Heineken Regatta

Last weekend we got to see the Heineken Regatta from our balcony. It is an annual sailing race on the island that brings visitors and contestants from all over the world. Over 700 boats participate in the event. I had hoped to get us to the beach for one of the days to watch the boats turn around and see their large spinnakers tip and bow through the blustery wind. But, Ezra came down with a stomach virus the morning of the first day of racing. We stayed home for all three days of racing which was a great way to take in the race. We saw the approach of boats, starting with a few spectator boats positioned in front of our hotel, to the fleet of sailboats coming in the distance. Over the course of an hour, we saw many different kinds of sailboats pass by. Some small and plain white - your average looking sailboats - to large pirate style spinnakers that were bold and colorful. It was pretty spectacular even in its miniature scale from a distance.

We see boats go by everyday, but usually only one or two at a time. This was something special to see hundreds of boats go by over the course of an hour. Ezra slept through the first day of races, taking a long morning nap to fight off the bug in his tummy. The second and third days, we enjoyed the races from the balcony along with some paper and crayons to draw sailing pictures.

I look forward to this again next year and hope that maybe Ezra is big enough to ride on a spectator boat and watch from the sea! He loved looking out at the boats through his binoculars from Sarah and Rocky. Since the races he looks for his 'noculars' to go look out at the sailboats.

January and February Knitting

When we were preparing to move to St. Maarten, I knew I wouldn't be knitting warm woolen mittens, skull caps, or sweaters for my family. So, I went through my stash and gave all of my wool away and only brought one project - Suss Cousin's Fantasy Throw. But, since I've started that blanket last August when we moved here, I had a burning desire to make warm knitted things and had to think of some babies to knit for! When my mom came to visit, I had a shipment of yarn sent to her for her to bring to me. My mother and sister in law went to the yarn store for sock yarn for me. And, my friend Clare chose three of the happiest colors of Spud and Chloe's cotton for me to make her baby Stella something with. So, aside from a few little gnomes, bunnies, a gnome house, and some dish rags I've knit up, here are some things I've knit up over the last two months.

Blue Sky's kitty hat for an expectant mother here on the island that is moving back to the States next month.

An adorable pixie hat for another expectant mom on the island moving back to the states in a month. This pattern was free and I found out about it by reading the blog Sew Liberated.

These stay-on baby booties are for the aforementioned babies moving back to cooler weather.

I loved working with these colors to knit up a baby surprise jacket for baby Stella. And I hope the modern rib hat from Spud and Chloe's free patterns online will look cute on her one day!

Here are two of the panels I started working on last August when we moved here and am about to pick up again. Other things on my list to knit while I'm here are another summer kerchief, a juvenile sea nettle, that my friend Adie sent me the pattern and yarn for, and I'm thinking of some little Easter decorations and presents for E, like the knitted Easter eggs from Purlbee and the rabbit from Spud and Chloe's free patterns. I'm so grateful for my knitting which can go anywhere with me - unlike my piano which I couldn't lug across the sea.

Valentine's Day

For breakfast I made peanut butter and jelly pop hearts

from Jennifer McCann's Vegan Lunch Box.

For lunch I made the "Heart Beet Salad" from the same cookbook.

Ezra and I made chocolate chocoloate-chip walnut cookies from Veganomicon.

using dutch cocoa of course

We went for a walk on the bluffs by our house and watched the waves crash to the shore. Ezra threw rocks from the precipice making my heart leap. I drew a line with a stick showing him how far he could go... Here he is laughing with daddy about how their rocks were falling into the sea.

We saw these cotton looking plants at the top of another precipice.

and down below the waves tumbled upon the rocks and these crags jutted out of the sea.

Later that day, while Michael returned to his study chamber, Ezra and I went to Plum Bay.

Later that evening we saw this beautiful sunset from our kitchen window.

And the next night, we went to dinner at "Lal's Curry in a Hurry" to celebrate Valentine's Day and Michael's second successful block exams of the semester.

Love.

This Week in Pictures

We started our week by baking pretzels on baking day. I substituted whole wheat flour for all of the white flour, since we try to abstain from eating any refined flours or sugars, but the pretzels came out very dense and practically inedible. But, it was a fun activity and Ezra enjoyed the dough as usual!

The weather has been very mild and breezy here, so we brought our art activity outside to the balcony one day. Ezra set up all of his stuffed animal friends in chairs around him.

and while watching the boats go by from our seventh story view....

Ezra drew this masterpiece.

I have been enjoying watching his skills as an artist develop. I was happy to see him make this all by himself without any encouragement from me along the sidelines. This was purely from his will and imagination.

Something else that comes from my sweet boy's own will is to help mama clean the house. Whenever I start doing the floors he runs over and says, "Ezra do it!" I love my little helper.

Ezra asks to paint almost every day. Here are a few of his best creations from this week.

Ezra had his friend Cruz over for a play date and the boys made soup in their aprons. The best play to observe for me is that which imitates real life. They were both offering the other food and saying thank you very much! It was adorable. I wish I had the resources to make a small table and chairs like we had back home. But, we are on a tight budget and don't have all of Michael's tools at our disposal.

Last night the surfers arrived at our little beach down below. We haven't had any surf here so far, and it is fun to see some action down below other than the boats that cruise by.

We also went to the beach this week and had a Valentine's Day Party at the AUC Playground, but I didn't have my camera to capture these fun times. But, it is all being kept in our hearts which swell everyday with love for our precious time on this island. We are grateful for all the friends and beauty around us and for Michael, whose dedication and willpower brought us here. Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetheart who has made all my dreams come true.

Mixed Up Day

Today we were supposed to have "Pool Day" but it didn't happen. Instead we started off our morning working with some play-do, followed by an impromptu baking session. I was busy making pizza dough for our calzones for lunch, when Ezra saw me working with flour and decided he wanted to bake.

So, we made several dozen gingerbread cookies using the recipe in Sharifa Oppenheimer's "Heaven on Earth" handbook for parents of young children.

I love this recipe and used it to make gingerbread men cookies for Ezra's second birthday party to pass out as party favors. It's a great treat that isn't loaded with refined sugar. And Ezra can truly help out with the mixing and cut-outs. The dough rolls out into a nice thick slab perfect for little hands to push in cutters and tear off the edges of the different little shapes.

Afterward, we played with a new baby friend who came by for a visit. Some days are good to have nothing planned, but I was thinking that would befall more on the weekends.

My mom, however, who grew up going to a Waldorf School in Germany, said their painting day was on Saturdays when they went to school for a half day. So, maybe we will have another day of planned activity for Saturday, and Sundays will be our rest day. Since Michael is busy studying everyday of the week and truly has no rest days, I think that's a good idea.

Painting Day

Today we did our first watercolor on wet paper the way that is described in Brunhild Muller's "Painting with Children."

Ezra was content to spread the red paint all over his paper.

He worked with great concentration and held his brush with care. I love watching his fingers.

His face is pretty cute to watch too.

Red.