Fairy house

We had a special visit with Grandma today, during which this fairy house was constructed. Wood fairies, wood fairies, where are you?

Nature Basket

This is the "nature basket" that sits on our plant table. The boys, Noah especially, love to fill it with various goodies they collect outside. I decided on the basket because I found that the boys could have easily moved a tree limb into our family room, daily. And, well, we just don't have space for that.

Within the basket you will find Lightening the caterpillar (the second). He's speedy, all right. So speedy he seems to have dashed his way right out of his jar.

Greaat.

Artists

Easel, belly, what's your preference?

My funny little scientist

I walked into the bathroom this morning to find a very wet hand towel on the floor. Before hanging it back up I checked with Noah to see why it was wet.

Me: "Noah, do you know how the towel got wet?"

Noah: "Oh, I used it to cover my penis so I could filter my pee."

Oh. (!!!)

I just don't recall ever having a conversation like this with my mother. Do girls do things like this??

Me: "Hey, guys, what are you doing?"

Noah: "Um, we're making butter."

Of course.

This is my favorite kind of play. Yes, it's messy, and things that were clearly not designed to be used as toys are often, well, used as toys. (This is a bird bath, by the way.) But this is our life. Messy, unscripted, non-manufactured, joyful. On our good days, anyway.

There is far too little of this kind of play in our society today, if you ask me. The barefoot in your backyard kind. Pure, not adult led. Come by and join us any time. But bring extra clothes, you're bound to get dirty.

Boys in trees

My boys love to climb. Need to climb. Grandma helped the boys find this great climbing tree in our "forest", right next to their favorite climbing rock. I only wish they were closer to the back yard. We still need/want to buy a swing set at some point, probably this spring. Until then, we'll enjoy our time in the trees. And after then, of course. Don't go thinkin' that this mainstream influence will get us out of the trees...

Henry's dictionary

These are some of my favorite Henry words these days.

"Wowa", of course. His favorite word, favorite person. His Noah.
"Nannie"-- Annie, our cat
One of my very favorites-- "Oodie". Henry would be oodie all the time if he could be. In fact, I think he would like it if everyone were oodie. Um, nudie, I mean.
"Ankie". We don't go anywhere without ankie (blankie). Grandma made ankie for us- very special. Noah did not have an attachment object like this. I was/am such a strong advocate of Attachment Parenting that I did not encourage one. By the time Henry arrived my philosophy had, um, matured, I guess. Having an attachment object is only a "problem", I realized, if it is used in place of a person's affection/attention, but not when used in partnership with such attention. More love is good. Ankie and I are peeps. Ankie is good.

The process of speech development just amazes me, like almost everything about child development. Fascinating, precious. Very cool, indeed.