Birthday Balloons

As we are nearing over a week past my son's third birthday party, and the balloons are slowly losing their helium. We observed one balloon slowly sink deeper to the ground, but after a whack, it decided to climb the stairs and hide behind the wall. I love helium balloons in this state. They almost appear magical because they are unpredictable and almost seem to have a mind of their own. They might stay stagnant, floating mid air, or suddenly be attracted to the wall, or maybe catch a drift of unfelt air. While my children don't necessarily see the real differences between reality and magic (doors open automatically, faucets turn on with a wave of your hand), these ballons remind of me magic. They bring out the child in me and make me smile. Happy birthday to my three year old!

Hiding in the fort

My five year old daughter built herself a fort out of the couch pillows and a blanket right after her fairy house built of Magna Tiles was destroyed by the menacing younger brother. When I poked my head in to ask how she was doing, she said, "I am just sad. That was the best fairy house I have ever built, and no fairies can come now." She is a genius. Building a fort to comfort herself and be hidden from others is the best way to handle the sadness. I wish that I could build myself a fort, crawl in, and hibernate at times. It is warm and dark and lovely. She came out with a smile on her face and a plan to build another fairy house outside this weekend.

German Pancake Sundays

"Tomorrow is German pancake day!" my five-year-old daughter yells this morning. It has become a marker of time, "German pancake day." Every Sunday, just like a religious ritual, we make German pancakes. It is a recipe from family, and something that my family ate occasionally, but it was in with the mix of Swedish, and buttermilk pancakes, a sort of rotation of sorts. Our family is dedicated to German pancakes on Sundays, and if this is at all altered, my daughter will express pure disappointment and the down right injustice of skipping, or god for bid, replacing them with something much less desirable.
Ritual in our family is one of our tenants for allowing life to flow. We know what to expect; we look forward to the comfort. While Saturday's breakfasts are a mystery, the following morning we are brought together with a huge German pancake, that fluffs up in the oven and warms our hearts. Here's to ritual, powdered sugar, and dedicated time together on Sunday mornings.

Out of the Crib

Well, the moment happened, and I never thought it would, but my almost three year old son climbed out of his crib and greeted us at 5:20 a.m. at the side of our bed. He very proudly said, "I climbed out. I will do it again." These are the moments when I am reminded that our children have a life of their own, and their schedule and our's are separate. "If they can only be on our timeframe it would be so much easier," I think to myself. I hope that he continues to push me, to make me straighten up and see him for who he is at that moment. He could wait a couple more hours and ring in his news with the sun up, right? Now on the search for a real bed.

Sending Her Off to School

As I sit here, months after my daughter's first day of Kindergarten, the emotions still feel very fresh and raw. It felt like I was dropping her off in a foreign land that first day. I remember looking at other mothers for a sense of encouragement and reassurance that I was not the only one with such strong emotions. We all respond to this great transition in our own ways, and while I do share the feeling of "my baby is growing up," it is a deeper feeling that I felt that day and still hold today. It is the continual wondering if this is really the right path for our family.