Resurfacing and springing into Spring

Out from the depths I resurface!

I have been negligent!

Time for a much overdue update!

Marrying kids and creativity seems increasingly difficult for me these days.

Now that I'm not hostage to a nap schedule

 I am filling my world with kid-centric stuff

Volunteering here, there and doing some advocacy.

But I miss making things and art and happiness.

I miss the energy it brings me. 

Hopefully it will come.

Over here...

Little people are still trying on big clothes

(Here the wedding cape of FakeAuntie's mom)

Waaaaay back in February we made pancakes 

and arrow-art to hang in our new garden.

The Littlest one and I built the mobile and it greeted

folks on Valentines Day.

Lately we've been planting

and wiggling. 

...and growing up. 

The girls are big enough that it was time to send off this 

home made tent from way back when I made a cozy tent

Confession: Sad to let it go. 

But, it went to a good Montessori kindergarten classroom

So Nu will get to play in it next year.

These hooligans are fast friends these days and boy do they know how to giggle.

All the Monkeys Remain Cheeky

And although the MAKE wanes, the play remains.

I made a Pouffe!

Hi Folks!

I made a Pouffe!!

I love that the word pouffe exists. 

It seems inherently ridiculous

You know tuffet, stool, sit-upon.

It's for cozying up in front of the fire.

 Resting your sweet head against 

as your mum 

reads you a good book. 

Or in my house...

To be thrown about, fallen off and climbed up over and over

 

That's the way we roll. 

Now off to build a catapult so we can shoot it 

through a window. 

Later peeps.

Polar Bear

There has been more knitting over here.

And this little button gifted from sweet Carla

has finally found the right home. 

We have a polar bear.

Add it to the animal herd.

I will cry gapping open mouthed sobs when the time comes

that ears are no longer appropriate for daily wear. 

Today is NOT that day!!

Long live the ears!!

Tis the season for wrapping.

Each year I try and add a few bags to our wrapping collection

in the hope of achieving a paperless xmas.

This year amid the gingerbread madness

I got organized enough to wrap up 24 

xmas books from our local library 

for a free and easy countdown to the big day.

I even made number tags this year with the plan to reuse them...

forever.

I mean honestly, when will a good seasonal book get tired?

And if anyone gets tired...there's always more sugar!

 Happy Ho Ho

 

May you find yourself snuggled up with cuties,

the right amount of sugar, 

and a good book.

Fox in socks

These are funny, crazy, wonderful, 

maddening, exhausting, beautiful, 

grateful, bountiful times. 

It was Remembrance Day,

and I'm so grateful.

My Dad fought in WWII,

my uncle died in it. 

My other Uncle survived Korea.

I am so glad that someone else is protecting me

and hopefully making the world a better place,

especially for women and children in this world. 

And I am grateful
because someone else has put themselves in 

harms way on my behalf.

I have the luxury of not thinking about it too much. 

I do think about the privileges and luck I have.

I can vote. I can work. I can attend school, and teach.

I can walk in the streets freely and expect safety-

mostly.

I can hope for happiness for my 3 daughters. 

I can choose to partner with someone I love.

I can wish for them this same true partnership.

Out there, not far

are hundreds of thousands, millions of women

who fear, 

and who are forbidden from everything. 

From loving, from living with choice.

Thank you to those who stand up for the little one in all of us
and serve us, may compassion reign.  

Oh these wonderful, magical, funny, bonkers sisters.

This big one had a fever yesterday,

and making her this fox cowl

has made her so happy-

it makes me happy. 

I've been experiencing so much of her big girl lately,

that it's nice to have a few days at home,

where she is little.  

I so wonder who this young person will evolve into.

Wonderful for sure...but I wonder where her journey will take her.

So many possibilities for this person I love so.

She is so observant and loving. 

So lit from within.

She tells me she is not sure about this Santa character...

but absolutely believes in fairies. 

I hope she keeps telling me all these things...

and the other things too. 

She's also a worrier of the highest order. 

And in these impossible times where the world is so full 

of the tragedies in Paris and Beirut, 

climate change and...and...and

I so want to hold her close,

and keep her little. 

'Cause big girl times are coming,

the world in knocking hard on childhood. 

I'm glad she's smothered in sister love,

and I hope they all remember to hold onto 

each other, and these fleeting magical childhood times.