In His Arms

After dinner, we push the island aside, put on some music (last night, "Rubber Soul" by the Beatles), put on our dancing feet, and cut a rug.

In this strange photo, Violet's foot looks like it's put on backwards, but really, she's just mid-twirl. Her dress is PERFECT for twirling, is it not?

We dig a too-small party dress out for Margot, and she feels the thrill of being twirled, too.

When I see the girls dancing with my husband, I remember how my dad used to ask all of his daughters to dance at our small town wedding receptions. We'd jive (none of us with the grace of our mother), and waltz and two-step. We felt safe in dad's arms, and beautiful. I remember the feeling as I grew taller and fit into his arms better, and how I always hoped I'd meet a man who could dance.

I did.

Now we mostly dance in our kitchen, and the kids giggle when their dad puts his arms around me for a slow song. It occurred to me that when older people reminisce about these days we're in (seemingly suffering from amnesia because they never mention the whining, fighting, exhaustion, and mess), THIS is what they miss.

These are the moments they're remembering with such fondness.

And lest you think we're forgetting him, I've already told him that if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to a woman's heart is through dance. So we teach them to keep the time, to keep their heads up but be careful not to step on each others' feet, and most of all, to keep their partner safe in their arms.

Because isn't that just one of the best feelings in the world?

Fairy Tea Party

While I profess to follow the KISS* rule of raising children, I somehow cannot resist the potential of a little girl's birthday party...the food! the decorations! the favours! the costumes! I usually start checking out sites for ideas a few months in advance, jotting down anything that grabs my fancy. I can't really credit any of these ideas to one specific site; they're kind of a reflection of what my mind does with a bit of inspiration!

*Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Wands, created in Northern Ontario from birch bark coloured with watercolour paint, glued on to sparkly fun foam; ribbons and sparkly hearts were added as embellishments, then the whole lot was attached to a sturdy twig with hot glue.

Invitations gently suggested that fairy wings be worn, and every guest complied with joy. Daddy entertained the guests with silly songs, including the faery hokey-pokey..."You put your left wing in, you put your left wing out..."

Fancy tea cups are a must for any tea party; if the Guest of Honour's name happens to be Violet, then a tablecloth adorned with violets are a nice touch!

Tiny toadstool hors d'oeuvres...made from pinching one end of a mini-marshmallow and inserting it into a raspberry. Following the note I left before rushing away for the weekend, my husband and his buddy sat up till 2:30 a.m. making these...

...and these: Faery Fruit Wands!

Strawberry cupcakes with buttercream icing, tinted pink, of course...decorated with fresh violets from the garden (of course!)...

Violet requested that mommy wear a "special dress".

Tinkerbell graced us with her presence.

Sweet girl, with pink nail polish (only for a four-year-old girl!)

A wooden play kitchen has been on our wish list for a few years, but there never seems to be the money for one...so I printed off a picture of one I liked from the internet, handed it to my hubby and his buddy (the one with the tools and the know-how!), and sent him off night after night to work on it. I'm so thrilled with what they managed to create without a pattern!

Violet was thrilled, too!

While I did the research and planning of this party, credit for its execution goes to my beautiful man, who so graciously takes on extra tasks when I'm looking like I might burn out...sends me off to the north, stays home alone for a weekend with the kids, doesn't freak out when he realises that I accidentally took the van keys with me (OOPS!), and loads the kids into his little Mazda instead to get groceries for the birthday. Violet felt like the most special little girl in the world for a day, and what more could anyone want on their birthday? My heart overflows.

Thanksgiving at the Homestead

I am not a natural hostess; I would rather sit around with a glass of wine, entertaining guests with my guitar, than preparing and serving a meal. I just don't really like it. Stop by unexpectedly, and I'll pick up pizza and beer. I'm less interested in food, and more interested in the company. I am fully capable of making a turkey dinner, but just have never felt compelled to serve one.

However, since we moved to the Homestead, our home has become the family gathering place. There's lots of room for the kids to run around, a big, spacious kitchen, and that lovely rural autumn view that makes Thanksgiving in Canada a favourite holiday.

Luckily, I have a mother and two sisters who come to my rescue every year; I have become adept at delegating when it comes to big meals: you bring rolls and cabbage salad, you bring pies, you bring the turkey, and I'll do the veggies. It works out well. I know that someday my mom will have to pass the turkey torch to me, but for now, I'll continue to peel my spuds, sip my wine, and crank out a tune or two by the fire outside.

I don't know about your family, but ours is happily dysfunctional. I mean that in a loving way...we don't throw dishes or get slobbering drunk. Just the usual misunderstandings, careless comments, overreactions, hurt feelings, snarky comments, with a healthy side of passive aggression.  It's part of our dynamic. We realise not all families are like this. We're not in denial. But it's gone on for so long, it almost makes me smile in its familiarity.

We also have lots of:

rustic, festive decor, inspired by what we find outside;

smoochy kisses;

ill-fated attempts at nice family pictures (yes, that's my husband);

young hands to help the old;

and the requisite belly-/jazz-/hip hop-/salsa- dancefest after dinner.

Wishing all Canadians a joy-filled Thanksgiving, with all those special ingredients that make your family uniquely...yours!

Garden Party

I love spontaneous gatherings! Friends of ours invited us to a Garden Party late in the week, and we were especially delighted to attend, as they live a mere 10 minute drive from us! I spent the morning picking raspberries and making pastry for homemade mini-tarts, boiling up some sugar and mint for Mint Juleps, and baking a HUGE quiche, then we were off.

A hammock under a willow tree, and a puppy for company: what more could a kid want?

...aside from maybe a cob of corn.

Anya, our gracious hostess, has a keen eye for garden juxtapositions.

This contrast of red and green is particularly striking.

Their pond was a draw for all the kids (although I think their frogs must be traumatized...Violet even kissed one full on the...lips? Do frogs HAVE lips?

As per usual, her clothes came off within hours, and she was content to contemplate the wonder of being three by the serene garden waters.

A rare snap of me (I'm usually the one behind the camera), with my girls.

Margot spent the day grazing at the picnic table...love how tiny her face looks here, peering over daddy's shoulder!

At the end of the afternoon, Margot helped to finish off dessert: Eton Mess (a marvellous swirl of berries, whipped cream, and chunks of meringue). She used a wooden spoon to get it into her mouth and was quite pleased with herself (and with all the attention she was getting).

We had a scare when Margot fell into the pond; she is used to wading into shallow shoreline water, and we imagine she just stepped in; we were closeby and saw her hat floating, then realised that that was her floating beside it, face-down and not struggling at all. We didn't even hear a splash, and the many children around the pond didn't notice anything amiss. A quick Daddy-scoop out of the water, a bit of sputtering and crying, and then she was off toddling happily around again. A frightening reminder of how quickly your child can get into trouble, even when you're standing closeby. She enjoyed the pond later in the day, but this time with mama's hand firmly around her tummy (as she was intent on plunging in again)...sigh. I whispered a thanks to the Angel that whispered to us to look over when we did, or this post might have had a very different ending.

*Special thanks to Anya and Jay for the loan of their camera, and to Jenny who emailed me some of the ones she took!