nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words, about the last week
Margot asked me to get under the covers and hug her last night. I stood at the foot of my bed, in my kitchen, thinking about all the stuff I wanted to, had planned to do. Thing is, I can’t just crawl in there for a bit. These days, once I am horizontal, especially under covers, I am out until the next morning. I either go to bed at 8pm or 1am.
Last night, it was an 8pm bedtime. I swept the day’s debris off our kitchen island/family bed and heaved my body next to Margot, who, even after spending the entire day by my side, kicked her legs and squealed with joy. Two feet away, we thought Ruby was asleep but then we heard her breathy grunts and “Mama? I want to snuggle you and Margot.”
We arranged and rearranged until everyone was pleased: Me in the middle, Margot’s head in my elbow crook, Ruby on her belly with her cheek pressed into my belly. Tell us a story they said as Andy gave me secret spousal gang signs from the front door indicating he was going to paint in the studio and that Ruby’s pacifier was on the cat food bucket should she need it.
Margot is really into bald eagles right now. We see them many times a week circling over our home and she is always the first to notice the awesomeness. “There is a bald eagle who lives way up in a tree in a giant nest at the bottom of a hill between the Clines and the Tiltons. Her name is Germaine,” I began.
Ruby: What color is it?
Margot: White and…
Ruby: Pink!
Margot: No, white and brown.
Ruby: Wif a pink beak!
Me: Do eagles have hands or hoofs or…?
Margot: No. They have claws.
Me: Yes, they are called talons. Well, Germaine, instead of having four talons, only has one talon on each foot, making her a super unique and special bald eagle.
Margot: How does she pick stuff up?
Ruby: Pick stuff up?
Me: Well, eagles are so strong and…
Margot: Because they feed their bodies well and exercise?
Me: Exactly. They are so strong, they can even pick up big animals.
Margot: Like Ruby?
Me: Hmm. I bet an eagle could pick up an animal the size of Ruby.
Ruby: No! Ruby no want to be pick up bald eagle.
Me: No worries, Rubes. That won’t happen.
Ruby: I need to talk wif daddy ’bout that. I have a question ’bout that. No bald eagle pick me up. That’s not kind.
Margot: Eagles don’t pick up kids like you and me.
Ruby: OK, Margot.
Seconds later they were breathing heavy. I was still, a daughter on each side of me, noticing they are each more than half my body length. Amazing.
nuggets.
:: We had our first FULL day gardening. The girls collected worms, pill bugs, ants and millipedes for hours while I dug grass, moved rocks, prepared beds and found little indications of what once grew here.
Lots of potential. If only my digging could keep up with my ideas.
:: Morning spring light and steel cut oats.
:: Our tiny home is insanely messy all the time. We regularly, thoroughly pick up and clean and approximately 11 minutes later, the shoe basket is overturned, the living room is a fort, the bed a ship and the sink full of dishes. I love this little studio apartment and I look forward to rooms.
We move upstairs in one month! I am excited to share that space and our ideas with you.
:: Tea with Alice. She’s almost ten, our beloved dog.
:: Rainy day errand running.
:: Oh my stars!
:: Margot has been taking gymnastics for quite a while now. We attended a little performance last week and, there, watching my girl beam on a beam I about fell over with pride.
:: I found a strange donkey basket while thrifting. Perfect for egg collecting.
:: My Rhubarb.
Margot: Ruby, one person says yes and the other person says no. OK?
Ruby: OK Margot.
Margot: No.
Ruby: No.
Margot: No Ruby! You say yes!
Ruby: Yes.
Margot: No.
Ruby: No.
Margot: Aaaah, Ruuuubyyy. No, ok. I’ll say yes. Yes.
Ruby: Yes.
It eventually ends, Margot is super frustrated and Ruby is giggling.
:: Walking up the mountain behind our house, I continue to feel over the moon about it.
:: Welcome back to rockin’ business tart, as a dig sponsor! Tart is a boutique and contemporary art gallery (although they prefer the term ‘tartique’) located in the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture in Bozeman, Montana and online right here for your international shopping exhilaration!
And you could win one! Tart is giving three away. Leave a comment on tart’s facebook page telling us, dear ones, what is your favorite letter? Also, use coupon code ‘digthis’ and receive free shipping. Thanks, tart!
One last conversation I overheard tonight, WAY past bedtime:
Daddy? Dada? Dad?
Yes, Ruby?
I frilly want prassbooees.
Raspberries?
NO. I just frilly want prassbooees in bed.
You really want Pirate’s Booty in bed?
YES!!!
Sweet dreams.
34 Comments
Love those delightful snippets of conversation!
I love more than that about this post, but I’ll just pick one!
oh that yard, that space, cant wait to see what next month brings. dig the new digs, dig!
Wow, one month to go?! I bet the light at the end of the tunnel is shining extra bright for you! I just ordered my little guy some fancy pants and bandana bib from ReWear, cant wait to get them. I have my eye on that skirt too 😉
omg I love the responses to the bald eagle story and the yes no game. What a hoot they are!!
oh-my-stars. that stars photograph gave me chills for 3 minutes straight. LOVING margot & ruby’s yes/no game and that upcycled tee skirt. your words are medicine for my soul friend!
One more month! So exciting. Then, you’ll be busy in the garden AND inside. We have such short summers, it it were me, I’d probs get the inside to a tolerable level then let it go until fall : )
We ended up renting a sod-cutter for our garden, but will handfork the beds.
I love that the eagles are strong because they eat well and exercise!!!
Fun everday nuggets, thanks!
I can’t wait to see the garden AND the upstairs home! Secret spousal gang signs, love and the yes no game brings me back to my childhood with my 2 sisters :)Loved this post.
Yeah for gardening! I spent 8 hours outside yesterday and I’m sort of grateful to be sitting still at this moment. I am very excited to see what you till and create this year, be that it’s inside your new house (yeah!!) or outside.
I love these kiddo conversations. As a little sister myself, the one frustrating game between Ruby and Margot brought back funny memories. I get it. Alex had a doozie of a conversation yesterday and I wrote it down – just because I’ll need to remember it when she’s 12 and her love might not be expressed in such a thoughtful, loving manner.
Thanks for the nuggets. 🙂
Jennifer
How exciting to be moving soon! And your backyard is truly dreamy. I am excited to be inspired by your creatiions 🙂
And, OH!!! Your precious moments and conversations with your girls make me mourn for my LITTLE boys again! Although they still come in for a cuddle in the morning (all 8 & 11 years old of them), and my youngest boy still needs a piggy back ride & a hug-fest before bed, they continue to grow & I can’t stop them. Yesterday, I found, for the very 1st bittersweet time, my oldest son’s name carved in wood…….with someone else’s name attached with a PLUS SIGN! It read: “Gabe + Saebra.”
It FELT like it read: “Move over, Mama….there’s a new girl in town!”
I know you do to the fullest, but I feel like I have to shout: SAVOR YOUR MOMENTS AS A MOTHER TO DAUGHTERS!
My heart is breaking a bit.
If you’re downtown soon, you have to check out the flowering tree located in the little courtyard by Scotty’s Table. Stunning flowers!
I love the little conversations with Margot and Ruby, especially Ruby’s parts, and especially the one about having to talk to her dad about a bald eagle picking her up like a large animal. Hilarious.
I’ve been collecting a lot of my kids’ sayings lately, too. In fact, it’s becoming my favorite part of blogging. I hope some day they’ll be cracking up reading all those transcriptions of their own sayings.
Love the conversations : )
Those flower hair clips look fantastic!
Dear Nici:
“the bed a ship and the sink full of dishes”
One of my favorite lines I’ve read on this blog so far. It sounds like a song lyric. “Stay in bed, baby, the bed is a ship, the sink is full of dishes.”
Love it.
xo
Melina
Smiled all the way through…..I’ll be back!
xoxo
Nici, your writing is exquisite. I love how you tell the story of your life.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
Bald Eagle Cam is just awesome for littles! Mama is feeding chicks as we speak!
I love spring! I can’t wait to chisel out a little bit of time to finish my beds with the kids!
Love that post!
Hahaha! This post had me laughing out loud a few times Nici! Your girls are so beautiful.
Wishing you a lovely weekend…with some Pirate’s Booty in bed you lucky thang 🙂
xx
http://blog.scissorspaperrockdesigns.com.au/
Wow. Fab post. Love the little snippets of conversation. Your kids are so cool. You have such a way with words. The photos though, they just slay me…. LOVE.
Your blog is one of the few I read out loud to Rob, we both love the way your girls think and interact!
Yeah for digging and only a month til you move upstairs, I can’t wait to see your home.
Happy weekend Nici.
haha – that last conversation made me literally laugh out loud! Your girls are just adorable.
Have a good weekend! -Jessica
I adore those two girls, my kid needs a sibling soon… oh the conversations! i love their imaginations, so great to see kids outside and not playing with technology (though, my Zayn loves Elmo a lot…) xx
DBramble! Thank you SO much for sharing that link! Awesome.
Love this:
“secret spousal gang signs”
I was going to recommend the Decorah Eagles on Ustream too! So glad you found out about them. Last year a friend showed them to me, and I was addicted. I made them full screen, and kept them on my computer screen while I worked. It gets a little graphic sometimes (when dad brings the food).
Love that pic of Ruby and the mountains! I can’t imagine what it would be like to see that everyday.
Oh my goodness, I couldn’t stop laughing at “spousal gang signs.” Hilarious!! Love those cute conversations too 🙂
XOXO,
Angie from Ohio
Oh my god they’re having a tea party with Alice. LOVE.
Do you know already about the Decorah Eagles webcam? I’m obsessed.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
Oh my stars is right! Beautiful stars. Never been to Montana, but I love to lay back and gaze at the stars in Idaho or Wyoming. I don’t get to see the gazillions of stars here in Utah like I can up North. Will have to add Montana to my list of places to travel.
OMGoodness, I totally laughed out loud at the Pirate’s Booty conversation! I can hear my 2 and a half old saying it almost the same way!
You weren’t the last to know about the Decorah Eagles!
We sooo did the same move you are doing now last year and lived in a rental out of boxes while we waited to get into our new house! Way to go…even though it is hard you are rockin it out! Love your pictures and your outlook! I just installed raised organic beds for my gardens this year. I am almost giddy about planting! Oh what shall I plant! 🙂 Katie
I love reading those girls’ conversations.