squeaky.

I love re-arranging things. I always have. Since I hurt my back in August, though, I can't do it by myself, and must rely on my husband being home to help move the big couches. Yesterday we took a few hours together as a family to move furniture, put away all the holiday decor, vacuum and wipe behind and under everything, and re-arrange the living and dining rooms. I love that fresh peaceful feeling after finishing.


Every time we re-arrange furniture I find that the boys have a nice long period of renewed interest in games, puzzles or toys they haven't played with much recently. They sit and focus on things longer. They don't seem to bug each other as much. I love it!


This time we also moved and re-organized their 'cozy corner' areas. Different things close at hand, drawing and writing supplies organized and in baskets, books nearby, things sorted so they can find everything (again!). They love having 'special' spots where they can sit and hang out and have their favorite projects of the moment at hand...once we finished they played and played and played.


I also managed to go through all of our photo boxes in the dining room that I use to organize our art & craft supplies. After all of the holiday hoopla I can find everything again! And I have a few projects we have had sitting around ready now to complete -- like a try at basket making and some leather work. Should be fun!

I feel like we are back to calm and organized and can get into the groove for the next few months of deep freeze! Now, about the kitchen...

indoor garden and the big plan.

As this winter goes on, we are enjoying our indoor 'garden' we started in November. The tomato plants are slowly getting bigger in the window, the parsley, fennel and cabbage are still going strong and being used very often, the cilantro is yummy, and the greens...


We harvested the first large tray of greens including different lettuce, swiss chard, micro chives, mustard greens, and cilantro. This was the treat::


Soooo good! We are starting a new tray of greens and we will also be starting some small containers for micro greens (more on that soon). The boys don't eat salads (yet), but they like the planting and growing process, and of course, the watering. It is so wonderful to cut fresh greens while the snow is piled high outside!

All of the gardening books are starting to arrive from the library as we shift into our post-holiday garden planning mode. The boys always help every year. They have grid paper, we draw the house and yard, what is in ground, and what we want. They pore through the catalogs with me, reading descriptions and looking for unique and unusual veggies, herbs and fruit to expand our garden. They learn about zones and soil and heirloom seeds and open pollination and companion planting as we read and sketch and chat through the dark of winter. Fun for the whole family, really.

Usually the moment the holidays pass I start to think of the garden and can't wait for seed starting time - but this year, with the greens and all of the herbs I think I'm happy snipping and eating my way through to March!

ringing it in.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world
(listen)

Happy New Year!
Wishing you all a year full of wonder and beauty.

lovely days at home.

I don't think there is much I like more than those in between days. Days at home, puttering, baking, creating, playing, being silly, singing, reading lots of books, hanging out, making stuff, and just, well, enjoying life. I always like the last week in December. It usually snows, gets really cold, and we settle in and get used to winter, which will now sink in for a few good long months.



We have been busy at home. Lots of lego building and fun science projects (well, A doesn't like the glowing germ gel with the blacklight...ahem...don't ask).


A LOT of trampoline jumping.


Headlamp wearing in the dark (ooh, fun!).


Spinny art making.


Snowball fights and fort (re) building.


Baking and soup making, coffee drinking while reading those crisp new seed catalogs, and watching the birds out the windows.

I hope you all are enjoying some downtime after the hustle of the holidays.

happy holidays.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday.