Can you hear what I hear?

Peep, peep, peep...

Today, the peeper frogs have emerged from their winter hibernation! I love listening to them as I fall asleep at night! Esp. in the warm weather when you can sleep with the windows open!

I know that we have pix of our own native frogs...I'll have to ask Ken to dig them up for me!

Amazing discovery...

Today, I noticed our very industrious (and 8 months pregnant) neighbors were busily tending their flower beds, bushes and "park." Our houses back to a wooded, at times swampy, "park." Most call it a wetlands...but officially, it's still a park. So, of course, we started sprucing up our side of the woods. As we helped move some logs for Mr. D, I thought it might be nice to have a clearing for the boys to ramble in so that was done. Picked up trash...found a sprinkler head...more garbage...(where did that sprinkler head come from?)...a broken up bird house...more garbage. More cleaning up/talking with the neighbors.

Then it hit me!

That wasn't a bird house, it was an old fairy house!!

So McK* and B*, the neighbor girl, ran up to the garage to rescue it from the garbage bag. Ken kindly nailed it back together and then onto a tree. The kids gathered stones which have been arranaged several times already.

M* finding the exact spot the house is supposed to be!

Scouting for rocks!

Dad helping by erecting the fairy house.

Fairy house!

Arranging and Rearranging rocks and stones for the new tenants.

A very happy McK hanging out in a woodland fairy paradise.
E* hamming it up...or being a troll...

Considering that he was the most helpful today, he's hamming it up AND we're having his favorite food for dinner tonight...Hawaiian Haystacks!



I can hardly wait for the fairies to move in. I bet they will rearrange those rocks since they are on the large size. McK says they will be able to "fly up" to the opening. Also she wants us to post a sign on our roof saying that there was an available fairy house on our property. I assured her that the animals would tell any wandering woodland fairy about the home. All these years...and a fairy house abandoned!

Fairy Breaking News...

C* just came to the door and said something to me, undistinguishable. B/c he mutters a lot when he talks. But what I did catch was the fact that he called ME the "tooth fairy." This morning, he said that the tooth fairy didn't come. I said, "Tooth fairy? I guess you stayed up too late watching the Star Wars movie with Dad. So the tooth fairy couldn't get your tooth."

Well, this evening, he's telling me that "he knows" I'm the tooth fairy. And last night was "his little test." His tooth fell out during school and he didn't tell me. Boy, it's a little hard to admit, yes I'm the tooth fairy. So I asked, "Do you want me to be the tooth fairy?" "Yes."



So I'm the tooth fairy. Then he says, "And, you are the pokemon fairy." Well, okay...the fairy talk...You have to believe or the fairies stop coming. And if you tell your brother or sister, the fairies STOP coming.

I'm still not sure what M* and C* understand about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I am leary b/c of what happened over 25 years ago. My sister Cara learned about Santa.

So, I figured that meant that she knew about the Easter Bunny...right? (Come on now. If you are the tooth fairy, you gotta be the Pokemon fairy...oh wait...we really did have a Pokemon fairy, not me...who mailed the kids candy and cards when I was on vacation. hehe.) Back to my childhood story...so I said something about the Easter Bunny being mom and dad (can't remember what)...AND CARA DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE EASTER BUNNY! I felt to incredibly aweful!




As my kids ask and figure these mythical childhood events, I tread carefully...

and hope that they can play along with me!

PS>...M* still needs a fairy door!

Spring Gift

My husband and a bunch of guys get together to socialize about once a month. Or should I say at least once a month. And lately, the women and women and children decided that on those nights, we'd converge on someone's home to hang out too. Last Friday, I hosted 30 kids and moms...mostly kids. I said it was pot luck and everyone brought something yummy and different. The get together lasted about 2.5 hours...perfect for the kids!

One aquaintance named Julia came. I don't really talk to her much but she is a very thoughtful person. Whenever I've brought her dinner or invited her to our home, I receive a thank you card a few days later. Yesterday, a thank you card arrived in my mail box.

Poor Julia doesn't make cards...hehe. So I thought I'd stamp up a set of cards for her as a little "just because" Spring Gift. There are 2 of each card.






I would like to make a little card box to hold these and the envies. Feel free to send me ideas. And of course, these turned out so adorable, I want to keep them for myself! haha. The colors are gorgeous...I don't think my camera skills give them justice. For you SU fans: banana, celery, pixie pink, soft sky, and cocoa. I guess it is a good thing that I won't see her for a few weeks. I can look at them and maybe make a set for me!

cards and such

I haven't been stamping much but Hillary did get me a "stamping job." I created a set a set of custom cards for a client who is getting married. Each card had matching envies. Anything to help with my paper, ink and embellishments budget!

For her cake lady:

For the Rabbi:

For the saxophist:

And a set of 12 "generic" thank you cards:



Before that, I made this card with its tall florals for my mom's god mother's bday. I just LOVE using long stamps!

This gnome was made for today's Tuesday Color Challenge:

This one I made lickity split. I think I found a way to make cards faster. I know, *gasp!* At the Michigan Mingle Weekend 2008 last month, we got the opportunity to try out the trendy Copic markers. I colored in this potted flower image with the markers. They were nice, expensive and well...I can do the same thing with an aquapainter and my watercolor crayons or ink pads. So I have no desire to buy any. But of course, if someone gifted a set to me...I'd be a happy stamper! So I had this image and when I made it into a card...it just came together so quickly. I might just spend a day coloring...and see what happens. I decided to make this card for my sister Marissa who lives so far away from me.


Thanks for looking and for your kind comments!

Another view.

Have you ever been told that other people are sometimes totally unaware of what you do? Maybe that is not the right way of saying it. Or sometimes what bothers you has no bearing on another person.

Well, there is a couple of kids were continually "going to tell on" my son C* at church for things that have no bearing and are meaningless. I have heard these siblings say this repeatedly. Now I know, C* is oblivious to them.

Yesterday our Primary (Church Sunday School) had their annual talent show. This year is was significantly smaller than in the past probably b/c it was held on a Saturday morning. In between acts, there was riddle telling and any time C*, along with other kids, called out or laughed out, this one girl would turn around and SHHHHH him. Being a row behind them, I saw the whole thing. Well, one boy got up to "build a Bionicle lego set very quickly" as his talent. He is a friend of C's too. So as soon as he started building, C started counting, out loud, "1, 2, 3!" Of course this other child turned around and glared and SHHHHHHed him. But C kept on going..."4, 5, 6..." By the time "8" was called out, he wasn't the only one counting. And before the end of the the counting, this girl was also counting along with the crowd..."40, 41, 42..."

It took our friend 63 seconds to build a bionicle...his record! (He told us later that his record was 2 minutes. hehe.) And C was the hero...he got the crowd to involved, he cheered on his pal, and he (whether he knew it or not) ignored someone who was trying to rain on his parade.

Later in the car I asked him if he noticed this other girl who kept turning aroud and SHHHHHing him. (She sat right in front of him.) And he had no idea that had happened. To him, he was enjoying the show and eager to root on his friend.

(Pictures to come...)

I certainly learned a lesson in this. Though I'm probably still going to be annoyed when I get annoyed. I at least have age on my side and grumble on the inside...instead of shhhhing outloud! haha.

As for the talents that my kids showcased?

C* told about 6 jokes of his own...although he had things written on a paper, he only glanced at it 2 times to remember which joke came next. He did not read them off like the other joke tellers, to which I am a proud mama! C is very composed when speaking in front of others.

After a battle over jumproping (which she can not do...long story there), as we were pulling out of the drive way, I had Ken stopt he car, and run into the house for the mini tramp...just in case McK changed her mind about jumproping. After sitting in the back seat with her and talking softly to her, she realized that she does "practice" a lot on the mini tramp. So, she wowed the crowed with her feats of leg moments and bounces!

E must be musical like so many in our family. A week or 2 ago, he composed a song and melody which we have song together as a family in the car. Yesterday he hopped right up to the microphone when his name was called and delivered the song without prompting!

Heavenly Father loves us all, loves us all, loves us all!
Heavenly Father loves us all, every day.

I remember the first year that our Primary put on this talent showcase. C was 3 and wanted his talent to be "eating a cupcake." I made up a batch of cupcakes...and in front of a large crowd of spectators, he ate the cupcake!

Aren't childhood talents awesome! Care to share some of your own lesser known or childhood talents with me??