I have been remiss in posting! Winter break through spring break, oh dear! Approximately in chronological order.

Random early December photos

Kids and Daddy spent all of Christmas break in Grass Valley with Grandma and Grandpa and then a week in Washington State with cousins in Seattle and with Ima and GrandTod. Photos here and here. 

Battle of the Books

King Winter 

A big storm brought down cottonwood boughs from which we harvested buds

Robert Burns Supper, with genuine cock-a-leekie soup from one of our two roosters. Daddy made a haggis-inspired stuffing with steel cut oats and game meat, stuffed inside the skin of a wild duck. Really good! Ava made a menu. 

We had an ermine hang out in our wood pile for a few weeks. Ava discovered and photographed it. 

Ice skating in January, photos here. 

Downhill skiing--not a lot of photos, but Daddy and Ava went almost every weekend so far in 2022, Rosemary less frequently. 

Rosemary continues homeschool Waldorf first grade with me, but is now also enrolled in the Winterberry Charter School hybrid program for Waldorf homeschoolers. She goes to the school for a few hours four days a week (this year) to interact with other homeschool students and teachers. 

with her class at the Alaska Botanical Garden

making felt

Random photos

Both girls are in tap dance

Sweater by Ima

In the chicken coop with neighbor kids

At the climbing gym, Rosemary in a hat made by Ima, Ava surly

Lavender sachet Valentine hearts made with handmade felt. Rosemary painted, cut out, and glued watercolor painted hearts onto which we glued pressed flowers from last summer's hikes.

Valentine Lights at the Alaska Botanical Garden with friends. Photos here. 

Mom's gathering in Rainbow Valley, photos here.

Mommy coached Jr. Nordic for the first time--Polar Cubs, the newest skiers. I don't have any action shots of said coaching, but lots of photos of my skiers, here. 

Daddy and Ava skied the Tour of Anchorage: Daddy skied the 25K classic, Ava skied the 25K skate. Ava was tired! A huge accomplishment. Photos here. 

Over spring break in early March we spent two nights at the Manitoba cabin on the Kenai Peninsula with another family. Ava and Daddy tried backcountry skiing for the first time, with borrowed gear. A huge hit. Photos here. 

We also spent a night in a cabin in Girdwood with friends. Daddy and the girls downhill skied at Alyeska, and Mommy cross-country skied on the groomed trails with the dog. Photos here. 

Making friends with an alpaca at the zoo.

Picking up Ava from school 

Random Ava drawing 

Ice skating 3 days before the end of winter with friends at Westchester lagoon, photos here. 

Ice skating at the same place 3 days later, on the first day of spring. The ice had become much bumpier, pretty much un-skateable for grown-ups with Nordic blades. The kids had a ball. A photographer for the newspaper was there documenting the first day of spring. A few days later Rosemary and her friends made the front page! Photos here. 

We hadn't been up to "the bowl" near Glen Alps since Thanksgiving! Went up for a short visit with a friend. Photos here. 

Fist visit to Windy Point on Turnagain Arm Trail of 2022 (sans kids). Still snow on the trail, but evergreen ferns have melted out, pussywillows in full flower, and hillsides full of Dall sheep. Photos here. Am I ignoring those sheep to look at willows? Yes, yes I am. 

Mom's gathering at Rainbow, first of spring 

Cool piece of birch bark with lichen, found on a short walk in the woods by the house

Finding seeds in a spruce cone, like a squirrel