the week...

I keep thinking that I will have a moment to write a bit more, rather than the hapdash slapping up of pictures and summary of our days, but then my camera battery dies, or we are reunited with our fourth and then the time just goes.  So...the depth will be for another post, all right?  Here we have Monday...the day Dan returned.  Eliza helped Ani with some sewing...

And then she donned the apron she made with our friend M at her house (I've begun to think of her as Eliza's sewing mentor), to bake some cookies. A GREAT way to celebrate the completion of this sewing job.

Projects helped with the anticipation, and then...he was home! Uneventful travel and all. The rest of the week has been about hanging out with each other, listening to music, making food, reading, playing games, making more food, and getting Out to enjoy the end of gun season here.  (I think I have a false sense of security though - it is still bow hunting season, and our good friends recently had an arrow land on their patio, in front of their front door. Shudder.  I've spent a few hours envisioning a shield of light forming a force field around the woods of their home...)

We've had just a dusting of snow, but still there's been sledding and snowman making and the anticipation of buckets and buckets more snow...Yesterday was nearly perfect.  We headed out of the house to discover that it was a beautiful day (our house is pretty cold, no matter the season, so we always assume the rest of the world is frozen.), so we quick did some running around with errands and scooped Dan up from the library for a hike.

We spotted deer, found new pathways, had some squabbles and then - um, wow - figured out how to "do over" and ended up feeling so much better for all the work, which just doesn't always happen.  I mentioned that Eliza had been wanting to go to the small art museum again, so we all agreed we had enough energy to stop there on the way home.  Did I say the day was near perfect? Home to watch Walking with Dinosaurs and make bagels again. Yes.  Dan and I also jumped back into life together with another compassionate or non-violent communication workshop this week, which was great - a small, supportive, warm group.  Maybe at some point it would be helpful (for me) to share some of what we're learning, but in the meantime, if you're interested in knowing more about it, Annie at Sensible Living has written eloquently about it, and there is plenty to find on the interwebs.

I am catching up with a cup of peppermint tea doused with elderberry syrup while Dan is at a play up the road with the girls.  Our weekend holds the farmer's market, playing and dinner with friends, and more compassionate communication workshopping...and hopefully we'll finally get around to doing some decorating...happy friday!