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.