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Summer 2017 To-Do List Wrap-Up

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We did pretty well this summer!  I did better getting the Girl Tribe and Family Fun lists done than my own.  There are some things we missed that surprise me – we never made ice cream?!  That darn ice cream truck never came by our house.  Another summer passed without making any tie dye. (We did actually hike, I just missed it when I was crossing things off).

We did a really good job with our daily schedule until our trips started in August, then everything got lost in the shuffle.  Same with reading a new book everyday.

Other things, I realized, weren’t that great in the summer.  Why go to the museums when it was so pretty outside? Other things were probably never going to happen – a family bath?  That was Alma’s brilliant and silly idea.

Looking at the list of things I wanted to do for me, it’s pretty clear I just didn’t take much time for myself during the summer.  And that’s okay, because I really did have a great time with my little girl tribe, and Jesse too, when he wasn’t working.

Happy last day of summer!

Dear Harriet, Age Four

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Dear Harriet,

I love this blurry photo of us for a few reasons.  First, I’m in it with you and I think it’s important that I get in the shot too, sometimes.  Second, just look at your sweet smile.  We were camping here, and girl, do you love camping.  You love exploring and running and playing and sleeping and swimming and building and s’mores.

This past year has been a doozy.  You definitely followed the trend of three-year-olds being difficult and stubborn.  You showed your opinion quite clearly, to say the least.  You only wanted me to help you and cuddle you and read to you and carry you – dad just wouldn’t do.  You wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t exactly what you wanted.  You wanted what you wanted and you wanted it when you wanted it.  And it was hard.  Three was hard.

Luckily, the last couple months of three, things started to change.  You started to ask for daddy before me.  You became more flexible and less frustrating.  Thank you so much for that.  Really, Harriet, thank you for that.

Right now you are so much fun.  You are funny and creative.  You fiercely love the people in your life.  You have strong connections with people and are incredibly loyal.  You have changed from being stubborn to being strong (it’s an important difference to note).  I love to hear your opinions and your ideas.  You are so brave and are always willing to try new things, usually with a bit of gentle encouragement.  Last year you were scared to get your face wet, this year you’re swimming without your floaties and going down the big slide at the pool.  Last year you wouldn’t try your balance bike, this year you’re almost ready for pedals.

Four years ago, you were born on a Blue Moon.  Today, we will witness a full solar eclipse.   The planets have aligned.  I’ve always loved the moon, and since you were born four years ago, I’ve loved it even more with the connection between your birth and the moon.  Today we will stand in the moon’s shadow.  I think there is something to this, my girl.  You are my little moon girl and you were born to do great, big things.

Next year we will be getting ready for kindergarten.  But for today, and for this year, I want you to stay my little child, my baby.  No need to rush things, my Hattie Girl.  No need to stop sleeping in my arms.  No need to stop asking for my help.  Ne need to run too far or climb too high.

You are my girl and I love you to the moon and back a million times.

All my love,
Mommy

Homemade Playdough with Real Mom Vlogs

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So, I’ve never made playdough before.  I’m basically a stay at home mom of two girls who love any sort of sensory play more than anything else.  How can I not have made playdough?  Well, I haven’t, okay?  UNTIL TODAY!  Megan and I had plans to do a different crafty project with the kids, but it didn’t work out.  Luckily, Megan had everything on hand to make playdough, so we did.

Here’s a recipe I found a few places online.  One thing I love about this one is that it doesn’t need to cook or use hot water, so the kids can actually help mix it all up.  Also, like I said, Megan had all these things in her kitchen already.

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 cup cold water – bonus if you use hose water like we did
  • 1 Tbs oil (we used fractionated coconut oil)
  • A few drops of essential oils (we used Peace and Calming, and Peace and Calming II)

Directions are pretty easy.

Mix flour and salt.

Add water and oil.

Knead well.  Add more flour or water if needed.

Mix and knead until it comes together and is smooth, like playdough.

Add some Essential Oils.  We picked Peace and Calming II for half the batch, hoping it would turn everything orange, and Peace and Calming, hoping it would turn bluish/green.

As you can see, the colors in the oils didn’t really color the playdough, but the smell certainly came through!  These two three-year-olds played nicely with this playdough for close to an hour.

I think I’ll do this again.  It was easy, quick, and the kids really had fun playing with it.

Megan will post a vlog posted a vlog of the kids playing with the playdough if you want to see more about this whole thing!  Here’s a behind-the-scenes photo of Megan making the vlog.

 

Playgroup Camp-out

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Earlier this month we rented a whole group campsite for our playgroup.  It’s the perfect place for so many small people.  It is a place to run, to get toes wet, to roast things over a fire, to sing songs, to play on pirate ship logs, to stay awake too long, and to make some fun memories.

Two other families ended up joining us for the camping, while two other families camp up for the day.

I have loved watching these kids grow up together.  This fall, a huge number of them are starting kindergarten and that’s sort of unbelievable and really exciting.

 

Harriet’s New Quilt

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This has taken me so long.  I think I bought the fabric last summer when we moved Harriet into a big bed.  Then I started sewing in October.  Then I finished the quilt top in the winter.  Then I quilted it in the spring.  I finally got about to binding this past weekend and Harriet was so happy and excited.  I am too.

I used the same pattern as I did with Alma’s big quilt.  But, again I had to modify it.  I wanted to try the color gradation, but that was only designed for queen sized quilts.  I had to put on my thinking hat, do some math, and hope for the best.  It actually worked out just right and I really love the finished effect.

I used the same color scheme as I did with Alma’s quilt, but it is mostly different fabrics.  I love these scrappy quilts because it’s fun to use fabrics with sentimental value and find cute little quirky fabrics – I like the idea of the quilts being like eye-spy books with hidden things.  Harriet’s favorites are the pink mermaid tails scattered throughout the quilt.

Here’s a photo of the front of the quilt:

And the back.  I love making quilt backs more interesting than just a big expanse of fabric:

Summer To-Do List, 2017

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Oh, hey, summer! How are you?  Again, I’m pretty happy to see you.  We have lots of good plans for you and I’m so excited to get started.

Dear Alma, On Your Fifth Birthday

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Dear Alma,

Today you’re five.   Today is one of those thresholds.  You are entering a whole new stage of life.  Five is a big year.  Five is kindergarten, loose teeth, reading, school buses, bikes with pedals, new friends, long days away from home, writing.  Five is big.

Yesterday you were four and you were still a small little child.  Today you are five and you look like a whole new girl to me.  I have to be honest and say that my heart hurts a little bit when I look at you.  You are a well-spoken, creative, brave soul.  Not much of that little baby from five years ago remains.  Your legs are long and strong.  Your fingers are precise and careful.  Your eyes are clear and focused.  Your voice is loud and determined.  You are five.

You are growing up quickly and it makes me miss my baby.  But, Alma, I wouldn’t change it for anything.  Those baby days are gone, but I’m so happy about five.  I’m so excited to see all those things happen this year, but you will always be my baby.

My wishes for you this year:

  • You make new friends and keep the old
  • You are the kid in your class who welcomes everyone
  • You learn to read and enjoy it
  • You lose teeth with courage
  • You fall down and you get back up
  • You keep sitting in my lap and coming to me for comfort
  • You have compassion
  • You stand up for people who need it
  • You smile
  • You dance
  • You sing
  • You laugh
  • You know you are deeply and gracefully loved.

Alma, my little love, have fun being five.

All my love,
Mommy

Christmas Tree and Santa Claus

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The day after Thanksgiving is my favorite day because everyone catches up and starts getting ready for Christmas!  Overnight it becomes socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music, and it’s okay to deck the halls with Christmas cheer.  Finally.

This year we went to Northern Lights again.  We made the trek with Jesse’s folks this year.  We found a perfectly lovely Fraser Fir that was tall, and sparse, and green.

Jesse, with some help and encouragement from the girls and his dad, cut down our tree.  It has a much thicker trunk than our past trees, and Jesse had to work quite hard to fall it.

I love this rainy, muddy, sunny, chilly annual adventure.  I figure that since we live in the place where most the Christmas trees are grown, it’s worth it to go to the source and get the freshest of the fresh.

Because, just look at the sweet memories we are creating.

Back home we got the tree all decorated.  When we were done, there was a pretty solid ring of ornaments right at Harriet and Alma height.

And adding the star to the top is a family affair.  I love the magic of this moment, every single year.

We also got to visit Santa after church on Sunday.  I seriously love this Santa (except that this year, he told the kids he’s just a helper… I was fully committed to teaching our kids that he was the real deal, but, whatever…).

I think this was the first year both girls have happily gone right up to him and jumped into his lap.

We went, of course, with Rory and Poppy.  Poppy was a little unsure about the whole deal.

We wrote our letter to Santa and put it in the mailbox.  Then a talking tree – Doug Fir – came up and made us all a little uncomfortable.

But, hey!  It’s Christmas time!  It’s Advent!  Let’s be jolly!

Behind the Scenes with Evynne Hollens

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One thing that Evynne Hollens does very well is inspire.  She is such a positive person, and I appreciate how she puts out so much love and light into the world.  When she does covers, she chooses songs that are uplifting, empowering, and inspiring.  Her next cover is no different.

If you’ve been following her, you know that she’s been on a princess kick for a while.  In fact, she’s releasing a new CD of her covers of the princess songs (and a new CD of her other covers) very soon!  I think this all started – or at least sped up – when she released her Evolution of the Disney Princess video on YouTube.  It has over 10 million views (WHAT?!).

I don’t want to spoil what song she’s covering this time, but I will say that she came up with the perfect idea for the video.  In the video, we’ll get to see her as a few of the princesses, along with smaller versions!  The song is perfect for a bunch of four year old princesses – with their energy, silliness, sass, playfulness, and imaginations.

I helped Evynne organize a group of seven little princesses to all go to her house and film the video.  It was like a bomb of adorable exploded in the Hollens’ studio.  I mean, really.  Look at this little Princess Parade, heading into the studio:

It was so fun to be a part of the filming.  Both Evynne and Merlin, her talented cameraman (and sometimes drummer), were so wonderful with the kids.  They gave amazing directions and really seemed to be enjoying the hilariousness of directing seven 3-5 year-olds.

Ashland definitely got in on the direction.  Or maybe he was the lighting tech.  I’m not sure, but he was there and he was super helpful!

Each of the princesses got a chance to be in front of the camera.  Alma went first because that’s the way she is.  She is certainly my daughter, that is obvious.  While the other girls were, perhaps, a little unsure of what to do, Alma just jumped right in and started hamming it up for the camera.  No stage fright here.

Harriet, on the other hand, was a bit more reserved (which is hilarious since she was Elsa, the most fierce of all the princesses!).  She was also the youngest.  She sort of just sat there, or stood there, and shook her head.  I’m interested to see what Merlin got from her, and how Evynne will edit it.  But, just look at those boots peeking out of her Elsa dress.  That’s so Harriet.

It was really interesting to be there, in the studio, where the Hollens film many of their videos.  It all felt so exciting – the lights, the background, the music, the energy.  The kids had a great time cheering each other on and playing around.

One of the highlights of the day was when Evynne would transform into various princesses.  The girls would sneak up the stairs to try to catch of glimpse of Evynne as the princesses.  I’m fairly convinced that the moment she came downstairs in costume each time, the girls thought it was the actual princess.  They called her by the princess name, and an awed hush went over them.  ‘Ariel’s’ mom even said to me, “Why did I pay so much money to meet the Princesses at Disneyland when I could have just come over to Evynne’s house?”  So, Evynne, if this whole YouTube business doesn’t pan out, you have a future in doing Princess Parties! Ha!

I’m excited for this epic show-down between the pink and blue Sleeping Beauty dresses.  Actually, they were very civil, but it got a bit tense there for a second.

One of my favorite moments of the day was when Merlin was telling the girls and their families the plan, and it was chaos.  Everyone was playing with Ash’s toys and there were little brothers running around.  Alma was so overcome with her enthusiasm that she just ran up to Merlin and gave him a big hug, despite the fact that she barely even knew him.

We all had such a fun time working on this video with Ev and Merlin!  Thanks to Olivia, Elizabeth Grace, Eibhlin, Marie, Hailey, Harriet, and Alma – all the little princesses – for helping out!  Thanks to Evynne Hollens and Merlin for including us!   I’m sure the whole squad of little princesses will remember this day for a long, long time.

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Happy Halloween!

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This Green Faced Witch and this Queen Elsa (who’s really Harriet) would like you wish you a very Happy Halloween!

Here’s that Green Faced Witch looking extra spooky with a mean face and a real, decorative broom.  I made her dress using a pattern for the Wizard of Oz wicked witch.   I really wanted her to have an old-fashioned looking dress, and this pattern was perfect!  The spider web fabric makes it extra spooky and extra fun!

But she doesn’t want you to be too scared.  She’ll rip off her hat and say, “It’s me!  It’s Alma!” in case you look too spooked by her green face.

There was no question that Harriet wanted to be Queen Elsa for Halloween.  She’s pretty obsessed, and this hand-me-down from my cousin’s daughter was perfect!  She’s quick to point out that she’s ‘Just Harriet” if you call her Queen Elsa.  She doesn’t want there to be any confusion.

Here she is freezing everything, but not really since she’s not really Queen Elsa, she’s just Harriet:

Now let’s just hope for a dry evening so we can get some good trick or treating in!

From left: Alma's pumpkin from school, my surprised pumpkin, Alma's jack-o-lantern (designed by Alma, carved by me), Harriet's spooky pumpkin (designed by Harriet, carved by Jesse), Jesse's cool pumpkin, an extra pumpkin.
From left: Alma’s pumpkin from school, my surprised pumpkin, Alma’s jack-o-lantern (designed by Alma, carved by me), Harriet’s spooky pumpkin (designed by Harriet, carved by Jesse), Jesse’s cool pumpkin, an extra pumpkin.