Today was a stay-at-home-and-get-some-stuff-done day. We raked leaves and pine needles. Ian cleaned and repaired the rain gutters. We planted some “brown and bumpy” bulbs (some, or even most, of which may not grow because they were purchased last fall, not this fall). I edited three crummy chapters of a crummy book. Lucas helped me make muffins in the morning and I made meatloaf and sauteed zucchini for dinner (with an extra meatloaf to freeze for another evening’s meal).
We are greatly enjoying a bounty of pomegranates, some of which were given to us by Lucas’s former teacher and some of which came from our dear Bs. (Thank you, Bs!) They are huge, rosy, and fat, bursting with thousands of sweet ruby gems. We have one for dessert every night. Lucas thinks they’re the best food ever: Food of the Gods, even.
I have been blessed lately to hear more often, “Mommy, you’re the sweetest, most beautiful, most kindest, nicest mommy in the whole world” than “Mommy, you’re mean. You’re a mean mommy! I hate you!” In the early morning, when Lucas pads into our bedroom to join us in bed for a snuggle, he tells me I’m the best mom in the world. And it’s wonderful! I endeavor to hold it in the front of my brain all day long like an anchor keeping me to my purpose despite being tossed about by our current moods and stresses.
Today, Lucas decided that his dad is the best daddy in the whole world and told Ian so. I think it was the first time Ian ever received such superlative praise from Lucas. It made Ian feel great, I think, and thus is worth writing about. They worked hard together today, with tools and in the garage. A bonding day.
The Halloween Fairy took the candy to the Sugar Sprite earlier this week so she can feed her Sugar Babies. Lucas was pleased to help the babies get enough food and cheerfully traded his (rather small) stash of candy for the pretty gnomes the Fairy left him. We’ve been building gnome homes and decorating them with rocks and crystals. The gnome “play set” is quite elaborate. We also have discovered that beeswax sculpting produces easy and serviceable gnomes. The more we play with that stuff, the more I’m convinced it’s the most perfect toy ever created—as long as you have a daddy with warm hands around to soften up the wax a little.
I picked up my knitting again last night. I’m about 3/4 of the way done with a scarf I started last winter and never completed. I think I may finish it soon. Creative pursuits are good for my spirit right now, I think. I’m trying to come up with a Christmas craft that I can make by the dozens to give as gifts this year. The challenge is, whatever it is has to be made for under $2 a piece.
On Friday I went to coffee with my mother and dangled a whole new knitting challenge in front of her: wool diaper soakers. They’re worn (by babies) over cloth diapers like the dreaded “plastic pants” but they’re soft, washed in lanolin and therefore are nearly waterproof and have mysterious antibacterial properties. They’re all the rage in the Natural Parenting circles, so of course, I must have some! Mom is cranking out socks like there’s no tomorrow. Lucas now has a drawerful of gorgeous handmade socks.
