Owen, Sara &
Andrew Hoelter

It was nearly 60 degrees and dry, with weak, watery January sunshine this weekend. Enough to get us planning cold frames and chicken coops with abandon! We settled on giving the roses a much needed pruning/hacking and a quick little landscaping project.

We added a path in the backyard, between the bench and that garage in what was previously a serious patch of weeds and some Japanese anenomes. We are hoping that this will a) add structure to this really big flower bed and b) be a fun place for kids to hide and play when the hydrangeas bloom and the anenomes grow up around it and c) improve access to the dastardly weeds. It already has been used as a course for the world shortest cross country race.

It was hard to resist the primroses at the nursery, so I planted some of them as well–to keep my quail company.

I know it’s going to get cold and REALLY wet again (and last for months!), but it was good to work outside in shirt-sleeves in January. Now for that coop…

Owen’s Birthday was duly celebrated!

We started with a birthday dinner of steak, potatoes and peas, as requested, with ketchup on top. Grandparents were present, making it a “real celebration”. (No, Miriam and I aren’t cleaning off the kids plates…)

Then we really had a party: picture 9 7-8 year olds, a computer running Photobooth and 1/2 of a package of photo paper worth of goofy pictures. We appealed to the inherent hamminess of the age, and I think they had a good time. They took over 600 pictures of themselves and we turned some of them into buttons (Thanks Chemeketa!!) and Peter make a video (see below). We also had cake, opened presents and had a scavenger hunt. And then we still had another hour to go. 2 hours is a very long time when one is shepherding 9 8-year-olds. Luckily they still like to play “Simon Says”, and Cranium Hullaballoo filled in a few minutes.

Owen had a good time, but I think he found it a little overwhelming as well, and has retreated to his books–Chronicles of Narnia this week. Oh, to be able to read children’s fiction for hours and hours!!