domicile – kelly hogaboom

an unschooling morning

December 3, 2012

by kellyhogaboom dailies

In the AM, I took a few pictures of what was up. Planned to take a few more later in the day but this is what I got.

Nels wakes up and if he finds himself alone he usually comes and finds another person in a room, and falls asleep. He can sleep cuddled up next to someone, or on the floor, or here on the couch. Josie (lower-right) contemplates joining him.

Just part of a sketch my daughter made. She draws about fifty figures a day on average. I shit thee not.

I can’t remember what they were reading to one another, here. It’s pretty cool every morning they get to wake up and have a snuggly morning. Good stuff. No wonder they’re growing up so good.

After Nels ate breakfast, got dressed, & cleaned up, he spent some quality pet time:

Hamilton. Lap-magnet.

A couple pictures for people who might get the impression I always have a tidy home. I think my home is tidy only about thirty percent of the time. In fact as of late it’s been messy because we had dog drama, then I had a very busy day, then I fell ill and am still recovering. Only the bare minimum of household work is getting done on my part, although of course the kids do their part with dishes, laundry, sweeping, and pet care.

At some point after these little snapshots we got busy as hell; mostly I was sewing up a difficult project – then Ralph and I had a Monday evening commitment. The days fly by, which is why it’s all the more important I practice mindfulness and meditation.

i’m not dead yet

March 13, 2012

by kellyhogaboom dailies

But, I have been exhausted.

Pictures from lately. I would take a lot more pictures except I don’t have a camera bag and I’m nervous about bashing the camera or scratching it. I even know what bag I’d like. I’m waiting. Picture me with my fingertips together.

So, I really enjoy my new space. In fact it’s almost just like I’d have imagined a home way back. Clean and spacious and usually smelling of tasty things to eat and I have to confess, incense and sage smoke from my various superstitious or religious or whatever practices. Anyway, everything’s the way I like it, except some day I long to be able to buy furniture. Everything you see here was given us.

I also need curtains. It’s like a fishbowl of Hogabooms right now.

Dining room; usually eighteen fat cats are on the rug. I’m still working on building our dining room table and then it will be like a MEAD HALL WITH MERRY KNIGHTS RIPPING INTO TURKEY LEGS.Oh and BTW you also can see at mid-left the only garbage can in my house. The system WORKS, I swear.

The kitchen – far easier to work in than the last home. Yay!

Sewing room table (and handy pin-jar made by sodipop!)! I can’t show you anything else because there are SURPRISES in the works! Another set of windows without coverage. We’ll fix it… when we have scratch.

Making chai!

Mexican food before heading out for a snow day at a friends’ place. The kids had enchiladas and tacos frijoles.

The kids are really amazing. They helped me a lot today. I was thinking about it and realize they help me a lot. Like today I left for a Board meeting and my hands were full and I asked if one of them would open the door and they both jumped up and helped me out and giggled and gave me kisses and hugs. My kids kiss and hug me EVERY time I leave the house. I tell no lie. Nels does it several times in fact. Today I said, “You little shit, I’m late, get in the house!” Etc.

But yeah, I made sure to thank the children today for all their help. And they said, “You’re welcome.”

And now time for a movie date, and snuggles and good-night.

“i love you all the way into space”

March 2, 2012

by kellyhogaboom dailies

The other night my son laughingly and briefly impersonated an activity of scientific inquiry he’d seen on a documentary about the sasquatch. I laughed so loud and spontaneously he gleefully repeated the performance, adding nuances and several more jokes. He was really funny. Phoenix joined in a few minutes later and pretty soon I was laughing so hard I almost choked.

Sometimes I forget just how much my children – and my husband – love to see me laugh. We’ve been so incredibly busy with the move and even though I am not stressing the way I would have even a year ago, I wouldn’t exactly say I’ve been thoroughly relaxed.

This afternoon, the first substantial meal I’ve made in the new kitchen (a kitchen I adore), I put together a huge batch of homemade meatballs in a rich tomato sauce for our party tomorrow. Out the window I see my mother next door, my blonde-headed son helping her build her greenhouse. They have a plan to grow a bunch of corn in our huge backyard this summer (I KNOW, CORN!, HOW ADORABLE IS THIS PLAN?!). I feel the deepest sense of satisfaction in my children and their lives, running in sturdy boots through deep green yards and chasing cats off my sewing room fabric and inventing a game called “Penny Toss”, and politely asking me to play over and over even as I frown and scrub the floor and tell them, “In a minute…”.

But, life is good. It’s odd to be in the same neighborhood I grew up in, hearing the music of the pond in my mother’s backyard, but to have my own space too full of my own colors. Tonight I asked Ralph, “Do you know how long I’ve wanted a deep blue living room?” I modified the color choice to reflect Phoenix’s favorite but it’s true, I remember the apartment in Seattle that first got me enamored.