Now, this is an excellent example of why children should have two or more adult figures in their lives. It rained yesterday after having been below freezing for several days. Rain + frozen ground = ice. About a quarter inch or more of ice before it got cold enough in the air for the snow to fall on top of the ice. About 7:45 pm, K&S started dashing about madly - where's my coat, where's my hat, MOM help me with my snowpants. Where are you going? I inquired. We're going Sledding! I need my SNOWPANTS!

It would never have occurred to me to think of going sledding on ice in the dark with rain still coming down 45 minutes before get-ready-for-bedtime on a school night. Had a child requested permission of me to do so the answer would have been a resounding NO. And yet, if I am honest, my response would have been fundamentally based on: It's cold, dark, rainy, slippery and _I_ am not going out there to supervise. Daddy suggested it, Daddy was willing and eager to participate, Daddy and the juvenile members of the household had a blast. The 20-something neighbor came out and joined them. Mommy stayed inside and eventually made hot chocolate and herbal tea to lure them inside again with. They were warmly dressed, the heirloom sleds they just received from Grandad at T-day got a great workout, their coats dried overnight. They were only a few minutes late going to bed, and they have a memory that will stick with them for a long time. Much more of an event than Mom would have arranged.

The dog was exhausted last night. I am quite, quite sure that a mouse moved into the garden sometime recently. We covered the bed with fallen leaves to compost down over the winter. Deep bed of leaves, endless supply of birdseed from the feeder - what more could any little mousie want - aside from that pesky dog tearing up the neighborhood.

Brandon spent the better part of 3 hours turning over the leaves at the base of the birdfeeder and got quite short with me when I suggested it was time to come in.


I got quite a bit done on my Braids cardigan this week. The charcoal grey Lamb's Pride does not photograph well, but I've finished the back and am almost to the adjustment for the neckline on the fronts. I'm going both fronts at once, and since the whole thing is done seamlessly, I'm sure you can imagine the tangle that two fronts and two skeins of yarn can get into with the finished back lolling about.