end of the summer part 2

I know, summer is long past. But I look back on these posts as a narrative of our life, and we might not remember how goofy we all got with Dan's brother's family the summer three of us had our first fancy phones and tried to be cool and take selfies. I'm sharing one, but trust me, there were many.

We are a big group when we're together, and mostly we eat and play and eat and play and...well, you get the idea! Happily, that is what we do.

Once in a while, when the weather cooperates and the mosquitoes aren't hovering, we get out for a hike together, which is also lovely. This time it was to Stephens Falls at Governor Dodge park. I hadn't been on this particular hike, and it was beautiful; lush with moss and ferns and water.

 

I also have only been to Governor Dodge once - for cross-country skiing - and not gone swimming, so in we went.

brothers

the annual reading of Molly Whuppie around the campfire

We see this family once a year, and it is mostly watching Ani play with the youngers that squeezes my heart with sadness. They fall into it with such love and affection, figuring out how best to include everyone.  She truly fits in with this bunch, content in the middle of the action.

We are still getting to know the youngest, but did she have us wrapped around her finger! Dan and I took a van full of kids over to his parents for a game night, and in the car she pointed out the drink holders and said, you know what we sometimes use these for? Custard! Frozen custard! Below is evidence of her immense powers.

  

Until next time, dear ones...

life is still happening

Thank goodness for new beginnings and the opportunity to start over. I have always wished there was more representation of families with older kids homeschooling; I've wanted to look ahead to how things might be, what our days might look like. It's always been helpful for me to know more of the how and the why of people making this choice for their lives.  Around here the number of kids staying out of school really dwindles around Eliza's age, and we were noticing recently that kids in their early teens aren't well represented out in the community either! They hit that independent age and aren't along for every family outing and errand. The middles have suddenly disappeared.

All this to say: I've let this space go silent, and maybe there's someone out there who would like the occasional peek into the future, so I'm making an attempt to come back here and represent one picture of Life as a family with no kids in school...

But it's been the holidays and so, please, enjoy a glimpse of that. 

It was the year of the magicicada, so it's fitting that our tree
had a stowaway or two!

Ani with "her baby".  I'll leave that for another post...

My dear family was here, as they have been for the last several years. We feel fortunate to not be traveling further than the livingroom futon this time of year.

Christmas Day snap-circuits. With pajamas.

My new moustache, from Ani

New games to play! Quelf, Exploding Kittens, Code Names, Sushi Go...

It was cold and a little rainy, until it was gorgeously sunny and a little warmer. Out to Lake Hope for a short hike and lunch at the lodge.

Our holiday was about a lot of hanging out, playing games and eating bags of clementines. The new year came with blue skies and an eerie lack of birds, which did not bode well for our "bird of the year" tradition. Not at the feeders, not flying by the windows...it was like the avian rapture, until we headed out at Dan's urging to a local ridge to take a sunny walk...ah! Yes. Of course. Geese just where we knew we'd find them, by the river, and for Ani, her first sighting of bluebirds! Lucky girl, with all that happiness to fill her year.

Happy New Year! 

the end of summer part 1

Our annual trip to Wisconsin always represents the last hurrah of summer to me. Of course there are many warm days left, and maybe even some trips to the beach, but this is our last family hurrah before the change of seasons.  The girls and I were alone for the first week, while Dan finished up the season with the new theater.  We started in Sheboygan, visiting my dad and his wife...

E's photo of Milwaukee

My prefered co-pilot for 11-hour drives;)

I woke our first morning to Ani and Gramma Liz making cookies. They waste no time. Dad was working on a pergola all weekend, so Eliza and I helped with getting the beams up there and making them level. It's going to be so pretty!!

One of our favorite places to visit is the Kohler Art Museum.  The girls could just stay in the bathroom the whole time, but I also love the exhibits we've seen there.

The ladies'

The gents'. (What? They encourage you to give a "yoohoo" and have a look!)

Um,  yes, you are seeing things correctly. There are insects all over the walls and it was so beautiful, artist Jennifer Angus' imitation of Victorian wallpaper.

making

We walked to the Farmer's Market...

Visiting Dad and Liz was the perfect way to shift into our vacation.  I can have trouble visiting, not settling into where we are enough to really be present, and can find myself regretting that I didn't ask more questions or listen better, but there was something about working together that brought me to the moment and facilitated good conversation among us. I felt relaxed and content in their home, so grateful for the ease with which they host us.

From Sheboygan we drove up to Door County with my sister and niece, to meet my mama for a few more days of relaxation.

cousins

me and my beautiful sister

my sister and mama

I'm so far behind on chronicling our lives that this is the best I can do! Preserve a few memories and get back to the present...ok, wait. I can do better. We only have this cluster of days once a year, and with kids growing like comfrey I am achingly aware of how few years of those days we have in our sights while they are young.  Every trip gets easier between the cousins; they are better at compromise and more tolerant of each other's idiosyncrasies, and they are all so smart and funny. A little like a pile of puppies. Us ladies are pretty good at managing our own quirks as well;) My favorite moments are when we're just sitting, looking at the sky, reading the weather or our books. Drinking morning coffee with my mom, riding shotgun with my sister - seeing a real, living porcupine crossing the road!! - singing to the radio. Playing spoons with my niece, watching her manage her long limbs with great coordination, like a beautiful water bird gracing the shores.  Too short, these days.