Snail Spirals

It's just Emma and me holding down the fort this weekend. Shaun had to go up to Friday Harbor to do some work at the Lab, and Emma and I stayed home to supposedly clean the house a bit in preparation for my dad's arrival next weekend.

So how has my weekend of cleaning been going? Well, I did absolutely nothing last night. I sat in front of the TV and knit on a mitten until 9:30, at which time I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and had to go to bed.

Today (Saturday) was to have been my big cleaning blitz day, so that I could relax and enjoy Sunday. How did that work out? Hmm, not so much. Emma and I spent the entire morning in our PJs, cuddled in a blanket, watching Noggin cartoons and eating sunflower and pumpkin seeds for breakfast. How decadent. I did make a batch of Julekage (a sweet cardamom-y Scandinavian christmas bread with candied fruit, raisins, and almonds) this afternoon, though. One loaf went in the freezer for Christmas morning, and I fully expect the other to be gone by tomorrow night. Yum.

After the bread came out of the oven, I decided that we needed to get out. We ran out of canned dog food last Thursday, and I forgot to get more before Shaun left yesterday. But Emma and I needed some exercise, and poor Cobalt was very hungry. She chose not to eat at all yesterday since all I had to offer was dry kibble. So Emma and I bundled up, ventured out into the 29˚F snow flurries, and {gasp} walked to the grocery store.

Is this really so unusual? It's only 3/4 mile from our house to the store, and twice on our way there and once on the way back people stopped their cars and asked if we needed help. Now this was nice of them, and if I had been in trouble or something I'm sure I would have been very grateful. But they seemed so astonished that we were just walking to the grocery store.

I brought a backpack to carry the dogfood and assorted other things back, Emma and I were both wearing wool hats and mittens, good coats, and were quite comfortable. I was, anyway, and Emma never complained so I assume she was too. It wasn't as fast as just hopping in the car (which is what I'm sure I would have done had the car been available), but it was a nice walk and Emma and I had a really great conversation. We talked about Christmas lights, why the moon gets bigger and smaller, why you don't talk to strangers, how books are made, why we have day time and night time, why snowflakes have six sides, why bubbles are round and not square, and how girls are different than boys. All topics addressed in response to questions that she asked. Quite a grown up conversation for a four-year-old.

I'm glad the car wasn't available so I didn't miss out on that conversation. GLAD.