winterspring mood swings

And... winter is back -- already.  Spring, summer, fall all condensed into three short days.  Saturday, Sunday, Monday -- we were living life like this...  Pupper disappearing for a moment then coming around the corner disrobed and arms outstretched singing, "Spring is over, spring is over!"  Little boys picking weed flowers for their mama.  ("Mom, none of these flowers are for us.  They're all for you.")  Motorcycle dudes following the chalk-drawn rules of the road.

And then today we woke up to this:

There were a good three inches of powder on the deck.  And truth be told, as much as my spring spirits were crushed, I not-so-secretly relished the freshly fallen crystals and ate as many hand and cupfuls as I could today; and the sun was out and most of the white melted away by late afternoon and so I'm hoping winter's not really back.  Oh, New England spring and how it toys with us.

lately

I wouldn't quite say life has been unblogworthy lately, but I've been half busy in lunchlady land and half busy drinking in the regular, everyday hours home with my family, and half busy just being pregnant and tired and into too many tv shows.  (Which equals one and a half busys, so you see what I mean.)  Life has been moving a bit slow, perhaps -- but every day is touched by moments of complete joy.  Owen's goofy voice parroting everything that's said; Bobby's sweet cocked-head 'i love you' smile; fires in our log cabin; eating and playing in fresh fluffy snow; so many snuggles and sillies.  What more should I ask for?

I'm still rocking it as a lunch lady five, sometimes six, times a week.  Mostly it's awful, but I try to make what I can from it.  Midweek is usually slow, so I have plenty of down time while my macaroni and cheese warms.  Which means: I read, I write, I play guitar (thanks to one ski instructor who leaves hers in the building).  I chat with people -- all kinds of people.  The best part: I speak Spanish all the time with the Argentinian and Chilean instructors.  It's a little like free re-education; I get more practice than I did in college, and far more than I have anytime since then.  So, while I can't say I'm not desperately longing for spring, I'm trying my best to soak up something good where I am now.  (Or at least I'll soak up all the cocoa machine spillage.)

It's been darn cold most of this winter.  Some mornings I walk up the base of the mountain from my car and I breathe in the frozen air and watch the sun sparkle through the snowflakes shaken from the branches of the pines, and I think that it must be so peaceful and magical to be alone on skis lost in the powdery trails.  And then my boogers freeze solid in my nose and I hasten my step just a bit more.  Skiing does seem fun -- but mostly I'm of the opinion that skiiers are completely bonkers.

The boys are a little lame about playing in the snow; they may have inherited my cold-wimp gene.  (Also, they're still little I suppose.)  When we ask if they want to go out they'll answer, "Sure, I'd love to -- after rest time I think," (that's Pupper), and "Not zet," (that's Wooden).  But we have managed to drag them out a few times, and it always feels good, even if it doesn't last long.

new 'dos

Ben's been pushing for haircuts for the boys for a while now, but I've been resisting.  What is it with mamas and our boys' hair?  I was finally convinced to chop it off when Bob finally wanted me to cut it: "Mom, I want you to cut my hair so I'm almost bald," he said.

Here's Bob's long hair in all its glory...

And Owen's little trampoline-static baby hair...

The before-haircut shots...

and after...

Before for Owen...

and after...

(A little after-trimming was necessary on both 'dos.)

So now we've got a couple of short hairs.  And pretty much every time we're out someone asks if they're twins.  Because even though he's two years older, Bob is only a couple of inches taller than Owen.  I'll admit: when they're not right next to each other, they do look pretty much the same size.  Except Owen is a baby, and Bob is climbing everything and chatting away.  So I really don't understand how so many people make the mistake.

Anyway, point is -- we've got new "almost bald" heads around here for summertime.  Dad is pleased.  And I'm pleased too.

Have yourself a great day now.  Get a haircut for summer if you feel like it!

journals

There's a reason I haven't been quite as obsessive about keeping up with little things here on the blog: daily notekeeping in my journals.

Last year I kept a book of Bob's quotes...

This year I've taken it a step farther and I also include notes some days and once in a while I even let Bobby contribute...

And I've got one going for Owen this year too...

I went shopping for daily journals at Barnes and Noble on January 1st because they're already half price by then; it's pretty much my favorite New Year's tradition.

Keeping the journals has been super satisfying and not hard to keep up with; they help me feel as though I'm saving a slice of these sweet years to savor later on.  And if I don't live 'til they're grown, or even if I do, my boys will be able to look through these books and know how very, very, very much their mama loved them.

our christmas: 2012

We had a big pre-Christmas road trip planned but decided to cancel at the last minute because I have this bug of sorts that just won't go away.  Traveling for the holidays is fun, but sometimes you've just got to stay home.

Some Christmas-y stuff at our house...

 Bob has lights in his room...

and his own little tree with all of his ornaments plus some extras...

My four gifts for Ben: something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read.

Ben's gifts for me: something to look at, something else, and something you got.  Oh, he's a funny one.

I put together a box of fun for Christmas Eve -- new matching jammies for the pups, a game, hot cocoa, the nativity play set Bob only gets to use at church, and the big item: a new camera that Bobby can use -- and brought it out just before sunset and snuck it under the tree.  Bobby could not stop talking about, "How did that big present just appear?"  Three year olds are so very fun.

We baked cookies...

Owie the Elf tried to erase our Christmas Eve family fun checklist...

We had some family over -- James, Nate, Erica, Mom + Tom, Big Gram, Bailey and Cassie for a bit...

Bobby took a LOT of photos (that'll have to be another story)...

This is his photographer JOY face...  That little munchkin is obsessed with "his" new camera.

Bob claims pink is his favorite color, and he was smitten with Bailey's sparkly shoes.  Here he is mid ballerina twirl...

"Thank you, THANK YOU, Uncle James for my new shoes!  They're good.  They're beautiful!"

We watched Elf, we ate and drank and were merry, we played a game maybe, and we set up Christmas for Bob and Owie.  Or should I say, Pupper and Wooden.  (Puppy names declared by Bobby.)

The bottom right is a little dark and blocked, but in front of Pupper's dog house are wrapped dog bowls and bones.

Tiny gifts from Santa Mouse tied with yellow ribbons and tucked into the tree...

Little pups asleep with visions of doggie bones dancing in their heads...

And -- Christmas morning!  When Bob came out and caught sight of everything he said over and over in all different inflections: "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  There's presents!  There's a dog house!  There's presents!  Oh my goodness!"

I'm hoping the bobcam caught this better but here are some moments, like reading the advent calendar...

Owen opening a present for the first time in his life...

Bob couldn't resist helping...

and showing him what was what, and generally just hogging poor Owie's ONE toy.

Some brotherly Christmas lovins...

Then Grandmother came over and we opened even more presents, and had birthday cake for Jesus.

"Hey, Mom, that's too bad Baby Jesus didn't come to our house."

We stopped up at Judy and Bonnie's for a bit.  "Ewica, do you want to come sit on this little bench with me?"  "I like Nate and Ewica.  They are my two friends."

 Then we went out to my Aunt Trisha's for a while.  I didn't really take pictures but we snagged a couple of family photos from Pepere...

And I took a few of these lovelies as well, although I didn't catch a single one without anybody talking...

When we got home we tried having a little candlelight book service under the tree, but some people just wanted to blow out the candles and try to drink them and clink the jars together...

... and so it made for cute photos but ended abruptly, and the pups were put to bed after a long, fun day.

Part two from the bobcam's view to come tomorrow {I hope}.

Merry Christmas, all!