Shearing Summer

I wish I could say we were on the tail end of summer, but in fact we're headed eyes wide open into winter. Around here we're still trying to savor some of the last bits of "fresh" that we can find, while spliting and stacking the wood, putting the garden to bed and hunkering down with winter projects...


I know summer is over when I got Makili's blond locks off. It breaks my heart every time, but the poor kid was constantly trying to get his hair out of his eyes, so it was time! Here he is demonstrating his pockets, which he loves.Remick demonstrating cuteness, as usual.

The last fresh flowers from the garden. Makili walked outside the other day and insisted on picking them. And I thought to myself. You're right, Makili! What am I thinking? I NEED these fresh flowers in the house, because pretty soon I won't have the luxury! So I grabbed a pair of scissors and he helped me choose which ones to pick...

On Makili's one day of sickness (it wasn't the flu - Yahoo!), he really lived it up, watching Bob the Builder on the computer, drinking unlimited amounts of juice, and eating a lollipop, a new and agonizingly slow treat left over from trick-or-treating.
And amazingly, we are STILL eating raspberries. We each eat a handful every day. That seems like a blessing.
And of course we are still eating out of the garden. We're pretty much down to broccoli, leeks, potatoes, kale, collards, and brussel sprouts. I didn't freeze enough this year or eat enough really, but there's always next year and we're just trying to suck the last marrow out of that summer sun we're already missing!

I miss my mom.

Thus It Begins

I came home from soccer last night, and soon after I did so, Makili woke up in his room. Raph went and laid down with him, since Ann had but him to bed on the futon instead of in his crib. (These grandmas are such softies!:) Remick was in our bed, so I decided to lay down with Raph and Makili for a while. I put my hand on Makili and he was sweaty and hot, even to my touch after playing soccer for an hour and a half. Raph hadn't seemed to notice and so I got up and got the thermometer - 103.4. The last six months with no sickness have been great. I'm not sure I'm ready to enter sick season again, the time of year when we can't leave home, not even over night, without the thermometer, the tylenol, the IB Profin. The worst part is that it is probably the flu, since everybody around here has the flu these days. 25% of our local high school were absent yesterday, so I supposed it was inevitable.

We took Makili and Remick to vote here in Maine last night. I've actually found myself thrust into local politics because of some school issues in our town, but the big vote last night was whether or not to uphold the same-sex marriage law that was passed here in Maine a few months ago. I know I have several friends and relatives that might feel otherwise from how Raph and I do about this issue, and you can stop reading right now if you like, but I was sorely disappointed to read this morning that the same-sex marriage law was defeated yesterday by a narrow margin. It really bums me out. Raph and I both look at it as a civil rights issue, and I don't really care what your religious beliefs are, I don't really how you can see otherwise. I'm taking a literature class right now and happen to be reading about slavery in the early days. There were many leading writers and thinkers who were ardent abolitionists, but there were also intelligent people who advocated slavery, with various rationalizations. I think the two causes are linked. I hope one day we will find laughable the idea that we even had to vote on whether or not to allow gay and lesbian couples the rights afforded to others.

I got on this morning hoping to write an update about my kiddos since I can't even keep up with the adorable cute things that come out of Makili's mouth and Remick is getting so big, so grabby, but this is what flowed from my fingers today. I'll share one little Makilism before I tackle him with kisses. We were driving in the car the other day and the sun was shining in his eyes. He said "I don't like the sun." I replied, "I love the sun. You don't like the sun in your eyes." He thought for a second and said, "I like the sun in my mouth." So I asked him what it tasted like, and without hesitation, he said, "It tastes like yellow." Hmmm.

Cause that's how my mom rolls.

I mentioned that I didn't have the picture from the big visit, and poof, a CD arrived in the mail! My mom is quick like that. Some of my favorite picture of Makendra still didn't work, but there are still a lot of nice ones!


Final beach days.Pumpkins...
Tim, the maestro chef.
Pretty Tamara.
Public Servant Jean.



Maybe time for a haircut?Good Ol' Warren.
Even Opa limped through the orchard! (Love you Dad)

REALLY happy to be there.
My seldom seen Aunt Katie and Uncle Bill. They live in Canada. A real treat to see them.
My cousin Makendra's Luke, who is four months older than Makili.
My family! Wow.
My smiley guy.
My cousin Makendra's baby, Faith, who is two weeks older than Remick.
And my cousin, Makendra

Tractor and Sumo Wrestler

Remick who just this week weighed in over 18 pounds at his 4 month doctor's appointment was a sumo wrestler for Halloween. He wasn't very cooperative at picture time, but he didn't actually mind it much.

Makili has talked for weeks about being a yellow bucket tractor, NOT a farm tractor. But when the big day came and the big kids were wearing scary costumes, there was no chance he was going to put that tractor on, which as it turned out was sort of okay, since the final product was a little front heavy. So we took the obligatory pictures, but he was actually a skeleton for trick-or-treating. I had fun making it though.

Rockin Gifts

I should be sleeping right now while I can, but I can't. So I'm going to saya few words about some amazing gifts I've received recently from dear friends. Because we are still suffering form space issues on our computer, I don't have all the pictures to tell the gifts story, but let me be clear that we have received some beautiful!!! gifts for both Makili and Remick (and me and Raph too), and they are certainly not all mentioned here, but heartfeltedly appreciated!

So recently we got a package from my friend Becky in North Carolina. She sent us an awesome poetry book that I had never seen before and has been a hit around here. AND this adorable bib, which a whole level above the ones that I had made a while back, because it has a snap up catching trough. I rEALLY want to learn how to put in snaps. It was awesome.

Then I got this AMAZING package from Ana in Rhode Island, who sent us a slew of cool stuff, but this name banner for Makili's door was my absolute favorite and sent me into bouts of depression about how I don't have time to make anything anymore. It isn't for lack of ideas and deserving friends and relatives! I'm still working on Caroline's prize! In any case, tell me this isn't the coolest!
And then my local buddy Nadine gave me the most welcome new mom gift that ever was. Seriously. She got my kitchen and bathroom cleaned for me by a professional. Can you believe that? I went outside with my kids and someone else who I didn't have to feel indebted to came in and scrubbed my toilet and bath tub. Talk about luxury. Screw the spa. Toss the massage. To me there is absolutely NOTHING more luxuriant than someone else cleaning my house.

I am eternally grateful for all of the wonderful gifts we've received from our dear ones. One of these days, my hands will be more free and I can return the favor. I'm anxious to get started, but trying to savor the baby moments too. Thank you dear friends.

Some forgotten pics after he heard me.

I hope to clear enough room from our computer today to download the Halloween photos from yesterday - Makili's tractor costume which he only wore in the driveway and Remick's Sumo wrestler costume. I realized I never posted any of these picture from our trip to Baltimore to see my brother, Amanda and little Kaylee. So here they are.


Oh and apparently complaining about his sleep publicly works, because he did MUCH better the last two nights. Waking to nurse about every four hours. He woke a few times in between, but put himself back to sleep before I got to him. I'm so thankful.

I've had it.

Seriously. I've had it. I know babies are supposed to rotten sleepers at Remick's age, but every hour? Really. I feel like I've tried everything. Rocking. Nursing. Swaddling. Swing. Belly (and that is taboo!). Sleeping with me. Sleeping in the cradle. Pacifier. No pacifier. Letting him settle himself. I have NO IDEA WHAT TO DO! I cannot function on this little sleep. It'd be one thing if after a tussle to get him to sleep he'd stay asleep for a few hours - like I'd be happy with 3 at this point - but he wakes up again after 45 minutes. I'm losing my shit.

Makili thankfully has been sleeping great except for the fact that he's peed in his bed every night for the last three and his crib at naptime. I had to buy another crib sheet last night because I haven't had time to do laundry. We take turns sleeping in his room so that we can actually get a few hours of sleep, which is easier for Raph than me, since I can still hear him crying with Raph over the incredibly loud fan in Raph's room. I've seriously had it.

Boohoo

I lost a whole lot of nice pictures. Pictures of a fabulous week in Maine with my parents, my aunts and uncles, my cousin and her kids. Pictures of fall at its finest, with leaves and slanty sunshine and apples and pizza and all things warm. Boohoo. I think my mom will send me them as they were downloaded onto her computer first, but by then I might be onto new things and it will jsut be a photo reminder. But it was a blissful week, like coming upon this apple heart in the middle of an orchard. Someone else has been loving this season.

I really need to download some photos

I have so much to write about, but haven't downloaded the photos and can't seem to find the time. Here is a washed out picture of a quilt I finally finished It is actually very bright and colorful, though you can't really tell. At this point, with my head barely above water, I am just damn proud of finishing anything.

My First Friend

I got to meet up with my oldest friend Alex when I was in Pittsburgh briefly last week. We were friends before we were born and she shaped so much of my childhood and adolesence and I suppose also the person I am now. She was always self-confident and funny and I always wanted to be like here when we were young. She always had a throng of boys flocking after her, so I wasn't the only one who was attracted to her confidence and humor (though her big boobs mights have been an attractor for the boys as well.) In many ways, Alex was the trend-setter in our group of friends, always bold enough to like new things and go against the norm. I really wasn't so much, as I wasn't quite confident enough at that age to be different.

It was fun to introduce her to my kids as she is expecting a daughter in January. I think about my boys' childhoods some times and wonder who will be their Alex...

Remick's First Hockey Game

They didn't win (or lose for that matter - they tied!), but we had a LOT of fun! Our friend Ryan hooked us up with some tickets and we got a sitter (Mom!) for the night for Makili. It was great! My only hesitation was contributing to further sleep deprivation, which it is honestly hard to imagine MORE sleep deprivation than I'm already experience. I've been meaning to write about that, but it will have to wait a bit...

Fall Fotos

My little skeleton collecting leaves. This is a serious task for him. We filled his whole wheel barrow with individually picked leaves. He tends to like the yellow ones with black spots. I've got to work on that.
The McCall clan came over to help collect the buckeyes in our front yard (so that I have less trees to pull in the spring) and they were super cute. I took some glamour shots of Morgan, who was an obliging model.



And this is Makili ready to go see grammy - backpack and all. Nevermind that he's not wearing pants. He thought his outfit was just fine.

First Flight

En route to Baltimore to see Blair, Amanda, and Kaylee...