my best friend

I hate living so far away from Josie and hope we can find our perfect street someday soon!

glimpses from Emmit and Dennis's weekend

Allegany Morning

Pie is our newest food group

Dennis and Emmit will be home in a few hours from their Nature Ed-Ventures weekend at Alleghany, there is a pot roast in the slow cooker, Asher just went down for his nap, the sun is out and we have our first frost warning of the year.....After last weekend's amazing warmth it is once again feeling like fall and I don't even have one sweater so that is high on my list of "needs". I seem to wear sweaters out each season and so this year I am determined to buy some that might last a few years. I can get my jeans to last years and years with daily wear but sweaters and shirts not so much. I made 5 pies this week and have finally used up all the Murphy Orchards apples. The two pies I made to day also have blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries mixed in with the apples and a hint of cardamom since we are all out of cinnamon. I have been hard at work turning our blog into a book over at blurb.com and it is a slow and tedious process due to some glitches with blogger since the merged with gmail/google. Asher and I are off to Portland on Nov.4th for an action packed few days to do some consulting work for Gdiapers. I am quite curious to see how sane I will arrive after flying across the country with Asher. We had a bit of a scare with him last week when he awoke from his nap covered in spots that continued to appear before our eyes. Luckily it was diagnosed as hives from a little cold and he is on benedryl until they are gone but unfortunetly it doesn't seem to slow him down or even make him the least bit sleepy. I am going to go work on Jodie and Jason's wedding quilt some more and see if I can't made some huge progress without getting distracted by the piles of laundry that need to be folded or my email. I can't wait to see all the photos from Dennis and Emmit's adventure.

Waldorf Fall Fair

I have been going to Waldorf festivals and fairs since I was little and it is so fun to now be taking my own children. The Aurora Waldorf School opted to swap their traditional Winter Fair for one in the fall and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. It was in the upper 70's if not warmer and we were all quite over dressed. The highlights of the day were making a jump rope and going for a little hike with our good friends. The kids all stripped down and got in the water and then rolled around in the brightly colored fall leaves. It was a photographic dream with all the colors.

glimpses for the last 24 hours

sewing some gnomes together and being crafty crafty crafty

the boy band I live with singing loud and strong over a dinner of oatmeal

they each pick out their very own pumpkin and it takes a lot of convincing with both of them to get them to agree to leave them on the porch

a sneak peek at someones wedding quilt......I am having fun playing with the theme of land and sea

two great days in a row

It has really been a few more then two but definetely two great days home with my pipsqueeks. Asher has been sleeping in until 7 or 8 and Emmit has been sleeping in later too and then either crawling back in bed with us and falling asleep or else playing quietly by himself. I think the arrival of fall and the dark mornings help but Dennis and I are loving life being able to sleep so late. I actually fell asleep around 7:30 last night and was only awaken once around 3:45 by Asher. I had a night full of intense and very visual dreams about our future, friends and travel. I think my subconscience is working overtime these days processing so many different possibilities. Dennis just got a surprise raise on top of the expected one so that is reason to celebrate. We are half way through our month of not purchasing anything besides food and Emmit is totally into it. We only slipped once and bought some new Patagonia hiking shoes that Dennis and I both needed really badly and have been pining over since June. Needless to say they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever loved. We have a fun weekend ahead with the Waldorf Fall Fair which is replacing their Winter Fair and a birthday party on Sunday. I am also so excited because Dennis is throwing me a little Dia De Los Muertos Birthday Brunch in early November and we are going to make and decorate sugar sculls which I have always wanted to do.

our morning so far

Asher sporting one of his new bibs I made.

Emmit declares, "I don't want messy faced babies near me!"

Emmit shows off the beautiful recycled sweater scarf he made all by himself by telling me exactly where to sew different scraps together. He then asked for a matching hat. The scarf is actually so styly that I will be borrowing it and I might try to duplicate it.

apple picking cont....

Murphy Orchard two years later

You will have to look back at September 2005 to see our previous visit but today we went with our beloved friends Dorothea, Carl and Greta. We were there for about 4 hours and have lots of apples now to make tons of apple pies which are our latest obsession. Asher seems to be feeling better but still super mellow and cuddly so we aren't complaining. I have more pictures to post but they are arriving from my camera phone to my email painfully slow. We brought the big camera but of course the battery was dead! It has been a lovely weekend and we have managed to stay in bed until nearly 7:30 a.m. two mornings in a row (minus night time nursing since Asher is sick).

our latest addiction

OK so of course life gets a bit better with a little sleep and one kid healthy although now Asher is sick but he is a wonderful sicky. I actually adore him sick and I don't think he has been sick for a long time at least not since he became so mobile. He is taking lots of naps, lying on the floor watching us, cuddling in our laps or sitting quietly listening to a book or looking at one by himself. We have never seen him so still and calm. Of course I would never wish my child sick but it is tempting. Emmit on the other hand is a terror when sick. My mom corrected my wost fear in that Emmit is just how I was (still am) when sick. I feel horribly guilty now for the nearly six months I was sick or recovering from mono when I was fourteen. We all were excited to go hiking to day but Asher looked far to pathetic to be bounced over rocks and roots so he and I stayed home. We turned the heat on yesterday for the first time and it is cold now. I would love it if this was the extent of winter cold and it just stayed like this until spring warming. Oh and the photo is of our current life saving tonics which seems to be keeping Dennis and I healthy and my mom swears by it. I have been cooking up a storm and last night we made an amazing cherry and pear pie. It is all gone now!

Emmit sews a gnome

Lack of sleep, Emmit being sick and out of sorts since Saturday (aka way too many tantrums, needing constant attention day and night and being not so great with his brother), our 650 square foot apartment, winter approaching, and our future seem to be weighing me down this week. Oh and a birthday I am yearning to celebrate and the fact that Emmit is now sleeping in the living room which means that Dennis and I are confined to our bedroom from about 6pm on. I know or hope that within a year I will look back at this time and laugh or smile. I asked Emmit today if it is hard for him to be a big brother. He looked me straight in the eye for awhile and said, "Yes, and is it hard sometimes being a Mama?" Oh yes it is my love! For a brief moment right now the two of them are playing happily and the roughness and my failures as a mother seem to be fading a tiny bit. I don't believe in spanking at all and it honestly goes against everything I believe in but there have been a few times including today where I have slipped. I wish I could always be this creative, patient, Waldorf Mama and it pains me that I can't maintain it all the time and sometimes I turn into grumpy, yelling, threatening, toys on top of the fridge Mama. I know I am not alone in this struggle thanks to great friends and family who share their own dichotomy struggles. Right now while Asher sits happily at the table eating dried mango and Emmit enjoys a bath, I can see how days and moments fall apart. Emmit is trying to drop his nap which he still really needs and we still haven't found our fall rhythm exactly although we are getting closer. I need that afternoon nap time so badly so as to have a moment alone. Asher is now full of mango and now grabbing at cords so I must sign of but before I do.....Emmit sewed his first gnome this afternoon. We sat side by side with Asher crawling all over us both. It was a team effort but the stitches are his and I hope to have more moments like this with him.

our nature table/shelf (it has to be up high at this point in our life with Asher) has become a bit more colorful and after more hot muggy weather, today it feels cold and crisp again and Emmit can't wait until we dig out the mittens although it isn't that cold yet!


While my mom was here I was able to do a little sewing and I made two aprons for my niece and nephew for their birthdays. Somewhere I bloggerland I saw this great trick with the elastic encased for the neck time and I love it. They are all reversible and of course Emmit suddenly needed a new apron in the improved style so the one on the far left is his. Life has been a bit challenging to say the least since Sat. and Emmit now has an ear infection and he is a rather unfriendly sick kid. I think our greatest joy of the day so far was when I spilled whole pepper corns on the floor and the kids thought it was hilarious and then sweeping the rolling little balls up was a much loved task. Oh the simple things in life. Asher is currently kissing everything in sight including the furniture and of course all of us. So happy to have Dennis home.

Pictures from Snow Lake in the N. Cascades and a wonderful trip to Seattle

Wow, what an amazing weekend in Seattle for Jeff and Gretchen's wedding. Many thanks to my fabulous wife and mother in law who sacrificed the family reunion in Palo Alto so that I could go. It was great time to see old and new friends and have some quality reunion time. Highlights of the wedding included a lovely ceremony at the Ballard Locks and a quaint boat ride of members of the wedding party to the reception at the East Lake Yacht club. Jeff and Gretchen looked great and are off to Maui today for a week of sun and recovery.
At Snow Lake with Casey Ginzler the dog. It was so nice to take the 6 mile hike to Snow Lake before having to catch a plane back to muggy Buffalo. The air, the view, the water, the life.
Poor Emmit has an ear infection and Jesica is wiped out. It is so good to be back with the family. I missed them a lot. Now I have a birthday to plan that includes making sugar skulls.

Birthday Postponed

so I have decided to postpone my birthday until next week sometime due to Emmit having a fever of 102-103 and myself having a low grade fever of 100 so until further notice my birthday has been postponed and I have requested that Dennis throw my a birthday brunch when he returns with Dia De Los Muertos sugar scull making and lots of friends. The greatest birthday gift was the birth of my niece today at 4:01. I know no details except she is healthy and her name is Dahlia although not sure how they are spelling it. That was going to be Asher's name so of course we absolutely love the name and the flower it reminds us of. My mom is here being a complete and utter life saver and I have gotten so many lovely phone calls all day and please understand now why I haven't had a chance to call everyone back. Hopefully the fevers will be gone tomorrow and we can go and enjoy the hike we missed taking today.

Nana visiting = time to craft

I have also been making lots of little cloth bags which aren't very exciting to photograph but I am using them instead of plastic when we buy bulk foods and spices in bulk. I am also using them instead of throw away bags when I pack lunches. It is fun to use favorite fabrics for these and I have been experimenting with different closures for the bags. My mom also has been playing with the kids with all her stick creations and I need to take more photos before she leaves.

Fun with a flash ring and off to Seattle for Jeff and Gretchens Wedding

Amazing what one can accomplish in 20 minutes

I haven't yet carved out my crafting niche during the week and thus it has only been able to happen in little moments during naps when I am not also sleeping, doing laundry or dishes. Finally a project completed! Last night I was thinking about winter hats and how the bonnet hat was the only one that Asher kept on his head this summer and how I could transform it into a winter hat then this morning I saw that Amy over at AngryChicken (see link above) had the same idea. Out come the recycled sweaters and flannel and both boys love the new style!

visiting the farm where our CSA share comes from

We have managed to spend the last four weekends outside a lot exploring some really beautiful and more rural areas of WNY. This Sunday we went to Native Offerings Farm about an hour south of Buffalo to visit where our weekly vegetable share comes from. It was an amazing day and we were all reminded that we are all at our best when we are outside in nature all day long. The kids loved feeding the pigs and seeing how the different vegetables grow. Emmit really got down and looked closely at everything and Dennis got quite a workout at times carrying both kids. We arrived home to the mouth watering smells of the pot roast that we left cooking in the slow cooker. I would love to find the perfect place that allows for urban living where we can walk to everything and yet wilderness and rural areas so close that we could easily go daily to be out in nature.