Enjoying Spring

Egg carton caterpillars and messy paint in the cool shade and dapples of sunshine - we love spring :)

Right after we made these my guy said, "Can we play with them?" -

Homemade toys...the best :)

Snackin'

This is just a bit behind the playhouse in our yard....something has been munching this but I'm not sure what -
Last summer a young porcupine stumbled out of this area so maybe that?

Remnants of Childhood

Our 14 year old comes to this rock to carve...I wanted to capture this bit of what I feel remains of his childhood...in the past few years we have watched bits of this phase slip away and replaced with computer time and guitar & drum playing ~ all good work :) Just sweet to remember these moments too as we watch him grow into a young man ~

Horsey ~

Spaceship, car, and more ~ it's been a blast to see this transformed by our different children's imaginations....

Big Bad Wolf

Rather than eating the little pigs inside, I think this wolf was just looking for a little bug relief.....

Bug Season

Mosquitos...black flies...oh my!
It's that time again....we await the warm weather for months but I think we must forget the buggy aspect of it. We are right in the *thick* of it now. Swarms of mosquitos ~ what's a family to do? Well, dad had a great idea ~ set up a tent! A few laps around the yard to be sure the bugs are not following, jump through the opening and said tent insstantly becomes a magical sanctuary.

Push Mowin'

It's weedy, sparse and small but we still call it 'the lawn' and my little guy still loves to mow it :) That is...at least before the bugs come out ;)

Stolen Moments

Sometimes this is what parenting feels like to me...moments where I can appreciate the fleetingness of a cuddle or the look of baby chub. Moments I take and store away 'til later for a little happy jolt....like chocolate ;)
Life with 4 kiddos, 3 being under 7, often doesn't allow for much one-on-one time....this seems especially true with the littlest one. I tell my oldest, "You had me alone for 6 years...imagine!" (and even though the young man in him can't admit it, I can see he still enjoys mama time by the stream of conversation we have during those solo drop off drives to friends and dances). Even my 2nd oldest had 2 years of solo mama time while big brother was at school...the last 2 children? Well, they squeeze it in when they can - or demand it loudly in some cases ;)
That is why this morning was *so* precious...not that I didn't need that nudge to see it that way, of course. See, waking alone here (even at the wee hour of 5:30) is an improbability along the scale of a weekend trip to Paris so, when I found myself awake - and alone - I have to admit, it was a bit thrilling ;)
However, less than half an hour into it...I heard little footsteps and heavily sighed....Then a sweet & sleepy eyed face, still round with baby chub, peeked through the crack of my slightly opened door and I opened my arms....and melted into the moment....so rare for this independent little spirit who has never seemed to require much of me - always so interested in what her siblings were doing and has traveled with the pack since she could crawl.
So sweet these precious and, yes, stolen moments...I put down the sewing, forgot about the newest library book and shared a simple breakfast of cereal, a favorite book and more cuddle time...until the call of the wild began and the rest of the pack awakened :)
* Photo courtesy of 5 year old G *

Work

Oh how i love their work :)
So sweet, so industrious.....
Today, I was realizing how heartbreakingly fleeting this is...this simple, fully present & mindfull work of my littles. The daily "treasures" left around the house and yard, the animal scenes set up and abandoned to feed the "babies"...I try to catch these moments as I know, all too soon, the questioning may arise...the value of 'time' sets in and what to do with it...the thought of which can sometimes be numbing to the point that nothing is done...no choice is taken for fear fo what may be missed.
Times like this, my thoughts turn to my oldest child, now 14, and way back when his busy work was the work of being engaged and present in the simplest of tasks. I can see in him now the struggle of 'time'...what to do with it...what not to do with it...all that needs to be done and all the promise that future moments hold. Sometimes overwhelming to the point that as the pondering happens....precious moments themselves slip away.
As all of this swims around inside my head in a flux of sweetness, anxiety, regret and hope, I see that the current 'work' of my children seems so different until I stop for a moment and realize that at the core, it's really all about defining and figuring out isn't it? Perhaps on a different scale, scope and depth but, still important work nonetheless...

Healthy Playfood

Ever notice how much playfood is well, junkfood? I admit, we make loads of cakes and cookies here too but hey, where is the healthy playfood? Last time I peeked I saw lots of fast food type of meals....since then I have been trying to make some healthy playfood for my kids - and they have too! The other day they made a bunch of spagetti with some wool yarn - yum!

Spring Crafting

It may be nesting or spring fever (possibly a combination of both ;). Actually, it's most likely the urge to purge in a useful way ~
Crafting for a Cause I could call it ~ for an indefinite amount of time (most likely til my stash is reduced ;) I will be crafting and each month donating half of the the sales to a different non profit that empowers women and children.

Here is May's recipient:

http://www.freethechildren.com/aboutus/index.html

"The primary goals of the organization are to free children from
poverty and exploitation and free young people from the notion that
they are powerless to affect positive change in the world. Through
domestic empowerment programs and leadership training, Free The
Children inspires young people to develop as socially conscious global
citizens and become agents of change for their peers around the world."

Crafting away....

Outside Play

Perched atop a moss covered boulder, the snack table is enjoyed all year round(although I have to admit, much more often in the warmer months ;) Imaginations have transformed the playhouse into an ice cream shop, restaraunt, house, store and general hanging out spot for the guys...lastly, nothing like a little mud between the toes and fingers to truly welcome spring.

Critter Search

Even when we lived in the city, this was a favorite pastime for my oldest son and I ~ and I swear, I almost think we found more critters there, lol!
Once the weather starts to warm and little creepy things begin to wake up, we go a hunting under logs, rocks, boards - anything that might be hiding something exciting like worms, salamanders, grubs and centipedes. Today we found a worm and all felt lucky for that after our long winter :)
The little ones love this and even at 14 my son still loves to poke around and see what he can find. It's also lovely to hear him with his siblings, reminding them to put the rock back exactly the way it was....to be gentle with the critters, don't let them dry out and to still see his curiosity alive as we go searching.