here in the 'burbs

falling in love with these two little ones all over again.
playing at the park.
cuddling.
hearing my name said so sweetly.
getting wet.
laughing.
tickling.
batman and buzz.
telling stories.
wet kisses.
pure fun.

spc: environment

peace.
decaf coffee.
kitchen window seat.
soy beans and trees in my view.
this is where i pass my days.
home for the summer.

off again

i have had such a lovely week home, basking in the sun, reading, cooking, napping, walking the dogs. i am not really sure what i did with a whole week's worth of time, but now i am getting ready for a two-week fun family visit to chicago.
my bags are (almost) packed and i am super excited to see my sister and brother in law, as well as their two kids, willy and maggie.

i keep tellling easton that he will be a big boy when i get back, and i hardly doubt it. he has grown 8 pounds in three weeks (now 36.2).
he is a dog for sure.
we have friends coming to watch the pups for us while we are away (thanks, R and D!) and i am sure that he will love have some new company. he's become a demanding little bugger. needs lots of love, all of the time, and he likes to bark when he isn't getting it. we've taken to sitting on floor pillows with him, just to keep him company. (thank goodness for washable covers.) but he loves to tug and chew and watch t.v. so i think he's a fine little boy... just lots of energy.
how fun it is being a mom... at least most of the time. :-)

laughter and pride

laughter is coming more easily
more deeply
more freely

i am feeling relaxed.



my principal also just called to tell me that my class performed
*by far*
the best in the school
on the required tests this spring

i am feeling proud.

summer bliss

• imperfect crafts
• stacks of fabric with a new life
• ironing by an open window
• rain falling on leaves outside
• electric summer storms
• watching from our windows
• sleeping, dreaming, relaxing

• shaved cheese on salads
• garlic scapes in cream cheese
• blueberry pies from the farmer's market
• a newly cleaned refrigerator
• vegetarian restaurants
  

• library books and library solitide
• swimming with easton, like a child who's just learned to swim, back and forth to mom and dad
• frolicking
• moon out in the morning sky
• wildlife scampering away as easton appears
• a tiny, the tiniest, baby fawn by the road... a miracle to witness
  

• hard, grueling, hot work
• sweltering humidity
• dirt under your nails
• dirt pouring off in the shower
• sweat you can suck on as it drips from your face

• knowing the electric fence works (poor toad)
  

• fruits of thine labor
• mud to wade through
• gardening barefoot to feel it squish in your toes

its been a lovely start to my summer.

spc and garden update

it was challenging to get my sp this week as i was laying in the dirt in the garden.
mind you, i was laying in the dirt trying to take my own picture while todd was continuing to work.
we spent lots of time in the garden weeding over the week-end.
trying to catch up with where the busy-end-of-the-school year caught hold and let the weeds in.
we hoed and raked and then we mulched. (which reminds we, on the last day of first grade, i had a boy in my class who told me, mrs. cranwell, there is a cuss word on this paper. what's that, you ask? the word hoe, i.e. garden hoe... not the kind of how they were thinking of... in FIRST grade)
the mulch is almost complete.





the basil and beans and beets are coming up.
the carrots are trying.
we replaced our fence after the rabbits took hold of all the lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, and spinach.
the tomatoes are green.
the pepper plants are a bit burnt but almost ready...
it was off to a bit of a late start...
but now things are done (hopefully) correctly, and the plants can take off.
wish us luck.

fuzzy friends by firelight

the food was spread.
the guests arrived.
the beer got drained, bottle by bottle.
the croquet was played in pairs...
and we came in last.




easton made a new friend, M.
they entertained one another
while the grown-ups played and drank and talked and laughed.



and then there was a fire.
and more talking
and more laughing
and just enjoying one another's company.


it is so nice to have friends here.
we already have been more social and made more friends than the 5 years we spent in new lebanon.
we are happy to have met you R and D and R and J and M and J and T and J and S and B and J.

schoooool's out for the sum-mer

its' over!
what relief!
i did it.
i survived.
looking back to august, i wasn't really sure if i could...
but i did.

i am so very relieved.
i am waiting for the relaxation to sink in.
i am waiting for the stress to melt away.
deep breaths.

i am really off.
i am really on vacation for the next ten weeks.

this is one of the best parts of being a teacher.


yesterday was the last day and they reminded me of the other good parts too.

my favorite quote for the day was:
Mrs. Cranwell, I don't think I turn into anything at night. not really.
I do have a magic tree in my backyard, though.
It has knots on it and when you rub them with your eyes closed and make a wish,
then you can become that on the next full moon. You turn into it.

I also asked my kids why they thought I was feeling sad and proud and happy... and my favorite answer was one that I was happy that they remembered...

Mrs. Cranwell, you are happy because now you can sleep. You can sleep late and you can take naps.

How well we all know one another after a full year!

spc: environment

walking home through the trees.
the pass less often traveled.
the sun getting lower in the sky.
casting long shadows.
yet i have found the sun.

more environment pictures here.

rainy day productivity

on sunday, the skies opened up.
the garden was happy to have the rain
falling on all of our newest sprouts.
beans. squash. pumpkins. basil.
all showing themselves.

while they were doing there work outside,
todd and i went to work inside.
we cleaned up our new old shelf and filled it with books.
how fun it was to pull out all the old titles and think of time this summer
to read and reread.

we cleaned out the storage area (again).
tidying up and packing away boxes of school supplies
as my year comes to a close.


we cleaned out closets and drawers.
did laundry.
scrubbed the kitchen and the floors.
ran errands in town.
made pillow covers for ugly pillows. (well, i did that part.)


all this productivity and we rewarded ourselves with fresh pineapple and strawberries.
how i love summer.
even the rainy days.

awww....

poor easton.
as you may be able to see, his eye was injured this week.
poor little guy got weed spray in there
and todd flushed it before deciding he needed the vet.
he had a bit of an ulcer in his eye that has significantly improved already (with eye cream three times a day).
he is certainly back to his normal self.
a happy puppy.

delicious things

in the spirit of nina,
working in the spirit of leonie
i am bringing you my delicious bit of life.

the spirit of adventure (see the frog?)


the spirit of summer (4 more days of school and beach towels ready to go)


water play (we may need some pool rules soon)


a lovely new indian head board splashing color in our bedroom


puppy paw prints, full of life and growth


incense burning as i clean the apartment, cleansing, refreshing, rejuvenating

so many delicious bits.