Bowling in the Bleak Midwinter

 And on a school night!  
I think the expression on the bowling ball captures it all...
OH!

Beautiful Grandma

Mid Winter Mama 

Just the Writing

So many times when I blog, I post a ton of photo's with a little bit of writing as context.
Ten years ago I used to mostly write with perhaps a photo or two.  Things have certainly switched, and for more than one reason.  

First, there were so many changes happening to the boys when they were little - it was easy to write a lot.  First step, first word, first birthday, first, first, first.   As they got older the changes were less apparent - more subtle.   Second, I got an iPhone with a great camera, so taking photos is much easier as well as a new passion of mine.  Hence, more photo's less writing.

However, I was recently reflecting on how much I love reading the long written posts, and thought it might be time for me to do more of just that.  Writing about life with boys.

Currently Anders is halfway through his last year of middle school.   Next year he enters high school, if anyone can even believe that!   He is taking tennis lessons afterschool on Mondays, skis with friends on Friday nights, and takes a sex education class on Sundays.  He's tall.  His voice is in the midst of changing and cracks a lot.  He loves to play games on his iPad. He and his brother remain tight buds.  

Kuba is just about to graduate from elementary school and enter middle school, if anyone can even believe that.  We'll no longer have any kids in elementary school.  Amazing.  It's like when we finally finished with diapers - an amazing change.  Kuba is in drama 2 days a a week, Mondays and Wednesdays.  He volunteers in afterschool to help out the kindergarten classes.  He is on the student council at school, and actively loves school.  Still.   I can't imagine him leaving elementary school and moving on and away from me.

Both boys have short hair right now, because Anna just cannot help but keep cutting it.   I am not always happy with this arrangement.  I like their hair and I like to see it.  After a haircut with Anna there's not that much to see.       

It does feel as if we are in a transition.  Things change.   Life changes.  Moods of homes change.  And we are in the  midst of a change from young to teen.   It's clear as a bell. And with this comes a bunch of endings.  Last time the kids play with... the kids believe in...the kids do... The last time you'll see them...  you'll send them... you can fill in the blanks with a number of things.  But certainly a number of "lasts" at this stage of growing up.

But I suppose they are supplanted with a bunch of firsts.  First algebra class... first time they...  first time they go...  fill in the blank.  I don't think Anna and I have a clear sense of what the next phase looks like exactly.  But in the meantime...we are still having as much fun as we can possibly muster, all four of us together.  And I'll keep writing, just writing about it.  

Don't Have to Travel Far for Fun

We had a great Sunday adventure today with our pals Sue, Abbey, Remy and Ellis.  Eight of us skied around the Intervale, hauling a picnic on our sled with all of the fixings for a bonfire.  We landed at Abbey's farm - which was a spectacular spot to end up.  Thanks to a lot of blowing and coaxing, we were able to light a small bonfire, big enough to roast marshmallows and hot dogs.  We warmed our bellies with  hot cocoa and maple milk.  Then had some adventures with four old wooden chairs.  Our hope is to go out there more often for adventures now that we've discovered our home away from home at the Intervale.  Only a mile away yet, such a delight!  

The Walk Before the STORM

 

We decided to venture out in the FREEZING COLD right before a big storm was supposed to roll in.   Expected snow fall - 24 inches!  We bundled up, took along Anders new GoPro Camera and headed out to the Intervale with Thea.  Recently, Anna and Kuba had spotted some owls in the vicinity of a big stand of trees.  They also spotted some adorable field mice in a hole in the center tree.  The idea was to plant the GoPro camera into the hole in the tree, set the motion detector setting to on, and perhaps catch some mouse or owl action.  In the end, we did in fact spot not 1, not 2, but 3! owls on that walk.  We retrieved the camera later that day, but that proved less fruitful - there was nothing on the camera.   Here's some photos from the adventure.  Including a pic of the owl.

Mid January

This is home.

It's mid January - a Thursday evening in fact, and we are all home.  Homework is done, chores finished.  Dinner was Portuguese kale soup, salad with sunflower sprouts and spinach, and homemade cheddar biscuits.  Anders made cream puffs for dessert.  It's just a weeknight home, but it feels so good tonight, all of us together. Maybe it's the cold weather.  Maybe it's almost Friday.  Maybe it's the fact that we are expecting a storm this weekend.  Whatever the reason, it feels so nice.  The boys so happy, talkative, playful.   We watched the last episode of A Series of Unfortunate Events.  

Our home is mellow.  Calm.  Even the dog had a good night.   I went out to Grandmas to clean and clip her toenails...(really it's such an act of love, because her toenails are gross.)  It made her so happy and I tucked her into her bed full of gratitude.  I came back home and found Anna reading to the boys from the book The Last Panther. It's a beautiful story.   I decided to listen to her read while I made a post about this moment.   It's dark out and cold.  But inside, the lights are warm and our hearts are full.  This is home.  This is our family on January 18th, 2019.  It feels good and we are so very lucky.  

Just Can't Get Enough of the Ice

One day recently, all of the December snow had melted and flooded the Intervale.  And then it froze.  Who knew this kind of thing happens in the dead of winter?  But obviously it does.  We discovered this when we were out walking the dog. Since then, we've been heading there almost daily to play on and with the ice.  These giant sheets of ice laying over the fields have provided SO MUCH fun for us.  Exploring, photographing, smashing, crashing, crunching, marveling and playing with ice has been our thing.  Here are just some of the highlights.

      

Happy 2019