Blog Crush

I have a blog crush. Calamity Jane has been listed in my links at the side for ages but after this post:
http://apronstringz.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/radical-homemaking-and-feminism/
I'm am head over heels in love. Ah!
The article she links to is great too and I NEED that book.
I've been meaning for ages to post a response to Calamity Jane's "Real Kitchens" series. I'll get onto it soon. I have the pictures, I just need to charge the camera battery so I can upload them...

First word

A does lots of imitative speech. For example if he is looking at something and we name it he will try to copy the sound. Last week at the museum he said something recognisable not in imitation (at least the first time I've noticed). Reaching out for the door of the cubicle we were in he said "ah-dooooooooor". I know I'm not crazy because M excitedly turned around and said "Did he say door?"

Should be titled miscellaneous

Here are a few things we've been up to. Making cheese (not that I can take any credit). Moving on from cruising to climbing, yes he got onto that chair all by himself and mighty proud he was too. And the biggest little one (pictured at Jenolan caves), oh there's lots to write about this little one. Perhaps best saved for her own blog or at least a post of her own.

Electricity-free day

Phew. It's been an interesting day here. Last Friday a friend lent P one of Laura Inglis Wilder's books he'd recently read to his nearly 7 year old daughter. While I'd seen a few episodes of Little House as a child, I'd never read the books. In fact, I didn't realise there were books until I was about 30. This led to all kinds of disccusions about what can best be described in shorthand as "doing it all". You know what I mean, the thing that always comes up in self-sufficient type discussions. Timely discussions for us as a strange set of circumstances led to us having far too much raw milk that needed to be used up so most of the discussing occurred whilst P was making cheese or evaporating milk (takes hours!) to make Indian fudge. Around midnight last night in the midst of said discussion, "click" the modem and phone were off. Hmm, my computer started showing the battery icon double hmm. A glance into the bedroom where the little people slept. Yep, the night light is off. Yet we have lights. Hmmm. A trip to the fuse box. Yes, the safety switch for all the plugs in the house has been tripped. OK, turn it on. Nope. No difference.
So until 2pm today when the electrician arrived to replace the faulty safety switch we had effectively no electricity. Because one doesn't really need electric lighting in the middle of the day even here in the misty mountains.
*snip*
Blog post interrupted by life.
So to get to the point, our day yesterday until the elecrician turned up was really rather pleasant. For one thing it was nice to be able to honestly say "No you can't watch a video" rather than saying it but actually meaning "I don't want you to watch a video". I liked it so much I'd like to do it every week. P suggested going further and having "electricity day" once a week. Sounds like a fun challenge but I know M wont be pleased about it.