Cozy!

Just a quick post to say that the residents of Michael Delving are starting to enjoy the cool weather of fall.

parfait choucroute

six and a half pounds of farmville-fresh cabbage....

makes nine pounds of gorgeous sauerkraut...

which is nearly one gallon of exquisite, wild fermentation.

welcome to the church of holy cabbage. lettuce pray.

Not Even Close to Catch-Up

So what have the residents of Michael Delving been up to?  Portraits drawn by the Hobbit Wife on a wall (with descriptions provided by hobbitlings).

Well, with summer coming to a close, a very brief harvest was in order.  Due to the incredibly wet and cold summer, the harvest was something less than bountiful.  Our entire crop of cucumbers is shown below, with a toothpick provided for scale.

With colder weather approaching, the Mayor has been working off-and-on in the basement (since January, to be honest) to make the large utility room into a family room, pantry, and root/wine cellar.  No sooner does the Mayor get a section done than the rest of the family descends, pencils in hand, to draw on the new wall.

Michael Delving is now on week two of homeschooling.  Five-year-old Boookie spelled this a few weekends ago.  In case the phonics are too obtuse, the Mayor was informed that it says, "Eat Up Your Breakfast."

Michael Delving was delighted to be the host location for a recent gathering of former room-mates from the days of the Bach's Office.  The Sylvan Tree House residents and the residents of Michael Delving bade farewell to good friends who are off to become tropical island people.

And in conclusion, one of the primary family activities at Michael Delving lately has been the gym.  Specifically, CrossFit.  3x weekly with a family of five is a major undertaking.  It takes a special woman to homeschool two small hobbits, nurse a hobbit baby, and prepare dinner before heading off to do CrossFit.  The Mayor wishes he could post a picture of the Hobbit Wife doing honest-to-goodness Oly lifting moves, but the Mayor has an even greater wish to live.  So, pictures of the hobbitlings working out under the Mayor's supervision will have to suffice.

 Hobbitlings sneaking in between workouts to get some time on the rowers.

 Uncle Matty topping off his workout by providing a down-and-back ride on "The Prowler."

 Boookie rolling while Uncle Matty hangs batlike in the background.

Saturday mornings

Ah, glorious summer Saturdays at Michael Delving.  Plenty of time to enjoy hiking in very nearby woods.

Plenty of time for smiles...

And some time to rock out with the music way too loud...

s'mores!

our five-fold hobbit family is jumping back onto the blogging bandwagon...
and we begin with our 4th of july excursion to visit grandma and apu on fox island.

these hobbitlings had no idea what s'mores were - only that s'mores involved a humiliated coat hanger... junk food... and fire. bring it on!!!
and, no, there is nothing wrong with your computer screen. those are indeed pink marshmallows. princess ela was beside herself!

here is uncle goose demonstrating the time-honored method for perfectly toasted marshmallows.
some results may vary.

apparently, boookie still loves his daddy even though daddy set fire to his marshmallow on purpose! sugar heals all wounds.
(is it just me, or is this picture teetering dangerously on the brink between sweet and totally campy?)

our resident firefighter/paramedic was on site to assist with beginner-level s'moring lessons and to shield little eyes from wayward smoke.
first bite!
let the stickiness commence!
summer fashionistas agree - black is the new pink.
s'mores get all over your fingers, but that's what makes them fun...clearly, miss ela had a wonderful time!

seimi enjoyed the blustery festivities from within his cocoon. so cozy! hi, little son!
the simple, sticky joy of s'mores cannot be improved upon... at least, not without a beard! right, mr. mayor?

to our dear readers...

thank you for your patience as updating our blog once again takes a back seat to the joys and challenges of REAL LIFE at michael delving! we four hobbits promise to resume regular posting...
...just as soon as we can stop smothering THIS latest, littlest proudfoot with millions of kisses!

(or, at least, as soon as we figure out how to smother and to blog simultaneously...!)

Seimi

Seimi was born on Monday, June 14 at 6:01PM.  He weighed 8 lb. 4 oz. and was 21 inches long.  Mommy and son are doing great.

one more month...

cast away

the schizophrenia of spring

the merry month of may has arrived!
for hobbits of the shire's northwest farthing, dramatically unpredictable weather is a perk of late spring. we dress in short sleeves under our waterproof outerwear, and we keep sunglasses in one pocket and mittens in the other.

here are the hobbitlings on a balmy friday afternoon. towering thunderheads growled at the brilliant blue skies overhead, and we whiled away the eighty degree weather at green lake's "basket of robbers" (as boookie called it) where the hobbitlings had their first sample of the 31 flavors.

when selecting "princess ice cream," it is the colour and not the flavor which is of principal importance. thus, ela chose fat-free watermelon sorbet with gummy "chocolate" watermelon seeds. (and her mommy chose not to watch her eat it.)
she may look like the joker from batman, but this little girl takes her sugar consumption very seriously.

boookie selected raspberry sherbet and proceeded to mug more faces than a basket of robbers as he consumed it.
contemplative:
vicious:
pachyderm:
enthusiastic:
envious? or mildly concerned?
either way, this was his reaction to noticing the slimy brown warts in his sister's ice cream. can you blame him?

the following tuesday, it was wet, windy, and bitterly cold. the hobbitlings enjoyed their outside playtime only after they were reissued their winter regs.
three little mittens as sweet as kittens...
...and one possessed by the evil cast monster!

the following saturday featured the only weather "typical" of spring in our corner of the shire: grey. for the uninitiated, grey weather is not too warm or muggy, not too rainy, windy, or chilly. it's benign, and some may think of it as bland. we hobbits love it! and we celebrate it with flip flops outside and fuzzy socks inside, with coffee and soup, and with such outdoor pursuits as should not wait for weather more "perfect."

here is the hoodie brigade...
...planting this year's crop of zucchini, yellow squash, peas, and sweet peas in the narrow bed along the fence.

like all good hobbitlings, they know that serious work...
... can be oh so very much fun! (and don't you just want to munch those sweet, fat little fingers?!)

ice cream, mittens, and seeds - the springtime possibilities are endless! of course, there are a few activities our schizophrenic spring weather cannot affect. a nap is for all seasons!