Happy Birthday, Alice!

Our sweet Alice Pearl is 4! It was an absolute JOY to celebrate her...

The artmobile came to our house!

Getting ready to paint...

Apparently, in its previous life, the artmobile was used to transport prisoners. So glad it serves a happier purpose these days!

Time for ice cream sundaes!

The finished paintings, drying outside in the sunshine!

 Sweet friends!

An interview with Alice, Age 4

What do you want to be when you grow up? A big girl

What is your favorite book? Curious George

What is your favorite food? Mac n cheese

What is your favorite toy? My doll

What is your favorite animal? An owl

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Magic

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate

What do you like to do? Play with Lucy

Oh, Alice. There are not words to express how much we love you, sweet girl. I always say, you are a balm to my soul. Spending time with you is so life-giving to me. You are kind, generous, funny, affectionate, and sweet. You are so content and have been ever since you were a little baby. There is no one like you. You are my treasure. I love you.

8 Months

Our sweet Esme Rose is 8 months old! I am a bit behind with this post, but Esme has been growing so much and reaching some exciting milestones this month...

- Miss Esme is so full of personality! She is sweet and spunky, just like her big sisters. She loves to cuddle and play with her blocks.

- She is continuing to try new foods. So far, she has enjoyed: blueberries, banana, blackberries, vegetable curry, chicken, scrambled eggs, red pepper, kale, and much more. Her favorite is still probably watermelon, and who can blame her?

- She will wave when you say, "Hi!" and she can say "Mama".

- She has dropped her "dream feed" and is sleeping through the night, for the most part. She likes to wake up at 6 or 6:30am, which I am still getting used to!

- She loves her sisters and is fascinated by animals, especially our cat. 

We love you, Esme! It is so much fun to watch you grow!

Homemade Butter

This morning, Lucy made homemade butter. It was surprisingly easy and fun!

Here's what she did:

1. Fill a mason jar halfway with cream and pinch of salt.

2. Screw a lid on the jar and shake for about 15 minutes. (Lucy's arms got tired after about 5 minutes, so I had to help her.)

3. Remove the lid. Cream should now have a thick consistency.

4. Strain excess liquid from jar using a clean paper towel or cheese cloth. 

5. Spread and enjoy! (Refrigerate leftovers.)

Alice was a big fan.

For lunch, the girls enjoyed the homemade butter spread on some fresh, brown bread. I don't eat dairy, but I was very tempted to have a taste. Both Lucy and Alice said it was scrumptious!

Phenology Wheel Updates

Remember our phenology wheels? We have been making some great progress, if you'd like to see...

Lucy's phenology wheel

My phenology wheel

Drawing does not come naturally to me. In fact, it is really difficult for me to not be critical of my own work. Fortunately, developing artistic ability is not the point of keeping these phenology wheels (though growing in this area might be an added bonus). The purpose is to be more intentional in our observations of nature. I used to have only a vague idea that I always heard the peepers in early spring, but I didn't know exactly when. Same with the blooming of the daffodils in our neighborhood, the blossoming of the Japanese magnolia trees, and the first fireflies of the year. Doing this exercise along with Lucy has helped me to pay attention to the calendar of the natural world, and maybe my drawing will improve in the process. At least, I can hope this will be the case!