parallel lines

Our little one turned eleven yesterday. Eleven. Parallel lines.

dutch baby breakfast, of course

Mormor is here to blow up balloons. Ani wanted lots of decorations. Thanks, Mormor!

Same cake every year - because it's SO GOOD - but this year she decorated it.

She wanted a family potluck, which is our favorite way to celebrate, and we brainstormed some games that the group of kids might play if the thunderstorms rolled through, as predicted. This one is like "pin the tail on the donkey," only I wanted it to be something non-competitive for the three years through almost-fourteen years spread, so I commissioned a "make Anika fancy" drawing from Eliza and it worked great!!

The articles - moustache, eyelashes, bows, hat, goatee, bracelet and name-tag - had magnets glued on the back, so they could play over and over...

Ok, so the 13 year olds didn't actually play, but it was a huge hit with the three and four year olds present. And Ani.

She imagines eleven to feel more full of responsibility and more autonomy.  I imagine she might be right - and we jointly declared today to be the best first day of a new year ever. Lots of love and good juju...

the cabin

I think this is our third time staying at "the cabin" in the northwoods.  I think this visit sealed the "perfect way to end a vacation" deal.  Rest. Relaxation. So much laughter with people we really really love, and deep clear water to swim in every day. Yes, please.

view from the deck! every morning...

trumpeter swans

Wazee!! Our new favorite park.

I'm not getting any better at "selfies" but I love this of me and my sis. 

 

Bear scat, with American Carrion Beetle and slug. SWEET!

*****

The pictures kind of say it all - porch, beach, porch, beach - but you can see there was some game-playing in there as well (Go, Mastermind, Kapaga), and I promise you that we ate well, but the most laughter came from playing a game my sister forgot to bring along and we played anyway that is a form of the old game telephone, playing with drawing pictures. Oh lordy, it was hilarious. Here's one of the best.

Ani started the round with porcupine.  Lucy drew a porcupine:

...which was interpreted as...

Obviously.

Walking-talking moss turned into...

Which only makes sense and which Dan drew as...

...which clearly was a scared man...

And that's how "porcupine" became "scared man".

There is an official game, but you can see how this goes, right? Silliness well into the night. You're welcome.

Quidditch. Yes, Quidditch.

I would make a terrible soccer mom. Hockey mom. Heck, I really don't make a great dance mom. But Quidditch? Once I got the lingo down, I could get behind some Quidditch.  Our community center recently hosted Rathacon, a crazy, costumed comics convention, and the day started with a Quidditch match.

Me: Wow, Quidditch? How are they going to do that? 

Eliza: Well, they use broom sticks! And all of the elements of a regular Quidditch game!

Me: Really? With the waffles and the bofflers and...

Eliza: Mom.

Me: ...and the quiddlers and the what-is-it, the sneak?

Eliza: Mom! Stop. Just...stop.

Me: ...what about - 

Eliza: MOM! STOP!

Well, it was awesome. With the, well, with all the important parts.  Eliza said when they were lined up at the broomsticks, she had to giggle at how all of them immediately put out their hands and issued the command "Up" and then shared some sheepish looks around.  It was worth a try.  Mostly it was hilarious watching a large group of intelligent humans running around straddling a stick.

In the striped shorts is our fearless friend, Ari

Tennis ball in a sock = snitch. Brilliant!

Seekers

Their team - the Ravenpuffs or Huffleclaws, depending on who you asked - won! Yes. We are hoping this is the first game of many...