13 months

What 13 months means

lots of cruising around on furniture
Taking 2-4 steps- (12 have been counted on occasion...) it is still so much more efficient to crawl
climbing stairs- if someone has forgotten to close the gate
practicing "uh oh" just like his cousin
eating every kind of food
signing for Pat-a-cake song
overcoming bad cold/cough- incredible snot sneezes
going to bed without nursing for both naps and bed-time
delighting in doing things that he knows are "wicked"!
delighting in being called a scamp and a scallywag.
more clingy to Mum
7 teeth
darling giggles.

sleeeeeep

Sleep seems to be something that I only get in short chunks these days. I suppose if I started sleeping when Timo goes to sleep (7:30 PM or so) I would get a good stretch until about midnight. After midnight though Timo likes to sleep only for a few/couple hours at a time. Clearly things need to change regarding this but since waking up always happens when I have the least reserves to deal with it I am finding that just getting up and comforting him/nursing him is my only option. However, I have just cancelled 3 of my days of childcare in the Bay Area because Martin and I have a plan to send Timo home with Martin 3 days before I get back to Spokane. That will mean 2 nights of me, alone, sleeping. The thought it just glorious. And also terrifying. How will it all work out? When I get back will there be 3 adults and one 13 month old with sleep deprivation instead of one mum? Here's hoping I can pump enough milk to leave for the brave back at home.
I must sign off now, I have to get pumping before Timo wakes up....

betwixt seasons

As I told you before we have had our first snow. It seemed impossible that it could happen as the days had been so warm and the leaves were still on most of the trees. Just like last winter the tendency around here is to snow, thaw and freeze. It did a bunch of that but now it has melted (apart from the snowballs in the backyard) and now most of the trees have given up their leaves and we get to see the cover of unraked leaves that has been languishing under the snow (not so nice...).

Even with the snow I am glad to say that my garden is still producing veggies for us and I got to pick carrots and kale from under the snow drifts!! I had to wear gardening gloves so that my fingers didn't freeze in the snow. Seems kinda miraculous that I can still be eating out of my garden!! Yippeeee!
Here are some pictures from about a month ago. I love how these plants change their colours in a rainbow fashion.

house of sick

On Sunday someone asked me how my household was doing and I said that remarkably everyone was very well and we had had very few fall illnesses. I should have been knocking on wood or crossing my fingers or something because that night started a range of delights! Mimi was sick (stomach) (what she always gets) and that meant a VERY interrupted night for us. She stayed in bed/at home for 2 days. Ami has a very bad cough (the one he always seems to get) and I am sporting a rather horrendous sore throat (also the one I always get). Timo has been cranky and he is either getting a new tooth or he has some ache that he can't tell us about.
This too shall pass.

Guest post by Mimi- from Sunday

Today we got up and we put on our clothes. Then we ate breakfast (piece of toast). Then we had a walk and we went to church. I went to junior choir. We practiced singing. I forget which songs they were. Then I went to children's church. Then we had our morning prayers. It was fun. Then we sang songs and they were... I forget! Then we had our story and we had snack. It was chips and apples. Then Cathy brought down the bells and the cross. Then I holded the bells. It was fun. Then we went upstairs and we processed down the aisle. Then we played a story. It was fun but i wasn't involved in the story. Not everyone was involved. It was if you knew how to read. Then I sat with Miranda and Matthew and we had fun with my crayons and my pages. And soon the service was over. And in the middle of the service i did the labrinth. It was fun doing the labrinth.
We had enchiladas (leftover). [ed. for dinner]

Mimi and Miranda with their choir uniforms!

wait! i forgot one part!!We had pumpkin pie!!!!.

Bazaar

Today was the day of the big Christmas Bazaar across the street. I have NOT officially joined any "ladies groups" at church but somehow my friends belong to a "guild" and they invited me to join them for events/meetings/outings. (is this how people get into cults?!) The whole "Guild culture" is big here. There seem to be endless Guilds who do all sorts of socializing and raising of money to give to those who need it. I heard today that the "Service League" (the first and most "overarching" group) was in existence before the Cathedral was and they raised the equivalent of 3 (or maybe it was 8) Million dollars in the '30s (mid depression..) toward the creation of the building. 
 
This was all done with 5 cent luncheons and garage sales. Not to mention Spring Balls, Summer Balls, Winter Balls etc. Those gals loved to dance I guess and they really knew how to get MONEY!!. Today the guilds are of various sizes and raise funds for those less fortunate.
The guild that I am associated with is called the St Catherine and St Frances guild. The guild had almost died out (quite literally) but it has been re-membered by a few youngish Moms.
My friend Becky took on the role of leader, creating everything necessary to make our booth at the Bazaar successful. The St C and St F guild made and sold the traditional secret recipe Champagne Mustard, dry soup mixes and an assortment of other things that we thought people might purchase. However, Becky was VERY sick today so she wasn't able to attend. That meant that the rest of us who could be there (2-3) attended ALL day. I have new sympathy for folks whose job means that they are on their feet all day on a concrete floor. I also am super appreciative of living across the street and popping home for this or that or just for taking break from the place.
My kids were super great today. Helping out and having fun all day long. It was too bad that it was such a gorgeous day outside today but hopefully we raised a good amount of funds and that people who need help will benefit from our efforts.

I loves me some pumpkin

We didn't have a pumpkin for Hallowe'en. I figure next year we will. I guess I was looking for some unbelieveable deal for pumpkin and they all seemed a bit pricey for just carving and then composting. I want to EAT pumpkin! Soooo... last night I roasted 3 pie pumpkins in order that I can have pumpkin for many recipes. I started this morning with pumpkin pancakes. They are the best.

Here is my recipe (all measurements approximate)

1.5 cups ww pastry flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
ginger, cinnamon, allspice
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (pureed)
1+ cup milk (enough to make it pancake consistency)

hot greased griddle.
makes 24 pancakes- enough for our family of 5 but none for Bodhi!

I plan to make pumpkin scones another morning and perhaps pumpkin pie for tonight. Then I will store the rest of the pumpkin in our massive freezer in the basement.
[The freezer is a story for a post about garage sales in Spokane. Stay tuned!]