Mixed Reviews

Mixed reviews for this last week
Life as it is real

Stairwells full of draped sheets and leaning cushions
Squeals, thumps, happy voices, giggles, and odd sound effects

An hour or so at the river in, on, by, over the water
Dappled sunlight and cool air calling attention to Fall

A few unexpected moments with street friends
Unbelievable - a Sunday movie night together too

But then, a mopey face,  an upset tummy

Turning life inside out

The will for schoolwork far away

The need for heat-pack warmth and comforting ginger teas

Jasmin dealt a tough hand again this week

Meaning Mommy can't juggle school smoothly

Lists abandoned, work incomplete

Competing needs grasping, clamouring for attention

An attempt to see our sympathetic paediatrician

Thwarted by an enigmatic "he's not yet back in the office"

So an afternoon frittered away at a walk-in clinic

And a "drink more" prescription the only thing to show for it

Long, late-night talks 

Both fantastic and fatal

Glowing catch up chat ranging near and far

A quick question morphing ugly into twisted argument

Both making morning come far too soon

Mind clouded with sleep and tangled with leftover emotion

A busy week with daily trips out and many commitments
Yet not without afternoon quiet times to recharge or snatch a nap

Meals messed with long faces 

One with no appetite and fasting adults

Happy news of Imma's booked (finally!) visit
Preparations for long-awaited appointments

Unhappy neighbours with loud happy kids

At home all day unintentionally sharing their  play

Mixed reviews on this last week

Life as it is real.

Poetic People

Unintentionally, we're having a poetry unit this Fall...

Predator and Prey

That peaceful day upon the heath
Where a tree young gazelles lay beneath.
The cheetah stalked gazelles unheard,
Young loud cheetah cubs, though, play absurd.
Impalas stotted for all their worth
Ran from cheetahs' own home turf.

More joined the leaping, jumping fun,
The cheetah cubs chased all of them.
Gazelles finally leap away
Cheetahs' menu's different today.
Impalas, gazelles all live longer
Cheetah hunts, cubs made stronger.

...this from Grace after a morning of Land Animal learning, of course, and being quite taken with impalas that can leap 8 feet up and come down 30ft away (stotting)!

...Jasmin's love burst moment:

I Love You Poem

I love you, smell like roses
The sweet smell wonderful
smell the pink Roses the flowers
I love you go fly over the moon
The lilac dances the twinkling of the stars
Your eyes are like the sun
Your hair is like a silver river
I love you
You move like a swan
Come take my hand and dance like swans on a lake
I love you


...and from me too, this morning noticing the differences in seasons as I run. (Wouldn't have thought I had brain space to notice and compose on the run, but sometimes it writes itself):


Rising sun rays finger the skies
Lighting a new world for my eyes

Forest fingers tinged with gold
True colours not quite yet bold

Thick dew carpets grass with silvery gleam
River mist makes the world a dream

Passing geese heard more than birds of song
Telling with cheerful honk winter's not long

Trees bowed low under berries' weight
Rowan, apple, sumac speak of summer late

Lungs full of crispy air
Coolness flows through my hair

Wonder of spring, delight of Summer
Now Fall pleases this runner

Schools' Started

Christmas is Coming

Bells ringing

People singing

Carols rallied

Christmas is coming

Decorations, come out!

Paper chains, without out a doubt,

Practicing for concerts

Christmas is almost here!

Advent calendar

Story each night

Stocking - candy calendar

Nativity scene

Baby Jesus

Three wise men

Jesus came to save us

Hear good news again

Grace's first English assignment: write a poem. Fall means Christmas is coming, right?

Quilt week

A long time ago I started another quilt project. I've worked at it on and off since then, just when it suited the waiting times, the park days, etc. Breaking off to crochet something else, stopping for extra busyness... so now, a year and a bit later, I'm only about half way done!  But this last week gave the project a big boost forward. I've had a "bad back week"... where many days all I could do was lie on the couch and sew. And a few more days where I could manage to walk painfully down to the park and sit and sew while the kids played. And a few more days where I could sit on the couch and sew, stewing about all the things I'd rather be doing but really ought not to yet. Now it looks more like this:

15 squares closer to a full quilt. Nine more to go. Then I can try to figure out the pattern of squares I so meticulously sorted out over a year ago! I'm hoping to up the pace so we can enjoy this quilt for at least some of this winter...