update

Erin: has a new punk rocker hairstyle after being left unattended with paper dolls and my scissors. She astounds me by being such a mature and level headed girl, advanced beyond her years, then completely and totally being an almost-five-year-old out of the blue! I can see her thought process (or lack thereof) that led up to the experiment, mainly because I have VIVID memories of doing exactly the same thing. Watching her is so often de ja vous. My mini-me, Bubble Head the next generation! She went to an exercise class at the school last Wednesday and caught up with some friends who she hasn't seen since last year. Happy as a pig in mud she was!

Billy: Continues to grow at an amazing rate. He has shown an interest in learning how to read. I am hoping to get him started once the latest round of chaos dies down a bit.

Christopher: has a real vocab now! I bought an Ergo baby carrier which he can (just) fit in. He is now often on my back as we make tea. It is just easier all 'round that way!

Anna: is shuffling around on a blanket and looking like she wants to roll over. Also a big chatter box is my girl. The last couple of days have been all over the place in terms of routine but I have high hopes of us getting back on track soon.

The house: has new bookshelves! We are currently (still) reorganising to take full advantage of this development. We are also in the midst of fitting a new back door as the glass in the old one got busted up over the weekend. When we first started talking about renovating I expressed my reservations about the hectic nature of renovator living. "They" said "oh it will be different when it is YOUR place, it will be all exciting". I would like to find "Them" and beat the nasty, stinky, liars with a big stick. It isn't exciting, it is dusty. There is all kinds of dust, plaster dust, saw dust, dirty dust, an we got 'em all. There is also doors and heaters being fixed in the middle of winter, "open style" living areas that let all the DUST get into EVERYTHING including the kitchen that has no cupboard doors, holes everywhere letting in mice who prefer the warmth of my BATHROOM (nay, my BATH TOWEL) to the windy wilds. There is also sitting up and trying to stay awake while holding things for Beloved Builder and wondering if boredom or sleep deprivation will kill me first. I thought it'd all be fine because I do not shrink from hardship. The thought of "roughing" it appeals to me, even now. But the constantly shifting nature of living in an incomplete renovation means navigating normal life becomes about as challenging as navigating through the shifting sands of the SAHARA. Complete with DUST. Have I mentioned the DUST yet? I hate DUST. The Pollyanna part of my brain says "oh it could be worse, you have a HOUSE! You could be living in a cardboard box." The rest of my brain says "yeah, well, there'd be less dust. Now shurrup before I hit you with a big stick."

But even I have to admit that the things Beloved has built for us are beautiful and when we reflect on the finished product it will be a thing to behold.

The garden: is a swamp, a frozen swamp at the moment. We need to do something about the drainage on this place.


Jess