{phfr}

If you are a regular reader of this blog, we are trying something new with this post.  It is called Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real--the idea being to post a picture from each category.  The women at the blog Like Mother Like Daughter came up with the idea, and they do it every Thursday.  These are all from our camping trip to Madeline Island.  

{Pretty}

Madeline Island is pretty.  The beach there is beautiful, one of the most idyllic places I've been in years. I never knew one could swim in lake Superior, since we usually see it from it's North Shore.  We were all happy to take a dip in the clear and not too cool water.  The sand was like something straight from the Caribbean.  

{Happy}

This is our youngest camper, and she is happy!  Taking a baby tent-camping turned out very well.  

{Funny}

I told Nova to be sure she got the sunscreen all the way to her hair line.  This is what happened.  She was mock-exasperated, but even she had to admit that it was rather funny.  

{Real}

Here is the reality of a seven hour road trip with four kids.  Never mind that it was supposed to be a four hour trip.  Construction, construction, construction.  

Sewing a la Maria Von Midwinter

For some reason, I felt compelled to sew my children matching outfits out of cast off linens.  Like Maria  Von Trapp in the sound of music.  Except, instead of traipsing around Salzburg in a bunch of old drapes, my kids get to loll at the beach in an old duvet cover from Ikea.*  To make it even more fun, I sewed them on a 1960s Bernina sewing machine and used 1960s wrap-around patterns (for the most part--thanks for lending me your machine while we were visiting Mom). I decided to spare Solomon from the matching outfits affair, since he is a boy and eleven (though he said he wouldn't mind a fishing hat).

Charlotte and Ariadne got truely matching outfits, and theirs are done.  Nova's was a different patern that I couldn't quite get my hands on.  I ended up winging it and hers still needs just a little adjustment.   Anyway, here are the results.

*I am aware these are sentence fragments.  I separated them out for dramatic effect.  However, I must still be conflicted about it because I felt compelled to add this note.

Ariadne's Five Month Baby Firsts

Ariadne has recently hit a number of milestones.  On Monday she rolled from front to back for the first time!  Above is a a picture from about a minute after the big event.  On Friday, we went to the beach, probably for the last time in 2012.  Ariadne took the opportunity to sit on her own for almost five minutes!  Again, a first.  She finally fell back just as I grabbed the camera.  Charlotte was there to prop her back up.

Since August, Ariadne has been enjoying her toes.  Here she is with her toes in hand on her baby quilt made by Granne.  It's no surprise that there is a corresponding yoga pose called 'happy baby.'

Madeline Island Camping Trip!

Okay folks, there are lots of pictures in this post, and a couple videos too.

In mid-August, we packed the car to the gills, squeezed ourselves in, and took off for Madeline Island.  Though the ride was long and arudous, fraught with construction and bored babies, we made it!  Dinner in Bayfield was a special treat.  The girls got to dance to an old fashioned Juke Box.  Wake Up Little Suzie, La Bamba (?), and my favorite, Summertime by Billy Holiday.

The ferry ride to Madeline Island was one of the highlights.  We caught a special 8:30 run--just at sunset.  

Waiting...

This photo was taken by a fellow passenger who has been going to Madeline Island for fifty summers!  (I must also say, she didn't look much older than fifty herself).

We camped at Big Bay Town Park, then went to the Big Bay State Park (just next door) for the day.

Our campsite, #17

Solomon loved starting and tending fires

Ariadne and I were in a separate tent.  The first night I heard the loud snuffling of a rather large animal, very close to our tent.  I was a little scared.  I called to Charles but he didn't wake up.  I finally plucked up the courage to see what it was, and it was something very large--Charles!

Magic and The Birchbark House by Louis Erdrich, which takes place on Madeline Island

The beach was wonderful!  And I can now say I've swum in Lake Superior.  It was crystal clear, shallow, and not that cold.  The sand was as fine as what I remember from the Carribean.  We could have stayed all day.  Here's what the others had to say about the beach.

Our trip to Madeline Island was all too short.  After two nights, we broke camp, took the ferry back and hit the road.   

Charlotte's First Day of Preschool!

Down a garden path,

with a froggy backpack,

past some friendly sculptures,

Charlotte goes to...

Preschool!

Today was Charlotte's first day of preschool!  She said it went very well.  Charlotte told us she played with play dough, played on the playground, and made a friend. She said her friend was wearing a pink shirt, but Charlotte did not know her name.