Outside it looks like a suburban winter wasteland... the type of landscape I wanted to escape all those years ago... gray snowbanks melting into muddy streams by the side of the road, dirty colored snow around all the houses and buildings you can see, and an icy sheen on top of all the snow that remains. Dry, dead brown grasses poke up from the ground, and you can't go sledding without being inundated with burdock.
The patches of warmth that usually open up around the trees when the sap starts running have frozen in time, the deep cold and lack of snowcover's warmth driving the sap further into the roots, and actually signaling a later sap run this spring... maybe.
But as this is Valentine's Day, and I am feeling hopeful about my love of everything in our life, and the soft drip of the icicles outside reminded me that we saw this house about a year ago, and now it is ours... I will focus on the pretty hope that these spitty little flakes will deepen with the hour and at least bring us enough fresh snow to cover the grayness and bring a bit of brightness to this week.
It is school break for many people in the Northeast, but for us it is another week of school. Aidan starts rehearsals for "Alice in Wonderland" in which he will play Lord Milquetoast and Juror No. 4. And we sign him up for wrestling, too, this week. I imagine he may begin to feel a bit over-run, with school, trumpet, play practice, and wrestling. But this is good practice for grown up life... always on the run... and a time for him to begin to prioritize. Sage is taking Hip Hop up in Morrisville and still has her violin, too. I am still trying to volunteer at Sterling, but finding the time harder and harder. We will spend the next two months running around like crazy people, but there will always be dinner, and game nights, and sledding runs.
Valentine's parties brought homemade valentines... Sagey's were some hearts decoupaged with torn tissue paper, and Aidan's were black hearts with a glued-on picture of a zombie eating a heart. We made bright red chocolate chip/peppermint cookies. Tonight we'll eat cheap-o cherry pie, and maybe burgers and beet salad (HA! as if my chillenz would eat beets! Or Colin for that matter!). The stereo is finally hooked up, and we can dance the evening away, together, as we should be on Valentine's Day. This day also finds Colin and I together for at least 4 years. Plus some, really, but more officially four years since Valentine's Day (we had a lovely dinner that night cooked by Josh Wilcox).
Milo has begun the task of turning into a real baby, and seems so much older than he is sometimes. All during The Calais elementary school music concert he sat upright on my lap, looking out at the kids and listening to the music. Although he occasionally bobbles that head of his, he usually seems so grown, head up if he sitting or standing or in a baby carrier. And now, when he is in his seat on the floor, lap full of toys, he'll lurch forward to grasp at things or get you to pick him up, so he can't be left alone, or up high. And he's so big, my back is beginning to pay the price for lugging him around...
Nadia is working on puzzles and organizing things all the time. Soon, she may move upstairs to Sage's room (so I can make room for Milo in the downstairs room), and she is always busy telling me how things are going to be. But she is cute, trying so hard to define her place in her family, and whether she wants to be big or little. She plays dress up and store in her room, dances with big sister, and is learning to cut with scissors. Now... if only I could gether to eat real food...
Well, I have taken longer now than I meant to, and the fire calls, and the dishes do too. Nadia is wanting help with her Arthur alphabet puzzle, and Milo should be awake soon, calling for me and a clean diaper. The snowflakes have finally thickened a bit, and I may get my wish for snow. And sooner than I wished... I will be heading to Burlington to pick up an electrolux vacuum cleaner that is probably older than me, and my kids.
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