cookies + laughter = celebration

Isn't it exciting when the holidays near, and the wonderful smell of baking cookies wafts about the house? The hooties and I woke up this morning to the sound of rolling pins and the sweet scent of sugar cookies baking. And look what happened next: (!!!)

Before we knew it we were wing-deep in frosting and more kinds of sugared baubles than we knew existed. Here are just a few of the many wonders we created with Kathy and Erin this morning...

Today we were so diligent about our cookie-decorating that we barely sampled our work, which has left me wondering what will happen to the hooties when they eat the cookies we made... I expect we'll have a flurry of merriment and chirpish excitement. Sugar tends to have that effect on us...!

holiday cheer

Our friend Hope arrived home tonight after spending two whole months away catching babies in Bali. Britt and the hooties and I spent the day baking delicious goodies to welcome her home,and Hope's mom Karen made this beautiful wreath to bring some holiday cheer to their apartment. The hooties and their squirrel friend found themselves at home in the forest wreath right away. Mmm... balsam is our favorite!

winter holiday sale

The hooties and I went up to Pownal today to visit their godmama Erin and her amazing crafty family. It was quite exciting to be part of all the action! They got a good snuggle in with their old pal Mike, who is always up for a cuddle...and explored some of the beautiful handiwork on display.
A forest gnome was passing through, on his way to collect medicinal plants that grow nearby. They contemplated his route over tea before he went on his merry way.
And wonder of all wonders, they came home with two new friends today! Erin taught me how to needle felt, and I made this squirrel and his acorn to keep the hooties company for a while...
and you might notice that there's a new teeny hootlet in town. Did the hooties finally have a baby? We're not quite sure, but she's teeny, and full of wonder, and has been making little chirping noises all the way home.

life with Isla

Today we watched our favorite baby in the whole world, my niece Isla, while Merry and Stephen went out on a lunch date... the first date they have been on in a while. We were thrilled!

Isla is 10 months old, and spends most of her time laughing, putting anything and everything in her mouth, crawling around the house looking for mischief (mostly in the form of plugs and outlets) and table surfing as she gets closer and closer to being able to walk. She has a very determined personality for such a little person, so naturally when she saw that the hooties had come she wanted to snuggle with them... and eat them... and would not be deterred!
They did have a good snuggle, but here's a word to the wise: beware of your eyebrows around babies! I was wondering what got stuck in her mouth after her hootie kisses... and a white tuft of eyebrow feathers was callously discarded on the floor. Ouch.
Thankfully, Erin helped me pick out all the right kinds of felting needles last weekend, so it should be an easy fix, but wow. Hooties: not so baby-proof. At least not Isla-proof. Poor little hootie.

family game night!

Tonight the hooties and I and a handfull of friends convened for a resurrection of family game night. After a lovely dinner we broke into a new game: Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot.Let me tell you, those bunnies are vicious! But the hooties were able to hold their own, safe on their perch above all the excitement.

keeping watch in a fairy village

Our friend Kate came to visit this weekend, and we took her for a walk around Mackworth Island in the rain. The bright yellow and copper-colored leaves underfoot smelled amazing, and we stopped in the fairy village to see how preparations for winter were coming along. We found a little acorn baby there, tucked into a mussel shell with a birch bark and pine needle blanket to keep her warm. The hooties enjoyed babysitting while we wandered through the forest peaking into the scattered fairy dwellings.

We'll be back again before winter, but I am always curious to see what the village looks like when the snow melts in the spring! Will our acorn baby be all grown up by then? It's a mystery that only time will reveal, I suppose... until then nature's blanket will keep her warm.

it's a bird, it's a plane...

In fact, it's both! The hooties and I flew to Vancouver B.C. this weekend to attend a dear friend's wedding.The weekend was full of excitement, and not so full of sleep. But who cares... we can sleep when we get home! For now, we're enjoying the view from up here... I don't think the hooties ever conceived of flying this high. Woah! Their noses were pasted to the window the whole time. They were fascinated!