Enchanted Mama

Holiday 2012::

A White Christmas...just as we wished for.  

The snow flakes started to fall with a whisper on Christmas eve.  We had dinner and drove the children around town taking in all the sparkling lights as we watched the wipers swish to and fro.  It was magical.  

Fresh children from baths donned new cozy pajamas, per tradition.  Hot chocolate by the fire as giggling filled the air.  Stockings were hung and four children were tucked into bed.  

We awoke to pitter patters on the stairs and hushed voices discussing whether it was too early to wake us up or not.  The big daddy and I wore exhausted smiles.  It was, after all, a special day.  We tromped down stairs to see what magic had been brought.  

'Twas a delightful day.  Quiet.  Just as we had hoped.  Gifts were opened and shared.  Our handmade holiday gifts exchanged (more to share later).  The children giddy with the day.  

Grateful.  So very grateful for my little family.  Simple was the best part of the holiday season.  

Hope your holiday was lovely.  

Kellen

 

***This post we meant to arrive after the Holiday.  Instead, I scheduled it for December 28th 2014 somehow. oops.***

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solstice 2012::

Happy Winter Solstice to you all!  

As you read this the children are on the floor by the tree playing together.  There are books and lego's strewn across the carpet.  Dinner cooked, eaten, and honored.  Ginger cookies and chocolate for dessert.  The sky a brilliant orange with a glimpse of the moon earlier. Holiday break has officially begun!  There are projects in high gear.  Tomorrow, I suspect, there will be pajamas, creating and lots of play.  

We plan to make the most of this time. Wishing you all wonderful celebrations. Thank you for visiting and I'll be back to check in with you next week.

Happy, Happy Holidays and Winter Solstice!  

Much love,

Kellen 

His day::

His day...was sweet. simple. The morning filled with fresh baked lemon zucchini muffins and a few gifts.  The afternoon held a small little "woodland" party for him.  Since his sister and brother had gnome and faerie parties years back it seemed only right that my five year old have a woodland animal gathering.  He loves animals. Loves being outside. My child who seems so at home in nature and is a master grasshopper catcher.  

The couple of friends he invited to his party were quiet and oh-so-agreeable.  They were happy to sew little capes and don acorn caps for their dolls. Play games. Eat snacks, especially the squirrel snack of nuts and berries.  They adored the cupcakes and were found outside in the yard playing when their parents came to fetch them.  It may have been one of the simplest parties we've given.  

They went home with a bulb to plant and a wee bear and notebook.  All were happy.  

My birthday boy spent time at the park biking his next favorite thing to do after catching grasshoppers. We ended the evening with a delicious-daddy-made cake with chocolate mushrooms.  A good day. 

Now my boy is five and it seems as though it were just the other day he was bundled up in my arms.  Oh how time does keep moving.  

 

The Wish::

The light shifted ever so slightly through the trees this afternoon.  Water droplets clung to the plants in the yard as I tended them. The breeze softens.  The birds more quiet in the branches.  The children playing beside me.  Slippers warm my toes on cool floors in the early morning.  She's there.  Whispering from behind the tomatoes.  Wafting through my hair.  Intirguing those who are on the lookout.  Teasing with the apple laden tree.  The evenings darken.  

The wish of Fall is close.  I can feel it.   

 

 

 

Hearts::

I've been noticing hearts in nature for quite some time.  Long enough that my girlie nieces now find them everywhere.  During my last visit this is what they found.  

A perfect strawberry.  Sprinkler patterns. Huge leaves. Tiny leaves that only little eyes can find.  

I love my sweet nieces so.  It's such a fun little thing that we share.

Feeling grateful for them today.  

 

 

Celebrated::

we celebrated 

a BIG cake that required my sweet girl to stand on her chair to blow out the candles

such a vivid memory...eye squinched, cheeks puffed, blowing anywhere but at the candles

the cake was delicious and fresh and oh, I wish we still had more of it

my girl gobbled blueberries like they were going out of style

such a lovely day to honor her in the midst of a crazy week

three children in four camps with daily swim lessons and three evening cello performances 

yes, it was the busiest week of the summer

no other week will be that busy

I had not planned on it being that way either

and still don't quite know how that happened

 

this past weekend we spent outside sprucing the yard, sandbox, garage...

it felt great to be out in the sunshine while the children played in the water

the weather was glorious gratefully

and here we start a new week and all I can think is summer is speeding past

anyone else feel that way?

I hope for more moments to soak it all in 

as summer is rapidly becoming one of my favorite seasons

of course, fall is still first with the wool and knitting and brisk mornings and such

but since summer was always last until now I feel that its odds are looking up

 

what about you?  

 

She's Two::

Our sweet girlie turns two today.  

When asked what her wishes were for her birthday she said, "I'll like Cake!"

All week she's walked around the house saying, "My birthday coming soon...My birthday coming soon."  

We will celebrate her today.  We will reminisce about the day she was born two years ago.  We will sit on the floor and play her games.  We will swim to cool off in the afternoon.  We will smile while she takes it all in.  We will enjoy watching her eat "Cake!"

We will feel blessed again to have her joyful presence in our lives.  

Happy Birthday my darling girl.  

We love you so.  

 

 

By the beach::

We took long walks on our trip to the beach.  Heads looking out and up at the water and sky as much as they watched the water lap over toes and shells emmerge from under the sand.  

All week I was fascinated to find shells with natural holes.  Holes made by water and sand.  Holes that I was once told held magic if only you looked through them.  You could see faeries.  You could see gnomes.  You just had to believe.  

Without realizing, I ended up with a small collection of these shells by the end of the week.  

What to do...

 

To carry them with you would be a small bit of treasure wrapped around your neck.  

As my niece turns twenty one today, and she frolicked in the waves with all the cousins, I thought she would appreciate a bit of magic to carry with her on her journey into adulthood.  A reminder.  Love sent her way.   

What magic are you creating today?  

Do you find the beach inspiring?  

What are the things that inspire you most?  

I would love to know...

Until tomorrow, 

Kellen

 

 

Pause and Listen::

This was one of my favorite days on our recent vacation.  

The day spent, in the forest of Yosemite, frolicking through the rain.  Completely by ourselves as everyone else must have been tucked inside by the fires.  The sensible people.  But we, our family of six donned our rain gear and set out for a morning adventure.  

Puddles were splashed through.  Creeks were crossed.  Laughter heard in the otherwise quiet forest.  When we stepped gingerly through the pine needles not a sound was heard but the patter of rain.  

It was magical.  

A moment to remember.  

The quiet of the rain seemed to quiet the children as well. There were whispers of voices, heads tilted toward the tall trees and rain boots that found their way over rocks that lined the creek.  The big daddy and I watched in silence.  And smiled.

There's something so peaceful about nature if only we pause and listen.  

Thank goodness we did.   

 

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?