a day late. mine on the right and ernie’s on the left.

i’ve fallen into a blogging rut and feel a little depressed about it. i missed one day, then two, and then it was like cookies, girl scout cookies, thin mints, you can’t just eat one or two. so i didn’t blog for many days then, and couldn’t muster the energy or wherewithal to do it. maybe every day is too much?

but here is a duet for this week, candle light, window light, light for all minutes and hours.

daffodils in places, a puddle of crocus, things green where they weren’t before. tonight is the annie and analisa show at art & light. lola and i are going on a date together because the boys are going to the children’s missions conference at church, where they learn about indians and blow darts and death defying feats of faith. darts and poison have more appeal to them today than butterflies and farm animals and fragility galore in the gallery, and i suppose i don’t blame them.

i’m finally catching up on orders. the aftermath of christmas, sick kids, valentines, two year molars, influx of bird mobile orders have all pressed down upon me heavily, but at last i’m seeing some light. if you’re waiting for yours, it’s coming, it really is. trust me.

tonight, tonight you are slow and dark, stars stitched in silver in your sky. the house sleeps, boys burrowed under covers, lola, the threads of her hair shining gold in the lamplight. winter is for nights like these, cold in the dark, the pup sniffing around, the moon cradling itself in the bright of itself.

one day sky blue sunny sky, another day snow and cold, all in one week. very greenville of the weather, i’d say. mine on the right, ernie’s on the left.

we had our first experience with kids and doctor-necessary injuries yesterday afternoon. i wish i hadn’t seen it, but i did. henry doing amazing four wheeling tricks with speed down the hill, jude running alongside, the pup and lola at my side. then a slow-motion crash over the handlebars and onto his chin on the pavement. thankfully granddad is here, always here when we need stitching (last time it was my hand, cat food can), his skills at stitching the face coming in most handy yesterday, on the kitchen counter, dinner on the stove (a pic of this can be seen on ernie’s blog). granddad was here, ernie’s EMT cousin was around the corner with his emergency bag of supplies. henry only busted open his chin and only needed eight stitches (which should provide him with a handsome scar) when there could have been a broken nose, broken permanent teeth, a broken bloody jag across the middle of his face.

it’s really easy for me to sing the doxology and not listen to any of the words or think anything about it at all. but today i know that God is always good to us, we have handfuls of blessings for which we are thankful, and that every so often we really see that he loves us, little sparrows that we are.

i updated churchy opportunities yesterday. there are many things to do and my updating over there kind of fell by the wayside.

march, you and your daffodils are welcome always. they say it may snow tomorrow, at the least a cold rain. but just being in a month that promises wind and flower is enough to get me through.

sunday, rest galore. chimichanga and the like for lunch, surprising myself with a nap, the long slow making of homemade mac & cheese for community group. i like to grate cheese with the grater, heaps of uneven shreds in piles on the counter. the baked mac & cheese in the joy of cooking is very good comfort food, indeed.

ernie’s parents are here helping us get our other house on the market. we’re slow like this, the kids, work, the real things getting in the way of painting and sprucing up places. it’s good to have help because it takes too long to do it ourselves these days. hopefully the house will sell fast. it’s a nice little house and i loved it immediately, green carpet and wallpapered hideousity regardless. i almost don’t want to see it with it’s new white walls and bathroom sink.

this post makes two months of posts!

some saturdays are like this

a very, very clean house

sun and pup frolicking together

grammy + granddad arrive. lola has her toenails painted

lasagna that does not run into a cheesy, saucy river

devil’s food cupcakes with chocolate ganache (thank you, mom. and thank you martha)

coffee in various forms

three fresh kids, clean, soap scented when i turn off the reading lights and do some tucking in

this little garland is now in the shop. six feet of chirruping goodness. i have several other things in the works, if i could just stay caught up on actual orders!

today, cold, the afternoon sun still cold. big dad took kahlil for a walk, so it wasn’t too cold, i suppose. ernie’s parents are coming for a few days and the clean condition of our house and the newly organized game cabinet (why yes, we do have all of the pieces to sorry. oh, bananagrams? yes, those are right here.) will tell you that.

tomorrow brings the weekend, blue and cold. i want to do things like make a fire in the barrel, take max for walks, eat pasta, play cards, loll about in my bed with a couple of kids and some books. wishes sometimes do come true.

henry won “best paint job” at the pinewood derby yesterday. we told him it was the best award, i mean, really! who cares about going fast, anyway? the fact is that he did not paint it. he sharpie markered it. sharpies dry immediately and allow for detail, which is important for little seven year old hands. i don’t think they’ll take the award away for sharpie usage.

ernie and henry worked on it together, but not too much. it’s good that the car looks made by a seven year old, isn’t it? and not made by the dad of a seven year old.