Sept 20 - Sunday morning in the backyard

One of Isaac's favorite phrases is "Go backyard, YAYYYY!" And then he runs to the back door, fully expecting that one of us will be right behind him. Adam also loves to go in the backyard, so he takes Isaac out most every day in nice weather. There's always work to be done - picking up dog poop, picking raspberries and veggies from the garden, cutting the grass - and Isaac has his work too. "You farmer," he says, and then climbs on the broken tractor our neighbors rescued from the dump - his new very favorite toy. In fact, I have to be careful not to say the word "tractor" or he'll be running to the door and then crying if I'm not dressed yet or some other silly excuse prevents us from going out.


Below, our garden! Raspberry bushes in front, planted just in May but already producing bowls of yummy berries. Inside the fence are potatoes, broccoli, beets, and green beans (the only disappointment - somehow managed to be tough and mushy at the same time) and tomatoes.

Isaac going into his cave...

"Lions not there anymore. Just Isaac."

And the parking lot...Isaac's favorite game inside and out. Sometimes it seems like he spends all day making them, then moving them piece by piece (rolling them across floor) to a new location because "This parking lot closed now." He is all boy, but he is my child: the end result is a neat row of vehicles, whether it's a double line of cars and trucks at the foot of the stairs or the large-vehicle parking lot pictured below.


Back on the beloved tractor...

Aug 27 - Lair o the Bear

Trying to catch up...We tried to meet up with friends at our new favorite toddler hiking spot, Lair o the Bear, but Isaac slept in and we almost missed everyone. Luckily, Leanne and Jack stayed and had lunch with us. The boys ate for a while and then had a great time running around together.

Their favorite game was picking up handfuls of gravel and dumping it on their heads...Leanne got a great picture of this below.

Running...

Then Isaac discovered the grill, which was full of soot.

Leanne captured this for us too, since Isaac won't let me get a good picture of him these days.

Below - the face I got.

Isaac loves caves ("might be lion in there...lion sleeping now..."), and this was his cave - a little hole in the dirt.

The boys took turns in the cave.

Aug 26 - Berry Patch Farms with buddies

Isaac and I have kept our weeks very busy all summer, both to keep us occupied (me especially) and because there's so much to do here and so many great friends to go with. On this Wednesday afternoon, we met two of Isaac's best buddies at a cafe for breakfast, then headed to an organic farm about 30 minutes northeast of here.
Berry Patch Farms grows all kinds of heirloom fruits and veggies, but the main attraction is of course the berries - the best strawberries ever and yummy raspberries too.
Above, Isaac continues to love chasing chickens...He never seems to catch them, but I've warned him that they might bite if he scares them. So now he often says things, out of the blue, like:
"Chickens bite Isaac with beak!" and
"I don't eat chickens."
Below, the three boys staring down a turkey.


The puddles were also a big hit for our water lover.

And the enormous pig, who was apparently pregnant. At least my belly doesn't drag on the ground. Yet.

Behind us, you can see the Rockies and the long rows of crops. We had to ride behind a tractor to get to the strawberry fields, which were several minutes away down rutted, muddy paths.



Jack has the best dimples.

Oliver is ready to pick.

Leanne took this picture of us below, which I love. We're standing in the strawberry fields with a container that finally got mostly filled up. For the first 15 minutes or so, Isaac ate everything we put in there, and our container was still empty when Jack and Oliver were almost done! Once I tried one myself, I could see why...they were the sweetest, freshest strawberries ever. Isaac is getting spoiled on farm-fresh food this summer.

Isaac was begging for water once the tractor picked us up again, so we sat in the rocking chairs on the side porch of the barn, stared at the mountains and drank cold water while the others picked raspberries. We met up again for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and apples. Beside us, the roasting machines were still warm from the first batch of green chiles of the season. I so love that smell and the crackling fire in late summer that turns the skins black. We took home three bags of them, along with an heirloom melon and of course lots of strawberries.

Aug 25 - First Day of School

This was the only time Isaac would actually look at me before we left, and it was brief. I guess it was pretty early for him. He did not want his picture taken, but here he is, all ready for his first day of preschool.
I think the day was harder on me than on him. We'd been trying to prepare him, explaining that he would stay at school and Mama would kiss him goodbye and come back for him after lunch. Adam had taken him to the open house three days before so he could get familiar with the room and the toys. I'd meant to arrive 15 minutes early so he could have a longer transition period before I had to go, but it didn't work out that way. Isaac, who normally sleeps until 9 or even 10 am, and I (totally spoiled!) made it just in time for the 8:30 start. I had only a few minutes to talk to his teacher and tell him goodbye.
When it hit him what that meant - I was leaving and he was staying - he started sobbing and saying "Mama, mama..." He ran out into the hallway after me, but he understood that I had to leave him. Our brave little guy, instead of clinging to my leg, ran into a corner and sobbed alone. My heart was breaking, but his teacher scooped him up, hugged him, and quickly took note of my distraction ideas. Then they were gone.
I had to stop by the office to drop off Isaac's forms, so after a few minutes, the director went to check on him. Perfectly happy, she said. The crying had been brief, and all three children were gathered around the teacher and some kind of musical instrument. I know Isaac is such a happy, curious kid, and once he was okay, he would be okay for the rest of the morning. I, on the other hand, came home and moped around the house, unable to do anything but miss him.
When I went to pick him up four hours later, he was busily moving around the room, carrying something to the teacher. She told me later that he'd been a wonderful helper. When he saw me, his face lit up; he said "Mama!" and ran into my arms. Then I asked if he was ready to go home, and he said "No!" What more could I ask?
So I said, "Is there anything you want to show me before we leave?" He then ran through the room, pointing out the play kitchen, the rolling pin, the "castle," while narrating what he'd done. He pulled a tiny chair over to the tiny play sink, climbed up, and showed me how he could wash his hands. Of course, anytime I asked him later that week what he'd done at school, he just said "Isaac cry at school. Isaac wanted Mama."
Isaac was sick the second week, but he went back to school last Tuesday, and there were no more tears. I hugged him goodbye before I put him down, and then he disappeared into his classroom behind the teacher, not looking back. Again I found him busy and happy when I came back for him. Mrs. Barnhart told me how good-natured and happy he is, which is just how we know him to be at home. As for me, the four hours passed so much faster the second time, and I found myself wondering if we should sign up for 2 days a week!
A few days ago, when we were talking about school, Isaac said out of the blue: "I wuv Mrs. Barnhart." And he doesn't really say "I love you" yet, so that means a lot.

July 29 - Last day in the mountains

Our last day on the mountain, the world seemed covered in layers of cloud and drizzle. The storms of the past week were gone, and we were left with gorgeous dripping woods and cool air. What do you do on a rainy day in the mountains? You put on your jackets and take a walk in the woods, of course. Even now, a month later, whenever Isaac sees rain falling, he insists on going out for a walk.
Above, you can see him setting off to explore with his big stick, refusing to look at my camera once again...
Below, my favorite shot of my beautiful Yellow Mountain woods and the path we followed out the back door.

Isaac loved climbing over all the fallen logs and branches.



Getting tired? Still recovering from too much (low-key) birthday...

Adam wanted to show Isaac how to build a campfire, so on this wet day, they gathered wood together and then sat watching their creation...Isaac was mesmerized. The rain finally drove them inside when it turned into a downpour, but by then it was time for lunch.

View from our deck as the sun appeared briefly, somewhere...

Isaac's Birthday! A perfect day in the mountains

We tried to keep the day low-key - just the 3 of us, opening 1-2 presents per day - but Isaac was still a bit overwhelmed by the end of his birthday. I think he was also wondering what the big deal was - why we kept saying "happy birthday" and telling him how big he was. But he did discover that he really likes opening presents. The first one came after breakfast, a starter train set from Mama and Dada. The only things Isaac likes more than trains are firetrucks, and it's a close call.
While at Yellow Mountain, we got out every morning for something fun, and we let Isaac pick today. I'd been trying to ask him all weekend what he wanted to do on his birthday, but with little response. Today when I asked, he said, with no hesitation: "Go Bald."
Oh, what better answer is there...There's certainly no place I'd rather be. And he even said it again for emphasis. As we were packing our backpacks, he did add: "Go Bald, eat crackers." But I'll take it.
Below, pointing to the short trail up to the mountaintop.

And coming out of the woods, into the clearing...

It poured rain every afternoon, and this morning the clouds were already building. Most days there was lightning and that beautiful rolling, long thunder that echoes off the mountainsides and through the valleys.

But there was no lightning yet. In the distance, Adam was far ahead of me even with a 29-lb kid on his shoulders.

But then again, I was taking my time...gathering material for future paintings or just staring at the view and feeling that utter peace that comes to me in this place.

Cracker stop.

Just over this mountain is Tennessee.

Exploring, as the clouds leave a patchwork of shadows across the hills. This spot is at about 5500 feet, so pretty similar to where we live.

There's no place in the world like this.











We made Isaac a special treat for lunch: real grilled cheese (with tomato). Adam cooked one for each of us - yum.


Hiking on the Bald, a new train set, a special lunch, and this strange day called a birthday - exhausted already.

Isaac likes cake pretty well, but he loves pie. And his very favorite fruits are melons (not so good in pie) and peaches. My mom got us a whole peach basket full of dripping, juicy, impossibly sweet SC peaches. So I made Isaac peach pie for his birthday. It was only my second attempt at a double crust, but it's actually pretty easy, just a little time-consuming.

Pouring rain outside, peach pie and a big candle inside. Isaac managed to blow it out by himself!

Below, the view from the deck after the rain...like a cloud forest.