Live Free

Valentine's

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all! I'm stopping by to quickly post a smorgasbord of photos from the past week. There seems to be a Valentine(y)/February theme to them, don't you think? Love, sunshine, flowering bulbs, sweetness, cuteness, etc.  

All is well in our parts despite the running lists that never seem to shorten in length and nightly 4am awakenings, due to the very indecisive house kitty (ehem), and my racing mind. 

We took a trip to Houston last week to visit Byron's parents and had such a lovely time. We squeezed in a trip to visit The Natural Science Musuem and (drumroll, please) Trader Joe's. You see, several years ago, when we moved to Texas from Maryland, I went through a mourning phase for that place. I truly felt at a loss without it for a long while, even though we had the flagship Wholefoods and a plethora of other health food grocery stores. In my world, none were as worthy as Trader Joe's. 

Over the years, (thankfully) I've adapted and I've grown to love certain grocery stores for certain items. I've all but whittled away my need for Trader Joe's, but it was nice to reunite, and to remember the people we were and the lives we were living when we shopped at Trader Joes in Annapolis. I stocked up on just a few items that we were needing: soap, shampoo, pistachios, and granola bars. I also splurged on a bouquet of tulips and daffodils.  Oh, how I love bulbs! One day, I will see, in person, the patchwork fields of tulips blooming in the early spring. I will. I will. I will. 

On the home front, the little one is as exuberant as ever. She's been really stoked about celebrating Valentine's Day with her little school friends. They are so dear together. They all get along so well and truly do love each other. It's such a treat to watch them grow together. This is a fun, fun age. Besides, her school friends, Beatrix is loving fossils (and even read the word 'fossil' today). She's growing up way too fast. She is also loving a gifted leotard and creating spontaneous afternoon dance routines in the living room. Her expressions and form are something to see y'all. For reals.

She is also rediscovering the So Many Fairies stories from Sparkle Stories. When we first subscribed last year, they were a little to deep to hold her attention. Now, she is soaking them in with a newfound peace and attention. So Many Fairies are truly such delightful stories. As is the trend when it comes to me and Sparkle Stories, I'm enjoying them just as much as she is!

Lastly, I am dreaming of more rain, green grass, damp soil, and a certain little one's 4th birthday which is quickly approaching. Lots of plans for these next few months. 

Life is good. 

Backyard Sparkles

Last week, my little, humble school had the honor of hosting a pretty incredibly inspiring storyteller in our backyard. To say my family likes what David represents is putting it mildly. For nearly a year now, we've subscribed to Sparkle Stories and they've meant so much to our family. Story subscriptions like At Home with Martin and Sylvie put a voice into the type of life my family intends to lead.

Of course, Beatrix loves the gentle adventures of the sibling duo, I think in part, because they are a bit older than she and they partake in all sorts of homeschooly learning fun. I love the stories simply because their family is so dear and focused on leading a life of mindfulness. There's always a lesson or two to be learned from the story's children and their parents. In fact, many days when I teeter on the edge of speaking or reacting in a way that I shouldn't, I think about Martin and Sylvie's parents and try to channel their never-ending appropriateness as parents and adult role models. This channeling doesn't always come through, but when it does, I'm extra grateful. 

There's more photos of the evening here.