Mairi Rose above: Making cordage (rope).  She wants to use it to make herself a sunhat (her idea).  Mairi Rose below: In the middle of excitedly telling a story about everyday life, which is pretty much her default state.  When I look at this picture I feel like I can almost hear her hurriedly drawing in breath before continuing with, “and then….”

He says he doesn’t know why, but lately he just wants to paint all the time, and talks of building himself an art studio with shelves for his supplies.

The between pictures are from an ice storm a couple of days ago.  We’ve been living the “Little House” life this weekend; sugaring off and attending a contra dance.  Our littlest love was the belle of the ball; running up to each and every person, showing no fear, no apprehension, no shyness, just pure, unbridled joy.  She woke up with one curl sticking straight up on the very top of her head.  The kids convinced me that it needed a bow.  She wanted to be in the center of absolutely everything, but especially the dancing.  I danced with her on my back for a while, which was fun, but really she wanted to get down and go herself, on her own two feet.  She would rush into the middle with everyone, where I would quickly scoop her up and shuttle her back, lest she be trampled as all the dancers stepped back and on again.  Run around the circle, stop to reach out and touch the fiddle, run across the room to hug Daddy’s knee, listen with awe to the drums, back to the dancers, weave through the lines, and so on, for hours, all while sporting a huge grin.