I started composing this on the first day of spring, adding thoughts and photos over the last few weeks. And then adding thoughts and photos just before spring and it’s quickly grown to monstrous size but I’m rolling with it. Welcome to the giant nugget post.
(I was reading this to my kids and Ruby has asked if I could change her name to Bob for a while)
Bob emerged from her bedroom, a halo of yellow bed-headed hair. I was on the couch, drinking coffee and reading. She fell into me with her toothless smile. “Finally it’s the first day of spring!” she yawned as she fell onto my lap completely unaware of the coffee.
Question to those with older children: do they ever notice the cup of coffee in your hand before diving into a morning snuggle? I’ve become incredibly skilled at keeping the hot, caffeinated liquid inside the mug with a wiggling child on lap.
Indeed it’s spring. Finally! I think we always feel a bit that way with every season. We love winter. We ski and sled and ice skate. We eat oats my the fire and resist getting out of our warm beds in the morning. And we look forward to spring. We dream of that day when will be able to stand in a non-breezy spot and, if the sun is directly on us, it actually feels warm.
Springish nuggets.
:: The girls designed and made little creatures mostly all by themselves. Margot has decided that even if she doesn’t make enough money she wants to work with owl research and rescue. Specifically she’d like to “study them and cure them when they are injured.” Bob wants to BE a kitty when she grows up.
:: Moody spring hikes with friends have taken us up mountains. Our kids used to be on our backs and shoulders and now they run ahead of us begging us to hurry up.
:: I shared this on instagram but want to share here too because it’s my new favorite trick: you can place the white roots of spent green onions in water and continue to harvest the greens for weeks and weeks! They just keep growing.
:: Andy has been planning to build a bench to sit on Alice’s gardenside grave. We went to Home Resource to find materials and instead found an already-made bench. It’s constructed from salvaged materials and is just perfect. We all sit there often, especially the kids. Here playing a game in caves. I heard Margot say, “Quick! Hide! Wolf 12 o’clock!” as Mabel ambled up to sit. Our dog is quite good at pretend play.
:: Our ski season is wrapping up. We went almost every weekend. We plan for the expense of ski passes all year and it is always a stretch to make the purchase. And it always feels so worth it when we get to spend our days together, outside, enduring all kinds of weather — both literally and metaphorically. The chairlift conversations with my kids are among the best I’ve ever had. It’s what we do and I love it.
:: The secret sister snowball ambush.
:: Andy and I had a ski date, just the two of us, on one blissful, powdery, sunshiney day.
:: Margot, Bob and I made these little birdie biscuits. The recipe is HERE. They were great fun to make and eat. They are slightly sweet and wonderful with butter and apricot jam.
:: Full moon walk with my baby girl. My favorite part was our conversation about the big, bright moon. On the still, dark trail she found a round rock and we used the flashlight on my phone to show how the sun shines light on the big rock in the sky. “Mama, it’s really pretty amazing.” She’s so big and strong and capable now. I like that she still fits in the bike trailer and falls asleep on me.
:: Garden bits.
:: Easter bits.
:: Sisterly bits.
:: Bob loves to help with dinner every night. Completely unassisted, she chops and sticks sticky notes on chairs with our names. She finds great joy in directing where we sit and how we dish up. On this night: she made a salad that looks like a monster and a desert surprise in those muffin cups (marshmallow with chocolate chips). I made polenta with toasted pine nuts and green onion.
:: Our Artful Homestead Gathering has changed shape. Paige Green and I had originally planned a 3 day gathering but received valuable feedback suggesting people didn’t have enough time to plan for a big, expensive trip. This is our first time doing this and we greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to make suggestions! Thank you. We listened and simplified it: One day: May 28 / Windrush Farm / Chileno Valley, CA / $200. There are just a few spots left. Join us? Read all about it and sign up HERE. (I know that is a ridiculous photo of me but Bob took it and suggested it when I mentioned I didn’t know which photo to use.)
top left photo by Laura Schneider, bottom right photo of Windrush Farm by Paige Green
My kids have spring break this week. We plan to mostly stay home with one little adventure in there. The girls and I are heading into a cabin in the woods for a few days. I am so excited to be unplugged from to-dos and plugged into my awesome kids. Bob plans to collect things, play house and snuggle with me. Margot plans to write a book or two, practice headstands and snuggle with me. Mabel plans to relax and eat and snuggle with me. I plan to be a part of all of that.
15 Comments
Thanks SO much for sharing the bird rolls…can’t wait to make them! Give Bob (and Margot) a hug from me…LOVE your writing!
Nici, such a wonderful post. Things just keep rolling around, but isn’t it fun to celebrate all that? If I could maybe plant a little seed with your young author? I would love to see a cookbook of her favorite recipes. If she would like to compile a book of her faves, including suggestions for which recipes go well together, thoughts on growing one’s own dinner, and photos (of course!), I would even spend money on it. If she wanted to collab with Bob on that, fine; if not, fine, too. It would surprise me very much if Bob didn’t have her own projects in the works. Also, I would love to have one of those gathering aprons, size 26, not so much because I gather big things but because I’m a big girl. 🙂 That’s another thing I’d be willing to spend money on. Carry on in your usual manner, won’t you? Nobody does it better than you! Susan 🙂
I too would like collect things, play house and snuggle with Bob & write a book or two, practice headstands and snuggle with Margot & relax and eat and snuggle with Mabel & spend time with my incredible daughter! Happy Spring Break!
xoxo
Awesome! When did lebaM get so big!?
Sweet
Hi Nici,
What are the hours of the Artful Homestead Gathering? It looks like it no longer has the camping option, correct? For some who is interesting in attending but lives out-of-town, would you suggest spending both Friday and Saturday nights in a nearly hotel and then just driving out to the farm to spend the day on Saturday? Thanks!
Love every beautiful bit. I wonder, often actually, how you’re brave enough to go camping solo with the kids … I’m not one to let fear dictate what I do and do not do, but just the other day I was downtown (in our very safe, comfortable, hipster Iowa town) and two men followed me for a block trying to get my attention before they gave up when I reached my car. My kids weren’t with me, and it’s probable that that uncomfortable situation wouldn’t have occurred (in broad daylight!!) if they had been at my side. But when I think of traveling alone, I do fear those circumstances!
I do have fearful moments when I’m out alone with my kids. But, I have to say, it’s rare. I feel quite safe with the situations I place us in. I trust my instincts greatly and have definitely had moments when a circumstance raised the hairs on my neck; I’m not afraid to change it up and leave for a different place. I did that recently. I plan to write about it.
I do prefer it when Andy is able to join us for sure. AND I also love being out and about – just my girls and me. We feel strong and able and alive and creative. And I want my kids to know deep in their bones that those feelings are always accessible, with nothing more than guts and nature and an open mind.
I dislike that – for me – it’s people who ignite fear, not wilderness or animals. I think about that a lot. I wish that weren’t so.
(Another note: if/when I share our adventures online, I always post a few days after we were actually at a place.)
I’m sorry you had that experience on your way to your car. I know what that is like. That feeling is horrible. xo
Hi Nici,
A question about the Artful Homestead Gathering. What are the hours that it begins and ends on that Saturday? It looks like the camping option is no longer being offered, correct? For someone who’d be traveling from out-of-town, would you recommend arriving to a town close to the farm Friday, staying in a hotel and then Saturday morning driving out to the farm and returning to the same hotel Saturday evening? Thanks for clarifying this! Sounds like an amazing time!
Hi Shauna, It’s from 9am-7pm. That’s right: camping is no longer offered for the one-day. Shoot me an email and we can talk about accommodations.
hello at digthischick.net 🙂
Looks like good fun had by all!
Love, love, LOVE!
And as a mom of an older child (10! Two digits!), No. They NEVER notice the hot cup of coffee balanced in your hand. He and his little sister still dive-bomb me on the couch on weekend mornings. But you know what? The spilled coffee is worth it! 🙂
Such a great post. I love everything about it. I am in awe of the pictures of the girls skiing. They are so beautiful. I hope you never stop blogging.
This year the beginning of our Spring included a lazy morning of making homemade dyes and dunking crayon-coloured eggs into little glass mason jars. I was inspired by the pictures of your creations. They were not quite as saturated and lovely as yours (I forgot to do the red cabbage) but the afternoon with my littles was cozily well spent.
Love this. And I love Ruby already. Bob? That’s so cute!! Thanks for letting us take a peek into your life…it looks amazing!