SO close!!!!

I am trying SO hard to get all the loose ends tied up with all the gift making! I had planned to take pictures of everything and post them on here BUT I couldn't take the pictures during the day or Liv would see and night-time photo-ops were out for lack of good light. Now I have wrapped the majority of gifts so you'll have to wait to see pictures post-Christmas.
Anyhow, here are some photos of what we have been up to and what I have been crafting that are no Olivia-censored.... I've been making stockings for us all out of a wool blanket that I bought at VV, felted in the washer, sewn into sadly misshapen stocking and then sticked on embellishments. I am pretty happy with the outcome. I meant to take a picture of the one that Liv is making for Maisy but haven't had a chance. It is ADORABLE! Little mushrooms on it. SO cute.
Okay, please bear with my little photos of various outdoor, and sometimes indoor, photo experiments.
We went to our friend, Krista's (and her two girls) for a playdate and wreath making. Fun and crafty!!

Doubling on the rocking dog!

String painting!!

Okay, I think this goes towards Mommy-karma. I get one free freak out and have it forgiven, right? (I'm a turtle. Handpainted by Olivia)
Making candle holders at the Waldorf CHristmas Fair.
Olivia's first braids! She's trying to grow her hair and wanted braids like mine.

We were farm sitting last week. It was a fabulous time and I made friends with this guy, Dezi.
I am loving the look of the leaf bare apple trees with apples still on. They remind me of ornaments!

My brother moved back from Australia and we had lunch with him before Liv and my mom headed out to the Nutcracker!

We've made Christmas ornaments...I actually thought they'd be pretty easy but there have been quite a few steps involved (making dough, rolling, cooking, painting or glittering, varnishing, stringing ribbons, packaging for gifts....)

Our advent tree (there are activites on each one...although many of them I have realized that we haven't gotten around to)
Snowflake making!!!!
Briar made friends with the donkeys.
Liv favourites at the farm were the mules - Minnie and Mack. They were like dogs! Followed her everywhere and snuggled!

Anyhow, I must get back to chasing the little ones and get out the door.

Who made time go so fast?!

So many things I'd love to make, so little time....


Argh. I wnat to write more but I have a couple of things that I need to finish up....

Liberation!!!

These are for bird feeders to make with Liv...
These are for Briar (after I've painted them and added some shoes laces)...
This painting inspires me to paint. Ah! No time!!!

Okay, I am taking over the blog. I'll still write about the kids, the dogs, Jeff (not necessarily in that order) but I feel the need to write about....well, about MY life. An unburdening of the mind and soul, if you will. I'm not totally sure WHAT I'll write but, it'll be mine. One tiny corner all to myself!

So, here goes:

I have been crafting. I am LOVING crafts. The problem is that I have FAR too many idea and not enough time to finish them all. I have always had trouble staying 'on task' and I am now running into this problem again. If only I had an entourage; I could delegate and do all the fun parts, leaving the crappy stuff (cutting out the patterns, preshrinking the fabric, picking up supplies, etc) to my 'team'. OOOooo, it's sounds heavenly and crafty. I could be as flighty as I wanted and still get everything done!

I am trying to make as many of the Christmas presents that we hand out this year as I can. I did pretty well last year, but I swear I started earlier or was more organized. I keep hearing people saying how many shopping (p-shaw! - try making!) days until Christmas and it makes me want to vomit a bit in my mouth.

I have been making Olivia and Maisy clothes that match, a doll sling, felt animals, etc. Suddenly, I had this AWFUL realization that I hadn't made a thing for my sweet little Briar. Now, I have borrowed a scroll saw and intend on making little wooden farm animals for him and maybe a car or two. ACK! HOW am I going to do all of this?!

Gotta go stare at my pile of to-do projects and hopefully, get something done.... (Note to self, STOP looking at Etsy for ideas! I have too many already!)

Hi Kirsten, my sole reader. I guess I am basically writing to you!

Achem...Is that spelled right?

Bobbin' for apples...
We figured out a trick and even Briar can do it!!!
Yoda and Chewbaca...

I thought I'd shock and amaze anyone who still happens to check our blog.... Is there anyone out there?!?! Look, I updated!!!

Here are some pictures of Halloween. Jeff drove down for a few hours of trick-or-treating fun from the boat. The kids were overjoyed!! So was I! Olivia was a cow (mad-cow as Jeff says) and Briar was Yoda. Both looked SO sweet.

Olivia has started her homeschooling and is loving it. I love it too. We have a good time learning about things together. (i.e. Did you know that there are 88 constellations in our solar system? Or that Pluto was intitally called Planet X until an 11 year old girl suggested that it be named Pluto after the god of the underworld? See! Pretty cool!)

Briar is completely vertical now....not just walking vertically, but climbing too. I find him on the table, climbing the backs of chairs, pushing chairs to the counter to climb up. He is a monkey....or a 'house-ape' as Jeff calls them both. He is saying quite a few things now. I find it is just a matter of deciphering what it is he means (like with all babies). He say car, truck, sock (truck and sock sound remarkably similar), Moe (his clearest word), Daddy, Mama, shoe, many, many animal sounds, and thank-you.

I am feeling overly busy (as always) and feel that I am in a constant state of 'frenzy'. But life is good and I'm happy.

Jeff is working lots but has been home for brief periods frequently. He's liking being back int he old house and is closing in the garage in preparation for finishing the basement. The end is in sight and we are both excited!!

My sister is moving to town!!!!! I am SOSOSOSOSOSOSO very excited about it! It feels as if it is a dream and I am going to get a phone call telling em that I've been 'Punk'd'. It'll be FABULOUS to have all the cousins together and to have tea and go to the Farmer's Market and to have Christmas together and ......Okay, you get it. I am overjoyed.

Anyhow, there's my post. Enjoy it. I don't know when I'll have a minute to do it again. Savour it.

Hi Kirsten!!

Phew!

Okay, that was a long 'night'....
Lots has been happening. Olivia is reading!!! Briar is talking a bit (He said 'dude' yesterday. Clearly, I say it too often.) He says "Mama. Olivia (sounds like 'AaaaahH!' to the untrained ear) Quack. Moo. Baa. Woof....." Olivia and I are sitting here trying to remember all of them.
We've been having a very fun and very busy Summer. We went camping (with Jeff!) at Gordon Bay. It was FABULOUS!!! We tried to hatch a duck. It didn't actually hatch but we did see it moving around inside and after it's ETA had passed we opened the egg to find a fully formed -but dead- duck inside. Pretty sad....but educational, none the less. We've been going frog hunting every week for the invasive American Bullfrog and the Green Frog. We're becoming quite skilled hunters, if I do say so myself, and have been giving them to a woman who sells them to universities for dissection (Olivia somehow deduced that the woman returns them to where they are indigenous...I haven't yet told her what actually happens to them...)
Eli isn't doing well. I am broken hearted over it and have had to come to terms with the fact that this will most likely be our last Summer together. His left hind leg isn't functioning well and he is having trouble playing and jumping as he is used to. He is still happy, however, and tries to get to the ball before Freckles. He's not in any pain but the vet says that I can just insure quality of life at this stage. We have exhausted all other avenues (other than surgery, which for a fourteen year old dog doesn't seem fair to him). I wish there was more I could do....He's been my best buddy since I was 18....
I gave Briar an accidental mullet the other day. I thought I'd trim up the front of his hair (bangs). He kept wiggling so I had this genius idea (note the sarcasm) to use the clippers on the highest setting to even it all up. When I did this, I realized that the difference in lengths were looking rather silly...so I clipped on. Finally, all that was left were his gorgeous curls at the nape of his neck that I was absolutely loathe to part with. Looking at him, it dawned on me that I had created a mullet. ARGH!!! I attempted to go out with his hair in this condition but I was uncomfortable with his 'do and a public place....Okay, yeah, I was embarassed. Anyhow, the curls are now gone. (I have them in a baggy) I am going to have him grow them back....
Jeff's fishing and the hake have finally shown up. Yahoo! I hope it keeps up for awhile at least. He hasn't been home much this Summer but we're hoping he'll have a bit of time off this Winter.
I just turned 32 yesterday. Woopedy doo.
Anyhow, I must go deal with a child who is insisting that she can only sleep if she is wearing her appropriate puppy pajamas (that are in the dirty laundry) to bed. Argh. Five. Argh.
P.S. I have an addiction....Facebook. Can't...seem...to....stay...away......

PICTURESSSSSSSSSSSS.......

Ahhhh...Too tired to add more. I'm going to bed. I'll add a few more and explanations tomorrow.....