I brought all three hedgehogs with me to Tuesday night knitting and know that at least a couple are already underway by members of the group! I've been called "a bad influence," and there's been mention of a "hedgehog gang." There may be a bit of a hedgehog baby boom happening in our little corner of Wisconsin!

Cracks me up.

I have found much to humor me lately:

Madeleine's work, just a few weeks before she turned 4.

Alison's work, preschool.

Katherine's interest in the world of art -- past, present, and future -- undeniably ingrained.

We've been spending quite a bit of time getting an apartment shaped up -- and cleaned out. The apartment takes up all but one room (and a couple of closets) of our second floor; 20+ years ago, we opened the door at the top of the stairs and took it over, occupying (and filling up) the entire house ourselves.

Our bedroom used to be up there, my craft room (the upstairs kitchen), the kids' playroom and bedrooms, a second full bath; we retreated/downsized within our own home a few years ago, and the girls have variously lived up there, in very much their own space.

We "retreated/downsized" but never swept the place completely clean!

I recently emptied the small anteroom off the bathroom which leads to the attic. There are drawers under the stairs leading up, as well as another floor-to-ceiling cabinet with cupboard & drawers built in on the other side. I used the cupboard for Christmas, the drawers for the girls' hand-me-downs, the under-stairs drawers for... stuff. Not to mention the floor space.

The wallpaper scraps are from Katie's nursery in Oregon, ca. 1984-85. School stuff!! OMG, how did I think anyone would ever want to read the school newsletters from kindgarten again? or 1st grade? 2nd? 3rd? etc. I had them all!

Spelling tests, conference reports, report cards, so much construction paper and glue with everything from cotton balls and yarn to Formica and Froot Loops as decoration. etc.

The bin was full when the recycling truck came 'round on Tuesday. And I've been adding more. I'm keeping some things, of course, but I'm photographing a lot more and will make some little memento for each of the girls... and maybe for me.

Halloween is not my favorite "holiday," but I found so many cute jack o'lanterns and black cats and other seasonal artwork, that I'm going to use it all to decorate this year!