Ireland, Yellowstone, surface tension, fresh bread. Cleaning, organizing, purging, re-using. Adding, subtracting and multiplying using silly voices.


Butter making, tool using, house fixing and tinkering, cheese making, seed catalog browsing, garden planning, Nerf games, angora hand spinning. Oh, the list goes on and on and on. And I love every minute of it. Happy days with my boys. Bon hiver.

it's all about water.

Last weekend it was c-c-c-cold outside, so we took a day trip and visited our favorite science museum in Milwaukee!


We walked on water,


Under water,

Through water,


Dipped our arms in water,


And measured how much water our bodies contained.

We operated remote control under water cameras. We saw ships and boats, water recycling and sanitation, and water gardens. We created art in water bubbles. We looked at aquariums, the Great Lakes, and saw how sound affects water. While there were so many other things to look at - the day was definitely about water!

It is warming up - today will be 25º, and by Thursday a balmy 34º is expected. So we will head outside to enjoy this heat wave while it lasts. Have a great week!

winter garden.

Just because it is -5º outside doesn't mean we can't have a garden. We grow as many greens as we can inside each winter. It is super easy - and we get fresh goodness even with feet of snow on the ground.

Right now we have a bunch of things going. We have an easy sprout growing a mix for topping sandwiches, eggs, etc.


We have a triple tier sprouter that we use to sprout bigger things - peas, lentils, mung, etc. This week I have a few trays of red lentils sprouting to the microgreens stage for salads.


We also have a light system setup over a bookshelf in our 'craft room' (spare bedroom). This is simply a few trays under two shop lights - with one warm and one cool bulb per fixture we get a good range of light to grow microgreens and lettuce greens. The room gets lots of natural light in the winter too. Right now we have a tray of pea shoots, one of mixed microgreens (broccoli, radish, arugula, beet, cress, mustard), and one of mixed greens we are growing for cut and come again salads. Microgreens are greens and vegetables grown only for the first week or so and cut while small. They are packed with nutrients and surprisingly have a ton of flavor. A 7 day old radish green packs quite the punch of full radish flavor.


And of course we always have a few things of wheatgrass growing. The green perks our sprits up in the winter...plus it is good for juicing, and our rabbit LOVES getting special fresh grass treats!



We have some time before we start seeds for the spring and summer garden, but it is nice to have trays always going so that we can cut and eat fresh, right from home. And it just feels good when it is so cold and white outside!