Fairy Rose

image from the flowerfairies.com - one of the many roses I love, but not the one I love the best

Do your children beg for you to tell them stories? Does this make you panic?

I used to answer "yes" to both. I usually tried to redirect with , "I'm not good at stories, but I'll read you a book." I like books. I read well. Seemed like a much better plan. Ethan went along with this. On the rare occasion he persisted in the need for an actual story, I managed to drum up a lesser known Bible character or fairy tale. I slipped through the early years of Ethan and Anna Kate this way.

But not Rose. Rose the snuggler. Rose the "will you lay down with me for just a few minutes", then inevitably, "will you tell me a story?" child. Now what?

There is a lovely storybook called Rosy's Visitors (I just bought it for a penny plus shipping - you can too!) about a little girl who hauls her treasures in a wagon to a hollowed tree and prepares to entertain many magical guests. The name and concept, not to mention the whimsical illustrations made this story stick in my imagination, and was, I believe, part of the inspiration for what happened next.

I said, "okay." And I began the Fairy Rose stories. I thought I was just telling a story called "Fairy Rose" about a little girl who found a magic fairy tree and twirled around inside and turned into a fairy. From there all sorts of little adventures have been possible. Initially, Fairy Rose's adventures were based on my girlhood daydreams of being able to turn into a fairy and sneak into homes and leave things for people who were sad or in need. Fairy Rose has done those things. One day she gathered butterflies to fly to the garden outside the window of a sad shut-in she visited earlier that day as the girl Rose. But sometimes she just has fanciful adventures.

Tonight we were reading a book of children's prayers. One illustration showed children sliding down a rainbow. Rose, in all seriousness, asked how you can slide down a rainbow (she has a gift for seeing these things as realities), and thus provided the inspiration for tonight's tale of a lake fairy named Misty who always had the best secrets. And today Misty showed Fairy Rose and Fairy Anna the secret of how to slide down a rainbow.

So the one who was unable to tell stories has become (at least in her daughters' eyes) a master storyteller. For me the secret was to take an imagining that both they and I could relate to, and then keep making up stories about that one thing. That way, I feel like I'm sort of telling a story I already know.

What stories do you tell?

this is, of course, copyrighted by Alicia (just in case I ever write a book)

Southern Snow - A Rare Treat

From Three Weeks Ago: This is Anna Kate standing in flurries excitedly exclaiming, "I have snow on my finger!" (swiped from the bag of mulch.) That was pretty much it for that time.



Yesterday and today were our annual Ice and Snow days for the year. that's about how often we get a snow that you can play in. and it was a good crusty snow this time, perfect for sledding.

that's how far the sled would go

my family loves the way the ice molds, then

comes off the magnolia leaves in imprinted sheets

Anna Kate handed Bella a piece of ice, which

she thought was very neat for about one minute -

then she started yelling about how could it

made her little fingers!

Advent Evenings

Our advent readings this year were from

Jotham's Journey

Aunt Eloise's birthday

It started with asking if Aunt Eloise was doing anything for her birthday (a few days before Christmas) and then a request to bring her over and I'd have a cake to surprise her.

But I am me, and they are my children, so it kind of morphed into a bit of a birthday tea party.

Bella thoroughly enjoyed her first tea - I think it was tangerine zinger. :^)

Christmas Card Pics

I used to send out Christmas cards, then I couldn't afford to send out Christmas cards, now I can't find time to send out Christmas cards.

But Brian's parents send out cards. And they always have our kids on their picture cards. This year they wanted a picture of us too. As you can see, the individual pictures for their cards turned out. Our attempts at our own family pics, not so much.

There's always next year.

So consider this your Christmas card. A little late, but, hey, if it were early, you probably wouldn't believe that it was from me anyway.

"Merry Christmas and Much Love to You All" , oh, and "Happy New Year!" See, I can do something early. :^)

Had to throw this one in, Bella is not an easy baby to

take pictures of. She smiles in real life, but not for pics.

Christmas Carol Sing and Giant Snowman Cookie - 12/4

Backtrack :Thanksgiving

Bella's first trip to Chocolate World.

This is always at the top of the kids list of

"things to do while at Gramma's"

Heading into Hersheypark's Christmas Candyland.

Note my dad with the stroller trying to veer off

to hit up a Dunkin Donuts for coffee before

we've even entered the main gates.

Rosie is beaming over the first ride on someone's shoulders

that she can remember -

it was so funny -

she didn't know what to do when she got up there!

cousins on the train


Gramma and Bella

watching the train

cousins on the little pirate ship

documenting Dad's inability to pass a

concession stand

the lights are coming on

Santa's reindeer resting up for the big night

cousins on the swing

the band they were dancing to

Isaiah's 19th birthday

Rosie and "Jack", which, incidentally, was Bella's

first word. She quickly added the expected "Mama"

and "Dada", although she did surprise me

by actually calling me "Mommy" too.

She's holding there waiting for some other

words that are half that good.

Probably something like, "go away!"

Pappy, Jack, and Bella

Thanksgiving dinner

Rosie's turkey

Anna Kate's underwater alien turkey

We went to a war museum thinking we could

enjoy the outdoor exhibits, but didn't realize that

there was apparently a 10-15 degree wind chill factor.

After near death-by-boredom, Ethan suddenly was

very interested in taking a picture of everything in this room so that

he could draw them later at home.

Brian's cake nearly burned down the house.

And I had to add another candle at the last minute -

36, not 35 - I can't keep track anymore!

our annual girl's breakfast - this is half of us :^)

We got to drive through the most beautiful sunset, I'd

ever seen in Virginia on the way home.

These pictures don't do it justice, taken through a window that doesn't

roll down, while going 70 mph.

It touched my heart, because, even though, I enjoyed

my time with my family,

it wasn't my favorite trip ever, I just

felt really off all week. Probably the fact that Bella

slept very little, and, thus, I slept very little, had

a lot to do with that. :^)

I'm so thankful for my family.