one for the birds

when we moved into our new house one of the things i noticed right away was how many birds (and squirrels) there were in our backyard every morning. so after two weeks of an "autumn" theme in our home-forest-pre-school, we decided to do a bird exploration this week. so far we have not done much other than buy a bird feeder and make bird food. aaaaannnnndddd it turns out that none of the birds wanted the bird food we put out. but evie did! i was laughing so hard when i was stringing up the little bird food shapes that we made because she was reaching for them on her tip-toes as i was doing it, like it was a piñata. i love this age and how evienne is not at all put off by what people around her think about what she's doing. if she wants something, she's going for it! so, i think i ended up feeding my children and the squirrels more with this bird food (j was entirely skeptical about my homemade approach and i guess he was right on this one). but! it was fun to make and a good morning's project, so to me: success!
it's not always easy to do this type of project with kids because they are invariably falling off the chairs at the counter or trying to climb ON the counter and knocking over the ingredients or trying to eat the ingredients. evienne did NOT understand or appreciate that we weren't making a treat for her to eat, haha. but i'm willing to put up with some mess and chaos to try to bring my kids more into the kitchen and awaken their curiosity and wonder. i remember as a kid being so fascinated with cooking, and was beyond thrilled on the day that i decided and succeeded in making a veggie soup all by myself. and i was going to do an art project of painting the bird house with the kids before nixing that idea, so compared to that potential mess, this was nothing! ;)
other things on our agenda this week are picking up all the bird books i've requested from our library and maybe visiting a nature center to see if we can spot any birds we're reading about. and we'll probably pull out our crayons and markers to try drawing some bird pictures. mama is not so good in the drawing department, so that should be worth a few laughs. ;)

goings on around here {outside}

lately life has felt a little...expectant. pregnant with possibility (but maybe just hope. or maybe that's just the rain talking). stagnant too maybe. or heavy? not slow, but not moving. likely this is just the feeling one has after a lot of activity. and i think I've been tying this feeling to my own lack of motivation to go anywhere or do anything with the kids these past few days. it is hard to be pulled in many directions all at once and to want to give yourself to each direction fully, but never being able to. that is motherhood these days. not bad, but...i am ready for some more adventure with these two.

but yesterday, we didn't have any plans, and i was contemplating another day indoors until i realized, hey, i have a perfectly acceptable yard. not an ideal one, sure. not a perfect one, by far. but i am finally learning that when it is spring, when it is not too chilly, when it is not yet hot, when there is a break from the rain, you go outside. you do not worry about stray dogs or stray poop in the yard or snakes or the extra energy spent on jackets and boots. you go outside and you play in the dirt and everyone is happy as can be.

a visit from friends

last week one of my oldest, dearest friends came to stay with her husband, little boy and pregnant belly;). it had been almost four years (their wedding) since i'd seen her in person, but it felt like no time at all had passed. i think that's always true of the friends you are most comfortable and at home with. it also helps that we text almost daily, so there isn't a period of "catching up" on what our respective lives are like right now. i love modern technology for that reason alone, because most of my closest friends are at least states away, not to mention time zones. there was actually one point when three of my closest friends all lived in different countries! i also think it's interesting that most of the friends i have kept closest to are the oldest ones. friends i made in infancy, almost. and now we are all flung around the world and country. but it can almost (almost) feel like we are together every day, when we are constantly texting stories and photos to each other. weird and wonderful. to me it's like having real sisters, and i cherish it so much.

but anyways, finally being able to sit across the table and drink a cup of coffee (and munch a donut, that's important!;) while we watch our littles roll over each other on the floor, was sooo good. there was a lot of kid refereeing, a lot of making/serving/cleaning up food (per usual), a lot of coffee drinking, a lot of talking. one day we took the kids outside in the yard, and evie promptly jumped into the (never-before-seen-to-her) garden, naturally. and naturally i took a bunch of pictures before taking her out (don't tell j;). the boys ran around and played with sticks and chalk and the dog, being regular kids. it was w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l. and i am so thankful that they made the trip to see us.

but i think what i value the most from this visit is a realization i had of how much i learn from my friends. have learned and am still learning. i think that from my parents i learned how to be. and from my friends, especially the friends i have now, i am learning how i want to be. is that strange to say? i am always impressed with them, so much. and i don't know if they realize it (probably not). this isn't to heap flattery on anyone or compliment anyone (don't go getting big heads guys!;). it's just a realization i had of how much i have to learn from these dear ones close to me.

what i mean to say is that i am so thankful to have companions whom i admire and love and look up to. i count myself so blessed. thank you friends for showing me how to love. how to accept. how to be gracious and kind. how to take care of people. how to be selfless and loving. i think it's fair to say that what i am seeing in you is actually God Himself, shining in you. so, thank you for showing me who i want to be. thank you for bringing God to me.

and now for the photos:)