What are you doing this winter?

My sister just told me about this airing on PBS beginning in January.

Coming: The Complete Jane Austen

Looking ahead into 2008, Masterpiece suggests you flag January 13th in your datebook. That's when "The Complete Jane Austen" begins airing on Sunday nights, with new presentations of Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility. The lineup also includes Emma, the acclaimed film starring Kate Beckinsale, and Pride and Prejudice*, the Emmy award-winning miniseries that made Colin Firth a heartthrob. Miss Austen Regrets, a true story based on Jane Austen's own letters and diaries, will also be a part of the four-month marathon.

*A production of BBC Television and BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc. in association with A&E Networks. Masterpiece Theatre's broadcast of Pride and Prejudice is the first in the U.S. other than on A&E Television Networks.

Here is a link to Masterpiece Theatre with more information, an opportunity for an e-newsletter, and loads of other amazing programming!

Observations from the leaf pile

The leaf pile. One of the things that marks the time of year. I don't remember it being so significant to me as a child, but for my kids, it's as counted on as the Christmas tree.

Today we had warm weather, blue skies, and a fresh crop of fallen leaves. After naps, we headed outside, raked, and commenced the playing.

Caleb is the one that most amuses me in the leaf pile. He is Mister Structure. Mister Rules. Mister Let me have My Square Lego Blocks, and I will only make copies of what I've already seen. Mister Literal and Dogmatic. But get him in a leaf pile, and he is someone else altogether.

First the pile was a car, and we all took turns driving. Then it was a race car. Then a roller coaster. Then a space ship.

I mean really. It was a pile (or scattering) of leaves. It looked like none of those things. The leaf pile is the ONLY time I see Caleb imagining abstractly.... and it's not like I don't provide opportunities or the example. I am Miss the Opposite of all of Calebs structure and form. But to me the leaf pile, was, well a leaf pile, that smelled great and sounded great and felt great. But it remained a leaf pile to me. Ironic or something, isn't it?

I got my final giggle as the leaf pile took on it's final form. Caleb, in all his homeschool precociousness, turned to Anna and Sofia thoroughly excited "Let's use it for an ancient burial ritual. I get to be the first dead guy!"

A Fall Day

This afternoon we played outside in the leaves, and with a new camera. There is a cool 'sports' setting that allowed me to get the fun pictures of the kids jumping into the leaves. Enjoy the show!

Anna on her bike

Today it all came together for Anna on her bike with no training wheels. Here is a video:




PS. Please don't be alarmed by the fussing noises at the end of the video. Sofia is making those noises for fun... REALLY

What I did today

Anna has outgrown all of her clothes all at the same time. Talking with her about what she would like, she said she would like nightgowns and not pajama pant sets. I personally don't understand her preference, but hey. So today I made her two nightgowns. This picture is the one that she picked the fabric out for. She says it is the prettiest fabric ever. The other nightgown is made of cozy gray sweatshirt material that belonged to Marc's grandmother.

Heard at the Pitman home this morning

"I love you, my fishy! Bye Bye!"

**flush**

**giggles from two little girls**

(glad they didn't take it too hard)

Anna's New Look

a Dragon!

Here is Sofia at the Children's Discovery Museum in Augusta today. Isn't she a scary dragon?

TOO FUNNY, TOO TRUE.

Thank you to my Mother-in-law for sending this to me.

Piercing my nose....

So last Thanksgiving, after a bad Starbucks experience, I rather spontaneously went to get my nose pierced. Except it wasn't really spontaneous because I had wanted to get it pierced for nearly 8 years.

Today, I felt like doing some extra nose exfoliation, so I took out the nose ring and tackled those large dirty pores.

Problem was that I forgot to put the nose ring back in. Until about thirty minutes ago, when I saw it sitting on the counter in the bathroom. I went to put the ring (properly called a nasal screw) back in. Blocked door. Tried again. It isn't easy to put in a nasal screw... still no luck. Looked closer.

Hmmm. Am I ready to give up my nose jewelry? Hmmm. God, are you ready for me to give up my nose jewelry? I get a no to the first question, and a no answer from the second. So what do I do? How to fix it??

I paw through my jewelry box and find one of those earring with the really sharp end from when the girls got their ears pierced.

Alcohol. Check. Earring to break the hole. Check. Nasal screw to insert after the operation. Check. Q-tips. Check.

So I swab, stick, swab, push a little harder. OW.

Caleb comes in and asks for lego help.

"Mom, can you help me."
"No Caleb I'm trying to put my nose ring back in." (This is a typical pastor's wife/pastor's son conversation... right?)
"I didn't know you took it out. Are you supposed to?"
"Apparently not for this long because it's not going in. So no I can't help you, and would appreciate if you would go out and shut the door so I can cry alone."
"Okay, mom."

Swab, push, almost through. This really hurts. Okay. The post is through. Do I pull it out or leave it in for a few minutes to secure the hole? Who knows. I go get a drink (of WATER) and move onto the second part of the operation.

Stud out. Swab. Screw in. WOW. Really in.

I don't think I will make the same mistake again. But, now I know that if I want to ditch the nose ring thing, it will only take 6-8 hours for the hole to begin to look and behave like those pesky large pores that started this whole thing in the first place.

Now some of you are thinking... I DID NOT need to know this. I know. But if you did something as silly as I just did wouldn't you want to blog about it?

And while we're at odd topics. Does anyone have any better solution for tackling those large pores on my nose and chin?

Caleb turns 8 tomorrow!

Here is the birthday cake I finished decorating about an hour ago. My first attempt at 'serious' decorating. (Like I need a new hobby.) I'm quite pleased with how it came out.

Apple Picking

We had a glorious day apple picking at The Apple Farm in Fairfield on Sunday. Here are some picts... I think more of apples than of people...