Tuesday lovelies

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For the first time yesterday morning Greta Rose brought a book over to me, asking if I could read it to her. I was thrilled. She is always so busy that since she was tiny she hasn't wanted to sit still for a whole story. After the ABC book I went and got Flannel Kisses to read to her. I think she recognized it from last winter when I read it to her before naptimes. She loved the pictures and actually lingered over each page, finding the doggie, pointing out the the "pretties". She wanted me to read it again...and again.

In the afternoon she found it again and brought it to Mimi to read to her. She stroked the cozy fireside pictures and said "night-night" at the last pages. For being such a busy and spirited girl she can quiet down to sweet calmness.

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We drank tea and visited and showed each other some things on the computer.

Uncle Beni and Auntie Olivia even stayed over for the night then!

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"The bunnies drank their tea at night to give them sleepy heads..."

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Chamomile with honey and milk!

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(Did you see Rosie's laundry basket nest in the kitchen? She loves that spot so much. She goes to it first thing in the morning and looks at stories while I make breakfast for Caleb. If she needs comforting, she'll always cheer up if I cozy her in there with bear and a book.)

My pinkie girl

Waiting for Great-Grandma & {g.g.}Aunt to arrive for tea ~'::

from 6/3/09

My Lamppost

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Speaking of new path lights...

As a happy birthday present my man bought a lamp post for me. One that can nestle in my pine tree and give light next to our patio and remind me always of Lucy and Narnia and catching glimpses of Aslan's mane and whatnot. Spare Oom and War Drobe, don't you know. I am so very pleased. It's solar powered (no cords!), and comes on at dusk. Also my man got some smaller lights to go along the path that we mow to the patio through our little patch of prairie we grow in the summer.

(Unabridged Narnia audio-books have of course been very necessary this week with all of this inspiration outside of my kitchen window. :))

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~*~

(My cozy kitchen from outside at night)

evening play

she twirled, she swooshed, she climbed

she picked flowers, dabbled in the fountain and went to see Daddy in the garage

she inspected the new path lights and helped Mommie with the wet laundry to hang on the line

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a very busy girl she is with so much going on in that pretty little head

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for the baby book

After dinner I took a couple of minutes to write an email. I could hear her playing happily, tromping back and forth on her little adventures. She said something at my elbow, so I looked down and saw that she had a serving spoon full of sour cream from dinner that she had apparently gotten out of the s.c. container on the counter. She had it all around her mouth, down her front and in a kind of plopped trail from the kitchen. Oh, silly girl. I took the spoon back to the kitchen, but couldn't find the sour cream tub. I sent my email, then called her to come for a bath. I found her in the living room, where she had apparently taken the tub, dipped both hands in and started to smear the sour cream on my little stool. I think she will enjoy finger-painting at an early age!

In the bath she went

This would be one reason why I don't post very often these days. :)

I am so thankful for the interlude of rainy days. The garden work around here grows as we dig new gardens, plant and transplant. We’re redoing our vegetable garden plans, expanding flower beds and looking to dig a strawberry patch. I enjoy long days in the sunshine, working in the dirt, Greta with me. Rainy days are restful, though, and give a chance to catch up on inside things. To slow down a bit: laundry, crochet, bake, read.

Greta loves the days outside. She calls all flowers “pretty”—“prah-tuh!” I am letting the Johnny-jump-up flowers grow wherever they please so she can have an abundance of flowers to pick. She is so careful. She picks one at a time and carries it around with her like it was a gem. She holds it to her nose to smell, then brings it to me to see and smell as well. “Num-nah?”, she says—her word for food that somehow in her mind translates to smelling as well. It makes sense to me. When she is done with the flower she brings it to the garden again and tries to put it back. She holds it up to me, “bah!”


She plays so hard: digging in the sandbox, helping mama to plant things in the garden, riding the mower with Daddy, chasing birdies. She gets a bit worn out, so rainy days are good for catching up on naps and snuggles. She loves riding in the ergo, and will run excited over to the coat rack to get it if I ask if she wants to go in it.

Yesterday afternoon she rode in there while I did some baking. I was inspired. I picked an armful of rhubarb stalks, made a pot of tea and lit some candles. Mozart’s “Requiem” was still playing softly from the stereo from earlier in the afternoon. We made rhubarb coffeecake, which turned out nicely (aside from a slightly-too-dark crust), and a double batch of banana-walnut-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies (because I had a couple of squishy bananas about). It was lovely.

It’s still cool and rainy this morning. More cookies baking from yesterday’s dough. Perhaps I’ll get to finish the potholder I’m crocheting with yellow and white thread for Mama’s strawberry teapot from a vintage pattern (I told her I must…it’s begging for one). Greta Rose and I are going on an outing this afternoon with Grandma Connie to do some errands and shop for some herbs for my garden. (Happy Birthday to me!)


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Vintage illustrations (in the last post and this) are from a delicious 1960 picture book A Day on the Farm that I picked up for a nickel during our city-wide garage sales this spring. I keep it with the books on my bedside table for early morning reading with a certain snuggly girl I know who has the sweetest little sleepy face ever. :)

She dreams of chickens...