Just Baby and Me

Pickled garlic that later turned to this: I think it is high time to knit some bigger pants for his cloth diapers!
Last Friday was the very first Martinmas in about nine years that we didn’t celebrate. As sad as that seems, there was a good reason – the children went camping with Daddy for the three day weekend. We’ll make up for it and do our usual Martinmas activities later this week.

Baby F and I stayed home this trip as it was too cold for him to camp up in the mountains. I had the greatest of intentions to just relax while they were gone but I can’t seem to ever just sit still. It drives me crazy so I ended up cleaning the house and experimenting in the kitchen instead. Well, I did steal a few moments here and there to read more of The Genius of Birds. This book has me absolutely captivated. Our librarian recommended it to me and I am so glad she did. I just need to hurry and finish it now so she can read it, too!

Of course there was a lot of playtime with Baby F, too. I can’t get over how quiet he is when his siblings aren’t around. I was wondering why he was such a loud baby and then it occurred to me that he just wants to make sure his voice is heard along with everyone else. I don’t blame him!

We (as in I did the work and he supervised from his baby carrier) made a fresh batch of elderberry syrup. Feeling inspired by the goodness of elderberries I decided to experiment and make elderberry water kefir “soda”. Oh.my. I am so glad I did. It may be my most favorite flavor yet. Then we gathered our not yet ripe cherry and pear tomatoes from the garden and made some fermented tomato bombs from this book. We’re patiently waiting and staring at them on the counter now. It is always so hard to wait for ferments to be ready. I can’t wait to dive into them. Our kitchen experiments didn’t end there. We also started up a batch of pickled garlic from this book. I panicked a bit when two days later my garlic started turning a blueish-green color, but thankfully a friend showed me why it happens and that they are still good. Phew!

I tried playing a bit of laundry catch-up while there were only two of us making messes. This included hand washing some woolies. I soaked some new wool socks in conditioner in the hope of making them a bit less scratchy. Those socks were actually a prize Kevin and I won. I didn’t know it but he entered one of my photographs of the dogs pulling our three oldest on a sled in a dog sledding photography contest. To our surprise it took first place. He laughed when he saw the prize was wool socks. Even though he entered he decided to let me have them. I am sure you know that made this wool loving knitter’s day.

Everyone is back home now smelling of the campfire and full of stories of their adventures. Baby F and I missed them all so much but were glad for our time alone together. I think we all need that extended one on one time with each of our little ones when we can get it. Don’t you agree?