Blog a la Cart

OH MY GOD! STOP! STOP IT DON’T STOP IT! This weekend, THIS happened:

Snow AND our first farm fresh egg. I nearly died when James set the egg on the table. I couldn’t control my reaction. It was completely involuntary. The screaming and the jumping and the OH MY GOD! WE’RE IN PRODUCTION!!!

We then got a second egg on Sunday. This shit’s for real, y’all. Blows my mind. The eggs are itty bitty and adorable right now. And I am dying to see the blue/green eggs that will come from our Ameraucanas. I am living a dream come true and that is so cheesy and ridiculous, but truly, I cannot believe how much joy these warm brown eggs brought to our home this weekend. That, and the fact that the dogs are living in harmony with the flock. We’re getting ‘rul zen at Cartwheel Farm.

It was a jam packed, holiday-bonanza this weekend. And I was reminded yet again why I love where we live so dearly. Williamstown is stupidly adorable. And I am just so grateful to be able to raise my daughters in a town with so much love and spirit and family-friendliness.

We kicked things off Friday night by cutting down our Christmas tree at the farm down the street. While Sunny hovered at a safe distance from the tree as James sawed, Kaki was right up in the action, desperate to help her daddy. The girls could not be more different, and it’s wild to be reminded of that reality so frequently.

MAMA! The tree is going to fall and Courtland is going to be squished. Tell her to move! MOMMY! The tree is going to hurt her!

Ah, the ever cautious first born juxtaposed against our dare-devil DANGER BABY!

We decorated like mad on Friday night. And Sunny would stop every five minutes or so to declare, “We’re decorating our Christmas tree! Isn’t this fun?!” Indeed it was. And I’ll have more pix of the tree, the house, and the tree skirt I made out of an old family quilt in the coming days.

On Saturday morning, Sunny dressed in her now signature “Christmas Elf” style and we headed into town for some holiday shopping and ginger bread house making at a local restaurant. We arrived early to claim our spot and candy, and shared some sweet (literally) Mother/Daughter time. The house is now proudly on display chez Cart.

We then trekked further north to visit the family who sold us Cartwheel Farm. We got a chance to see their new diggs and to shop Jackie’s pottery sale. She is a talented ceramicist and I will be running a full post (and giveaway) of her work later this week – so do be on the look out for that! We now have our own collection of her miniature clay houses that I find so endearing and lovely. You may be lucky enough to win a set, too. Better pictures forthcoming…

We then flew back down into Williamstown to catch the Reindog Parade – an event filled with canines and Christmas cheer. We brought Ursa, The Three-Legged Reindog, and she was the center of attention and affection. Not that I’m at all surprised. Poor Hanna was left at home, as it was too much to bring both kids AND both dogs, given their ebullient, people-loving personalities. While we adore our friendly pups, it can be overwhelming to manage in large group settings such as this. Sunny had a run in with Santa Claus but decided she didn’t want to go sit on his lap, so we made an early exit.

We then hosted dinner for an amazingly thoughtful, fun group of friends that were in town and spent Sunday making popcorn garlands, and stringing up lights outside, and cleaning the chicken coop. December on the farm. I like it. I like it a lot.

What did YOU do this weekend?