A Little Bit of Magic

Something magical has been happening around our house, in our little family.  The departure of the neediness, exhaustion and sheer need for survival that accompanies the wee ones in a household has left room for more imagination, creativity and wonder than I ever dreamed possible.

At first I was surprised at how HARD it was for me to join in their imaginative play.  I recall so vividly telling Ainsley about Santa Claus for the first time, how even though I so steadfastly believed as a young girl, I suddenly found it so odd to be "lying" to my own.  As an adult truth and fact are all we know.  When we drive past yet another newly closed store and Ainsley asks why it's out of business it takes a lot for me to not ramble on about the horrible economy, to hide my own despair and sugar coat the world for her, for them both.   But this sugar of youth is so sweet and it's flavor fades all too soon.  I've made it my new goal to keep those two little ones of mine as cocooned in I can in their safe magical worlds, for as long as I can.

So on to the magic.

First, there's missing Lamby.  While the first two days and nights without her best bud went surprisingly well Lamby Lamb is still far from forgotten and cried out for at least a few times a day.  Last night after yet another trying nap hour Ian and I decided to set a plan in action.  I sat down with Ainsley and dictated a letter to Lamby.  Tears welled up as I heard my girl's desperate sweet words to her sweet friend.  When it got to the part where we needed to send the letter we were all a bit stumped.

Then our new favorite movie, Mary Poppins, popped into my head.  So we talked about Lamby sitting up in the clouds.  How she must have gotten caught up in a great gust of wind and landed on the softest one.  How she's eating cotton candy and sipping lemonade just waiting for the wind to change to come back home.

Before bedtime the girls and I sat quiet in front of our fireplace.  We closed our eyes and made a wish forLamby to come home while I ripped the letter into 6 even pieces and tossed them in.  In the morning the letter was gone and in it's place a letter from Lamby.

Lamby should be home in 3-5 business days with Ainsley's letter in tact.  We can hardly wait.

Magic.

Fresh Homemade Bread Magic. 

(Add a jar of the best jam I've ever tasted and Ian better cross his fingers there's some left for dessert)

Impossibly Small Carrot Magic

(thinning out the rows for the big boys to come)

Beans and Tomatoes and Pumpkins and Swiss Chard and Raspberry Magic.

(well at least sprouting magic, I know not to get ahead of myself when it comes to harvesting)

Abundance of Basil (FINALLY!) Magic.

(I couldn't find basil for weeks, now we're flush)

Mystery "What Did I Plant There?" Flower Magic.

we'll find out soon enough

Magic.

And then there's always fairy magic.  

So we had a fairy tea party yesterday complete with dress up and the real GOOD tea set, lemon water and leftover berry pound cake.  It was pretty delightful.

Then, inspired by a friend and her fairy house she's making in a park tree with her toddler, I suggested a fairy house.  While Louise sipped, nibbled and dug in the sand Ainsley worked her tiny tail off creating the perfect space for our fairy guest.  I spun a tale about the fairies who come at night searching for pretty places to rest.  How all the butterflies and bumblebees in our garden this year are the fairy's friends and if we make a home for her she'll come to stay.

Ainsley hung flowers from branches, made a rug of soft leaves, found rocks to make chairs and a kitchen with an oven so the fairy could bake.

She then laid corn cobs down for more seating and sprinkled the whole thing with "special fairy sand." I think that was a nice touch too Ainsley.

Ahh.  Magic.  We're loving you these days.  You're presence in our lives is a wondrous reminder of the innocence and fragility of my children, of the malleability and creativity of their sweet little imaginations.  We look forward to a lot more time with you.  I openly hope you never fully leave them.  In fact, I'm happy to say that through all this magic with my girls, I've discovered there's a bit left in me too.  Now time to go check on those fairies...