bike about

we had a great bike about today...which is my new term for when you know you gotta get the kids in the car, go send some mail, go to the bank, get loads of groceries, and play at the park...but normally we get in the car to do this...but not today...we biked it...it was great! too bad i dont have any pics of the cute littles in the bike trailer...all snuggly and dry while mamas legs burned up that hill to get to union street, which leads to the park...oh my!

bulking up

Happy Imbolc! I dont really care if winter stays for another month or so, or if Spring comes early. I do care, however, that its about that time to start mapping out the summer festival circuit...and now that my youngest tiny will be 2 this summer...the face of our summer touring and travel has significantly changed. I think it will be easier now that they can both dance and run around...thank goodness I have that double stroller! (i love you BOB)
Our little family is on a bit of a routine now that Scarlett is attending gymnastics, ballet and fairy school. While some things are the same, having to be someplace at a specific time is really different for us. So far so good...and I am diligently working on the website...bulking up supplies and products for the spring/summer launch. I also seem to have many side art projects going on, which is great for me as long as i can remember to take some time out for a walk or workout. Yoga in the livingroom usually means i get a knee in my back while my hair is being raked with a fork. good fun. Fiber batt workshop went well last night. see:

be sick at the beach

our 20 minute jack-o-lantern tiger
tiny tissues lanterns in the window, glowing for the new moon and the meteors

new moon sunset

lanterns drying

so first scarlett got a snotty nose, then me, then india...then scarletts went away then mine then indias...then scarletts came back then mine then indias...and so on and so on...so i decided that we need a little break from all the travel and fun and playing and so we have been going to the beach, just us. crafting and hanging out, just us. I like it...its fun...we dearly miss our friends, but we need to get healthy before we do all the snot and coughs all over again. And in about 12 days we will be travelling to nevada to visit our dear cousins, for Thanksgiving!! I have attempted to see them 3 times so far...and each time have not been able to make it due to someone having a cold or too much snot to be in a car for 12 hours, etc. but im bound. im determined. we will not be sick in 12 days. oh no...we will not. liver sleep? is that it rachel? yes...liver sleep it is :) photos of the beach, our tiny lanterns and some random crafting.

pumpkin time

October was beautified with orange pumpkins and we made our way to the patch, rode on a truck with hay and drank hot cider! It was great to watch the girls just run all around the pumpkin patch. We brought home a few tiny ones and some biggies to carve. They are so pretty i want to keep them around all year!

scarlett found some horses to feed
india was very excited about the huge orange pumpkins

scarlett wanted one of every variety

this is the pumpkin she finally picked!

last days of summer

for the last few days of summer we tripped down south where the beaches are much wider and the sand much finer. where the wind doesnt knock you over and the playgrounds are sandy. just to get some southern style vitamin d before a scarf around the neck is needed to cope with the chill in the air. what fun it was, indeed.

let them eat pie, too!

Grandma is visiting us from Oregon. Naturally, we took her to the blueberry farm to pick berries. We made out with 3 lbs in 20 minutes of picking! Plenty for a little pie...and then some! India made a friend, and fed him more blueberries than any one-year-old should eat, while Scarlett picked. Scarlett by far ate the most berries. Funny enough, she was stealing handfuls from my bucket while insisting that hers were "special pie berries, not for eating" ooookay. Pie today, scones tomorrow...grandma is going to gain 10 pounds this week, easy!

truckin' (part 1)

In the beginning, the idea of a roadtrip up to Oregon to visit my mom for a few days seemed simple. That was in January. In February, I decided to add Portland Zoo and Children's Museum. In march I added Ikea and visit with good friends. At the last minute the Aquarium and so much more. To put it lightly, we had a GREAT time. Scarlett (a seasoned tripper) was well packed with snacks, books, toys, potty and the DVD player...so she was fine for the 8-10 hour long hauls. India was a greenhorn. Overall she did great...after the first 3-4 hours it became apparent to her that she was going to be strapped in for long periods of time...this always makes them cry a little. That little tired whimper kind of cry, awww so sad. Before we even left she had already started protesting her seat, even for a quick trip to the store...ya know the whole stiff like a board thing? So with that behavior on board, i was prepared for the worst...im glad i brought the harmonica. Between it and Scarlett saying "mama" every 2 minutes i was in tears...from laughter luckily. Just imagining anyone else sitting with me in the passenger seat dealing with the "mama's" and the "im hungry" (even though you just ate a whole sandwich) every couple of minutes seemed enough to drive any sane person completely mad...but me, i was just laughing and enjoying myself. Did i mention that i forgot music hahahahaha that was a real knee slapper! We stopped to picnic by the beach, in local parks and found great places to eat and use the bathroom...thanks mostly to my phone. Oh yes, verizon texted me a message saying that i could try out the GPS on my phone for a month...free...a few days before we left...it was awesome. I located all the drive thru Dutch Bros. so i could down mate whenever i liked...and looking for a great taco shop or natural foods grocery was a snap! So...for truckin part one we have pics from the oregon zoo!

It was super! we rode the train...saw the bats...licked the giraffe, waved at elephants, played with penguins, followed a leopard and stared at a crocodile. great zoo!

bikes to the beach

ohhhh beautiful sunny winter days. bike trails right next to the beach. we are grateful for beach picnics and beautiful trails and sandy discoveries. Scarlett is getting so fast on her bike, im about ready to pack india into a jogger so that i can catch up! Its perfect...lord knows i need a little jog here and there...ha! India is crawling crawling...faster and pulling herself up to standing on chairs, tables, her sister...you name it. More fun for scarlett who now loves to call her over to play, or run from her laughing, screaming and yelling..."aaaaah she loves me, look mommy, she tries to get me!" and she is teething, big time...poor girl...4 teeth at once, just like scarlett...couple of tops-couple of bottoms...soon im sure she will be trying out her new power:the bite! look out scarlett! and sweet india is getting bigger...now wearing mostly 12 month size...some of which scarlett just outgrew last spring...oh my! i have been using bits of my spanish and french with the girls...hey who knows, maybe they'll catch on? we are also loving the winter greens and veggies, thank you lovely friends and local market!!

mercury direct

January is coming to an end. I will forever enjoy my cousin's birthday (31st) because it marks the end of one of the most difficult months for me. January is full of cold winter days, sagging desires...and saggy guts...all that holiday feasting just wears me out! January is my month to reflect and manifest greatness for the whole year to come...i dream about spring summer and fall more in january than any other time of year. Today, we hiked for 2 1/2 hours in the redwoods...it was amazing and supernatural. Surrounded by giants, mushrooms and sharpened senses. Trailing in and out of the shady fungus covered nitches and basking in the sunny, clover covered bends. While India slept, Scarlett and I shared unspoken gazes and giggles. I love it when i feel face to face with her soul...we stare at eachother and laugh. We celebrated mercury turning direct- in our own way...and blessed our year with grandure, grace and satisfaction!

crazy batt channel

love this batt...its merino, sparkle and this crazy kinky super gold wool that we got in the fall at the fiber festival in redway...some new sheep or something...but the kink is off the hook...and it looks like dolly hair, lovely!

we still love pizza...and the greatest thing is...scarlett eats more veggies now...i have been putting spinach, chard, squash, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, even beans (yeah i know sounds weird, but twas good) and im still crazy about the pizza...the crust, really, its a charmer!
4 cups flour (unbleached white and wheat mixed is my fav)

1 1/2 cups warm water
yeast packet

pinch salt

2 TBS olive oil

throw the salt in with the flour, add yeast to water, when yeast bubbles add olive oil then add to flour and salt mixture....wooden spoon in bowl or food process...knead a bit on floured board...split in two...make pretty balls...place each ball into a Ziploc for 45 min or an hour...then roll as thin as possible...viola! (thank you ellie for recipe and tips)

AND....i have been washing, dying, drying, teasing, blending and carding a fleece of lovely merino and a polypay blend....oh boy it smells like sheep in here...but its been so fun, and scarlett has been helping me "tease, not break" (her words....my little spinner in training) the locks and crank the drum carder....such a great introduction to color theory! we have created every color of the rainbow and then some...about 20 batts down, 20 to go...then we'll dye some roving and get to spinning...cant wait! Scarlett also gets to help with the dying because i let her dye with kool-aid and vinegar...super fun.......and she agrees that kool-aid is pretty weird because it dyes fiber. she finally quit asking me for a taste.

India started eating food this week...avocados...yum! (thank you jessie for the yummiest avocados ever!)

we have also tripped to the beach with our friends...and have enjoyed all things sand and surf.

with mercury still in retrograde we are focusing on appreciation and fortune, of which both we seem to have in abundance....a photo montage for you:

digging a tunnel to china

the babies, dylan and india

india so happy to get that stick by herself

yummy avocado...exciting first food!

playing in scarletts kitchen...sushi and peaches!

eating plastic sushi

blending the perfect peachy pink...with sparkle!!!

helping to card wool...of course she is without any clothes!until its time to go outside she refuses to dress....and as soon as we come home, the clothes come off. "i love naked, mama"

grocery outlet...20 for a buck...really pretty!

dye pot...kool-aid colors

i love pizza

now that scarlett is 3...she is changing...here come the wild and wonderful years. it seems like shes so much older now and a totally free thinking person..we have full blown conversations. i am loving it. im witnessing her spirit define itself and grow increasingly more detailed as her vocabulary and personality explode.
India is growing so fast. she sits up on her own and rolls over, scoots and gets all around! She laughs and squeals at her sister...and they love entertaining eachother...they are a sweet match.

ohhhkay. so, the sun is still a shinin' and were out in it everyday (its been in the 70's)...riding bikes, playgrounds, grass splashing (something new to me...its warm like june, but the grass is soggy...no puddles but lots of grass to get the job done) which keeps me busy. winter = the pile. the huge pile of stuff by the front door. I have baskets, bins, bags, hooks...tried it all...cant keep that pile from creeping up...whats in it you ask? muddy boots, the shoes we need when the boots get muddy. and still more shoes. longsleeves, hoodies...more hoodies we need when first hoodies get wet and muddy. extra socks. more socks when cant find pair. extra pants, yup you guessed it, MUD. bike helmet, knee pads, hats hats and more hats, jackets, scarves, bags...water bottles, popcorn (hmmm still tastes good after a week hmm)

nevermind...onto more interesting things. Ive been staying up late dying wool...start massive carding of wool after weekend. sweet accomplishments.

pizza by scarlett

i love pizza. one thing i love about being me is my predictability for phases. im now in pizza phase. last night good friends made pizza from scratch...cant recall when i even ate pizza last, but im hooked. got recipe for crust, made some...well actually let scarlett roll it out and top it...it was delish. am making more on sunday. will most likley make about 5 more pizzas until im so sick of pizza i wont eat it for a year. phases im currently enrolled in: mate no coffee, stevia no sugar, baskets not bags, library books not movies, and in staying up late with yarn phase, awhile ago was in quiche phase, that was fun.


today after scarlett was ordering around all the wild pony pirates at the park with her big stick we stopped off for frozen yogurt. such a treat. i dug up the 1.50 from my center console and she got a huge cone. i love redwood yogurt...i love that its a buck an 4 bits. i love that they have couches and a piano. scarlett played piano and rattled through her repertoire...the traditional nursery rhymes...about 10 of them. people clapped...i tried to make like i wasnt laughing myself into a stomach cramp. mental note: bring video camera next time.

i still dont have a calendar for january...and lately ive been feeling stuck...apprehensive and slooooow...i know the moon is waning...but feel disconnected with out knowing all the phases and sure enough mercury is retrograde...could have guessed that. mental note: get calendar by new moon!!!