Soul Wandering...

   Well, I made the BIG mommy mistake and flippantly mentioned that I was going to give my diamond rings to my boys WHEN I DIE!!!  What was I thinking.  I the most tender-hearted of all people who used to regularly cry myself to sleep in the 4th grade at the thought of my parents dying, who still now cannot handle the thought of anyone dying. Who is the loudest person at funeral, cried so hard during the movie, One Day, that she couldn't go out to dinner afterwards.   Why I would say that to my 3 and 4 year old is beyond me.  I just was not thinking. 
Anyway, Hudson was in the bathtub  and said, "Mommy, will you always wear your rings."  And I brazenly, calloused answered, "Yep, I'll wear'em till the day I die (proud of myself thinking of what a good wife I am, so committed that I will DIE in my wedding rings) and then I'll give'em to you."

Duh!!!! What did I just say?  I looked at my sweet, sweet angel child and his eyes were looking at me as if the weight of the world had just landed inside him. A layer of his innocence diminshed before my eyes. I myself, had a layer of my own innocence leave me. I, who sits and thinks of myself as not so important is everything to this little guy.  I am the edges of his little world and I had better treat myself with some reverence.   I tried to back track, Boy, did I try to back track.  He was depending on me.  So I said with a huge grin, "I'm just kidding."  And he looked at me like he didn't believe me and half-heartedly met my grin.  Then his face dropped and said, "Mommy, why do people die when they get old." (Mind you he has already been to his great-grandfather's visitation)  I said, "Because their souls get bored of their body and they want to go and do something else.  They want to fly; they want to be free."  A glimmer of hope returned to his eyes.  And I asked him what his soul wanted to do  and he said, " Have kids." His smile was half cocked and he looked at me sideways and I wanted to eat him up and I thought, ' you know, that's what my soul wanted too...'  He quickly added, " and eat candy and go to Grandee's house." 

Eli's soul, on the other hand, wants to be a big giant that stomps on people!
(Hopefully that was just his ego talking and not his soul;)

Aye yi yi!!! How am I going to raise these boys?

Sunrock Farm Birthday...

Hudson and Eli got a chance to head to Sunrock Farm in Wilder, Ky for a little birthday party.  It was a great afternoon of more pumpkin picking, hayrides, holding baby chicks, milking goats, collecting eggs.  It was quite possibly the  most informative birthday party they'll ever go to.  It was great to see the kids being connected to the land and getting intrinsic knowledge of where their food comes from.  Luckily, at their preschool they spend quite a lot of time outside and Hudson's class goes to a farm every friday.  Its amazing how much they already know. 

Eli's first pumpkin of the season, which he later carved:)

The gang showing off their pumpkins while the 'mommarazzi' snapped a million photos.

Eli feeding the goats which was impossible to get a pic of the food in his hand. That goat was fast!

Waiting for a baby chick.  I felt kind of bad for them; they were only 2 days old.  Eli didn't want to hold his which totally surpised me cuz last winter he was our chicken wrangler when we couldn't catch our chickens little 2 year old eli could.  I guess he's grown into a little fear which is not a bad thing for Eli!

Farmer Katie teaching Hudson how to milk a goat.  Huddy was only a little intrigued by this ...

Eli thought squirting milk was pretty awesome and he looked up at Farmer Katie with the biggest grin across his face like, "Did you just see that?!?"

Eli getting the best seat in the house next to sweet Maya as she cuts the brownies...

Happy 5th Birthday, Maya, we enjoyed being with you!

Paying Homage to the Wilmes'

        This post is a very special thank you to an incredible family, who has inspired- us in many ways. 
The Wilmes' have encouraged us to do many things in the last few years, the most important was to introduce us to our current next-door-neighbor, without whom, we would have never found our house.   They bugged us to move to Northside for 2 years before we finally did.They encouraged us to read Alfie Kohn's book, Unconditional Parenting, and continue to inspire us with their dedication to their family.  They know how to work hard, play hard and reign it in. And over the years, as we have worked so hard to complete our home their family has sacrificed weekends to our cause.  John, has painted, plastered, hung drywall, shop vacced, done demo and been generally fun and encouraging to have around the job site.  Fernanda, Lila, and Lucas have given up their husband/dad on many weekends and evenings over the past 3 years. Also, they have been patient with us as we have holed up to do our work and not been available for as many social events.

Thanks guys, The Fryer's are eternally grateful and encouraged by you... Love you guys.

John and Lila at Huddy's b-day

Keith and John bantering over how to hang drywall. (The ONLY person Keith would banter with)

John teaching me painting techniques

Demoltion during Labor Day Weekend.

Lucas hangin out with Hudson and Eli's cousins

John's beautiful wife, Fernanda. 

THE WILMES'

Thank you, Thank you soo much. You've been a tremendous help!

Growing A Sister: Hudson and Eli's quest for a sister continues!

Okay, so we were out in the garden last night and Hudson says,  "Mom I think we should just grow a sister."  So I asked how one would go about doing that and he informed me that "a seed needs to get into an egg".  So Eli ran in the house and got an egg and hudson pulled off a seed pod from the milkweed and they cracked the egg on top of the seed and they now have baby sister growing in the garden....

Hudson's marriage plans

Caitlin and Hudson at Turner Farm

The conversation I overheard shortly after Hudson's field trip:


"I'm going to marry Caitlin when I grow up.  I think I will like kissing by then."

Eli's response, " EWWWWW!"

Hilarious Car Conversation

    So were driving home from gymnastics the other day and of course while we are trapped on the Interstate Eli says he has to pee.   I tell him I can't stop yet because there isn't an exit and he tells me to pull over on the side of the road.  I tell him its too dangerous because the other cars might hit us and he goes into an elaborate story, "Well, a super hero will swoop in and carry us up to the sky before a car can hit us."  I say, "What if the super hero doesn't know we're in trouble and doesn't get there in time."  Hudson chimed in while rolling his eyes " Mom, that's crazy talk." (Of course the super hero is going to save us)

Impromptu picnic at Spring Grove

Cincinnati is having a beautiful fall this year. We've been so lucky to be out enjoying this gorgeous weather. Right around the corner from us is Spring Grove Cemetary and Arboretum. It 733 acres with lakes, ponds, gothic stuctures (aka the witch houses coined by Hudson and Eli) and many native and non-native tree species. It is a gorgeous and inspirational place Adolph Stauch a renowned landscape architecht was responsible for the grounds renovation and it served as inspiration for Central Park in NYC.

The digger in the background was to help clear out a drainage ditch.  The boys were in heaven.

 

Meshewa Farm Field Trip at school

Well,  we couldn't be any luckier that the Waldorf School is super tight with Turner Farm.  They have the nature tots program there for 18months to 3 years.  And our older ones have a place to commune there.  I was privileged to go to all women's gathering this fall and now Hudson's class had a day on the farm.  Pumpkin picking, gathering sweet potato vines, and feeding sheep.  Amazing to see all the beautiful fall colors in a horse drawn carriage. 

Gathering Sweet Potato Vines, which were mulched with a low grade wool. 

Jolie, Jonah, and Hudson

The one sheep who was willing to take a bite of our sweet potato vines. 

Toy Lab: Upcycled Toy Making

Well, ever since Happen Inc.'s Toy Lab moved into the northside we've been eager to go and build a toy.  Basically, they have bins of broken plastic toy parts that you can use to recreate your own toy.  It was super cute watching the boys go through all the bins trying to pick out the perfect parts.  The toy lab guy then uses a dremel tool and hot glue sticks to reassemble the toy. They then name their toy and its abilities and voila they are Toy Inventors....

I already can't remember Hudson's toy names.  They were really odd, like ishu and pickles...

Eli's toy was named Stella!  And she shoots magic and Kicks Butt!

Jonah was the birthday boy so we offered to take him with us...

Introducing Eli and Orien: Best Buddies

Well, Eli has been waiting for quite awhile for a magical thing called, a buddy.  Orien came at just the right time when Hudson is going to playdates and Eli has to stay with me... Included in the new package is a new buddy for me as well, because Orien's mom rocks.  Here's to many more dance parties, trampoline adventures, and hikes in the woods...

Monkey Bar Mountain

Huddy's been watching Charlotte and Yuki on top the monkey bars for a few weeks now.  He finally got on top and he was really excited.

When words aren't enough

The end of the soccer season

Well, we had just about enough soccer.  I'll say it's nice that I won't be getting out of the house early on Saturday mornings.  However, we did enjoy it.  So many nice families who were getting bit by the bug of yellin from the sidelines.  So funny.  Huddy mostly liked hanging out with his "best buddy" Jonah.  They were often totally clueless of where the ball was which was hilarious.  All in all it was good experience and I reality check of how crazy life is going to be when they both have homework, schedules and their own interests...

Face painting on a Saturday afternoon

Well, now that Keith and I are through some of the worst parts of remodeling our house.  We are having more people over to play.  A few Saturdays ago we had an impromptu gathering that turned into a face painting party. The boys were in heaven because Autumn (their surrogate "big sis" was painting their faces .  So cute. 

Sweet Stella

Huddy and Autumn

Silly Lazlo

Stella did that herself. I was so impressed.

Eli with his surrogate "lil sis"  Juniper... I  think Eli must of gone rogue on Autumn and painted his own face!