last bits of the summer sun

 

i love this time of year. autumn is beginning to make it's arrival. little bursts of autumn color can be seen amongst the lush greenery of the trees. a light sweater is required for our evening walk and cool, dewy mornings. but, by midday, the summer sun is so prevalent. we explored a nature center and seized the opportunity for the children to swim in their pools.

on the top of my to-do list is to brush up on my picture taking skills. i continue to try and capture vince's little hands and toes playing with the rainbows around our house. if he would just sit still it would be so much easier. i am always a second too late in capturing the pic. i also never imagined how difficult it would be to capture a picture of both children together. i have my work cut out for me. i also have to search out some camera options. any suggestions?

gathering rose petals

:: our annual trip to the elizabeth rose garden. there is so much to explore and discover in addition to the roses. there happens to be an amazing tree that is wonderful for climbing in the perennial garden and we are always so excited to discover a nest of baby robins. and weddings!!!

within the cracks

:: exploring and indulging our senses at a local nursery. the little one just loved running aside the stone walls. when i took a rest of the wall, i discovered some beautiful sedums growing within the cracks and along the top.

tadpole check

:: checking in on our tadpoles and seeing how much they have grown from our first encounter, when only a few tadpoles had hatched from the frog spawn. along the way, we discovered a frog, dragonfly larvae and watched a salamander patiently fish for tadpoles. we found some snail shells, a crystal and a hickory nut shell, which serves a sunhat for the little one's pocket doll. such a wonderful hat, if i don't say so myself.

:: i picked up a pocket full of small acorn caps that i needle felted with this vibrant green color and was inspired by the dragonfly larvae we discovered. i just love the color. they are up in my shop

treasure hunter

:: my daughter is a treasure hunter. she explores and uncovers treasures where ever she goes. 

when we simplified her room and the play area, i uncovered a little collection of treasures she has found through the years. treasures i remember seeing when she found, but did not know she was holding on to each and every one. one of the first treasures she dug up in her digging area was a little colbalt blue vicks eye drop bottle. i remember doing a google search which dated the bottle back to around the time our house was built. there are pieces of brick and pottery, pieces of pennies and a broken plate. most recently, we were learned the techniques for panning and had the opportunity to pan for gold that came from a mine in angorage, alaska. 

aside from these treasured that she uncovered with a shovel and rake, she has been gifted lots of treasures while visiting family, from volcanic rock from iceland, shark's teeth, polished gemstones, rocks and crystals from india, marbles to an oyster shell. and while sometimes family thinks they have to buy her toys and things, i wish they would know that these natural treasures mean much more to her. 

happy earth day

 

  

we celebrate earth day exploring local history and nature. connecticut had 7,000 native americans prior to the eurpoeans coming over. we also discovered that  the mystery insect was a caddis fly. the naturalist knew exactly what we had found the other day. and during the pond discovery, we ended up netting the same caddis fly. it was neat to be able to share that with all the other families. 

happy earth day

corners of her room

:: as i finished up simplifying and organizing her bedroom, i left a new book "fairy houses" with some tiny needlefelted acorns and hoped that it would be well received. i was very happy with the results of our hard work in simplifying. it brought a smile to my face, looking at the things that bring joy to my daughter. from her crystal and rock collections, the basket of shells that my mother made for her years ago to her amazing ability to find heart shaped rocks. to her handwork basket that contains the flower press that we have used for many years that makes me realize how much she has grown. to the weaving she did last year that she made into a rug for her dollhouse and the little nature corner that contains a little beeswax bluebird in a nest she made. and i am most excited about seeing how this new space will allow her creativity and imagination to take flight.