May your blessings outnumber

the shamrocks that grow,

and may trouble avoid you

wherever you go.

~Irish Blessing

Chicken and bunny pasta with cilantro pumpkin seed pesto, fresh broccoli,  green beans, celery with cream cheese, cilantro ranch dressing, clover cucumbers.

Blessings, magic, and rainbows sweet Ella!

Lookalikes

Sibling Doubles

Ella (three years old) and Nathaniel (two years old)

What sweet reflections!

Mooney

Daddy's Copilot checking out his ride.  I can already see who's gonna get stowed away in the back seat like an old piece of luggage;).

"This is a compass, mom, and it's telling me there is a shark below."

Happy Flying!

Zen Wonder

One of Ella's favorite books is Zen Ghosts by John J Muth
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Ghosts-Jon-J-Muth/dp/043963430X.

The illustrations give a sense of peace, but are still full of life. For young kiddos, the story is simply a Halloween tale between friends, but the subtle depth is about the dual nature of being human.  It's one of my favorites, too.

:  :  :  :  :  An afternoon through the imaginative eyes of Ella :  :  :  :  :  

:  :  :  :  :  My raccoon-zen-tribal-looking panda of sorts :  :  :  :  :  

:  :  :  :  :  Yin :  :  :  :  :

Caring for her nature birds and providing nesting materials

:  :  :  :  :  Yang :  :  :  :  :  

Is she Yin or Yang OR an important balance of the two?  

The answer will become her own.  

 

Is Today a School Day?

Here's my answer...

During our morning wake-up ritual, Ella always asks, "is today a school day, mama"?  So, I take a moment to talk about our day.  I ordered this visual activity chart from akidsday.com to give E some transparency in routine.  Hopefully, this little chart will help us both maintain a predictable rhythm to our days--especially since mama starts work again on Monday.


Don't want to clutter the tree with "every" little thing (make bed, brush teeth, etc.) we do--just bigger "events."  The little magnet labels make it easy for Ella to attach to the tree chart and flexible for changes in schedule.

Labs of Love

Science Lab

3/4 glass of baby or cooking oil, 1/4 tonic water

10 or so drops of food coloring

Add some glitter or whatever you have that sparkles

Purple pixie potion

Cooking oil with glow tonic water

Red food coloring 

Some marshmallows

Lava Lamp of Love

Art Lab

Card for Daddy

Chocolate scented sensory bin for teacher

Chocolate glitter play dough for bin

Gifts for classmates

Ella's love is a bubbling over...