Last gasp.

I have this feeling that the past two days of unseasonably warm weather (50's) is our last gasp before the cold sits down to stay awhile. We did do some inside crafts and baking, and I have been slowly working on sewing gifts (pics soon!)--but we have enjoyed being outside. A was able to ride his bike, G to color with sidewalk chalk, and we have spent hours at parks, wandering the neighborhood, and just being out.

Happy boys.

Photographing the Photographer.

Today we had a visit from a reporter and a photographer from a local paper to interview us for an article about moms who blog. They were very nice and patient with the spunky excited little people. A was very interested in the large camera, and wanted to take pix too. He started by photographing them using my phone, and then moved on to using our digital camera. He took over 100 photos when they were here. He now just needs a press badge...to look "official".



Not too bad for a 4 year old!

From rainforest to desert in one day.

What to do on a cold cloudy Sunday? Visit a tropical rainforest and then a desert oasis. Look at all the cool stuff. Read about all of the trees, flowers, and plants. Watch the birds.



Hope you all had a nice weekend!

More Light.

One of my favorite Northern Exposure episodes was titled "Northern Lights." The darkness makes people in town a little loopy, and the end of the show has an art piece that one character has made. Everyone is light deprived (both literally and metaphorically), and he flips the switch and...Light. His speech:

"Goethe's final words: "More light." Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, that's been our unifying cry, "More light." Sunlight. Torchlight. Candlelight. Neon, incandescent lights that banish the darkness from our caves to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators...Light is more than watts and foot candles. Light is metaphor. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on, the night is dark and I am far from home, lead thou me on...Light is knowledge, light is life, light is light."

I love fall and the cold of winter. The hard part is ... light. The switch of daylight savings time along with the encroaching darkness means our clocks get messed up when it seems 1 single hour should not make any difference. For me, I have always liked the darker evenings, lap blankets, good books read by lamplight. With kids that is all a bit different now, and this week has been particularly volatile. Bedtimes out of whack, need for naps changing, crankiness, bickering...all seem to combine as little bodies work to adapt to the early darkness, the cold. When snow comes cold has more purpose for little people. The transition can be hard - suddenly (it seems) hats, gloves, fleece/coats, warm pants...all necessary. And of course it is Wisconsin, meaning 10 days ago it was sunny and warm, followed by days in the 30's/40's with VERY windy days.

So, we cozy up inside a little more, expect the unexpected with sleeping and moods, and just take it easy and go with the flow as we adjust. Oh, that, and silly crazy dancing to great music, lots of Lego's, and reading books near the window whenever the sun comes out.

"More light."

Library Bag.

I finished the first of many library bag gifts yesterday. This first one is a bit smaller - not for the guerrilla warrior library haul like we have each visit - but for the person who picks up just a few books. The straps are long, which I like, and there is a pocket inside for a library card.

This will be given with a good book tucked inside.

I plan to sew several of these for gifts - of different sizes, some including a media pocket.