Wordless Wednesday 69 - Solstice

Rasa Bea

Royce took this picture with his phone and I don't know why I love it so much. Maybe because it sums her up so perfectly the way she's giving him a very serious stare while her "get up" is laughable! She's got a combination of my and Royce's flair, thats for sure! She's a thinker and doesn't try to be funny like Adia does so Royce and I giggle quite a lot when she walks away :)

Little Bea does not believe less is more.....at least not when it comes to fashion.

Wordless Wednesday 68 - the little girls of summer

Happy Summer Solstice to you!

Midsummer
by JT

Longest day
Shortest night
Longest light
Shortest dark
The world within
Echoes the world without
Lush foliage, leaves unfurled
Soft springy grass dotted with
Brightly colored flowers peeping through
The earth is green and bright
With warm sunny days
Clear velvety blue skies
Gentle cool breezes
Nature in glory
Our hopes blossom
Creativity flowers
With the season
The seeds of the fruit
Our desires will bear
Can be seen
On the stems
Of our dreams



We have rain and storms in the forecast for Summer Solstice (Midsummer) but that will only dampen our festivities a little bit. When I think of Summer Solstice I think of sundresses, picnics, bonfires, the seemingly everlasting light of this long day, the warm sun, playing in water, grass, fireflies, sweet strawberry shortcake and ice cream, the sweet gifts of fresh produce the earth blesses us with and playing outside late until the sun finally goes to bed.

All that is the everlasting energy of a young child becomes a metaphor for me for this sweet bright long day of Summer Solstice.

We celebrate the sun and earths gifts to us this season, the joys of being a young family and being together.

Happiest Summer Solstice to you and your families!

To Rasa and Adia:
"So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;
But yet a union in partition,
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem."

from Midsummer Nights Dream, Shakespear

Happy Summer to my beautiful and bright little wonders.

Wordless Wednesday 67 - the land of gnomes and wonderment

To Adia and Rasa....

I don't know how to teach you to be kind, sensitive, loving and caring without just being that way and hoping you will see it and know that it is right and good. And even knowing that the consequence of it is the hurt that will likely come with opening your heart up, it's worth it. It will change you, sometimes forever, but you can trust that by opening yourself up you will be giving someone the most beautiful thing you have because you will be giving them a piece of yourself and the chance for them to see who you really are. What you really are is good and pure and wonderful.

I will always be a work progress but you teach me to be a better person by watching what I do. You have given me a world, no a universe, of depth and layers to my heart that I didn't even know existed before you. There is no sweeter sound than Momma on your lips and no sweeter feeling than your arms wrapped around my neck with my lips on your sweet soft cheeks.

I love how Adia's tiny hand wraps all the way around my index finger when we walk side by side both of our arms swinging together in motion. When I look down and you look up at me with sparkly clear blue eyes and smile and you say "hi momma" in the softest, lightest and sweetest voice ever known to man.

I love how Rasa's arms and legs hug around my torso and your head rests on my shoulder when we dance. I can feel your soft head of hair on my ear as I rest my head on yours. When we sing together and you whisper "again".

To say I love you doesn't paint the full picture of my sentiment towards each of you.

Wordless Wednesday 66 - Nanna's dresses part 2

Sweet summer perspective

I can't help but feel more connected to myself, the earth and my family in the summer months. The winters edge is long gone away and we're no longer cooped up trying to stay busy all day without getting too edgy with each other. To have our bare feet in the grass, the wading pool keeping us cool and the shade of the trees is the purest enjoyment I can think of in the summer months.

Each summer has been so different and while I think extremely fondly of the first summer with my girls it was still so hard, balancing the needs of two six month olds while trying to figure out exactly what we were doing! This summer is going to be so different, I can tell already, as I balance out my busy working weekends with the sweet rhythm of our weekdays. The girls get so much pleasure out of playing both with each other and independently. I love watching them delight in the water, running free and knowing that their rhythm was built around their very own needs and wants.

Royce and I still have so much peace and happiness in the fact that I am home with them during the week to be with them and for them to be with me. I have scaled way back with teaching them what I thought would give them an advantage (ie sign language, numbers, letters and words) and allowed the development of their minds at their pace with my priority on their play. They will learn to read and write at some point and I'll continue to sign with them but they need music, dancing, art and free time to play and learn to play. I feel passionate that these are the very most important things for them both mentally and emotionally right now. I truly feel that when you scale back and simplify you make way for the most important things to blossom and develop. To be able to be, and just be, is a skill they have but lose as we bombard them with toys, tv and too much of everything!

I hope this summer you will take pleasure in the simple things too. Being together, talking, reading, dancing, playing and enjoying your present moment. The mess will be there when you have time for it. The laundry mountain isn't going anywhere (though I wish the laundry fairy would make a pit stop here once in a while!) but your babies are growing quickly and even if they are already grown they will still delight you with who they are right now, at this very moment.

Happy Summer (a little early) to you all!

Play!

“Play is the exultation of the possible.” Martin Buber

Wordless Wednesday 65 - beautiful mornings