Enchanted Mama

Snow Fun::

This past weekend was "Snoooow Fun!" as the children would say.  

Most of our activities, or all I should say, centered around some sort of snow event.  There were forts built, both at our house and the neighbors.  Think secret passages, roofs and lots of snow hauling to and fro.

There were flying snowballs and a few tears to accompany those.  Wet gloves exchanged for dry ones every so often.  Children playing and working together that made a mama sigh.   

 My four year old barely made it to his bedtime each night before passing out.  Literally too much fun. When his sister and brother had gone inside he could be found using the snow shovel to move more snow and poke at the ice that was forming near the sidewalk. Quite content to just be outside.  

 

There was Mrs. Snowman with her fancy apple buttons and carrot nose.  Or as I explained to my dear friend, apple buttons made from a wrinkly old apple we found in the back of the refrigerator.   

Three times throughout the weekend we stuck a tape measure into the snow to measure the depth.  As amazed, as all our family out of town, at the sheer amount of snow we were getting.  

Warm meals of soup and chicken enchiladas were eaten and the front door started swinging open quite early each morning with one or more children bundled and ready to play.    

 

I cross country skied at the park with two of my children.  Both who seem to get faster and faster everytime we go out.  Think I might need to practice when their at school tomorrow....maybe?

There were snow angels made and laughter to accompany them.  

Our littlest seemed happiest to watch as her siblings galloped in the snow.  We're not sure she's a big fan yet.

 There was a constant row of snow items-- boots, gloves, snowsuits, etc. drying out by the fire, all lined up absorbing the warmth.  The mudroom aptly re-named the wet, snowy, frozen ice room after this weekend.  

 

While having a dinner out we spied these beauties "about town".  

A huge, at least eight feet tall, bear with a smile of course.  Was it a buffalo? A cow?  Not sure on this one.  The best was the heart up in the tree that the big daddy spied as we were pulling away from the snow sculptures.  Yes, a heart, of course.

 

So, I can't say I got the things done I had planned for this weekend as the snow kept tempting us outside.  Especially when the sun started shining as well, that was near impossible.  There was a bit of knitting but even I had a hard time concentrating inside when there was so much to be seen outside.  

I believe that two feet of snow would be hard for most people to ignore.  Thirty one inches of snow for the local ski resort.  Our neighbor informed us that they had to turn five hundred cars away on Saturday as they were full and beyond capacity.  Five.Hundred.Cars.  whoa.  

So now you know what we were up to this weekend.  

Today will more than likely include all those sheets I didn't change this weekend, towels, the basement, etc. but it was TOTALLY worth it and "snooow fun".  

How was your weekend?  

 

Over the Mountain::

Over the mountain and through the woods we went to find our Christmas Tree.  

It's become an annual adventure.  This year I was unsure if we would make it due to the "back situation" with the big daddy.  Mostly because he's the one who hikes, cuts and carries the tree down.  

With a bit of re-figuring and the help of the older children we found, cut and put the tree on a sled all the way down the mountain.  New tradition perhaps?   

We arrived at the site and found that we were the only ones there.  It's extremely quiet in the forest when there isn't a soul around.  So we hiked, hauled the sled, and wound our way up the mountain.  

The big daddy right away found what he thought would be our tree.  Think Dr. Seuss....Long trunk big bunch of pine needles on top.  It really did look like something Dr. Seuss would have drawn.  

Uuh-hum, it didn't come home with us though.

After hiking for about an hour we found two trees that we liked.  We all sat down in the snow to admire one and see if this was the one to come home with us.  

Now, I'll tell you our littlest one loves to shake her head "NO". The Big Daddy decided to ask her if this was our tree.  She looked from him to the tree and back to him and shook her head emphatically "YES".  

So we knew this was the tree for us.   

 

The big daddy commenced with the cutting and then the older children had a chance with the saw, cringe, which made them both very happy.  

Soon she was set on the sled and we headed down the hill.  Traversing tree stumps and rocks the whole way.  We made quite a merry party of six tromping down the hill through the snow with the tree happily bouncing on the sled, the four year old in the lead and the two older children guiding from behind.  Our littlest girl even had a small ride on the sled at the very bottom of the hill with this mama running along beside.  Fun. Fun.  

 

This site happened on the way back down the mountain and I just had to share.  A motor home painted like a log cabin?  Have you ever seen such a brilliant thing?  It did require that the big daddy double back and go all the way around so I could get a picture but it was worth it don't you think?  

 

Then, home to set the tree up and get the lights put on.

 This I can say I have "Tom Sawyered" my honey into doing.  I've done it for years but last year he "volunteered" and I loved that I didn't have to do it.  So, this year there was a lot of "oh my you did such a nice job on the lights last year" and "wow you make that look so easy it must be because you are so talented" and a few "You are a professional!" thrown in and he did it again!  yes.

I hope to have officially passed on that tradition.  After all he's now done it for two years why not three?!??  Right?

 

On to the decorations after bath time.  I've shown you in past years our trees and ornaments.  I love that eighty percent of them were made by the children.  It makes me smile to see over the years how we can now fill a tree with them.  

 

One of the highlights this year was our littlest girl and her fascination with the tree.  

She LOVED it.  

In fact, she was very interested in putting the ornaments on and pulling them off.  She would put one on and pull three off.  It made the decorating last just that much longer.  

Since last night the bottom of the tree is quite bare and I'm thinking that the ornaments may have to move up the tree a bit.  Though to tell you the truth I'm enjoying her excitement when she toddles over and brings me a handful of ornaments.  At least handmade ornaments means they are more durable.  

 

So there she is.  Our lovely, skinny, charlie brown tree.  One that has it's own pine cones growing on the branches and as of this morning has begun to drink water like a fish.  

It feels officially like the holidays now with the house spruced up with decorations.  This morning I'm off to knit and sew with all due haste as this week marks the final week before vacation.  And, this mama has a few things to do...

How are your projects going?  OR are you already done?  

 

 

My View::

Whirlwind::

This past weekend we took a "whirlwind" trip.

The type of whirlwind trip where we picked up the children from school, told them they had ten minutes to pack two of whatever they needed, and to meet us in the car.  An hour later we left, oh well, all excited for a spur of the moment adventure.  

A road trip to see the trees.  

A road trip to see a town most of us had yet to lay eyes on.  

A road trip that would land us in the midst of a Wool Festival.  

Convenient or planned?  I'll never say.  

With four chidren trips on the whim can be a bit, challenging?  But, we did it.  We all had favorite moments over the time we were gone.  

Even despite the freeway closure at eight o'clock p.m. on Sunday that provided a fourty five minute delay, the "oops, I forgot I had homework" and the funny sound the car was making...We did it.  

We saw some beautiful country and spent time as a family and really how can you beat that?  

 

Any "whirlwind" in your lives these days?!!??

 

 

Afternoons::

Sometimes afternoons are lovely.

Sometimes they can be a challenge.  

Sometimes there are grumpy mamas. 

Sometimes the children are a bit fussy themselves.  

Sometimes though, like yesterday, they go well.  

Sometimes they go very well.  thank goodness.

 

Fall::

Happy first day of Fall to you all!  

It's beginning to look a lot like Fall around here.  Trees are beginning to turn a bit yellow.  Squash, mums, and pumpkins are arriving at the farmers market.  I've needed socks and a scarf.  

Soon, we will be in full blown leaf changing beauty around here.  I look forward to this all year.  

 

Today I'm sending special thoughts out to all my friends who love Fall and the beauty it brings.  Especially those friends who have yet to feel Fall in the air.  

Just so you know...it's on its way!

I might pull out the crock pot this weekend and make the whole house smell good.  And, what's pot roast without apple ginger cake?  right?

Those are my hopes for the weekend...what are yours?

Hope you have a lovely weekend.  

See you on Monday.

 

Love in Nature::

It's now been eight years since I first noticed them.  All around me.  Everywhere.  

My mom had just passed and I was moments from delivering my second child.  The world felt as heavy as my eight and a half month pregnant self.  In those moments you wonder about life and fairness and well, love.  

Within two days I had gone outside and found eight different hearts just laying there for me to "notice". 

 

I suppose it wasn't meant to hit me until later.  The beauty in this small gesture I had been gifted.  I failed to even realize that this was happening until a year later.  All the hearts placed in my path...

 

Since then my whole family finds them where ever we go.  In fact my son, whom I was pregnant with, spots them even before any of his siblings.  Strange?  maybe.  More beautiful to me now though. He is the one who found all the coral hearts.

 

Now when I see them, I smile.  

I understand that there is so much light as well as dark in the world.  

But ultimately, there is love and all we have to do is be willing to notice.  

 

What have you been noticing lately?  

Forts::

I have fond memories of building forts with my three brothers.  

Sheets and blankets stretched across tables and chairs.  Secret hide-outs formed under desks and between beds.  Treasures collected, we would spend hours in our own forts with flashlights, lunch and lots of whispering.  Whispering because of course they were secret and if you couldn't see someone then you must certainly be invisible right?  

Outdoor forts were created in the shapes of tree houses and secret spaces under big bushes. In muddy  holes with wood roofs and behind brick fences.   

We lived in a house half an hour out of town which made this kind of play necessary.  For we had to entertain ourselves and find inspiration within our space.  

I believe this is why I love nature and creativity so much.  How a simple tree can become a castle.  A space under a bed an underwater cave.  This list goes on and on.

 

Perhaps the most gratifying part is to see your own children participating in that kind of play.  

This summer there was a beach, not really a swimming beach, that we affectionately referred to as the "exploring beach".  Driftwood lined the sand.  Seaweed washed ashore.  Marine life in its prime scuttled here and there.  It provided hours of entertainment.  

This was one of the many forts created while we were there.  All three of the older children working together hauling armloads of driftwood they had collected.   The big daddy and I talking, listening, and watching.

 

This beach holds a special place in my heart as it reminds me of those many, many hours spent with my own brothers.  And, the new memories of my own children finding their way.  

Imagination is such as amazing thing.  Given a chance it can create such beauty.  

Don't you think?  

 

 

Beach Time

Since we live near the mountains we have all types of seasons.  

We have Fall with it's apples, children off to school, brightly colored leaves and warm mittens.

We have Winter which brings snow, sledding, holidays and wool sweaters.

Spring arrives as green shoots burst from the brown ground, loads of birds sing, bikes are dusted off and taken on adventures, and the warm sunshine returns.

Summer brings outdoor dining, farmers markets, hiking, swimming neighbors and joyful swinging.

We love it all. 

 

But, the one thing we don't get enough of is the ocean.  

It's the place we love to visit when we travel.  

There's something nourishing about being so small in such a vast ocean.  

Feeling the sand between your toes and getting to bed way too late just because you needed a bit more time to swim.  

 

We have looked forward to this time at the beach all summer.  

We are soaking it up, breathing it in and other than the occasional sibling squabbling, that must have made its way into someones duffel bag, we are having a delightful time finding a new rhythm.  

Walks have never been so motivating as they are at the beach and a good long swim makes everything right with the world.  

Plus, I've been making sure to get some sand into my new Noro scarf just because.

So all in all we are enjoying Summer and all it brings us. 

 

I hope your summer is just what you are wishing for.  

Happy Tuesday!

 

The last drop::

Is it me or are the peonies this year exceptionally beautiful?  

Are they like this every year?  Or did Mother Nature out do herself again? 

I've always loved peonies.  I've marked time by these flowers knowing what to expect at "the time of the peonies".  

Summer.  School ending.  Swimming.  Hammock playing.  Water parties.  Evening watering while the children scream and play.  Buds and blooms bursting everywhere.  The intoxicating smell as you walk by. 

I have to say, they are incredible.  If I were an ode writer or a poet I might have to write about their complexity and amazing strength to hold up such a large flower.  The way they catch the light, just so.  

From the beginning....  

 

...to the very last drop.

 

How is your summer progressing?  Anything bringing out the poet in you?  

I'd love to know.