Strawberry Fields Forever

Last night Willow had her second sleepover with her best bud Finn. This time around we let them do all sorts of magical grown up things that she had been asking to do, like go to the park after dark and catch lightening bugs, have cookies and milk right before bed, and watch a movie AFTER bedtime. Well, you will be glad to know it was all a smashing success. We caught thirty lightening bugs with the help of the neighborhood kids. They learned about dunking cookies in milk, after which I heard, "Mom, why didn't you ever tell me about this? Do you keep ALL the good secrets?" And three Scooby Doo videos later when I had to tell them that, seriously, it is time for bed, all I
could think was, you guys were so much cuter

last year when your little four year old brains couldn't stay up past ten. It was MIDNIGHT! My five year old can now stay up until midnight. It's all down hill from here.

p.s. we let all of the lightening bugs go, except for the one that got smushed in the lid. oops!

Fancy Pants Recycled Crayons

We have added something new to our etsy shop that I'm really excited about. We had a bunch of old broken crayons and turned them into new fun crayons! What a fantastic idea! I know other people have done this too but I love them none the less. They are the perfect thing to pull out of your purse with some blank paper while you are waiting with your kids somewhere or running errands or whatever. My daughter thought I was magic when I showed them to her. And who wants to throw crayons away? So far we have transportation, sports, flowers, cat and mouse, and hearts. Come check them out!

My Oldest Friends

Not too long ago, while cleaning out my grandfather's barn, I came acrossed these two lovely ladies, which I haven't seen since I was five. My grandfather, who was a carpenter, passed away a couple of years ago and we have started to go through his barn. It is full of mainly tools and wood and half finished pieces of furniture, but amidst all of that, tucked into a corner were my favorite dollies in the world. I remember going out to the barn with him to watch him make all sorts of magnificent furniture. Apparently at one point I left the dolls there and he tucked them away. I can't describe the joy I felt when I found them. It felt a little silly, but I LOVED these dolls. They were my security blanket for so many years. I'm sad that they have an air of neglect about them. I want to know how to clean them without hurting them further. Dirt or not, I'm so pleased to have them back.

Party with a Purpose

Comfest is quickly approaching and I can't wait! Since becoming a vendor a few years ago I don't get to enjoy comfest like I used to, but I love it all the same. Thousands and thousands of people coming together to enjoy music and such. It really makes our growing metropolis feel like a community. But.... now I have to step up production in our little shop and hope to God that business picks up from last year. I have high hopes that everything will work. And maybe the queens of comfest will put our booth in the grass this year! And maybe we'll be able to hear the music!

Graduation

Willow graduated from preschool. The bigger she gets, the harder time I have believing that she was once a tiny baby that came from me. She is so grown up with her own ideas and plans (because my ideas and plans are ALL WRONG). She is already planning where she wants to go to college so she can study worms and potato bugs. She informed me that she is ready for her own phone and her own kitten. She knows the boy she is going to marry. And so on and so on. But for today we are just going to celebrate the end of preschool and not focus on all of the plans she has made for the future. Congratulations my little Graduate!

p.s. How DO you flip a picture?

Yay for Charter Schools!

Yesterday was election day and our school system had a levy on the ballot. It was quite cheap, only $22 a year for a hundred thousand dollar house. And it was going to save our school system from the depths of despair. And it didn't pass. I am SO disappointed. I had a feeling this would happen, however, and we signed Willow up for kindergarten at a lovely charter school. But our school system will no longer have sports, clubs, or school funded recreation of any kind! No band! When I go to the grocery store I won't be able to hear the marching band in the field practicing. And they were good! The music has died, and it is your fault! (if you live in my neighborhood) What the hell is wrong with you, community?

So Tucker wakes up this morning with a runny nose and I immediately slip into neurotic mode. SWINE FLU! I was certain for a while it was swine flu and we are All Going To Die. I didn't use to worry about crap like that, but ever since I had the kids I freak out at the drop of a hat. I'm still not convinced it isn't swine flu but I suppose it is highly unlikely. We haven't really been around anyone, unless it was that evil child that sneezed as we walked by him in the grocery store. And we haven't been to Mexico. It almost makes me wish for the good old days of SARS and bird flu and even a little MRSA. Those certainly weren't pandemics. Or were they? Anyhow, we didn't get them. Tucker will be fine but why couldn't he have gotten sick last week when I was blissfully unaware of the nasty swine and their dirty flu?