It's in the Air

We are starting to feel the holiday spirit around here.

Another Rainy Day

We had a little visitor named Ira (or Ina or something like Ivan but with only three letters) this week. Really this tropical storm just brought us 3 or 4 inches of rain and enough wind to blow the trees back and forth. But, all the schools around the area, including our day care, were closed for the day Tuesday.
My friend Rachael gives me lots of good ideas. One recent idea was for me to cut out pictures from the (way too many) catalogs we get in the mail. Then let the children pick out pictures to make a collage with. I put the glue on the back of each piece and they place it on their paper.
It was fun, especially for the girls. They worked on their collages until they were full. It was fun to see what they chose: everything from soccer balls to baby dolls to paints to trucks. Elliott only lasted about ten minutes. Then he picked out all the cut outs of bugs, wadded them into balls and through them out of the front porch. (The door was open so we could get some fresh air, and he loves looking for real "buggies" on the front porch.)

Here is Mazie holding up Elliott's collage. When I asked him if I could take his picture with his collage, he said "no" and ran on to the porch. I decided not to fight it. Mazie was happy to help.
Here he is with his wadded up bugs on the porch.
Thanks for the suggestion, Auntie Rach. Keep them coming.

Poem #7

One day a few years back when I was staying with my grandmother, we were talking about poems and she pulled out a newspaper clipping of this poem, telling me it was one of her favorites. I went to bed that night and memorized it.

The Coin
by Sara Teasdale

Into my heart's treasury
I slipped a coin
That time cannot take
Nor a thief purloin,--
Oh better than the minting
of a gold-crowned king
Is the safe-kept memory
of a lovely thing.

Boots to the Barn

We took some of the babes' birthday money and bought them barn boots. We are taking them to the barn more often to help "feed up." They take handfuls of hay to the horses and cow. They help stir in oats and corn into the sweet feed (so the horses can't just eat out the sweet feed).




Clearly it is a rough job. In the photo above, Lucia is taking a sip of my beer. Below she is drinking from the horses' water.

Cheese, Mazie-Style

Mazie Bell loves pictures. She likes to look at photos and have her photo taken. She knows how to unlock my iphone, open the photo album, and scroll through the pictures. Recently she has started asking me to take her picture.
In the photo above, Mazie came and asked me to take her picture with Bee. Then, each time, she'd close her eyes. Immediately she'd want to see picture on the camera. Her poses below are also of her new favorite pose.

Full Beds

Our three love their loveys. Elliott loves his MonkMonk. He isn't too attached to the others, but he almost always keeps MonkMonk by his side when he sleeps. The rest usually end up on the floor before we go back in to get them up.


The girls especially have to go through roll call before going to sleep. Lucia will want to know where Pink Pearl, Silly Rabbit, Silly Monkey, Georgetta, Baby, Arthur, and Super Pooh are.

Mazie will make sure Big Baby, Baby, Tiger, Little Ribbit, Imogene, and Pink Baby are with her.
We have a lot to keep up with, but these babies and animals take such good care of our three that we don't mind too much.

Poems #5&6: Dickinson

I don't love (maybe I should just admit: I don't get) many of Dickinson's poems, but when I do love (get) them, I fall hard.

both by Emily Dickinson

To Fight Aloud

To fight aloud, is very brave--
but gallanter, I know
Who charge within the bosom
the Calvary of Woe--

Who win, and nations do not see--
Who fall--and none observe--
Whose dying eyes, no Country
Regards with patriot love--

We trust, in plumed procession
For such, the angels go--
Rank after Rank, with even feet--
and Uniforms of Snow.

*****************************
Tell All the Truth

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant--
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As lightning to the Children eased
with explanation kind
the Truth must dazzle gradually
or every man be blind--

Add an E

Last night I was changing Elliott's diaper and getting his pajamas on. I heard Mazie, in her sweet little raspy voice, say, "Bless her heart. Bless her heart." She then went up to Lucia and said, "Bless her heart. Come here (hee-uh)," and pulled Lu in for a tight hug. The two sisters proceeded to bless and hug for the next ten minutes. It was so fun to watch. I think we need to add an E to the end of Mazie's middle name.

Fourth Poem

I love this poem. Isn't this the way Love should be? Love with complete abandon.

Song
by W. H. Auden

The chimney sweepers
Wash their faces and forget to wash the neck;
The lighthouse keepers
Let the lamps go out and leave the ships to wreck;
The prosperous baker
Leaves the rolls in hundreds in the oven to burn;
The undertaker
Pins a small note on the coffin saying "Wait till I return,
I've got a date with Love."

And deep-sea divers
Cut their boots off and come bubbling to the top,
And engine-drivers
Bring expresses in the tunnel to a stop;
The village rector
Dashes down the side-aisle half-way through a psalm;
The sanitary inspector
Runs off with the cover of the cesspool on his arm--
To keep his date with Love.

Namomaners

The past week we have been sick. Elliott didn't go to day care at all last week. Then Mazie came home early Thursday with a fever. Now Lucia is running a fever. So, with all the illness and yuck, the girls have picked up some medicinal recreations. Lu and Mae will take a baby's temperature and then say, "Baby not feel good."