More progress since last week. The undressing of the house is complete and the repairs have begun! Very exciting. Plus some more Benjamin.

It has been an embarrassingly long time since we last posted anything.

In summary:

Benjamin - 19 months old and already running faster than mama's walking pace 

The house - bathroom almost finished, exterior renovation in progress, back yard fenced!

...and a bunch of other stuff.

Just a few more photos to show you that we have been hard at work on the back yard. The chimney is in the process of being rebuilt, so we should have more photos to share soon. I made Benjamin his first pair of handwoven pants - they're organic too! 

Well, you've seen the demo video. Here are some photos showing the process of removing the old garage and creating the retaining wall. Of course there is still landscaping and building of fences, decks and fire pits to be accomplished. Blew a bit of cash on six rose bushes this week. Yee haw! 

For those of you interested in seeing an excavator at work, here is about 30 minutes of video from Tuesday's demolition. It's pretty amazing what they can do in such a short time. I'm also amazed at how delicate and precise such a huge piece of equipment can be.

We took a quick trip down to Connecticut on Easter Sunday to see Kevin's brother Jeff, our sister-in-law Sarah, and our fabulous nephew Abraham. Sarah's folks very generously invited us to join them for a tasty dinner, and we were so grateful for the chance to spend time with the West Virginia Hankens's (Move north! Move north! Move north!). 

I finished my first new weaving project in a while and sent it off to Schacht Spindle Co to be published. Aside from the fact that I had a minor disaster when washing it, I was really pleased with the results. Benjamin seemed to like it too.

Speaking of Benjamin, he starts swimming lessons this Friday. It's mostly just getting him used to the water, playing some games and singing some songs. Slippery baby! Good thing he has built in floats in his cheeks!

 Our little man is getting bigger and stronger and smarter every day. He is sitting up on his own pretty well, and is trying his darndest to crawl. He manages to get a knee up under himself pretty well, so we really need to get moving on the whole child-proofing thing. If he is holding something in each hand and you say "clack, clack, clack", he'll bang them together. He also loves other babies and flirts shamelessly with the ladies. He's starting to explore objects with the tips of his fingers in such a graceful and delicate way. It's fascinating, and I am constantly amazed at how much time can pass just watching him.

And so begins the self proclaimed "Year of the Yard".  

Earlier this week, I heard Benjamin making his usual "I'm awake from my nap, Mommy!" noises. Went up to his bedroom and discovered him happily gnawing on the sock that he had presumably just removed from his foot with his gums. He's not a big fan of wearing socks. When he's a teenager will I see him walking around the house sock-less complaining about being cold? Yes, Mom. I know you were right.

We had a nice visit with Grampa and Grammy up in Maine to celebrate Grampa's birthday. There was sledding, lots of yummy food, pin the tail on the donkey, a rousing tournament of darts and some extra sleeping for mommy. Ah... 

Benjamin is already testing the waters for his next Halloween costume. Pirate anyone?