Archive | March, 2012

Sunday in the valley

March 20, 2012 at 3:39 pm

On Sunday afternoon we packed a picnic blanket, books, and oranges and walked down into the valley below our house. We brought along the cute dog we’re pet sitting this week as well as a length of twine. After we found a quiet spot of green grass, Elliott tied the dog to the twine and the twine to his leg. Viola! Long leash! She snuffed and scurried about happily, nose to the ground, while we spread out on our blanket.

Lena still isn’t sure what to think of our little doggie friend (although she does seem to be working on the word “dog”). With two animal-lover parents, though, she will be spending a lot of time with animals in her life!

Elliott and I settled down to read…

… while Lena crawled over and under and around and upon everything she could find, especially us.

Finally she settled down to eat one of her favorite things: a blood orange.

Such a peaceful, pleasant afternoon! It is good for the soul to escape into natural beauty every now and then, I believe, and it doesn’t hurt to have a book in hand, a dog curled up next to you, and a baby giggling up into your face.

2 :: in family, home sweet home, pretty places, Sicily

Sunday in the valley

March 20, 2012 at 2:39 pm

Elliott and I settled down to read…

… while Lena crawled over and under and around and upon everything she could find, especially us.

Finally she settled down to eat one of her favorite things: a blood orange.

2 :: in family, home sweet home, pretty places, Sicily

pet sitting

March 19, 2012 at 4:13 pm

Elliott and I have toyed around with the idea of offering in-home pet sitting for awhile. I don’t work here in Sicily and have a baby who needs to nap twice a day, and these two things keep me rather close to home. People travel all the time here (Spain! Rome! Norway! Paris!) and need a place to keep their pets. Why not offer to board people’s cats and dogs (and maybe bunnies and hamsters and fish)?

This week we have our first customer, a friend’s Beagle. You couldn’t have a better dog for a trial run. She’s the sweetest thing, completely oblivious to Lena’s alternating fear and curiosity, friendly and calm and submissive and content. We love having her and I’m already dreading Thursday when we’ll hug her goodbye.

1. Lena isn’t sure what to think when she wakes up and finds a new friend in the house

2. shaking hands, saying hello

3. and 4. puzzles on the porch together

5. Lena helps me doing cloth diaper laundry while our doggie friend snuggles in onto said laundry for some love

6. Lena discovered clothespin heaven… and got stuck

7. doing her exercises during a walk in the valley

8. getting some love in the warm spring sunshine!

3 :: in family, home sweet home, Lena

pet sitting

March 19, 2012 at 3:13 pm

1. Lena isn’t sure what to think when she wakes up and finds a new friend in the house

2. shaking hands, saying hello

3. and 4. puzzles on the porch together

5. Lena helps me doing cloth diaper laundry while our doggie friend snuggles in onto said laundry for some love

6. Lena discovered clothespin heaven… and got stuck

7. doing her exercises during a walk in the valley

8. getting some love in the warm spring sunshine!

3 :: in family, home sweet home, Lena

toy store in Geneva

March 15, 2012 at 5:19 pm

We left our lovely chalet in France a week ago today. Together we drove back to Geneva and then finally parted ways. Goodbyes to family are always the worst!

Elliott, Lena, and I had a few hours before our flight left for Rome so we took off to do some exploring around the city. We saw a Versace model getting dressed and savored some quiet moments in a Starbucks. (No Starbucks in Sicily, so this caramel macchiato was a serious treat!)

Our favorite discovery in Geneva, though, was an magnificent toy shop. Four levels, all toys! Lena had been napping in her Ergo carrier and what wonders she woke up to!

I tried to get her excited about the amazing Haba toys from Germany, but she was more interested in the tags. Elliott was more interested in the tags, too, because when he saw the prices he said, “Not this time, honey.”

We loved this all-wooden toy set with beautifully painted people and animals. Elliott, in particular, was awed by the mountain goats. If we had a million dollars, we decided, we’d get this whole set for Lena. And for us.

We both grew up with a small stash of Playmobil, so we were irresistibly drawn to this brightly colored wall of boxes. When will Lena be old enough for her first Playmobil set? Can’t be soon enough for her parents! We have had our eyes on the veterinary clinic set ever since we spotted it in Solvang, California, this fall.

And last but not least, a picture for my siblings and grandparents. Do you remember the toy pig that Grampie gave us when we were kids that oinked and walked? They had one oinking and walking around the toy store! Elliott and Lena stared on in concerned wonder as I bent down in delight to pet the piggy and then took several pictures of it. Such a silly little toy… and yet what power it had to take me back to happy days of childhood!