terrariums

At garden camp this summer, we made terrariums. I liked them so much that we made more. We've had fun watching all the stuff grow - we've found mushrooms in Sarah's rainforest and new little "trees" in Eric's dinosaur world.

Puppy Love

Her name is Lucy, and she's great. She's funny, patient, and sweet - we couldn't have asked for a better dog. She digs holes in the sand, sleeps on her back, and has the cutest ears I've ever seen. At dinner, when we share our favorite part of the day, she tops the list every night. It's official on Saturday, but that's just a formality. She's ours, and we're hers.

the fairy house

Our new/improved fairy house . . . the shadow and light in these pictures that Brian took seem quite fitting for a fairy wonderland . . . and (how exciting!) we've already seen evidence that fairies have visited . . .

a sweet girl

Today, we started a trial run to see if she's the one for us, and if we're the ones for her. So far, she's proving herself to be one very cute, very sweet, little girl. (And Eric's proving himself to be one very happy, very goofy, little boy.) We like her very much.

today

Ten years later, I still struggle with what happened. At the time, living in New Jersey, I was acutely aware of my lack of history with the region. Before that day, I didn't know what the twin towers were - they weren't etched in my memory of New York's skyline. I didn't need to make any phone calls to ensure that my loved ones were still here. Being so close, yet (gratefully) insulated from the worst of it, I tried to understand where I fit in this immeasurable loss.

Today, Sarah and Eric saw a quick glimpse of a plane flying into a building, and they asked us what was happening. We explained that it was something that happened ten years ago, and that it was very sad. We explained that people flew the plane into the buildings on purpose. "Why would they do that?" Sarah asked. We explained that we didn't know. Eric answered, "They were bad people." They took it in as best they could and seemed to accept what we told them.

I've thought about it a lot this week, and I've been unsettled. Ten years ago, I felt sadness for those who were lost and for those who were left behind. I felt sadness for New York City, for our country, and for our world. This week, I felt that same sadness and was reminded how little I understand about what happened that day. Today, I am grateful to have two young children who asked, paused for a moment, and then helped me to move on.

at the end of summer

I decided at the beginning of the summer that a few day trips to the beach would be good. Well, summer went by faster than I imagined, and we didn't make it until the end. On the Thursday before school started, we went to the beach. We had a picnic, spent a few hours enjoying the sun, sand, and salty water, and then we headed home. I think eating dinner in the car on the way home was almost as good as the fun we had at the beach. They were so good, and I'm so glad we made it there before the end of summer.

our mud kitchen

My newest project idea (and construction request for Brian) is a mud kitchen. We had the shelving, and I found the rest of it at a local re-use store, The Scrap Exchange. It's the kind of the place where you can spend hours, wandering around, scratching your head, and you either figure it out or you don't. This project was perfect for what the store has to offer, and I left with a pile of stuff (for only $11.23). I'm still patting myself on the back for that one.

We put it together a few weekends ago, and it's been a hit. The timing was good, with the weather cooling off a bit, allowing for more comfortable backyard play. It's much dirtier now, due to all of the wonderful dishes prepared and served. (We've had lots of fun with this kitchen.) I've learned along the way that dirt, sand, and water are really all you need to keep everyone happy.

The last picture shows shutters that the kids painted and that Brian will attach eventually, after I get around to sealing them.