Such beautiful warm winter days.  Will there be snow soon?  No sign so far.

A good friend of ours visited recently.  Did I make a previous post about high ideals in regards to housekeeping?  It’s chaos around here, I promise.

Phil only stayed one night, and after breakfast the next morning, we got ready for our nature walk.  Getting out the door is, the grand majority of the time, a major rigamarole.  Someone poops while someone else decides to head out on their own and swim in a mud-puddle, requiring a full change of clothing before we’ve even begun…At one point Phil said, “We don’t really have to go if it’s going to be too much effort…” And I had to assure him that in fact, if we *don’t* go on the nature walk, we’re just totally screwed.  The nature walk is insurance.  Big time.

But once we get out the door, the warp and weft of the wide world opens us up and calms us down and knits us together and smoothes us out.

Lee says this is one of the biggest Birch trees he has seen in New Brunswick.  The forest behind our house is full of beautiful trees, meandering pathways, the stream with small waterfalls, and old fences that separate the wild from the cow fields.

The kids are already excited about Christmas, and I adore all of it.  Horus, while we were walking, told me that what he really wanted most of all from Santa is a shell in which he can hear the ocean, and some hunter’s orange.  Prior to moving to New Brunswick, I wouldn’t have understood what “hunter’s orange” meant.  Well, fluorescent hats and vests, generally sold at farm supply stores.  Helps to prevent one from getting shot.  You know.

We had our big opening at Gallery 78.  I might post a photo or two of that event coming up.  I’m happy with our work, and relieved that once again, we have managed to pull it all together, just in time.  Now on to trying to balance the busy-ness of the holiday season, trying to make some money for the winter, and staying slow for the kids.  Steady.

The more often I get recognized as That Woman Who Writes the Blog , the more it occurs to me that others might be taking note of the pandemonium that follows us out into the public.  Oh well.

I find it a bit funny when I am criticized for, apparently, portraying myself as some kind of ideal parent.  Indeed.

All this crossed my mind earlier today when, outside at the market, Horus smacked Treva quite harshly, knocked her to the ground and started to drag her across the parking lot by the hood of her coat.  (Oh yes, she was fine.  They worked it out.) And then later on, in the natural foods section of the grocery store, when Treva pooped in her pants, then threw her boots out of the cart, jumped out herself, and started running down the aisles with pieces of her greasy faeces falling out of her pant legs onto the floor…

(I should mention, for the record, that Treva has been reliably, 90% of the time, using the toilet since she was around a year old, and that this kind of thing is definitely the exception.  I think maybe I’ll write something later about my philosophy around helping kids learn to use the toilet.  I really believe in being kind, guilt-free, but also honest.  My reaction to the fun game of running around spreading poop all over the grocery store is a firm, loving, “for goodness’ sakes we’re putting a stop to this right now.”  etc.)

I can’t conceive of anyone being intimidated by my parenting skills (!), but I can, actually, imagine that the level of immunity I have developed against being bothered by all of this ridiculousness might seem impressive to others.   Everything is quite hilarious.

We went to the Santa Claus parade in Fredericton.  I was more excited than anyone else, at first, but the kids did truly love it.  And I do love the bagpipes.  Horus’ quote of the evening, after the final float passed by, (featuring the bearded elf himself):  “Wow.  I can’t believe Santa Claus came all the way from Europe to see us!”  Too cute.  And then later, in the car, on the way home.  He was sleepy and philosophical:   “You know Mum, I just can’t get over all this mind over matter stuff.”

I know what you mean, Horus.  I know what you mean.