Because Hanukkah.....

 To all of our Jewish family and friends, here's wishing you a bright, peaceful, happy Festival of Lights.

As I went through last year's Hanukkah photos to find some for this post, I was taken aback by how much the girls have grown.

I love these two photos. For me, they capture the essence of the holiday. The last night of Hanukkah is always my favorite because ALL the candles being lit is SO beautiful!

Alain's chocolate cherry Dreidel Cake has become one of our family traditions.

Last year Sophie insisted that we make some crafts for Tio Iggy.  I LOVED THAT. We will surely be doing that again this year!  It feels good to include him in our celebrations, even in this small way.

Dreidels are BIG in our family.  Sophie loves to play.  We usually play with nuts rather than gelt.

I didn't get to do nearly as much as I would've liked because Hanukkah is SO danged early this year......and coincides with Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday).  I've grown to really love Hanukkah and I look forward to finding new ways to make it special.  

This craft we did last year made it to Pinterest and my blog has gotten many hits over the last few weeks from people searching for a Hanukkah craft. I have a new craft planned for this year and I'm just hoping I have time to pull it off.  We're in Lynchburg now for Thanksgiving and I'm soaking up this time with my family and my lovely, lovely Kenzie!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!!!

XOXO

PS ~ I decided to use "Because Hanukkah" for my post title after reading this.....the evolution of the English language is rather fascinating!!!

Not a fan. NOT A FAN.

I looked out my window this afternoon to see this.

This is not my cat.

As I watched, the following occurred....

That is definitely my mouse.  My sweet mouse who lives underneath the bird feeder.  She hangs out with the mourning doves in the afternoons and eats seeds that have fallen out of the feeder.  I can't believe it.

  

This evil cat has killed my mouse and left it and has now parked herself directly underneath my bird feeder.  The feeder where all my resident birds come to eat and hang out.  Including my beloved Harry Winston.

Over my dead body.  I head outside.

I am very upset about my mouse.  VERY UPSET.

Suddenly a tiny bit of motion catches my eye.  I look over.

There she is sitting in the shade beneath some trees.  Curled up like she actually belongs here.  I chase her away screaming.

I do love animals but....this cat.....I am really NOT A FAN.

Yes, yes.....we're in the SWEET SPOT!!!

We are officially there.

She's no longer an infant.  Not a toddler (whew, thank goodness!).  Long ago graduated from preschool.

Still several years away from the tween years.  The teenage stage seems distant (although I try not to look at it staring at me from the horizon!). 

Sophie is smack dab in the middle of the loveliest stage of childhood.  THIS is why we have children.  It is golden and delicious and I don't ever want it to end.

Yes, of course, it has its heartbreaking moments.  Like when she let Clara carry her stuffed animals in a store and she said, "Well, I'm seven now....I can't walk around with stuffed animals."  Or when she looked up at me from her bed one night and said, "Mommy, you won't need to read to me anymore....I can read myself now."  Other parents might celebrate that moment.....but my whole existence for the past several years has been about reading to my daughter in bed at night.  That's just WHAT I DO.  I celebrate her reading abilities and her desire for privacy to devour the world of books.  But I will always want to read to her.  So we compromised and she agreed that I could still read a book or two TO HER several nights a week!

But then there's this:  She'll still hold my hand when we walk home from the bus in the afternoon.  Sometimes she'll even run off the bus and jump on me....in front of other people!!!  And she told me last night, on a Saturday night, that she was disappointed she didn't have any homework.  What did I do?  I made some up so we could work on it together.  Last week she asked if she could do Math at school instead of recess.  WHAT?  For a couple of weeks she requested that she and I go to breakfast alone one weekend.....and when we finally got to, she asked for bagels....and while we were eating those bagels, she said, "Mom, I love eating breakfast alone with you."  Sophie still thinks it's super cool that I'm her Girl Scout leader.  When she recently told me that her favorite day of the week is Thursday, she explained that it's because I work in her school library on Thursdays and we get to walk in to school together.  She tells me pretty regularly that I am the best Mom ever and that she's lucky to have me.  My heart overflows.

Those first years were long.  Some were really hard (her entire third year for example!).  But I now experience the payoff every single day.  Sophie is just so, so lovely.  She's creative and interesting.  When she wants to be, she's as sweet and joyful as a doughnut with pink frosting and sprinkles.  I think most people would qualify her as a really happy child and she laughs a LOT.  Her teacher says hearing Sophie's laugh is one of the bright spots in her day.  Mine too, I always tell her.  Most of the time, she's sweet to Clara and I hear Sophie teaching her little sister all kinds of things.....little things, big things, silly things, important things.  I'm not a rookie Mom anymore and I know all these childhood moments are fleeting. I don't intend to miss any of them.  I eat them up in my own beastie way.

I LOVE nothing more than being in Sophie's presence.  She constantly makes me smile and laugh and feel good.

Sophie Annabelle, you are such a gift and I treasure you with every tiny little ounce of my being.

MazeMasters

This weekend Sophie and I took off to find our way through the local Corn Maze.

This was my view for almost the entire time.

Every once in a while I'd belt out...."And baby, it's amazing I'm in this maze with you!" and Sophie would giggle.

The field was HUGE and it wasn't easy but......

....we did it.....in an hour flat....and we were so proud!

A beautiful Fall day with my beautiful girl! What could be better than that?

Hoping we can make this an annual tradition!

Land As A Community

I've been reading a lot lately and that's one reason I haven't been blogging much.  So many good books.....so little time!!!  I'm currently reading Terra Nova by Eric Sanderson.  To say that I'm enjoying this book would be an understatement. I'm actually learning a lot and it's got me thinking about so many different things. One of the chapters begins with this quote:

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.  When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.

~ Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949

I really love this quote and I wish more people took it to heart.  I do my personal best to see our small piece of land as a community.  I think a lot about all the species and plants that live on our lot and how I can best protect and care for them.  I mean....they care for me, don't they?  I don't allow fertilizers, won't use harmful sprays in my garden, absolutely forbid Round-Up.....try to maximize green space....grow plants that are good for the animals, birds, bugs that live here with us.  As I finish this book, our land community is on my mind a lot.  What more can I do?  How can I be better?  How do I teach my girls?

After school today, Clara and I decided to spend some time outside in the crisp cool Fall weather.  When we stepped out into the yard, a large hawk took off from one of our trees and flew right over our heads.  Clara gasped. I looked up into the sunshine and I could see all the gorgeous spots and markings on her plumage as she passed over my head.  At the same time, I was overcome with this sudden gratitude for her presence.

Clara and I checked on the onions and leeks that I planted recently.  

Check.

We monitored the buckwheat crop that I planted.

One half of the bed is growing perfectly and the other half....NOTHING!?!?!?  

As I passed by our parsley plant something caught my eye.......  

......yep, looks pretty normal.  But upon closer inspection....

WOW!  Yeah, there's a community alright.  A community of caterpillars living in my parsley plant.  I counted between 10 and 12 of them.  What a gift.  I have no idea what type of butterflies these will become.  I'm just happy they decided to stop by and stay for a while.  

I love our little land community!

PS ~ I wanted to share a photo of Clara too.  She's quite a little firecracker lately.

No matter how many times I ask, she refuses to wear shoes when we play outside.  Even when it's 50-60 degrees like today.  And she won't let me put her hair up.  She started the day with a ponytail but took it out almost immediately upon arriving at school.  In every single picture I take, her face is covered by hair. YET when I uploaded these photos, I loved how she looked.  She looks like a nature baby to me.  Perfectly at ease barefoot out in the garden....with the sun shining on her curly locks. Collecting leaves and digging in the dirt. Still looking for fresh strawberries even though it's been almost two months since the last one.  Yes, I LOVE my nature baby just the way she is!!

PPS ~ Last night I found this note lying on my phone and bag.

From my big nature baby.  I told her it was one of the nicest notes and presents I'd ever gotten. And I meant it!!!

Hilton Head Wildlife

Wow, time is flying.  It's already been several weeks since our beach trip!  So I've already shared the Bald Eagle and baby gators with you......now it's time to share a few other wildlife photos I took during our long weekend in Hilton Head. I had grand plans to research the animals, etc but, I'm telling you, there is NO TIME.  So without further ado....

Walking back from the beach one day, I almost stepped on this guy!

EEEKKKK!  What a find.  I was so excited.  We were ALL so excited!

I found this gorgeous little soul while I was walking to the pool one morning.....

Trust me, the pictures don't do this snail justice.  In real life, that shell was translucent and glittery.  I giggle to myself when I think of how many people must have passed by and wondered why I was taking a picture of the asphalt!!!

Oh, look who's coming....

Can you just imagine how much I love, love, love this next photo? 

Be still my beating heart!  I just love that goofy bird.

Okay, okay, I know, enough with the butterflies already!  Moving on....

 

These aren't great pictures but I was rather surprised at how close this heron and alligator were hanging out.....Sophie and I stuck around for a few minutes to see what happened.  And do you know what happened?

A whole lotta' nothin'!!!  

Which is so fine by me.  I could sit and watch a whole lotta' nothin' for days and be insanely happy!  Couldn't you?