A Taste of Sunshine

The children and I made some very simple and delicious orange popsicles the other day.  I first saw this on the Childhood Magic blog.  The children have been bugging me for ages to make popsicles at home...the only problem is I can't find BPA free popsicle molds.   This simple recipe solved that problem!  To make these delicious treats first cut each orange in half and juice it.  Once you have juiced all your oranges, pour the juice back into the orange halves.  Place filled orange halves on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, about three hours.  Remove, lick, and enjoy! 

Let the Good Times Roll

We ventured into the world of  marble painting today, I thought it would be a nearly mess free painting experience......I was very mistaken!  Don't get me wrong I LOVE a good mess but today I was up to my eyeballs in scone dough and trying to provide some independent crafting for the masses.  The basic premise is to place a piece of paper in a box top, and roll paint covered marbles around in it.  Seems simple enough right? Well, within moments we had paint covered marbles flying through the air and beautifully marbled kitchen floors:) Things did not go as planned (do the ever?), end results were a dozen burnt scones, one paint covered kitchen, and some beautiful art.  On the bright side the activity was a big hit for the children, my "I don't do art boy" even had a blast...must have been the marbles:) T's usual response to arts and crafts is "I do art mom...Lego art!".  * Note to self please reserve marble painting for afternoons with plenty of time and a lot of paper towels:)

Wordless Wednesday

Yesterday we made balancing butterflies.  This projected was featured on Childhood Magic and it is quite a magical activity to do with children.  First I made a symmetrical butterfly template by folding a piece of paper in half and cutting out my design.  Then I traced the design onto watercolor paper and the children painted them.  To make the butterflies float you must evenly apply pennies to the underside of each top wing.  We used tape...I am not good with super glue:)

Once secure the butterflies will magically float!  We had a blast with these butterflies!  The children walked around all day with them balanced on their noses, heads, shoulders, and toes:)  I must say I equally enjoyed the whimsical quality of these creatures....(she types as a butterfly alights her shoulder).

D-Day

That folks is the last picture taken of T before life as we knew it came to a screeching halt......it was taken the day before he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 4.  On this day we played at the beach, ate crabs and reveled in complete and ignorant bliss of what the future held for us.  7/17 will always be a day of grief and celebration for our household, it is D-Day....Diagnosis Day.  Everyday, but particularly this one, I think about how different our lives would be if we didn't have to face this disease.  I grieve for the things my son will be barred from, the ramifications to his health, and his unattainable dreams.....no astronaut for him, no CIA operative, no sailing solo around the world.  Luckily T has not come to this realization yet, and I let him dream big as every child should.  While this day brings me sadness it also brings me great pride.  I am so very proud of my son.  He faces this disease with optimism and courage each day.  He rarely complains, never asks why me, he just accepts this burden with grace.  So on this day we celebrate him.  He gets to do whatever he wants. Today he wanted Coldstone Creamery, the Olive Garden and a new book.  So that is exactly what he got...that and a whole lot of insulin.

(Our first night home from the hospital T sleeping with his new glucose monitor)

Please know and recognized the signs of Type 1 Diabetes.  There are no known causes, it can strike anyone at anytime.

Going Nutty...

The boredom bug hit hard at my house yesterday. To combat this elusive and cantankerous creature I had to pull out all the stops.  We finally settled on painting but after I had set up the table I realized....we had NO paper.  So I had the children forage outside for things to paint.  The children found these awesome nuts shells under our Beech tree.  They were able to craft the cutest hedgehogs, butterflies and turtles out of them....with a little help from mom:)  We also studied the Beech trees bark, leaves, and  fruit after we read about it in our Peterson's First Guide to Trees. 

Paper who neeed its......

Domesticity

domestic poem

Eileen Moeller

nightfall I sink

into dishwash meditiation

streaming china prayer wheels

crystalline bells of the lost horizon

crockery mandalas

chanting din and lull of running water

breathing slows

moist heat muscles soften

zen poems drip from silverware

my air humming out

in a cleansing melody

washing the frantic stew of a whole day

down the drain

along with the suds

those transients rainbow things

with the thin skin of

a passing moment

Each moment is a gift...even the ones filled with dirty dishes, stinky laundry, and grumpy kids...savour it!

Wordless Wednesday

14 years later

A Fairy Good Birthday

Yesterday we hosted O's 4th birthday party.  It was a grand fairy soiree.  We donned our wings, painted our faces and reveled in the land of enchantment.  Here are a few pics from our adventure.

The Food

(I was able to find all natural jelly beans, sprinkles and marshmallows at Whole Foods...SCORE!)

The Festivities

One Very Pooped Fairy Princess

Our Lake Vacation

We were fortunate enough this year to take a much needed vacation.  We had not been on a family vacation in nearly 5 years!  We returned to our favorite vacation spot, a quiet little cabin on a lake in New Hampshire.  I have been vacationing here since I was a small child.......so 30 years.  It is a rustic 1920 cabin that sits right at the waters edge.  It is blissfully simple...no phone or telly.  We spent our days swimming, canoeing and fishing. 

At night we were serenaded by the loons.  It was such a delight to see my children discover the wonder and joy of this magical place.  It brought back cherished memories of my sister and I frolicking  through the woods, swinging in the hammock and building elf house under the eaves of the white pines.  I am so thankful we had this time to reconnect with each other and the splendor of the world around us.

We will definitely be returning next year!  I'm thinking of going back in the fall....

Easy Garden Craft

We made very easy and cute garden signs yesterday using foraged birch bark and glass beads.  While on vacation last week the children and I collected various barks and branches from the local flora.  To make the above garden sign we punched holes in the bark with a standard hole punch.  I used a sharpie to decorate the bark with O's name and a meandering vine design.  Next I had O string glass beads onto a piece of wool yarn.  We then threaded the yarn through the holes and tied off each end.  Viola! The sign looks so beautiful hanging in the lush green gardens.

Here is a gratuitous shot of our flourishing vegetable gardens.  The children and I are fully enjoying this venture, and the results speak for themself!