This afternoon after Kali wore me out in a bike ride/jogger run (she is increasing in speed much faster than me), I enjoyed one of those rare pockets of time where supper was in the crockpot not needing my attention and there was nothing else pressing that had to be done and the weather was my favorite (just right for pants and a long sleeve shirt). I was happy to soak up some time with these very sweet sisters...So while Kali and Alida dug for fossils, I watched them and commented on the rocks they were finding and looked around the woods seeing what I might notice or learn by just being present to the moment. I started noticing the little evergreens and remembered that we wanted to pick out a little tree for our Christmas tree. It wasn't long before the girls and I were checking a few out - Kali and I (for once) liked the same one.
Alida didn't comment on the tree. She was too busy walking around saying, "let's go funny cake." This was cracking me up but I had no idea why she was combining those words. At supper tonight, I was telling Jason the story and he said, "oh, she's saying 'let's go fly a kite'." We got a good chuckle out of that. I fully believe that was what she was intending to say, but Kali and I both heard "funny cake" pretty clearly. See for yourself:
When Jason came in from the tree stand (he enjoyed 4 stints up there this week watching the day start or end in the woods and only encountered deer on one of them but after it was too dark to hunt safely), he was escorted out to the Christmas tree and affirmed our choice. So we enjoyed an evening of decorating the tree with Christmas music in the background, letting the girls open a little present from their stockings (which Alida calls "boots."), and playing a game together and letting Alida enjoy whole pieces of popcorn for the first time (she was impressed). Jason and I also went through some of Alida's clothes (getting rid of the 18months-2T stuff and digging into the 3T box - can it really be so?)!Over dinner, I shared how I really want to get bees. I just finished reading A Dirty Life and LOVED it (thanks mom and dad) - now dreaming of a visit to Essex Farm sometime. They don't even talk about bees, but somehow reading it helped clarify some things for me - including a deep desire for me to feel more integrated into our own little plot of land (not just taking care of the food that comes in the door but being more a part of the whole process). Jason has chickens. Kali has ducks. I want to have bees (and I'll never have to butcher any!). So we'll see. I'm stating it out loud and in writing because I really want to do it. So ask me about it in a few months and see if I'm making any progress on making that dream a reality.
Okay, it's about to be December 2 so I better join the rest of the family in getting some sleep. I will end with a picture of some of Jason's chickens enjoying a dust bath at the base of Kali's chinese date tree located along our front walk. We are officially free ranging some chickens as of this afternoon and it is surprisingly pleasant to have them meandering around us as we go about our day.
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