mobile

Susan and Stella came over for fun in the backyard. Unlike most SF afternoons here in baja Noe, as we like to all our hood, the wind/fog stayed away. Even now at 7:30 at night, I have the south-facing windows open and the curtains are not moving. The children had fun finding treasures (little iridescent vase stones) and re-hiding them for each other for a long time. Meanwhile under the arbor we were creating a mobile from the goodies we'd collected with S/S in February (see post Sea Ranch Heaven, February 20, 2009.) One of the rafters in the Sea Ranch house has an amazing mobile balancing upon it. Eva, Susan and I worked on it. I'm more a simple-is-better kinda girl but the powers that be (Susan and Eva) found the yard to be inspiring and kept adding more pieces of the yard.

We'll hang the finished piece above the stairwell soon.

Pillow complete

See entry: Art's birthday sewing, April, 25, 2009 to see the process. I adapted a pattern from Amy Butler's INSTICHES. Using a 16 inch pillow form, I made the pillow cover from this great stiff linen by Charles Craft on clearance. This was my first time using the machine for applique - I'm hooked. Eva was proud though she did not want the sun on the cloud!

Backyard girl

Eva finds her way to the backyard many times a day. I can hear her singing to herself. This a place for recharge.

Chair

A proper table

Eva loves to set the table. Some days it's a bit too much when I'm trying to get dinner on the table. We've woken up to kitchen tables draped in linen. One Thursday night last month, I went in to put dinner on the table to find this waiting for me! The girl has style.

Career options

So Eva's head is spinning with what she wants to be when she grows up. I hear artist, dancer, astronaut most of the time. Sunday Eva and Eli had their first chance at singing in front of the congregation. The church has no budget for a formal children's music program but budgeted three rehearsals and this particular singing. Eva is a good student she goes right next to the director Britt and gives her all in learning the song. Throughout the last few weeks I've heard her humming, whistling the piece. Eli will have nothing to do with choir practice. While all the other children are gathered around the piano singing, Eli is laying on the bench, trying to distract everyone or running across the room.

On the way to church on Sunday I asked if they knew the song. Eva started singing the piece and Eli promptly started correcting her, adding words or rearranging them for her. Then to prove his point he just started singing the entire piece. I was surprised, a little that he knew it. Well actually he remembered all the songs from round-singing I attend at school last year. Anyway, I asked if he was going to sing today, he replied negative. I told him I was proud he knew all the words. He said, "songs are just him to keep in his heart." I then replied with the church-lady response, "but God would like you to share what is in your heart." Ah my good Virginia background came in handy in this argument. I then switched back to the "proud" part and he really seemed taken in by this one. Eli did in fact sing in church, he knew all the words, all it took was me kneeling in front of him to do it.

In the way home, Eva announced that she was going to add singing to her occupation. Eli piped-in, " I want to be one of those people you vote for like Barack Obama! I said, "Do you mean a politition and he said, looking out the window as the city rolled by, "yeah."

Busy little fingers

At our last teachers conference, one of the topics Eva's teacher discussed was how dexterous Eva was. According to her, Eva can make such intricate works and is ALWAYS using her hands, tying thread, braiding grass on hiking day, her hands are never idle.

Last week, Eva went out in to the light-well area at the bottom of our downstairs neighbor's door. I was busy doing my "work" in the flat. She kept coming in and out. Once in a while Eli would throw something the two stories down to her. When it was time for dinner I asked if they'd cleaned up, they assured me they had. When I looked out the window I saw little tiny pieces of skulpy from their birthday. I fussed and gave them the dust broom and pan.

It was not for a few days later that I saw she'd taken the two vases that I stored the unbelievable amounts of the clay they had, she'd turned the faxes on their sides and made two lovely scenes - the detail is amazing: the water lilies on the pond, cattails lining the other pond, dancers/fairies doing splits alongside the water, and a bird in the tree. I fussed at her for putting it on the glass so I can not get it off. Now I sit and look at it on their art table all the time.

Old crown

Last spring Eva came home in a crown made of vines. She was lovely as can be. I've kept the crown as a reminder of the delight, the season, the young girl. It is now time to say good-bye to the crown and let it become compost.

Dance Eva Dance

The beginning of this year Eva and Eli took a dance class at ODC which was about movement and fun. I was a big fan of this class, they came out sweaty and smiling. The one thing that was tough was getting to the Mission for a 4:00 class during rush hour traffic to find parking... we were always sprinting down the sidewalk to get to class on time, not mention the difficulty in dragging two children out of their cozy house at the end of a long week.

I was proud of Eva because we found on the first day that 3 of her best friends from her kindergarten were all in the ballet class across the hall - it was much more structured and formal. I waffled for a day or two trying to drop our class to get her in with her friends but got sensible and kept her where we started. She was such a big girl about it and never complained. Of course as soon as class was over she'd run down the hall to join her buddies.

The next semester everyone was moving over to a small school in Noe Valley for a 2:00 on Monday class. I went with the flow and joined. On the first day, Teacher Kelli handed me a form regarding the RECITAL! arghhhh I did not want to be a part of a recital. This brought back many memories for me. I really never understood the purpose until you were older and could perform a real ballet. Anyway, we stayed and Eva LOVED her dance class. Starting in March all I've heard about is the recital, the costumes, the rules behind stage. Eva was to be a trapeze artist along with 15 other children from three classes. While Shu Shu was visiting she was able to see the dress rehearsal, the great unveiling of the dance. We had Beatrice and India over to get ready for and go the event. Eva was in heaven.

Last Saturday, Art and Eli went to Louie's birthday party. leaving Eva and I to prepare for the big performance, complete with make-up and hair gel. She was so poised and delighted with the day that I almost took back all my dreaded feelings about the event. We went out to Pasta Pomadoro for dinner (all dancers need pizza and ice cream before they squeeze in their costumes!). We turned the corner to James Lick Middle School and yikes - the hoards of parents, dancers and other fans were swarming to the school. I failed to mention that it was at least 90 degrees still at 5:00. I dropped off Eva, met Art, Eli and Leon and we found our seat in the un-airconditioned auditorium for an 1 1/2 performance, that started late. Eva's dance was #13. She was one of the last children on stage and she was giving a piece of her mind to the other dancers, getting them in place. She was so happy on stage. The piece de resistance was when she and India held hands and Zander jumped up and they swung him back and forth.

Eva was pleased as punch. I was so happy for her and so pleased she had the experience of dancing on stage. I do think a diva was born.

new life

Sunday Eli cam running in the back door from the garden yelling down the hall, " mama there is new life in the garden, mama, there is new life in the garden," over and over. I met him at the door leading in the kitchen, bent down and asked him what he'd seen. His face was aglow. With his mouth smiling from ear-to-ear, he announced in almost a whisper, "there is a salamander, well, actually three salamanders."

post card heaven

I've been volunteering for two years at the senior center that is associated with my church. I first got involved as something to do with the children during the summer and a way to have the children have a connection to seniors as we live so far from grandparents. I mean every child needs an older adult fussing at them to "slow down!" "watch where you're going."....

So, every Monday I show up and either sit at the front desk taking money for the lunch, sometimes assist the cooks in the kitchen or mostly just walk around and chat with seniors (this is something I'm very good at doing.)

Needless to say the place has completely grown on me. I merely serve them lunch but I'm the one who has 50 new friends. I became very fond of a distinguished gentleman in his 90's, always wearing a blazer and enters the center wearing a baret - very fetching. He speaks with a thick European accent, which I found out later was German from growing up in Austria. He was a confirmed bachelor and has only one living friend left who lives in L.A. I always hear about her, she used to work for the LA Times and they talk twice a week. He is always bringing clippings from papers, books to share and ready for a political debate, always. He was volunteering for Hilary's campaign and met her at the age of 90.

A year ago he'd come to the center and tell me how he could no longer take the bus because he'd fallen twice trying to get off. He was walking the 8 up-hill blocks to get the center. When I left for my summer in VA, he said he'd no longer be able to come, he was unable to step off of curbs so I immediately offered to drive him to/from the center. I always feel badly as he I'm always in a rush, as I'm late picking up kids from school but all the same, we've become friends. He even called me on Christmas in VA to with me merry merry.

He's wanted to thank me some how for what I do. He offered me his museum post-card collection for the children. He's spend over 30 year collecting images of painting/sculptures from museums around the world. They span entire art history from the cave paintings from Lasceaux to modern 20th century art. My first thought is, "where am I going to store these things in my apartment? (basically 10 card folder, over 3,000 images.) But I said okay, I'll take them.

Monday was the day I arranged to pick them up. He was so excited, he was waiting for me in the lobby of his building. It took me four trips to get them all. He has an extra spring to his step. His apartment is frozen in time, it harkens back to the 60's, sparcely furnished with tapestry clothes, 60's pottery, art prints on the wall. He was so pleased with our effort.

When I picked up the children they were so excited to see the boxes piled around the car. Eva grabbed two and spent the entire ride home looking at images. She would ooo and ahh about what she was seeing. There was an odor in the car, a mix of dust and an old person smell. When we got in to the garage she was trying to get out of the car - she would not put down a box and was determined to carry it upstairs. I let her get two out of the car, she had to make two trips. For a long time she would look a the images. After dinner I would read to them the title and artist from the back.

The next day when we arrived home from school, Art was parked across the driveway so I parked across the street. The children wanted all the boxes in the house against my protests that I'd not created the proper space for them yet. They loved that I looked for traffic and let them run back and forth across the street with out me, shuttling the heavy boxes up the stairs. They now rest under the Chinese chest in the living room. I want to put them on a large bookshelf some day. It is precious watching them leaf through the boxes.

email to friends regarding Dad's surgery...

hello,

so i'm writing after the fact...dad had surgery yesterday to repair a blockage in his intestine. For two years he's had several rounds of violent illness that has landed him in the hospital for three - five days of recovery. all along they felt it was a blockage and FINALLY this time they found it. yesterday they removed 4 inches of small/large intestine. he's recovering nicely and is apparently is pretty funny on morphine. mom said all day he kept thinking they were moving him so they could conduct a meeting in the next room. at moments he'd realize there was no other room and look confused. mom is tired but sounds relieved. dad will no longer suffer from a pain in tummy that he gets every morning at 4:30 so hopefully good sleep lies ahead for Branch.

xo

Raising modern, California pioneers

The children and I have made our way through several chapter books of late that are based around the theme of homesteading. We started with Smiling Hill Farm, moved on to My Side of the Mountain, and are currently in the Little House in the Prairie series. I'm cleaning the house right now, preparing for Susan Bender's visit. My task was cut out for me as I've has to go through the 7 bags of supplies from Art's bonfire party (more on this later). Just for the record - this why I could never live near the beach - sand sand sand.

Anyway, as I worked the children are busying themselves homesteading the dining room/hallway. Pinecone has killed several deers, cured the meet and fended off Eva who was trying to demand his prize. I suggested Eva try bartering with him offering him some of her wheat or vegetables she grew. Next thing I heard they were working together grinding wheat. Soon they moved to cutting down pineapples, gathering mangos and curing olives...alas, they have arrived in California.

Art's birthday sewing

I finished Naomi's garland the night before her birthday, April 25th. I left it in the mailbox and David hung it in their kitchen while she was asleep. I now have Art's to finish. The children love to sew with felt but I've never had them work with fabric. Eli found cutting with the pinking shears fun. Eva picked up scissors and started creating with left-over fabric. She cut out shapes and sewed them together to make a house. She wanted to give them to Art for his birthday. I suggested we could sew it on to a pillow, knowing good and well I'd never have a chance to make a pillow before his birthday. We decided to pin it to another pillow we owned until I could get around to her project. She was pleased with it. I ended up helping her trace a sun she wanted and cutting the cloud for her applique project.

Projects brewing

With the children back to school, I've visited the fabric store, made lists of a couple of projects. The garland project is not over. I'm making one for Naomi's, Art's, and Suzy's birthdays. I build on the fabrics I already have but have broken out and purchased some new ones. I used to work on projects when Eva + Eli are in bed but now I find they are interested in what I'm doing and I can give them work while I'm busy.

summer2008 424

summer2008 424
Originally uploaded by janhammock

I was not sure Kara has seen this one yet?

Bunny Altar

As mentioned in an earlier post, there was Easter fever around here for a while. As we neared the big day, it ramped up a bit. The children had out their baskets for two weeks prior. When I woke up on the eve of Easter the children, mostly Eva, had made an altar of sorts on the fireplace hearth. They laid our two colors of silk, placed their baskets on the silk, made a little vignette of bunnies and the piece de resistance was the carrot, which became two later, dangling down, held in place by raffia, oh yes and the china tea cup of water for the bunny. What have I done to this girl - making her so crazy about holidays?

Easter

Easter officially began at 1:30 a.m. when Art came out to find Eva gazing at her basket from the Easter Bunny. After being shooed back to bed, she and Eli were still up while the moon was bright in the sky. Art and I tried to sleep-in but they were making such a racket in their room, I had to get up an hush them. I discovered them sitting on their beds behind their baskets, mouths tainted with chocolate. Eli more guilty than Eva. I let Art sleep in a bit - which is not what usually happens around here (thanks Art). I got so tired reading them stories I returned to bed. I was able to get back to a deep sleep when I dreamed that Eli was sitting on top of me talking to me, I woke with a start and jumped when I heard them outside in the yard, in the dark. Of course, I did this on top of Art as I was still completely asleep when I started to move. I went out the window to find the children running around the yard finding the eggs that Art and hid, (in our bathrobes as we were already in bed when we remembered we'd neglected some of our bunny duties.)

The rest of the morning was about trying to get some nutrition in to and clothes on the bodies. We made it to the end of the pancake breakfast at church, ate more candy, attended service, ate more candy and then hosted the egg hunt which provided more opportunities for candy. Anyone reading this that knows how strict I am about sugar may be reading this in disbelief. I decided that they could, pretty much with in reason, just go for it. Eva seemed a little more tempered with her intake of sugar. On the other hand, Eli's hands were in constant motion unwrapping, keeping pace with his mouth chewing, his movements were jerky and his eyes were bulged a bit and set towards outer space. By the end of day, some loud romping and some sibling fighting, they were ready for bed. Eli finally could not find something important to his sleep, and I can not for the life of me remember what it was, to the point he was walking around the house screaming/crying for over 30 minutes. We sent him to bed unconsoled but finally were victorious in what ever that item was....

The next day, Art came home to be with them as I could not bear for them to be near the candy at the Senior Center. They asked for candy all day and I caught Eli sneaking some here and there. As Eva was more rational with her request, pleading, "but I really do want some candy today mommy, we've had no treats today." I gave her a sympathetic hug and let her know the first day after so much candy is the hardest, every day it will get easier....and it has.

Easter photos cont

Fava

We got our first fava beans of the season. I learned last year how much work they were when for the month they'd come in our CSA box. This year our CSA farm had an insect infestation so they had to turn-under their crop. With this news I took care to use ours judiciously. I took the beans out of the pod, blanched the shells and pealed them. I'd made a tasty lentil soup and just added the blanched beans to the top. They gave a peppery bite to the soup.

After this I found out while working at the garden with Eva, that fava leaves are quite tasty. Amy, the gardening coordinator, had read an review of a Chronicle food critic of going to a fancy restaurant and having a delicious salad that included the leaves. We'd planted the beans in a mix as a cover-crop, harvested the beans and were ready to cut and turn-under the green stems in to the ground. At this news there were a bunch of kindergarteners gathered around the plants nibbling on the leaves - a lot less work then the beans!

birthday garland

I can now write this post because the recipient of the gifts have now both gotten them. After Sameer's, Neema + Tim's guy, had his first birthday, I got photos of a garland Neema made for the celebration. I was in awe and inspired. It took me a while to act on the inspiration but in February I worked on a small garland for Valentine's Day. I did not follow the plan of using the invisible thread and sewed the pieces on to a cotton band - too big. Plus I had made the velvet hearts way to big they became floppy.

I received my birthday gift from Kara - once again, a fabulous - homemade marshmellows and slippers. I've been in no condition to make any thing for anyone the last few years but I was now inspired to make a small garland for Kara/Andrew and the Simpson/Bonney clan. It was so much fun going to Discount Fabric, choosing colors, patterns that did not clash in the very least. I cut out all of the pieces and layed them out on cookie sheets. The fun began when I laid out the patterns on the newly purchased cutting board. I only had 4 patterns to choose from (would chose at least one more next time if not two) so it was fun to make a rhythem. As I worked I decided each group would receive 7 rows of pattern. The sewing took no time at all. I did this at home during they day while the children were at school. It felt so indulgent to sew during the day. It was my own little guilty pleasure.

Once finished I rolled the garland around a board to keep them straight. Of course I could not find my address book for two more weeks but they did indeed get their gifts - K/A's 2 months late and S/B 2 months early.

Pinecone

This past November, around his birthday, Eli announced he was no longer Eli his name was Pinecone. I regarded his request like any parent would regard child's play, calling him Pinecone for the day. I did notice that Eva was very respectful calling and referring to or tattling on him for weeks with his nom de guerre: Pinecone. One day E + E had a little bit of a cold but they really wanted to go to school on hiking day. I agreed they could go but would pick them up early in the Presidio. I parked just inside of the Presidio Gate and walked through the forest and found them eating lunch at Julias Kahn Playground. I walked with the troops back up to where our car was parked. As the class marched onward, there were little voices calling out, "Bye Pinecone, bye Pinecone." The teacher looked at me and said, "You know he changed his name to Pinecone?" Even his teacher Dagmar humored him a few days. Victoria, her assistant to this day calls him Pinecone.

I told Art this news, he was sitting with Eli and asked him if his name was really Pinecone. Eli replied affirmative. Art delved in further asking, "well don't you have two names like Pinecone Elias or Pinecone Branch?" Eli responded, "Yes, I have two names PINECONE BENDER."

It's been almost 6 months and I still have better results when commanding my son if I call him by his chosen name.

Favorite moments of being off school

I think I liked having breakfast and tea together in the morning like old times. We used do this every morning as a family or at least E + E + me. Now that we have to leave so early in the morning for school I can never sit down with the family. I'm pacing around the kitchen putting lunched in to baskets, cleaning up breakfast dishes, gathering rain gear for the day...

Sey Sey gave Eva some of her very own honey for Christmas. Eli protested so I got him his own jar. It can be a complete pain when we are in a rush to get out the door but during the holiday I'd bring out all the individual jars, including my own honey that Neema and Tim gave with with espresso, we'd sit around slathering honey on our toast, easting delicious oranges from our CSA box and chatting the morning away.