~ digging in the dirt ~

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

A warm February day

allowed the girls to create an amazing playscape!

They trickled out water from one of our rainbarrels

and dug out channels, pools and ditches

until a wetland and river

ran down a little slope in the backyard.

My favorite part was watching silt swirl in the rivulets.

Everyone observed how sand settled out first,

an organic lesson in stream dynamics without a single lecture.

Even this biology momma held her tongue,

allowing her girls to make their own discoveries.

Here, Lela adds to a small dam that Liv created. 

A little frog, actually an incense stick holder,

finds the perfect pool for a home.

The weather in these parts has been amazing!

Today will be nearly 70 degrees F and sunny.

A few red maple trees in our backyard are starting to bloom,

and the Bradford pear is not far behind.

A clump of crocuses in the neighbor's yard

have delighted the girls.

We're looking forward to more muddy, dirty play

as Spring appears to have arrived!

~carrie~

~intentions~

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

February's intention kind of got lost in the shuffle.

However, January's intention (which was buried in the shuffle!)

was more than enough to keep me going for 2 months!

My intention was to stop threatening my children 

with some ridiculous consequence

: I will throw these clothes away if you don't pick them up! :

To stop expecting that they should just "do what I say!"

without question or pause, every time.

I don't do that; why should they?

It is silly, and completely unrealistic.

Most importantly, why would I want them to?

Am I seeking to control them, to balance out parts of my life that are out of my control?

Parts of my life that I *choose* to not control?

Am I stressed and frustrated, and falling into negative patterns?

Overwhelmed?

All of the above, I'm sure!

In the last two months, I made a lot of progress,

to the point that nearly all outward manifestations are gone.

But I still carry some of the inner voices,

so clearly this needs continued attention.

~carrie~

~ early december and birthdays ~

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

***

I offer no explanation for my absence

other than I have enjoyed not being on the computer.

***

December was busy and fun.

We really wanted to make this holiday time 

beautiful and special for the girls.

Every year since we've been together, 

we have traveled to be with extended family.

(Unless you count the year I had 2 week old twins.)

Making the decision to stay home was difficult,

but we made the right choice.

We had a great month,

and our family celebration was truly magical.

We put up our tree.

This sweet picture of Daddy and the girls

was taken after the first of the decorations were up.

We also attempted a family picture.

(Sorry folks, I have Photoshop but don't feel like using it tonight!)

Blogger feels it knows better than I the proper orientation for pictures.

Ahem.

But here we have a toilet paper tube snowflake.

We discovered that many of our holiday decorations molded in the attic.

A helpful child decided that fresh arrangement needed to go into storage as well.

Another ahem.

Sweet picture of Lela and Laurel

Saint Nikolaus came to visit!

He left the girls some slippers, a holiday mug, a peppermint cane and booster seat.

Thank you St. Nikolaus - those booster seats were desperately needed!

This is a very, very special picture of me and Santa Claus.

Do you know why?

Since many decorations had to be thrown away,

we had no choice (heehee!) but to craft, craft, craft!

We made wrapping paper with potato stamps (in the background)

and here the family is preparing to make felt ornaments by wet felting in a form.

Here are our sweet ornaments!

(Thanks again Blogger!)

And in the middle of all that crafting and family fun,

a few days before the Winter Solstice,

came the 4th birthday of my twin babies!

Daddy made them each a set of walking blocks.

Aunt Bec sent them a lovely photograph (she took!)

Their GG sent a sweet version of The Night Before Christmas,

illustrated by Jan Brett.

I needle felted them a tiny doll with a "4" on the front, and a heart on the back.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Happy Birthday Laurel!

Lela's gift - a calendar for each of her sisters.

Laurel and Liv requested a catfish dinner, with pea and mashed sweet potatoes.

The catfish was locally caught, an added bonus.

Happy Birthday my sweet babies!

You are growing up so fast!

I still have pictures to share of our Winter Solstice lantern walk with our Waldorf families, and pictures from our family celebration.

~carrie~