thinking about crawling

Allie has been thinking about crawling.  She gets close, on all fours and rocks, and then cries.  So frustrated.  She wants to go places, and she wants to get there fast, but she's just not there yet.  But soon, she will.

I have just unwittingly written an analogy for my whole life.
I hope I crawl at the end.

The boys are sitting across from me, James and Finn, arguing over their popcorn snack who's mouth is bigger.  Apparently the boy with the biggest mouth will get the most popcorn.

I made a huge mistake.  We have trees all over the yard that drop branches like none other and I told the boys I would give them a penny a branch... you can see where this went.  I'm now $15+ in the hole.  Daniel said the road to virtue is often paved with bribery.  I'm hoping this means the boys will end up being quite virtuous.

Beyond that, I don't know that there is anything that qualifies as "news". (though I'm not sure anything on this blog ever qualifies as news, so I shouldn't be too concerned, I guess) The boys would tell me to announce our other new "pets" on the blog, our worms (I started vermicomposting).  But only the boys consider them "pets", which I think is cute.

Our bunny, Jack, has been a lot of fun.  Bunnies don't have much of a reputation for being too affectionate, but he's really a good one.  Doesn't mind being held and is pretty sociable, for a bunny.  He's a Jersey Wooly.  What I'm kinda hoping will work out is harvesting his fur (they shed every 3 or 4 months) and then maybe one day I'll spin some yarn.  That would be pretty awesome.
I'm also pleased with all the free manure I'm getting.   For so long, I've planned on getting rabbits because I wanted their poo for the garden.  My, how our goals in life change...

So anyways, sounds like the boys' lunch is done cooking.  Allie just woke from her nap.  It's back to work I go.

P.S. I forgot... the biggest news around here is there's NO SNOW!!!! YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

meet Jack

We gotta bunny.

well, hello April

You may think this is more March recap, but it's not.  It's more like an April recap.  This has been April for the most part.  The snow would melt away, and one would think, "Finally. Spring." And then another snow storm would come and dump 6 inches.  At least.  We had a snowstorm Monday this week that dumped several inches.  And now, "they" say, it will supposedly be in the 70's this weekend.  I'll believe when I feel it.
But just so I'm not so complainy: the sun is shining, the boys are playing outside, Allie is napping, I've had my coffee, my house is clean, my starts are growing... and there's no snow in the forecast.  God is good.

in summary

Sooooooooooooo..... I sorta forgot to post March.  Whoops.  So there's a bit of it, in summary.

John's Ninja Movie

John's been pretty interested in making movies lately.  He's been making flip books and such, and then recently learned about how to make a stop motion movie.  I helped him upload the pics to Microsoft Movie Maker, but he did all the camera work himself. (It's pretty funny, you can see his hand in at least one of the shots. But hey, he's 8.)  Now I think he may be an addict.  He's making plot lines and wondering how he can get his hands on a camera of his own.

a sweater dress

Are you so tired of seeing pictures of my baby?
Too. bad.  :)
I knit this little dress for Allie last week.  I suggested, in jest, that Daniel should go get his sweater on so they could be so matchy-matchy.  It's made from the leftover yarn from that project, and I based it off of this pattern.  I'm not super crazy about the color (a little old lady already mistook her for a boy in it), but you see all that drool on her chin?  Well, she keep soaking her clothes and bibs.  The wool actually helps keep her warm and dry-ish.
In other news, Spring is seriously in the air.  At least today it was. (I'm fairly certain the temps are far from a steady incline.)  I've taken inventory of our seeds.  I'm planning and looking forward to seeing green again.

Finn made the little Matryoshka doll for Allie in those last pictures.  Isn't it sweet?  It's from this pattern.

We're very Allie-centric around here.  At least the photo-ops are.  There was a blip of a few shots on my memory card of some oatmeal cooking from one morning, because the light and the steam looked so cool, but it seamed odd to throw one of those pics up here.  I don't know why I mentioned it.
I've determined that the edge of the world lies somewhere within the confines of our property.  I keep falling off, which is why I don't post often, or really speak to anyone for weeks at a time.
I moved furniture around in my house.  I get the feeling that it is something mums do in this area when they are half-way through winter and they've got to do something to change the pace, the scene, the landscape of our days.  Really I just swapped the couches and the boys declared it "a brand new room!"  But then it lead to a few other changes and "brand new rooms". Hopefully this landscape holds us for the duration of winter. Moving furniture is heavy.
I am sitting in a quiet house just now.  It's really a bit strange.  Daniel took the boys to the library and Allie is sleeping, so I am here, in the quiet.  It's pretty nice.  I haven't experienced this in a long while.  I told Daniel last night that I just needed to get some time away from the kids for a bit.  It wasn't going to happen that night, as we had very pleasant company, but you know, I needed it rather soon-ish.  I don't often feel that I need a break from the kids (anymore - I remember feeling that way when it was just John and Finn) so it surprised me to feel like I wanted some separation.  And I wondered why.  I mean, I don't ever feel that way about other members of my family, say like Daniel.  I have never wanted a break or space from him.   Why should a suddenly feel like I need to get away from these little people?  Perhaps it's as simple as a height/space ratio: if you are so tall, you must give me x amount of space??  (Typing that just reminded me of a rather short fellow who tried to kiss me once.  I realized, just in time, what he was trying to do, and stood up very straight.  He missed my lips by a mile, and I think the kiss landed on my throat in a rather unromantic way.  Who was he kidding?  Did he really think he could reach?  The height/space ratio clearly applied in that scenario. anyways.) Whatever it is, this quiet was needed.  I just wish I didn't feel as though I need to do the dishes. And I wish I didn't crave salted chocolate caramel either.  (cause it's lent. and I don't have any.)

Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd they're back. Somehow they all look cuter now.  weird.