the great outdoors

Photos from the last three days...

oh yes, sunshine and snowmelt

Protest art

The governor of Wisconsin is up to more (illegal) tricks, and rather than go into a long-winded rant about it, I will just share with you our "creative response", while protesting at the capitol today.  Inspired by a chalk the walk event, we brought some supplies to get creative onsite.  We traced each other (multiple times), chalked in some messages, and were joined by others as well.

Sylvia and I had been excited about sign making before we left the house, and had gotten out the markers, paints, and oh yeah, glitter, too.

My sign was inspired by the chanting "Whose house?  OUR HOUSE!  Whose house?  OUR HOUSE!"

The flag-carrier is our former neighbor, Jake.  The girls couldn't resist climbing the snow mound to join him and his son.  

We were also joined by our good friend, Laura, for some more chalk art.

*I (obviously) can't take credit for all of the photos.  At various times the camera was also held by Sylvia, Camille, and Laura.

winter is back

Winter is still hanging on, and I'm tempted to feel impatient,

but with a sleeping babe on my shoulder, it just feels beautiful and cozy.

I'm also sipping a cup of hot coffee (for warmth) and growing some fresh clover sprouts (for yummy greenness), so I can hold out for spring a little longer....

spring is near

This weekend the grandparents came to visit, and we had another little birthday celebration for Sylvia.

Even Papa and Grandpa donned princess party hats.  What good sports!

We also went out to the house in the country that we will be moving to in a couple of short months.  Camille and Sylvia did some hiking in the valley and explored some little caves.  One cave even had arrowheads in it.

Other than the usual aikido and Girl Scouts (for Camille) and ballet (for Sylvia), the girls have been busy creating (with Bendaroos)...

playing around on the keyboard...





...and enjoying the balmy weather,


well, a lot of the snow is melting anyway...

Ayla doesn't know what to think about the white stuff that is left, but she sure likes being able to move around outside. Aaaaaaah.  Spring is on the way!

Camille took many many pictures like this one, in awe of the emerging ground.  This one she titled, "Loggy".   :)

With spring just within reach, I feel such a pull, a longing for what is coming next... warmth, and green-ness, sunshine on bare arms, and the up-coming move to the country.  It makes it hard to focus on the day-to-day stuff, the cooking, dishes, laundry, tidying seem so blah.  I think it's time to start packing some boxes.  It's hard to start, as the task seems so enormous, but one must start somewhere.  2 1/2 months will go by so fast....

pinwheel sweater

 I finished the scrappy yarn project that I started last month.

 Here's the button Camille chose from the fabric store...

I think she likes it :)

(the arms aren't really as wonky as they look here, but I couldn't resist including this picture anyway :)

ice caves

We had a bit of an adventure today.  We met some friends and fellow homeschoolers for a hike at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, and the highlight was being able to explore several lovely ice caves.  The first little one we came upon was very melodic with the sound of dripping water making different tones as it landed. 

The next one was impressive with a huge curtain of ice.

 There was quite a lot of slipping and sliding on the steep hillsides, but I do believe a good lot of it was intentional :)

 Each cave seemed to have its own personality.

 After our hike we enjoyed the snacks we brought in this lovely canvas-covered spot complete with a wood-burning stove.

 The long drive home was just long enough to feel like a mini road trip, but not so long that anyone asked, "are we there yet?"  In fact, we must have made up about a hundred new verses to the tune of "Someone's in the Kitchen With Dinah".  Some of the verses were sweet about how much we love each other and some were about fleas flying to Italy, and some were so silly that I had to stop singing, laughing, and snorting long enough to wipe my eyes and take some deep breaths to drive safely on the highway :)

It was a satisfying day full of sparkle, both tiring and invigorating somehow...