~ string (painting) theory ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, when Daddy was still home

helping care for The Patient

we tried out a little bit of string painting.

I used watered down acrylic paint,

because I have a bunch of it,

and a sheet of poster board

for some group project love.

This inexpensive acrylic yarn

wasn't the best choice

but it is plentiful!

We rotated the colors and paper periodically,

and used an old towel to dab spots that

received too much attention.

Art time with Daddy is always special

and is a great activity to bring everyone together,

especially when Daddy-days have the potential

to be a little hectic with the change in rhythm.

(Or in other words, what rhythm?)

carrie

~ the patient ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday afternoon we had quite a scare

when our sweet Liv had a febrile (fever-induced) seizure.

Despite the seizure being terrifying for us,

it was harmless for Liv.

Two frightened parents,

two worried sisters,

one ambulance ride,

one dose of Valium,

one emergency room visit,

two get-well cards 

and four hours later,

~ cards made by sisters while Liv was in the ER, and her EKG "stickers" ~

we were home in our beds,

feeling much more grateful

for our beautiful children.

Especially our sweet, funny Liv.

In humility and awe of Life,

carrie

~ pollinators ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week my girls had great fun

picking Echinacea flowers.

They held these beautiful cone flowers

next to other flowers, like hummingbird sage

to see if the bees would come over.

There were lots of bumble bees 

on the Greek oregano as well.

My girls have a real relationship with bees.

Cheering them on for pollinating cantaloupe.

Gently stroking their backs when on a flower.

I'm grateful that they are respectful

- not fearful - 

of these beautiful and important creatures.

Maybe one day we can have

some honeybees of our own.

Go out and pick some flowers

and see if you can catch some bees, too!

carrie

p.s.  Look for a post soon introducing this sweet girl.  

She was watching the girls carry around their bees.

She seems to take after a pollinator herself.

Fruit bat anyone?

~ balancing butterflies ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today we made these adorable balancing butterflies

after I saw this post on Childhood Magic (with tutorial!)

by way of The Crafty Crow.

We chose to add some crayon embellishments

to some old watercolor paintings.

In order to not cover up the watercolors,

we used inexpensive crayons.

When the girls were done with their decorations,

I cut them out and applied the pennies to the back with hot glue.

In hindsight, Tacky Glue might have been the better choice,

since the hot glue set up quickly and didn't give us time to readjust.

Aren't they adorable?  

Lela named her Susan and Flower.

Liv decided on Panda and Solstice (hmmmmm.....)

Laurel named hers Susan and Ellie.  

Even The Daddy got one from me.

For bringing balance to my life.

Har-dee-har-har......

Please go over to Childhood Magic

and make some for yourself!

carrie

~ blueberry pickin' ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last week we went to South Carolina

to pick some delicious blueberries 

with friends we hadn't seen in forever.

Forever being three weeks

when you're used to playing together

every week.

The Sun was shining high in the sky 

and the temperature was marking upward 

but these 7 dauntless children 

really did their part to pick the sweet berries.

Armed with our trusty quart containers,

they plucked and nibbled and plucked some more

until both families had nearly a gallon each!

Even this tiny little one was picking berries!

She has a blueberry tooth like her littlest big brother.

While the children played, the mommas chatted

and topped off the containers

and added another quart each to the blueberry stash.

Of course, sometimes there were blueberry thieves....

....but who can blame them?

After picking berries

we found refuge under a pecan tree 

for a picnic.

Thanks for meeting us Blu(berry)menfelds!

And thanks for sharing your watermelon.  

Until our next berry picking adventure

enjoy all the sweetness in your life.

carrie

~ ducks in the bog garden ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Saturday, before Grandaddy's memorial service,

we took the girls to the Bog Garden in Greensboro, NC.

~ fallen seed pods from a big beautiful magnolia tree ~

Granmama and Grandaddy lived just up the road 

from Bicentennial Gardens and the Bog Garden.

~ a bunny hopping by the creek gets everyone's attention ~

During my childhood visits,

we walked there from their house.

I remember it being three miles,

not three blocks.

~ beautiful boardwalk through a swampy area ~

I remember Grandaddy taking me to feed the ducks

and that there were a million catfish.

~ "i hear ducks quacking!" ~

Even though it has been many years,

I can still hear the sound of their mouths slapping at the surface

and seeing their whiskered faces all over the surface of the water.

~ "we found them!" ~

The girls have already connected "ducks" with their GP.

~ domestic and domestic-wild hybrids ~

His home is filled with ducks of all sorts.

And they loved playing with them during their visits.

~ feeding time ~

Looking out on those ducks 

and remembering the time we spent there

with a heel of stale Wonderbread

was laughing and crying at the same time.

~ more ducks and a more better camera color setting ~

Seeing the girls so quickly move on with Life

after his passing 

brought me comfort

because they too saw his Spirit everywhere.

~ nope, i wasn't feeding them again ~

Especially in the ducks.

~ brief stop at bicentennial gardens ~

We ate some snacks, had some water.

And meandered back to his memorial service.

~ "these are for GG" ~

~ "do you think she'll like them?" ~

It was beautiful and comforting.

Lela sat in her Pop's lap.

Liv fell asleep in her Gran's arms.

Watching the girls run around, and laugh and dance

after the service

brought so much joy and peace.

They weren't worried.

And in that moment, neither was I.

carrie