Dreary Day Fun

Oh my, how I wish my camera would have been handy as my three walked in from the bus today. What a pitiful lot they were! All staring down at rain boots while soaked hoods draped to their eyes. Their wet backpacks looked like they weighed two tons. Not a smile among them as they came through the door.

After all of the wet gear was shed they tromped into the kitchen wearing soggy, sad faces. This mama knew it was a hot cocoa afternoon. Three hot chocolates later spirits were starting to lift, so we built a blanket fort. Pillows and popcorn and flashlights. Key ingredients for getting drenched little sprites to laugh again.

A Season of Perspective

Nothing that is can pause or stay;

The moon will wax, the moon will wane,
The mist and cloud will turn to rain,
The rain to mist and cloud again,
Tomorrow be today.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This new year has left our household fraught with change. I have no words to say. I have many words to say. I am anxious. I am calm. I am discouraged. I am hopeful.

No, I'm not schizophrenic. It's just complicated.

I promise I'll be back here soon to start sharing. I've just needed some time to process it all myself. Until then I leave you with some pictures of my lovely kids enjoying an unseasonably warm day this past weekend. Sometimes the unexpected can be exactly what you needed.

Birthday Weekend Fun

Weekends are for celebrating. Especially for celebrating a pretty awesome six year old! It's been a good (exhausting) weekend of birthday party fun.

A Birthday

My baby girl turns six today. My sweet Sicily. My spunky little sprite.

She's our child that keeps us guessing. She's surprising. She's a rock star in a princess dress. She's polite and friendly but she can beat up anyone, boy or girl, who gets in her way, or she'll at least go down fighting. And sometimes she punches her brother and sister in the arm just to start a fight. She's feisty like that and may have too much aggression for her own good. Luckily she can hold her own and she gives great hugs to make up for it.

She's a mama's girl. Steven often says he didn't see that one coming. She has all the makings of a daddy's girl. But she's kind of a wild thing. She knows not to bite the hand that feeds her. She's the best at snuggling and gives awesome kisses. She also has the best pout I've ever seen. Between that and her big brown eyes she gets her way more than I'm willing to admit.

She's a punk fashionista. Today for school she wore grey and white striped tights under a red patterned skirt with a white hoodie, green and yellow leg warmers, and green and orange fingerless gloves. She wears a head band everyday in her wild, blond hair. And she loves pink glittery nail polish and lip gloss.

She loves to ride her bike and scooter with a baby doll in a baby carrier on her back. She likes Legos and Barbie dolls, Disney princesses and video games. The girl has range.

She's a sprite, a mess, mischievous, and sweet.

I love her more than life.

Happy Birthday my sweet Sicily!

Frozen

Our beautiful snow turned into ice overnight. The ground around us is frozen solid. But the kids refuse to be deterred from enjoying the winter weather. They had big plans for the day before breakfast was even finished cooking.

The boy took it upon himself to clear the worst parts of the ice first. Like a little man he ate his breakfast then trudged outside with a snow shovel to clear the driveway and walk. Wanting no help, he worked for an hour breaking up ice and shoveling it away. It was a big job for a boy who thinks he's a man. But the boy's persistent if nothing else. When he decided he'd done a good enough job (which was pretty good indeed), he came and got his sisters. The three took off to find the other neighborhood children and the sleds. With happy faces they went out to conquer the world of ice, a little ragamuffin army of freckle-faced light.

Falling

I sat down to write thinking surely I had something to say. I thought for certain I would write a poem of melancholy depth that would tell you how I'm feeling. But instead I restarted and scratched out more times than I can count. None of it quiet right.

The winter has turned dark and cold and I think I'm frozen. No art today. No words. All I seem to be able to do is stare out the window at the falling snow. It's fallen all day. Big, white squares falling so fast at times I grow a bit dizzy. I just can't stop staring at it, and not a single thought in my head. The boy is sitting here with me, also staring. It's oddly mesmerizing.

We built a snowman earlier. One of the neighborhood kids ran through him though and he's gone. It was kind of a mean and selfish thing to do after all of the time we put into it. Maybe we'll build another. I think we need the distraction. We're both a little lonely and grey.

Routine

Monday we jumped back into our routine. After a week of rest we headed out the door quiet energetic. They all came home from school beaming, all with exciting news to share.

Tuesday we were still rolling, though the little one needed some rest time by afternoon.

Wednesday the boy was already back to complaining because his sisters were taking too long to get ready to leave.

Thursday both girls had full meltdowns before dinner.

Friday Sicily's head hit her muffin before it hit the table as she fell asleep in her breakfast. Later in the morning I found the cat sound asleep in my still unmade bed. I followed her lead and had a nap.

Ah, routine. It's exhausting.

I predict Saturday is going to be a pj day.