Fall Is Here, Definitely!

I love this time of year! The colors this year are incredible and it makes me cherish and be thankful every single day. I find myself driving certain streets to see those particular leaves. I drove to my old (new) job and the drive there was magical. I don't recall seeing the colors so bright for so long~usually it's rained the leaves down or even snowed them down when they've been this bright. Just gorgeous.

And speaking of gorgeous (nice segway, eh?)

Fairy Blessings

Blessings come in many disguises and some are downright overt. We were blessed to have fairies come to our house. Not your run-of-the-mill tooth fairy, which is pretty exciting in it's own right, but we have proof that fairies exist. They brought gifts and moved right in. 

Last week the girls and I came home and found something on our front porch. Two somethings. Two, beautiful somethings. Our porch was covered with fairy dust, too. And a poem. A story, a clue. We read, and started looking. 

I'd grabbed the camera when I saw these things out the front door. I shooed the girls out with a "OH MY GOSH! Get out there, right now!" I was behind them so I couldn't get all the face shots, but let me assure you, they were near tears. There were shrieks of excitement, and heavy breaths and "GO GET DAD!" was shouted. "Oh my gosh, I'm going to die. Are you serious!? Look, LOOK!" But they were so intent on looking carefully at what was left for us, to make our gardens beautiful and inviting and wondrous. 

I'm not sure "blessed" is even a strong enough word for how I feel. Amazed, awed, ... 
Here. Just look.

So when you need a little magic, or need a little strength, need a little fairy dust or to believe in something, think of these girls and the pure amazement they felt. Think of the  wonderment and complete joy these girls feel every time they go out to check the fairy house, every time they see their beautiful books left to them by the fairies!! They kept the fairy dust and believe so much!! They have made the world amazingly beautiful again. Thank you fairies!

Fairy Finders

Woah! We're not going to go into how long it's been. We're not going to mention that I don't even recognize the Blogger options anymore. We're just going to get into the important parts! Thanks for coming back and checking us out though!


Since the last day of school-this year, honest!-the girls (who ARE huge now, yes) have wanted to make a "fairy group". One that goes around to different parks and looks for signs of fairies, leaves little offerings, builds a fairy home or two, and documents their findings. Today was the first official meeting of the "FAIRY FINDERS". 


We planned and organized. We made little clip boards and flower pens (hooray for using up craft-stash!) We got bags together with some fairy "carpets" and fairy balls we've found around the yard, with a camera or two, binoculars and magnifying glasses. We invited friends. Last night Derek and I made shirts for the girls. We were ready!

Details of clipboards

Goosie and Peanut, Official Fairy Finders

"Looks like a Fairy Queen Chair"

We think the fairies put this red flag out to warn each others when humans are around!

Fairy art!

Fairy writing? "M" and a butterfly!

More writing! We need to figure out the fairy alphabet!

Leaving the fairies goodies, making some furniture inside a fairy house.

The whole Fairy Finders crew!

 Well, there was one more little guy, but he was not about being slow and looking for signs of fairies. He was too busy being adorable! Honestly, look at this face.

So that was our morning. We left with great evidence and wonderful documentation of fairy existence. Notes were made on the clip boards, and the girls plan to keep the notes together for each park, and then make them into a book. Goosie reasoned that of course there are fairies! "I mean, the Tooth Fairy comes and takes my tooth when I lose one, so that's only one type of fairy."


Sigh, love! When we got home, we watched a movie about fairy houses and there is a little girl who questions her aunt, "Do you believe in fairies?" The aunt tells the little girl to listen to a conch shell. She asks, "What do you hear?" The little girl replies, "The ocean!" The aunt further asks, "Is the ocean really in there?" The girl shakes her head 'no'. The aunt says, "It's the essence of the ocean in there, and I believe the essence of fairies is all around us." 


I like that sentiment. It's magical and wonder-full, and it keeps us using our imaginations in this house every single day. 


*See http://www.fairyhouses.com/ for more fairy wonderment and access to the Fairy Houses book and video referenced here.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Hello! It’s Dr. Seuss’ birthday today
and it makes me want to say
all things in Dr. Seuss speak,
be silly in every way.

For breakfast we’ll have a pancake stack,
A red one, then a white
A bigger one for the bottom,
The top one small and light.

We’ll wear our red and white socks
and get ready to go to school
where we’ll play and learn and read and write
and be all kinds of cool.

Later it’s knit night, and my what a thrill
it’s been a couple months!
So to Panera I’ll go,
I plan to run up a bill.

I wish all a great, great, great day
full of love and warmth,
knitting and tea and treats
and whatever comes your way.

I’m wishing you good thoughts
and you’re in my mind and in my heart
It’s not much that I can do,
but I will play my part.

So hugs here, hugs there,
hugs everywhere!
Have a fantastic day!
It’s Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
Hooray hooray hooray!!

Small Moments

I'm sitting in a local cafe' enjoying a fantastic latte' with my Peanut. She has a vanilla milk that she tells me is excellent. "They makes this really good here" she says. I'm relishing this moment and think, "I need to write this down. To remember her sweet face. To remember how straight her back is as she plays with the toys. How she crosses her little legs, clad in her Christmas dress and winter boots. How smart she is. How often she makes my eyes well up with happy tears."

So, I'm writing it down. Later I'll try to add in the picture I took on my phone. I've not done that yet. My card reader has broken and I can't upload pictures on my computer. That's one of the reasons I'm so behind in posting. So much has happened with these babies--who aren't really babies anymore! But I'm cherishing the small moments.

Commands, Demands, Pressures...

Are you feeling it? That certain "thing" in the air that makes you feel like you can't do anything right/in a timely manner/good enough/special enough? Or the "thing" that makes you feel like suddenly your home is dirtier than usual, the dinners are blander than usual, the clothes are shabbier than usual? The carpets suddenly have more stains and the smudgy windows are more apparent in the winter sunshine?

Well, chuck it! I'm not going there this season! Not gonna do it, and I don't want you to either. If it's causing you stress, don't do it. It's not worth it, and some of it may just be in your mind. You know that no one in your family has starved. You know that your family enjoys the things you make and do for them, and it doesn't matter if it was 100% from scratch. You do the best you can do and they really do appreciate and benefit from it. This time of year is magical on it's own without you having to sprinkle sugar plum fairy dust around! So let it go!

Do your normal daily things. You do them well all the other times of the year and you still can now. Yes, there will be the additional parties, guests over, school events, church events, but take the time to breathe deeply and enjoy them for what they are. They aren't supposed to be status wars, they aren't supposed to be times to showcase the hottest new boots. They aren't supposed to see who can out-do the next person.

This is a time to hold your family and friends closer, to let them all know that you love and appreciate them. To enjoy the magic of the season, which lives in all of us, not on the store shelves.

So. Enjoy it. Sunshine or snow, sleet or slush. Twinkling lights, friends and family and a hot cup of cocoa. Or warm Vernors! Doesn't that sound good? (Don't breathe in when you tip the mug!) Cozy up, hug each other. Happy Holidays--all of them! Love, Peace and peace to you all.

I Haven't Forgotten

Hi! I haven't forgotten this blog is here. It's just been...well, you know. Busy. As it is for us all. I have pictures of the girlies on their first days of school, doing adorable gymnastics, making kissy faces, in Halloween costumes. I have pictures of a silly kitty being cute and naughty. However, my computer hard drive is...full. Yep. Full. I need to do a back up on an external hard drive, but I also think I want to upgrade my flickr account and upload everything there, because we've had hard drives corrupt and the data not retrievable. I'd cry if that happened with pictures. Also, my phone has pictures on it that don't want to upload because of an error. I don't know if that's on the phone or the computer. So. No pictures.

We're already being asked what the girls want for Christmas. They want lots of junk. Mommy and Daddy do not. I'm thinking family gifts of movie passes, museum passes, open gym passes. Leotards! Ha! A cleaning service. :) Oh wait, that goes on my list.

Anyway, I'm thinking about things we can do as a family. I'm thinking about kits of things - baking, scrapbooking, crafts- that we can just pull out and do AND have it be something we'll use. Like a picture frame, wire, eye-screw things and clips to make a hanging art area. Like canvasses with paints and brushes for art work we can hang in rooms.

But who knows. It's so difficult to think about what the girls want vs. need. It's such a trivial thing when we consider the good fortune we have, the needs of so many world-wide and the real purpose for the holiday season.

For now though? Lunch. I have to keep thinking of the next 10 minutes, otherwise my thoughts get rambling. Beware you few readers, of future rambling thoughts! :)