Happy 2nd Birthday little bud

This second trip around the sun has been filled with so much laughter and mischief. You are the most mischievous little person I have met.

You are so enamored with your older sister, trying to say everything she says and always changing your mind to fit with what she wants. Your vocabulary and depth astounds me. Just yesterday, as we were driving in the car on the way to a place where you would be without me for a bit, you said, "b u t (in the long drawn out way you say words when you are really thinking of how to say what you need to say) I will miss you." And my heart melted. I wasn't even sure what you meant (how could you be thinking of that?) but you repeated your words for me a few more times, slowly, quietly, looking down through your eyelashes, "(don't leave me) I will miss you". So I didn't. That is the pattern of many days this year, you just aren't ready for the world yet and I am completely okay with that.

You are always fighting to get in between me and whatever thing is preventing you from me. Sometimes it is AnaSofia, the computer or the cat - but you fight like a little bull to be the sole winner of my lap. And if that still doesn't get my attention, you have no problem grabbing my cheeks with your two small, strong hands and pulling my face right in front of you. Sometimes you do this in public with a very wet kiss on my lips and it is really the sweetest thing ever. And you are so joyous and playful most moments, playing with AnaSofia and bubbling up with this huge boy laugh that makes me smile even if I am across the house.

You are my little alligator, hatched in our nest of little birds and, oh my boy, how I love you... Thank you for teaching me to sit and enjoy the quiet moments, to breathe, thank you for giving me such ferocious hugs filled with love and thank you for needing me - I did not know it but I really needed you too.

Happy Birthday sweet Kasper. xo

Happy Holidays to You!

So excited for this week of handmade gifts, lots of cooking and family, such a magical time of year that I have been anticipating for many months.
The chimney is dressed...

There will be merry music making on traditional instruments...

and singing and music making in not so traditional ways.

lots of outdoor fun...

and times filled with so many wonderful family and friends...
including these two special elves!

Wishing you a merry christmas and happy new year! xoxo!

Merrymaking

I am always amazed by the talents and abilities of others - some people can do so many different things and wow me with their ingenuity. Michael and Chevy are two friends we have known for many years (and now live so very close to!) that are this type of people - resourceful, fun and so very clever. Chevy invited us to decorate cookies with her and I must tell you, I have never decorated cookies with such pizazz before! She had every color frosting under the sun, lots of special treats and more cookies than we could decorate in the few special hours we had with them on Christmas Eve while the hubs was at work.







Yes, it was a joyful day, baking and decorating cookies on Christmas Eve will definitely be a Christmas tradition for us full of memories.

Bring on the birdies

I love seeing the natural world play out through the window in the winter. We also spend a lot of time outside distributing carrots and corn near tracks that we find and imagining the surprise of each animal happening on such a bounty. Last year, Mr. Man bought me a really fantastic feeder that holds 25 lbs of seed and shuts when a fat squirrel tries to thieve some seed. We put it up here the day we arrived and have waited WEEKS, listening to quiet trees with no chirping birds, and each day hoping for a feathered friend to make a discovery. AnaSofia and I decided to work a little harder to attract the birds and made pine cone feeders to hang in the lilac tree around the feeder.


And those pine cones just sat for another few weeks... So AnaSofia suggested the birds might need a flag to show them where to go, so we made a flag and waited some more...

And then finally one day we noticed the pine cones were clean, and soon the birds came in droves!

Where were all these sweet, hungry creatures in the past weeks? We think this guy was sent to us from our friends Michael and Chevy!

And we are all so happy for the dramas outside the window,

and one family member is really, really happy!

A New Addition

We have had such a sad year in losing three of our furry friends. It has been a quiet house the past six months as we mourned our loved ones and packed to move. We (well, maybe I) promised the kids we would get a cat when we were settled. I thought it would be a good distraction from the chaos and I have desperately missed the warmth of a furry creature. I have been looking for awhile and knowing it would happen when the time was right. And it did... Welcome Jipsee!
She is a sweetheart who came from a sweet girl who could not keep her anymore. We are all so happy to spend time with her these past few days. AnaSofia is educating her about fairies and such and told me today, "I think she likes fairies, princesses and sparkly things just like me." Oh my!



Yes, I think she will fit right in!

Little Pieces

Little bits of holiday cheer are popping up all over the house...
FarMor and FarFar always help us get started by sending packages for advent with all these wonderful Danish treasures inside that the kids look forward to each day.


It is pretty easy to ignore the lead paint chaffing off the door if it is decorated with some berries and branches from the woods...

We also have had a little holiday elf move in to help Santa bring good cheer to Maine... I painted a little dollhouse door red (it is about 7 inches high) and glued it to the molding of the kids room for them to wake up to on December 1st. Each morning she leaves a little something in her sleigh for them. AnaSofia cut out photos of some favorite horses to share with her today. It is so sweet to see their excitement over the magic of the season.

A little red and green cheer amongst the white and cold makes me so very happy!

Here.

We are home on the coast now. It is all so new and different. I love it and feel safe and happy most moments. My children feel such happiness and that contents me to know that this moment is right.