The Plante Family Times

Twas the Week Before Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T00:53:00.000-05:00

Twas the week before Christmas and all round the hood

Buddy could be heard sawing and nailing the wood

The “squirrel house” was rising up into the air

The roof and the walls soon would be there.

Mackenzie lay awake with songs in her head

While Rudolf and frosty danced in her bed.

and I in my apron, wooden spoon in my hand,

with Mackenzie made suet for winter wonderland.

Down in the kitchen we made such a scene

There were pine cones,

“cookies”,

and bells – that don’t ring.

Then out on the porch, I put up our flag

“Warm Welcome” it waived like a birdy gift tag

As I hung up our flag, I hadn’t a clue

Warm welcome was exactly what nature would do.

The warmth on the land abandoned all thoughts of snow

And our tweets must be hung at 55 or below!

Then what to my wondering eyes should appear,

Forsythia,

daffodils,

and mums were still here!

With the sun shining bright, frogs started to sing.

I guess they thought for a moment “Hey! It must be the spring!”

So back to the kitchen for Mackenzie and me

To make cookies for friends ‘cause it’s Christmas you see!?

Putting pretzels on Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen!

then on Comet, on Cupid, on Donder, and Blitzen!

Into the oven, and onto a tray,

and into the wagon to be given away.

Then as children before a big birthday do sing,

Mackenzie lifted her voice and to bells gave a ring.

Praises for Jesus inspired their songs

And wiggles galore, Christmas is coming along!

And then, there’s that ringing she heard in her ear

The little boy beside her was standing too near.

As she drew up her lip and was turning around,

That poor boy’s bells fell down to the ground!

Once songs and bells ended, Pastor Jeff shared a story

He told of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and all of their glory.

With the Bible, held open, perched in his hand

He read of God’s greatest gift to all of the land.

Mackenzie- how she listened, her eyes so intent

absorbing the message that was being sent.

Then with school letting out until the new year,

She began crafting what must be a hundred reindeer!

Some with big antlers and eyes of light blue

Some with red noses,

‘cross her pages they flew!

With bellies still plump from the cookies this week

it was almost Christmas and we had a tradition to keep!

Taylor would come, though a little bit late,

For sugar cookies to make and then decorate.

The homemade dough was just as sticky as ever,

But once baked, their design was creative and clever.

Flour and sugar were all over the place

The floor was covered,so was Mackenzie’s face!

Then Christmas Eve arrived in a flash,

It was time for Buddy to make his mad dash!

He called his friend Bryan and they spent the day

Converting “squirrel house” into a structure for play.

Meanwhile, I entertained Kenzie and got us all fed,

Then Buddy helped put Mackenzie to bed!

And now I proclaim, as I turn out my light,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Cheers!

May your Christmas be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

A Little Holiday Magic

2011-12-16T21:45:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, we went to our Real Estate Agent's Christmas party at a local nursery. We have taken Mackenzie there to meet with Santa every Christmas since she was born.

For the first time (with a little coaxing from us and Santa), Mackenzie actually talked to Santa! AND Santa remembered her from last year, which really added to the magic.

Perhaps because Mackenzie was the only child in sight, Santa could really take his time and talk to her. She thanked him for the ladybug pillow pet he gave her last year and proceeded to explain, in great detail, the toy that she would like this year.

Then Mackenzie put a word in for Bob and Tanner. Santa asked if they barked a lot this year. Mackenzie explained, "Bob did all the barking and Tanner Sheeded (translated to "shed") a lot; but it's okay, Santa, they are really good dogs and I bet they would like some special bones."

I was so glad Mackenzie talked to Santa this year! It was so much fun to listen to them! Last year, poor Santa played hiding games and tried to coax her with candy canes; but the closest she actually came to him was when Buddy was holding her.

Which was progress from the year before, when she wouldn't even let Buddy hold her while sitting next to Santa.

Even her first Christmas, she was unsure about the guy in the red suit! But now, finally, all that's changed!

It sure was nice for Santa to follow up with her too! Now she KNOWS she's still on the "nice list" regardless of the "sleeping struggles" we've been experiencing the past few days! If you're interested in checking out Santa's video message to Mackenzie, follow this link : http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/gaTTjBSdc1FhQM-tdt1QcKg

In addition to Santa, Mackenzie also bonded with a dog named Daisy at the nursery. I think Mackenzie believes that if you love a toy enough, it will truly come to life. She did her best to animate Daisy.

Before we left the party area to look for some plants, we stopped by a little wishing pool. I have no idea what Mackenzie wished for; but as we were starting to leave, I chanced to glance over at the trees. There I noticed it...Mackenzie's birthday tree!!!! The tree I've been actively searching for since Easter. The tree we promised her at her first birthday. It was the only one there AND it was 50% off! I am eager to see if its magic truly shows on her next birthday.

In the Gardens

Mackenzie and I conjured up a little magic for local wildlife - we figured they deserved a party too. We went to the "discount produce" zone and picked out some fruits we thought the animals would like.

After slicing an abundance of fruit, we headed outside! Mackenzie helped string the popcorn and cereal garlands on the trees.

and she helped hang the fruit, like ornaments, on our holly, cedar and arborvitae trees.

There were apples (soaked in pomegranate juice)

clementines soaked in pomegranate juice

persimmon soaked in pomegranate juice

and pomegranate - soaked in pomegranate juice.

While Mackenzie focused on the trees, I went to work on the wreaths that I created last weekend from our tree trimmings and grapevine.

We hope all our friends and neighbors (even the wild ones) feel welcome here for the holidays!

Oh! And remember the magic corn we put out last week?

Look who stopped by a couple evenings this week! What a thrill it was to watch the deer with Mackenzie. She tired of watching them before they flew away; so we never got to see them fly.

Meanwhile, inspired by the wildlife activity outside and some of the books we've been reading lately, Mackenzie decided that all her inside animals would start the great migration to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus.

I decided someone should bring food, so I set up a little train headed toward the nativity scene in our family room too.

Skill(s) of the Week

We finally roasted the last three of our pumpkins to use for baking some holiday sweets. Mackenzie is becoming an expert seed scooper! If she (we) were a little more motivated, she would have been trained in seed cleaning too so that we could enjoy some roasted seeds. However, time was running short and our to-do list long, so we let the critters enjoy these seeds.

Mackenzie also got a cookie decorating primer at school this week. A little practice for the baking we will do next weekend!

My skill of the week(s) lately has been turning any and all of Mackenzie's food (breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner) into reindeer.

triscuit thin crisp, cream cheese, black olives, mini turkey pepperoni, and pretzels

And the highlight of my week was, while I finished our Christmas cards, Mackenzie wrote her first word! It still makes me want to cry.

We hope your holiday is filled with magic and wonder too...and awe for all that is wonderful!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Look out!! Momma's Gettin' into the Holiday Spirit(s)

2011-12-10T00:02:00.000-05:00

After unpacking from our Thanksgiving travels, we began the Christmas transformation of our house both inside and out.

Sippin Cider spiked with Cinnamon Schnapps

Mackenzie eagerly spread magic corn (you know...the kind that makes deer fly) along the wooded edge of our gardens so that we could see the deer from our dining room windows. We will continue to replenish the magic corn, as the squirrels have been having quite a feast over there lately. Mackenzie and I think we're gonna have A LOT of "flying" squirrels around this holiday season.

While spreading the corn, Mackenzie and I noticed a furry flash of white beyond the monstrous leaf piles. Excitedly, we peeked over the leaves and discovered, not a deer, but Savannah, the neighbor's dog! Still quite a pleasant surprise for Mackenzie.

After accompanying Savanna to her home, we headed inside to continue the Christmas transformation. For the first time, Mackenzie got to decorate and keep a little tree of her own in her bedroom.

It will be fun to watch this little tree evolve over the years; just like our "family tree".

Speaking of the family tree, this year we all three went to pick out our tree AND this year the whole family helped with the decorating!

Mackenzie showing Bob one of his ornaments

Decorating with Mackenzie was entertaining as well as challenging at times. The step stool we eventually brought out was definitely handy to help avoid "ornament clusters" down low and arm fatigue from holding a three year old. After all, that mug I kept lifting was pretty heavy too :)

I always enjoy rediscovering the ornaments in our collection. They bring back many happy memories.

Old traditions begin anew...Buddy was the first to hide the "gay rainbow dude" ornament this year...

and new ornaments mingle with the old.

Hand print Reindeer ornament Mackenzie made with me last year

New angel ornament given to us from the Plantes

New Owl ornament given to us from the Plantes

Baby Jesus given to us from my childhood collection

Rocking Horse given to us from my childhood collection too

Our tree is definitely eclectic. But most of all, our tree is filled with love, personality and memories and that's what matters most, right?!

When all was said and done that evening, I think we were all pleased with our tree...and filled with holiday spirit(s) too!

Even the dogs!

But our tree is not the end of it!! In fact, it is just the beginning. I had another opportunity to assist Mackenzie's preschool class with a project this week. This time they made five new ornaments and Mackenzie got her first real taste of the joys of glitter glue! I foresee a lot more sparkles in our future!

The Holiday transformation continued for the outside of our house throughout the week as we enjoyed the mild (upper 60's/low 70's) temperatures in the afternoons and the brisk mornings. Mackenzie and I finally made it back to the nursery to get the pansies that will last until Mackenzie's next birthday.

Mackenzie chose this head band for the day. She has been really into head bands this week!?? I think the flower on this one is almost as big as her head!

Once we made it back home, Mackenzie shed the sweater and went straight to work planting the new flowers and helping me create wreaths from our tree trimmings.

Our little elf has been very busy lately! Our latest project was making edible garland for our wildlife Christmas trees.

Rudolph cheered her on as she diligently threaded cheerios and cherries.

Once she completed her garland, I think it was safe to say...

Mackenzie was FILLED with holiday spirit!

While Mackenzie threaded her cheerios, I threaded 2 bags of popcorn (ouch!) garland. Once my garlands were completed, it was definitely safe to say...

I was filled with holiday spirit(s).

Consumed in responsible moderation...of course!

But, no matter how consumed I may get this season with "holiday spirit", I will always take the time to admire and appreciate the beauty in the world and people that surround me in the true sense of the holiday spirit.

May your holiday season be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

I'm Talkin' Turkey!

2011-12-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving should be a holiday we celebrate every day! I have to admit that it may be my favorite holiday but I do not celebrate it long enough.

Mackenzie's thumbprint turkey greeting card.

Although the feast itself often leaves my body feeling uncomfortably stuffed, all other aspects of the holiday leave my heart and mind feeling contentedly satisfied! How wonderful it is to look past our desires and reflect upon all our blessings! I wish I lived every day of the year like this.

I love celebrating Thanksgiving all month long with Buddy and Mackenzie and I'm glad that Mackenzie eagerly participates in our holiday tradition of endowing our tabletop turkey with feathers of gratitude.

As you can see, we have a lot to be thankful for. Whether it's for something small and simple, like Oxy Clean, or something much more meaningful, like the people who grace our lives, life is good when you focus on your blessings!

Given my feelings for this holiday, you can imagine how delighted I was to have the opportunity to help Mackenzie's class with a "thankful turkey" craft, too!

That particular day I was especially thankful to have made it onto one of Mackenzie's turkey feathers; even though I spent more time helping the other children than I did helping her.

Thanksgiving week, Mackenzie's school hosted a feast. Prior to the meal, the older children performed a skit and the younger kids sang several songs.

Mackenzie quietly participated in 3 of the 4 songs.

That week was a rough one for our family. Buddy had been working late a lot and Mackenzie didn't see him hardly at all. We missed him soooo much! We hope that he knows how much we appreciate the time we spend together and, at the same time, all that he does for our family.

Thanksgiving morning Buddy slept in a little then we packed up the car and headed out to Asheville to spend the holiday with Aunt Pam, Uncle Joe, Cousin Grady, Memaw and Poppop.

Fell asleep mid-composition and 15 minutes away from our destination

I was surprised at how shy Mackenzie was when we first arrived. She had been talking about the trip and her plans for 3 weeks! She even picked out some animals, books, and movies to give to her cousin Grady.

Regardless of how withdrawn Mackenzie acted at times, Grady was enamoured with his older cousin! It was sweet to watch the two of them interact.

After a nice day at the parks on Black Friday, it was time to swing back home on Saturday. I am thankful for the time we got to spend with family that we don't often see.

Thought of the Week

Sadly, I find myself missing the Thanksgiving turkey that graced our table for a month. I yearn for an equally gratifying tradition to take its place. Unfortunately, it seems our focus has shifted more toward what we want rather than what we already have. My life is so blessed in so many ways; yet at times I get so caught up in insignificant matters that I forget to count my blessings and be thankful for ALL that I do have. For me, our thankful turkey really showed the abundance of our blessings and the beauty of being thankful - both in spirit and in form...that's all.

Skill of the Week(s)

These past couple weeks Mackenzie has been very interested in "art", in one form or another. Thanksgiving week she played with playdoh whenever she could.

Together we created Word Animals inspired by her favorite show, Word World.

The week after Thanksgiving, Mackenzie "drew" all her inspiration from the Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer holiday classic.

Rudolf and Mackenzie flying.

Mackenzie has now watched the Rudolf "movie" 5 times and read the book 14 times!!!

The Abominable Snow Monster holds Clarice while Rudolf and his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Donder, stand by with great concern.

Yukon Cornelius saves Clarice from the Abominable Snow Monster.

Mr. Donder carries Yukon Cornelius on his back to celebrate defeating the Abominable Snow Monster. Mrs. Donder and Rudolf are right by his side. Buddy noted how Rudolf's antlers were much bigger than his father's!!??

Mackenzie is so excited about Rudolf that she's even planning a sequel to the classic.

Here are Rudolf and Clarice after they grow up and get married. Notice how all the babies look like Rudolf!? I think they have 2 girls and a boy.

Here Rudolf dons green jingle bells and red shoes and leads all the other reindeer.

Well I guess we're out of one holiday and straight into another! So, let the holiday toddler torture begin!

This week we broke out Mackenzie's big Christmas stocking, along with numerous holiday books, toys, and ornaments.

This upcoming week we'll be decking the halls, taking a lot more photos, and trying our best to remember the TRUE spirit of Christmas. As we count our blessings and think about all our friends and family, know that you are in our hearts this holiday season!

May your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Mackenzie and the Leaf Litter Critter

2011-11-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

After last week's beautiful show from the trees, we found ourselves spending this week chasing falling leaves.

With the 2011 Leaf Olympics still in full swing, Mackenzie can count on "leaf rides" daily (weather permitting). It's fun to celebrate the end of a good leaf ride with a leaf toss!

The Leaf Olympics are exhausting. The gardens, yard, and driveway are currently indistinguishable even after all our leaf removal efforts. I am ready to surrender to the trees; but Mackenzie reminds me that "we shouldn't ever give up"...and besides, I think leaf rides are one of her favorite parts of the season.

Mackenzie frequently helps me rake the leaves; but it is not uncommon to see her taking a break to investigate some of the leaf litter critters.

One day this week, I uncovered a little ground skink while raking the driveway.

Our little wildlife biologist was very curious about this creature that was new to her world. I tried to explain to her that the skink was a type of lizard (not a salamander) as we observed its physical characteristics, especially its scales and claws.

As she gently handled the animal, she observed its ears and eyes.

Then she turned the little guy over to observe its belly and count its toes. If she maintains her interest in wildlife, she will make an excellent field biologist. She is pretty respectful (for the most part) to the animals and their habitats. She always releases her subjects when she is finished observing them (or when I step in for the animal's well-being).

Here's our little wildlife biologist in action.

As Mackenzie bid adieu to her new little friend, she promised to find some yummy ants nearby for it to eat.

She quickly met with success on a nearby mum. A perfect place to release a little skink.

Then, as I watched the little lizard scurry to the safety of the nearby leaves, I noticed that the predominant blooms in our gardens were gifted to us by loved ones.

Kate's mums

As I stopped to admire the beauty of the blooms, I thought fondly of the friends that had given them to us.

Aunt Pam's wedding mums

Had I not unearthed the leaf litter critter during the leaf removal process, we may not have taken the time to really stop and enjoy the gardens. I am so thankful for all the friends that helped us get our gardens established, you know who you are!

Angela's mums

Skills of the Week

Mackenzie's skill set continues grow. This week she had lessons in couponing in addition to her wildlife training.

She had fun matching coupons, sorting by food group, and practicing number recognition too!

But her most practiced skill of the week involved Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

I try to keep Rudolf (and all other Christmas stuff) stowed away until just after Thanksgiving because I think it could be easy for a person (especially a child) to get so wrapped up in Christmas that they might forget to really reflect upon all of their blessings. However, Mackenzie has been talking about Reindeer all year long and has been asking about Rudolf since October. I caved in and told her Rudolf could come out early if she sang his song for the camera. I think she did a pretty good job.

Thought of the Week

She may chase and hold critters, she may play with tonka trucks, and she may dig in the dirt...but she's still ALL girl!

May your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Another One Bites the Dust!

2011-11-14T16:40:00.000-05:00

I have been grieving the loss of my Canon Powershot A620 Camera since January.

In the meantime, Buddy was kind enough to loan (give) me his Olympus "all weather" camera to use to fill the HUGE VOID in my life. I am glad I had the opportunity to experience the Olympus over the past 10 months. Without it I would have missed out on photographing many events in our (Mackenzie's) life.

3rd Birthday

First Day of Preschool

It also gave me the opportunity to miss the Canon Powershot and to better appreciate the qualities that I like in a camera.

As Christmas approaches, Buddy and I have been talking about a new camera for me...another Canon. As I shopped consumer reports and then on-line, I realized that the camera that I really wanted cost more than $300!

Reflecting on the cost and size of the new camera that I desired, I began to more fully see the value of holding onto the Olympus as my everyday camera. The one that would "weather" the every day torture of documenting most of life's exciting moments.

I would save the "better camera" for documenting our "special" moments and events, also known as holiday toddler photo torture.

Well...just as I realized the beauty of potentially having two cameras...I managed to destroy the Olympus by dropping it...with the lens extended...on its lens!

Now I had NO camera!!!!! As I missed photographing a precious moment between Buddy and Mackenzie working in the yard together this weekend, I panicked! After feeding Mackenzie and putting her down to rest, I searched Craigslist in hopes that I could find something nearby and inexpensive to serve as my every day camera. I could not imagine surviving the holidays without a camera!

I got lucky and found a camera for $30 - thank goodness they listed a phone number; otherwise I would not have been able to contact them. I am now the owner of a new-used canon-powershot! A lesser quality camera than my first canon- it is only 5.0 mega-pixels and it doesn't have as powerful of a lens - but yet I strangely feel as though I have been reunited with a long lost friend. And it will do a fine job documenting life's everyday occurrences.

This camera comes to me at a time when I am finally learning how to properly treat, care for, and use a camera. A part of me is now doubting whether I am truly ready for the "Christmas Camera". I am just thankful for what I have now!!

Thanks for letting me share!

Welcome to Our World!

2011-11-11T17:38:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our world! Leaf World!!

What a beautiful week it has been!!

The trees that surround our house on all sides have created awe inspiring views!

Inspired by the weather and the beautiful landscape that surrounded us, Mackenzie & I took a day off!

We forgot about the shopping, we forgot about our chores, we even kinda forgot about lunch as we spent the entire morning and early parts of the afternoon exploring "leaf world".

As we collected leaves, Mackenzie learned valuable lessons about the anatomy of a leaf.

For instance, she learned that if you pluck a leaf by its stem,

the leaf will not tear.

She also learned that if you pull the stem from its middle, rather than the bottom,

the tree's leaf and flower buds for next year's growth will remain unharmed.

After about an hour of searching (and learning), Mackenzie and I had harvested a diverse bounty of natural treasures.

It was time to make our very own...

Our Leaf World was inspired by Lois Ehlert's book, Leaf Man, a seasonal favorite around here.

I spread a black sheet over the sand box, put our bountiful basket on top, and let the creations begin!

The possibilities were limitless!!!

Our first creation was leaf man.

Every leaf man needs a leaf woman, right?

Leaf woman decided she needed a leaf baby!

Leaf Baby came along and decided she needed

A LEAF DOG!!

Or two!?

But our leaf family didn't stop there!

Oh no! There were still lots of leaves left and still more falling!

So our leaf family got some leaf fish.

Followed by a leaf moose.

And finally, her magnum opus...

A leaf giraffe!!

Leaf Giraffe before acquiring his spots.

Finishing her masterpiece

We had so many ideas left; but when I looked at my watch, it was well past lunch time! We decided to save our ideas for another day!

Boo-hooo!

Thought of the Week

With all the leaf activity in our yard, it was hard to focus on any thing else.

View from outdoor dining area

After this week's performance, which I have entirely enjoyed, the trees deserve a nice long winter rest before another great performance in the spring!

View from indoor dining area

Inspired by the leaves, I finally finished our seasonal decor. Leaves now float from the ceiling in the family room.

...And look who's back in action! Our thankful turkey!

One thing I know I will be thankful for this weekend is the bagger that attaches to the riding lawn mower!!...But we'll save that conversation for a future post! In the meantime, may your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!!

Let the Leaf Rides Begin!

2011-11-04T19:14:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's already time for the 2011 Leaf Olympics!

The Leaf Jump

Sometime between this weekend and next will likely be peak leaf color for our area. Let the leaf race begin as we struggle to keep up with the falling leaves!

The Leaf Toss

The animals are participating in the Leaf Olympics too! It is time for the 2-lined salamanders to leave the leaves for their mini-marathon migration back to the creek in preparation for their breeding season.

Mackenzie & I must use caution to not take these delicate creatures on leaf rides during the leaf removal process.

Mackenzie, on the other hand, always participates in the leaf riding events! The leaf riding season officially opened this week and will not likely close until sometime this winter.

Leaf riding is exhausting (for one of us). It is not uncommon for Mackenzie to follow a leaf ride with a quick snooze in a leaf pile, covered by a cozy leaf blanket.

Sometimes I'll even try to join in...but not for long. I must try to keep up in the Great Leaf Race!

Cheering us Along in the Sidelines...
The vegetable and herb gardens still hold promise for a productive season!

We have peppers...many peppers!

Peppers of every color and every degree of sweetness and hotness!

We should probably be harvesting some of our turnip greens; but I have been reluctant. I have never eaten nor cooked them before; but apparently it's time to try.

The more familiar salad greens are making it into our meals more regularly although "something happened" to our spinach.

Our basil "shrub" is holding on much stronger and longer than expected.

Even with secured netting, the squirrels continue to devour our eggplant. Little BOOGERS! Buddy calls them less nice names and talks frequently of the evil deeds he would like to do to our little gray nuisance neighbors (more like roommates than neighbors).

Meanwhile, Mackenzie & I enjoy watching the furry vermin and their crazy antics and consider squirrel chasing a natural event in the Leaf Olympics.

We hope this post finds you enjoying some of the splendors of the season! May your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Happy Halloween?

2011-11-02T17:13:00.000-04:00

Did the Plante's have a happy Halloween?

Well...that depends! It depends on who you ask, what time of day you asked, and how you measure the happiness of Halloween, in general.

My day was a rough one! I started out by taking Mackenzie shopping only to arrive at the store and realize that my purse was still at home. Later in our shopping adventure, I purchased two relatively expensive bottles of shampoo and conditioner from the shop within Wal-Mart and then proceeded to lose them during our shopping escapades at Wal-Mart! (They rolled out of my bag in the bottom of the cart and landed somewhere in the store). After talking to customer service and revisiting our shopping route four times over the course of 30 minutes, I was able to recover the Shampoo; but not the conditioner. Once Mackenzie & I were safely home and fed, the weather took a turn for the worse! With conditions not improving by 5ish, I made the executive decision to trick-or-treat in the Mall this year. My first trip to the mall in over two years. So if you asked this mummy if it was a happy Halloween, this would be my answer...

But if you asked the little Princess, her answer would have been entirely different! She was given candy EVERYWHERE we went that day and I strategically rationed out the sugar at times when Mackenzie's cooperation was needed most. Who knew that a small box of dots could last 20 minutes during the shampoo search game??!!

Although frightened by the crowds at the mall at first, Mackenzie was later entertained by the hundreds of costumes.

We attempted to navigate through the masses of people for an hour and a half. After Mackenzie's bounty reached 7 pieces of candy, we decided to call it quits. She was thrilled with her loot. After all, she hadn't seen that much candy since hanging out with Cousin Melanie and Mark!

Mackenzie was having a happy Halloween and it just kept getting more spooktacular!

Since I was unable to make or acquire dinner prior to trick-or-treating, we headed over to CiCi's for some pizza ...one of Mackenzie's favorites. While there, she even got to ride a horse! Could this Halloween possibly be any happier for her?

Why yes it could!! Mackenzie was given a nice glow stick by a kind gentleman in the mall who felt sorry for her lack of candy. With this glow stick and several bracelets that I had saved for Halloween, Mackenzie ended her Halloween with a glow bath!

If you have never experienced the joys of bathing by glow stick light, it is an experience Mackenzie highly recommends.

If you measure the happiness of Halloween by the amount of sugar loot you obtain...she didn't do so hot. But... if you measure the happiness of the holiday by the actual amount of happiness experienced that day...

Mackenzie had a very Happy Halloween!

As for me....I derived great happiness from my child and the gratitude, manners and enthusiasm she exhibited throughout that very trying day. I know that I've said it before; but I'm one proud mummy!

In the meantime, we seem to be coasting through the rest of this beautiful week.

May your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Legend of the Fairy Princess of the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-28T23:00:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time there was a magic pumpkin.

The pumpkin held within its belly an enchanted seed

that would one day become a pumpkin fairy.

When the pumpkin fairy finally emerged from the depths of the pumpkin, she was beautiful and kind.

She was given an important job as Mother Nature's helper.

She was responsible for caring for the animals

by providing them with food and shelter

and protecting them from harm.

She was a happy little fairy who always sang and danced as she worked.

She used her magic powers and pixie dust carefully

to help grow food for the animals.

And she was always on guard, protecting the land from garden goblins.

She was a good fairy.

Then, one day she caught a hungry little mouse nibbling on a pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.

The Pumpkin Fairy was furious! She did not want any animals eating her precious pumpkins.

Mother Nature overheard the Pumpkin Fairy threatening to banish the hungry little mouse and then scolded the little fairy.

"Have I not given you many gifts? Are you not blessed with an abundance to share with those less fortunate than you?"

The pumpkin fairy thought of how blessed she was. Mother Nature always provided her with all her needs;

but still, the fairy did NOT want to share the pumpkins.

The pumpkin fairy always gave extra attention to the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch, nurturing the growth of each one in her spare time.

Her reasons for doing so were selfish though. Although the Pumpkin Fairy lived a very comfortable life in the pumpkin patch, she always dreamed of living in a larger pumpkin.

Thus she tended each pumpkin in the patch with hopes that it would one day grow bigger than her current pumpkin.

Mother Nature warned the beautiful fairy to be grateful for what she had and to be generous with those less fortunate, lest one day she may find herself less fortunate than those around her.

The Pumpkin Fairy did not heed Mother Nature's Warning.

She began to spend less and less time protecting and feeding the animals

and more and more time protecting and tending her pumpkins.

She banished more and more animals from the pumpkin patch.

As Mother Nature observed the fairy's behavior, her heart became heavy with sadness. She knew it was time to intervene.

Although the Fairy Princess of the Pumpkin Patch begged and pleaded, Mother Nature punished her by turning the little fairy into

a small pumpkin to be shared at the annual Fairy Feast of Giving Thanks. To this day, pumpkins continue to feed hungry people and animals; and the Pumpkin Fairy reminds us all to be thankful for and generous with all of our blessings.

The End

In Other News
It's been a wild and crazy week at the Plante's!

Mackenzie put her pants on backwards - silly girl!

We worked the homemade play doh while jammin' to some Monster Mash disco inferno type music.

Mackenzie took a brief spin on a pumpkin mobile.

There was a Halloween Party and Parade at school this week!

Mackenzie made a mask out of a slice of turkey.

ROAR!

May you get more treats than tricks this week and may your days be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater!

2011-10-26T17:29:00.000-04:00

Peter, Peter

pumpkin eater

had a wife

but couldn't keep her!

So he put her in

a pumpkin shell!

and there

he kept her

very well!

Fair Weather Family

2011-10-22T21:52:00.000-04:00

The Plante family did not let weather stand in the way of a good time this week! Although the weather was a little rainy, cloudy, and cool; we headed out to the fair!

And we're all glad we did! We were able to experience our favorite parts of the fair while avoiding the big crowds! Mackenzie's favorite part of the fair has got to be the animals! The first thing Mackenzie begged to do at the fair was feed the animals.

Mackenzie remembered the naughty goat that had tried to steal her bag of carrots the last time she fed the animals. So the poor goats received little attention from her on this trip.

Instead, she patiently lured in the cows; while occasionally diverting a pushy goat with a tossed carrot.

Another favorite tradition at the fair is the pony ride. This time Mackenzie road on a sweet little pony named Tootsie.

A new experience for us this year was milking a cow! Mackenzie got to milk 'Megan' and was then later rewarded with a "locally grown" carton of milk.

Then there's the rides! Mackenzie road more rides this year than ever before! Most of the rides were empty and none had a line!

Mackenzie is now big enough to ride several rides by herself. Which is good because we don't go through as many tickets when Buddy & I don't have to ride AND Mackenzie can ride more rides...but Buddy & I kinda enjoy the rides too!

Buddy was a very enthusiastic father when it came to the rides. He was actually commended for giving Mackenzie "a good ride" on the spinning dragons.

He pretended to gallop next to her on the merry-go-round.

He fed her excitement and taught her some roller coaster protocols.

Sometimes it was hard to tell who was enjoying the rides more...

either way, the rides are becoming more and more of a highlight of our trip. Some day they may even out shine the animals!?

It seems that we cannot visit the fair without also participating in the field of dreams harvest exhibit.

We were unable to harvest any eggs, but

she did "harvest" some real cucumbers and sweet potatoes in addition to some life-like produce replicas. We had to stop her from eating her harvest at the fair, which she didn't quite understand.

We also made another traditional stop at the PBS tent. Mackenzie wasn't as excited as she has been in the past; but she did enjoy a good story with me and some playtime while we were there. We just weren't there as long as we have been in past visits.

A new treat for me and Buddy this year was a nice stroll through the garden exhibits.

Mackenzie & I really enjoyed the Mother Goose garden. We studied it for a long time and kept discovering more elements! Definitely a 1st place garden!

Another new treat for Mackenzie and me was candy apples. Somehow, I guess, I've never had a candy apple!? I was expecting it to be somewhat soft and gooey on the outside and crunchy on the inside.

Boy was I wrong! Looking back I would have never gotten one of these for Mackenzie had I known what we were in for! But, I am glad that my ignorance made me the "cool mom" if only just for a night.

Some folks may have thought we were a little crazy going to the fair on the day that we did; and crazy we may be, but I wouldn't have traded this year's fair experience for any other!

We hope your week was equally wonderful!

Country Mumpkins

2011-10-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

We may not be country bumpkins; (or to some we may be???) but we sure do enjoy the amenities of rural living!

In preparation for our upcoming pumpkin potluck party, Mackenzie & I went shopping for some mums.

The nursery we went to had a gravel parking lot and lacked the wide shopping rows; but not once did we have to ask someone to "move their cart" so we could get through and no one asked the same of us either.

I'm sure the nursery had more than a thousand plants with a wide variety of colors- but none of them were "proven winners" or came with a "warranty".

They didn't have shopping carts and only had one cash register; but they have some of the best wagons in town and I've never had to wait in a line to check out.

When it was time for us to shop for craft materials for the party, we shopped around the yard first - yet another advantage for country livin'.

Although nowhere near the bumper crop of acorns we experienced last year, we found enough nuts to be painted to look like little pumpkins for our guests.

Unfortunately, the flying squirrels didn't mind the non-toxic orange paint and feasted overnight on our drying "miniature pumpkins". But no worries! We had plenty of other supplies on hand for crafts!

As the weekend grew closer, it was time for us to start preparing some of the party foods! What fun we had!! We ended up sampling more food than either of us should have...but that was a big part of the fun!

Owl Smores - a variation of an idea from http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/09/owl-smores/

We didn't take any pictures of the yard or set-up before or during the party; but Mackenzie and I took pictures of the craft zones and projects as we cleaned up the next day.

The pumpkin carving and painting zone

This year's party took place so far in advance of Halloween, that more guests opted to paint pumpkins than to carve them.

Mackenzie's painted pumpkin

There was a wide variety of supplies made available to decorate paper pumpkins, miniature gourds, and doilies.

Here are some sample crafts

Before packing up all the craft supplies from the party,

Mackenzie and I had our own little intimate craft party.

Mackenzie's haunted house doily

Strangely, Mackenzie & I did our traditional pumpkin shopping trip the Monday AFTER the party!? Again, at a local roadside farmer's market. We LOVE our local merchants!

We picked up a couple extra sugar pie pumpkins,

and then we headed over to the "pumpkin patch".

I allowed Mackenzie to select two gourds.

She was pretty excited about them; but she was more excited about the larger pumpkins.

She picked a "carver" for herself from inside the market stand

and then toted our wagon (not near as nice or easy to move as those found at the nursery) over to select a carver for Buddy and me.

She helped find the perfect carvers

and tried to lift and load them herself.

She's still learning to lift with her legs.

With the carvers, gourds, and pie pumpkins loaded into the wagon, it was time to find Mackenzie's "special" pumpkin.

Since we visited on a Monday, we were worried we would not have much luck. But Mackenzie DID find just the right pumpkin!

She ran up to tell the ladies "I found it! I found it!"

then she returned to her pumpkin to wait patiently for us to load it.

Once home, she was as helpful as ever finding the perfect place for the new pumpkins amongst the mums we purchased the week prior.

She put much thought and consideration into the placement of each pumpkin.

The whole process took us all morning!

There's also been a lot of focus on pumpkins at school these past couple weeks. Here is a sampling of Mackenzie's latest artwork.

This country mum is REALLY proud of her little pumpkin!

We hope your week has been filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Morning Sickness

2011-10-08T00:23:00.000-04:00

It all started two Wednesdays ago. I was awakened at 6:30 a.m. to the sound of Bob getting sick in the hallway. All that I will say about that most unpleasant experience is...I'm glad we got rid of the carpet and it was probably time for that big braided rug to go anyway.

Throughout the day, Mackenzie started to develop a cough. By the evening, she had a slight fever and a bad cough. She awakened every two hours like clockwork through the night and there was not much I could do to help her. As 6:30 Thursday morning approached, Bob had an encore performance...only this time it was outside. I was operating on about 4 hours sleep and was sincerely hoping Mackenzie would find a way to sleep in because I was certain she wouldn't be going to school ...NO SUCH LUCK! Mackenzie was up at 7 insisting she wasn't sick.

Really?

Somehow we made it through Thursday. When Friday morning arrived I was relieved to have survived Thursday. In a moment of spontaneity, I asked Mackenzie, who had been fever free for 24 hours, if she'd like to go on an adventure. "Of course!", she answered. So I ignored the accumulating dog hair on the floor and I neglected the morning's dishes and I packed our day pack with water, snacks, and a picnic lunch. We were going on a hike!

I figured the fresh air and exercise would do us both some good. There's something magical about the healing powers of nature!

Mackenzie doing her own version of tree yoga pose

Mackenzie's balance on her feet has come so far in the past year!

She often amazes and frightens me at the same time.

Thankfully, she typically errs on the side of caution.

After hiking a relatively quick 1.5 miles, we stopped and ate most of our lunch on a ledge overlooking the Cape Fear River.

Refueled by lunch and refreshed by nature, illness seemed a distant memory.

We felt like we could carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.

Continuing our adventure, we hiked about a mile to our next pit stop. The view was awesome! We'll have to go back next month to see all the fall colors.

In no time at all we were at the end of the trail and it was time to head home. We made it back to the house just in time for nap time! :)

Keeping with the prescription for fresh air and exercise, Mackenzie & I visited White Deer Park over the weekend for some play time and a picnic with a friend.

We also spent a good deal of time in the gardens on Monday.

In addition to earthworms, daddy longlegs, and a millipede, Mackenzie caught a cricket frog.

Unfortunately, by the end of the day, it was obvious Mackenzie had shared more than just her wild discoveries with me over the past few days...she had also shared her cold!

No worries though! In a moment of spontaneity, Mackenzie decided it was time to bake...Pumpkin Apple muffins!!

She cheerfully mixed all her dry ingredients,

sampling some of her "wet ingredients" (raisins) as she stirred.

Then she carefully measured her wet ingredients,

again, sampling as she worked.

And look who came along just as the muffins were going into the oven...

We ate our dinner and waited patiently for the muffins to cook and cool.

First colds, hikes, and comfort foods! We welcome Autumn!!

With autumn baking on my mind, Mackenzie & I headed out to Porter Farms to pick up some Indian River pumpkins. To our dismay, they didn't grow any this year. But they convinced me to try this instead...

We'll let you know how it tastes!

In the Gardens

The squirrels continue to harvest our eggplant, even with the netting over the plants. They have however decided to share some of our grape tomatoes with us. All the pepper plants are producing more than we can consume and I feel challenged to find a way to *simply* preserve them for later consumption. We will soon be harvesting lettuce from our recently planted fall garden.

This past weekend was the Annual Plant Distribution Event at the Arboretum. Buddy & I selected several free shrubs and perennials. Including 3 Snow White Indian Hawthorns, 2 Encore Azaleas and 2 Gardenias of notable size.

And how did we get them all home?

In the CRV, of course!

Now to just get them in the ground...

I think there will be a lot of fresh air and exercise for our family this season!

In the meantime, may your days be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Taking the Time to Smell the Flowers

2011-09-17T00:42:00.000-04:00

Although time was something we seemed to be running short on all week,

the Plante family did manage to take the time to smell the flowers or at least dig in the dirt a little.

We cleared our food gardens from the debris of summer and planted our fall/winter seeds and seedlings. After I deemed my work in the vegetable and herb area to be complete, I meandered over to the front wildlife gardens to assess its needs and splendors.

Although the colors of spring and flowers of summer still seem to linger in the landscape,

I can see, smell, and now finally feel Autumn approaching.

Asters are blooming beside the wet weather ditch that runs through the center of the wildlife gardens.

The purples and yellows a subtle reminder of Buddy's Alma madder (Go Pirates!).

The pinkish-purple ground cover, at the top of the path leading through the gardens is in full glory right now, too. In a couple weeks, I will be plucking its hitchhiking seeds off my clothing every time I

come inside from the gardens; but I don't mind because I enjoy all other aspects of the plant.

Hog peanut / Amphicarpa bracteata

The smaller-leaved, late blooming hostas are touting their purple spikes.

The weeping yellow flowers of goldenrod add a touch of wild grace near the path by the new bridge.

And adding to the purples and yellows this season are toad lilies (Tricyrtis) which I hope to acquire more of this season.

As far as produce goes, we still have some summer stragglers! Mackenzie's strawberry plants are still blooming and producing fruit. Her plants are for wildlife though; therefore, we are not likely to enjoy any late season strawberries this year.

We removed one basil bush and pushed the out of control branches on the other basil plant back into the boundaries of the garden. We still have a plentiful harvest of basil. Behind the basil plants, our eggplants are still producing strong too. Buddy "netted" the plant last weekend to keep the squirrels from continuing their looting and pillaging behavior. We will likely be harvesting eggplant well into the autumn season.

All pepper plants still seem to be going strong too! We have A LOT of peppers.

We have enjoyed the abundance of sweet, colorful peppers this season!

Mackenzie always seems to be eager to help harvest in the garden. She was puzzled by how to pick a pepper without damaging the rest of the plant, though.

Buddy and I are appreciative that Mackenzie is not only interested in the plants; but that she is mindful with how she handles them as well.

This particular pepper needed a flip and then a twist to successfully harvest it. As you can see, Mackenzie was very proud of her maneuvers.

As much as we've enjoyed our summer produce, I now anticipate the bounties of fall.

second bloom cycle of this mum

For me, mums are the garden's harbinger of autumn

As I notice the yellow mums beside the street beginning to bloom, I start to notice many other subtle signs of autumn.

Autumn fern is sending up its autumn foliage.

Red mushrooms sprout beneath the shelter of the ferns,

looking like tiny fairy houses or markers of gnome homes.

Interesting new fungi seem to appear and disappear in the gardens and paths, daily.

emerging mushroom

Same mushroom next day - It's almost as if someone squeezed the mass of this mushroom from the bottom to the top.

Bright red/orange mushroom

The fruits of fall are appearing everywhere!

dogwood berries

partridge berry

purple coneflower will soon boast its seed head too

Remember the fairy secret weapon flowers from Mackenzie's fairy magical birthday in May? This is a complete fairy flower, known to most people as a tulip poplar seed head.

Front view

Also a sign of the times and season, our favorite farm stand is swapping out peaches and watermelon for apples and PUMPKINS!! And it looks like Mackenzie's got apple harvesting on her mind at school as well.

Mackenzie got her first star on a "worksheet".

Mackenzie finger-painted an apple tree in art class this week

Mackenzie's apple that now graces the door to her bedroom.

Thought of the week

In years past, autumn always brought a sense of sadness to me. The days get shorter, the temperatures grow cooler, and the greens of summer are ultimately transformed to the browns of winter. However, these days, I eagerly greet and anticipate the change from summer to autumn. Perhaps it's that I now look at autumn as relief from the sweltering days of summer? Perhaps it's that I now more fully appreciate the spectacular transitions between green and brown? Perhaps it's that family life has inspired more seasonal traditions? Or maybe it's all of the above? Either way, my regard for the seasons is shifting. Not good, nor bad...just shifting...and I've noticed it.

Skill of the week

In addition to preschool on two mornings, this week Mackenzie attended aquatics bootcamp every day, after napping. The first day, Mackenzie was eager to attend swim class.

Mackenzie preparing for her first swim lesson

As it turned out, Mackenzie HATED bootcamp. She did not want to put her face in the water, which was a requisite of each class. She woke up from her nap crying Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday begging me not to take her to swim class. By day 3 she was "sort-of" swimming. She's still got a long way to go, though.

I stayed and observed class from a hidden place on Wednesday and Thursday. For the most part, she did great with the instructor! There was a little crying at the beginning of class and after completing some tasks that required submersion; but Mackenzie did her best to be brave and do as her teacher requested.

By the end of her fourth lesson, Mackenzie was glad to hear that her fifth lesson would be post-poned due to weather. I feel a strange sense of guilt pushing Mackenzie to confront her fears. She is, after all, only 3 years old. On the other hand, Buddy & I both feel that swimming is an important skill for her to develop. I just hope that ultimately there is a happy ending to her swim lessons. She will likely have her make-up class scheduled sometime next week.

Wish us all luck! In the meantime, may your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

The First Day of School

2011-09-09T23:29:00.000-04:00

Mackenzie started preschool on September 6th! I think both of us had been looking forward to, and preparing for, that date all summer long.

Even so, I still had my concerns about how she would do being left in a new place for the first time in her life. Surprisingly, separation went well for both of us. Mackenzie settled right into her new classroom, gave me a kiss, and then said goodbye. I, fighting all my desires to linger and wait for her to beg me to stay, turned and walked out the door...a free mom...for at least the next 4 hours. What's a mom to do? Chores, errands and little bit of good ole lolly-gagging. In no time at all, the hours passed and it was time to retrieve my child.

Come on mom! Let's go!

Eager to hear about Mackenzie's first day of school, I arrived early for pick up. I peeked into her classroom and watched her politely eating her lunch and listening to her teacher. I must have appeared very proud at that moment. The mother with whom I shared window space asked if the sweet little curly-haired girl was mine. Proudly, I replied "yes" and then proceeded to tell my new found friend of how well separation had gone for us that morning. I wondered (aloud) if our ease in detachment was because we’ve spent so much time together that she was ready for a break from me...I paused briefly...gave a nervous chuckle and then, trying to console myself, suggested that perhaps my consistent attention to her over the past three years has helped develop her self-confidence and sense of independence, along with her sense of wonder and desire to learn and try to new things. My poor, unsuspecting, new found friend shrugged her shoulders and then likely breathed a sigh of relief as the the teacher approached and opened the door for the parents to enter the classroom.

Mackenzie's and my discussion on the drive home goes something like this:

Me: What did you do today?

Her: I played
Me: What did you play?

Her: Babies, dress-up, and play-doh

The footage below is from our post-nap conversation re-visiting her experience at school that day

back to the drive home now...

Me: Did you behave?

...silence...

Me: To behave means to listen to your teachers and do what they say to do and to use your best manners. Did you behave?
Her: Well I told my teacher ‘no’

She then confesses to not sitting on her circle and listening to her teacher; but playing during what I understand to be circle time.

Me: Thinking to myself, “WHAT??!! MY child? She’s sat quietly and listened to literally thousands of stories. She’s done group story times that require her to sit attentively at libraries, museums, and other public venues. She’s participated regularly in group “learning time” at home with other children. Of all the things I anticipated she may have difficulty with, Circle Time was NOT one of them. Trying to get myself back in check before responding to my daughter’s honest confession of her misbehavior that day, I took a deep breath and searched my shaken mind for an appropriate response. Think! Think! Think!

That’s it! I reflected back to her Winnie the Pooh book that we read in preparation for her first day of school. I reminded her that "although school is lots of fun; there is an appropriate time for active play and an appropriate time for learning and group activity when you must listen to your teacher. Furthermore, when a teacher asks you to do something 'no' is not the right choice for an answer". Then, I asked Mackenzie how she thought her teacher felt when she told her “no” and refused to sit and listen. Mackenzie’s immediate response was “grumpy”, which was a good response; but I also threw out sad. Because I know it would make me sad if someone were disrespectful to me.

the conversation below is the first part of our post-nap discussion of school

At drop off the next school day, Mackenzie & I both apologized for Mackenzie's behavior the previous day. The teacher looked at me strangely, and said "What? Mackenzie did great!!??" I reminded her about Mackenzie not listening during circle time and getting off her circle. The teacher, still looking confused, assured me it was no big deal and reminded me that the first couple weeks of school is when the children get a feel for the routines and rules at school.

Relieved that this incident was minor and that it was now behind us, I left for my 3 hours (factoring in transportation time) of freedom. When I returned to pick Mackenzie up, the teacher informed me that she finally realized what Mackenzie & I were talking about with the circle time incident. There are circles in the hallway across from the bathroom. When the children are taking their turn in the potty, the others stand on their circle and wait. Mackenzie and another boy were hopping off their circles, playing a game. Once again, I felt a strange sense of relief yet embarrassment at the same time. I can't believe I made such a big deal about Mackenzie not standing or sitting on a circle during potty time. Yet, at the same time, I do not regret any of the discussion that Buddy & I had with Mackenzie about respecting and obeying her teacher.

All-in-all, I think it was a good first week of school! We all learned something...even though I still have a lot to learn when it comes to "lightening up" (at least a little) with my parenting. I am very much looking forward to next week's lessons in preschool and in parenting. In the meantime, may your week be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

So Long Summer!

2011-09-07T18:15:00.000-04:00

Gone are the long, hot days of summer and the months of endless adventures!

I am now trying to get back into the groove of home life - HOORAY!

For those of you wondering what we've been up to, here are some of the highlights for the months of June, July, and August.

Father's Day weekend we went camping with the Bakers and Hawkins at Hanging Rock State Park.

There were several nice and relatively short waterfall hikes that we took with the kids.

Mackenzie thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and thrill of climbing the rocks along the hike.

However, she was a little less enthusiastic about climbing all the steps.

We all enjoyed the accessibility and beauty of the falls.

We participated in a ranger-led program about animal homes and turtles.

The park had so many highlights, we could not enjoy them all in the limited time we were there!

I'm sure there will be future camping trips with the families, perhaps in the fall??

Observing Mackenzie's behavior on the Mother's Day and Father's Day camping trips, Buddy & I realized that Mackenzie's fear of the water was waning.

Catching Mackenzie's wave of excitement about the water, I decided to make June "Ocean Month" for our at home activities.

After seeing the ocean mural that my friend made using the animals her children created in school, I decided it would be fun to do the same with Mackenzie and the children that I watch. First the children painted the ocean on a really long piece of plotter paper from Buddy's work.

After reading The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister,

we crafted a wise octopus and a rainbow fish to add to the mural.

The week of Father's Day, we read Mister Seahorse, by Eric Carle; because, after all, seahorses are wonderful fathers too.

We crafted seahorses and starfish to add to our mural and created a starfish banner for the daddies.

The following week, we read A House for Hermit Crab, by Eric Carle

and crafted a hermit crab of our own, along with a sea turtle who, coincidentally, also lives in a shell.

I think Mackenzie's favorite ocean animal creation was the jelly fish; but she really liked the shark puppet too.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the mural (which spanned the back of our house) before it became too weathered from its month-long life outdoors.

Before we knew it, It was July!!! On her birthday, Aunt Koko (with cousins Brad and Anna) made the long drive from Indianapolis to Raleigh to spend some time with us. We visited the Fort Fisher Aquarium

and the beach, although the weather was less than ideal.

The following day, Buddy & I took the kids to Marbles Children's Museum.

Mackenzie spent a good deal of time there taking care of the animals.

But she explored the many other areas of the museum, as well.

When the cousins awoke the next morning, Grandma was in town!! There were a couple of days of overlap when mom could visit with all the grandchildren. Then mom stayed the remainder of the week - originally to help us harvest and can green beans from the garden ...but that's a whole different story...

Instead, we did visit the state farmer's market where mom bought lots and lots of.... tomatoes...that's another story too :) ...

Mackenzie at the farmer's market launching a campaign for the democratic party.

Another treat for Mackenzie while grandma was here was visiting the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Mom took Mackenzie to the museum for story time and to play in the Discovery Room. While there, mom managed to get the obligatory dinosaur footprint photo too.

As mom's visit here began to wind down, we packed up the grandma-mobile for her return home. Mackenzie and I accompanied her to Florida, where we would spend the week. By the end of the week, Cousin Melanie and Mark would be in town to celebrate Mommaw's 90th birthday!

Doesn't Mommaw (in blue) look great!?

By the time we returned home, the month of July was almost over! But we still had enough time to squeeze in one more exciting adventure before the month's culmination. With Buddy out of town for the weekend and temperatures in the 100's, Mackenzie & I decided to check out the newly opened indoor play space.

Mackenzie had a blast; and the next time I will wear socks so I can have fun too!

The following week, the first week of August, we packed up the mom-mobile and headed up north to the Jersey Shore to spend some time with Memaw, Poppop, Aunt Pam, Uncle Joe and cousin Grady.

rescuing jellies and picking up shells

This year Mackenzie could not get enough time in the water! She loved jumping the waves! Thankfully, she still exercised caution while in and around the water.

PopPop even made it out to the beach this year!

He gave Mackenzie lessons in sand creations.

He taught her how to retrieve water.

And he tried to teach her about water-to-sand ratios when building with sand.

She tried to demonstrate what she learned with PopPop while on the beach with Memaw; but I think Mackenzie will need a primer course from PopPop next time she sees him.

As our visit to the shore began to wind down, we "hit the boards" as a grand finale to our trip.

Mackenzie is now tall enough (and brave enough) to ride several rides by herself!!

Somehow she talked PopPop into riding the honey bear ride with her. I'm pretty confident in betting that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both of them.

Once we returned home, with the memories from the shore still fresh in her mind, it was time to try yet another new experience...Pottery Camp!

Mackenzie diligently painted

(and dried) layer after layer of glaze on her seascape project, which I (mom of the year) forgot to take a picture of before shipping it away where it would be broken along the way :(

Which now brings us to the end of August..back in the neighborhood...

and back to some more familiar adventures.

But not for long!!!???

Skills of the Season and other notable thoughts about our growing daughter

Mackenzie now talks and talks and talks and talks and we can even understand most of what she says!

She *tried* to give up naps June-Mid-August. That didn't work out well for either of us. She is now back to napping about 2 hours every afternoon---THANK GOODNESS! Afternoons were really tough during that time span.

Mackenzie now doggy paddles around a pool while wearing a life vest. She has yet to put her face in the water or to jump in the pool, though.

She can peddle her trike; but steering (or rather paying attention to where she's going) is another story. She occasionally hops on her balance bike in the backyard, but has yet to ride it on the pavement.

Her favorite phrase May through July was "Look what I can do!" Lately, however, she's started saying "I give up!" A phrase I am trying to discourage for obvious reasons.

Mackenzie now can color in the lines when she wants too; but she ONLY colors animals.

She draws figures that sometimes resemble her intentions. She draws an awesome giraffe!

And (I almost forgot) for the past month, Mackenzie has been a horse. She spends a lot of her time walking on all 4's and talking in strange horse sounds. She is, thankfully, spending less and less time as a horse lately. She has QUITE the imagination...and pretty good upper body strength too :)

As the summer now draws to an end, exciting times lay ahead for the Plante family! I promise to keep you posted! I hope your summer was filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

As a Memorial Day Tribute, and as a photographic glance into a couple of Mackenzie's & my adventures this month, I have compiled photos from our trips to the beach and aquarium, to the NC Agriculture Festival, and Mackenzie's first experience with fireflies.

In memory of my brother and father and all the others who have protected our freedoms so that we can enjoy our very blessed lives in America...we salute you, soldiers!

May your days be filled with wonder and awe for all that is wonderful!

A Fairy Magical Birthday!

2011-05-27T17:05:00.000-04:00

Well, it's about a month later...but here is the story of our little wood nymph fairy and her fairy magical birthday.

With only days left before the party day, Mackenzie & I were hard at work preparing the yard for all her fairy, gnome, elf and other spite friends.

We inspected all of the pre-existing fairy houses in the gardens,

we created rustic roads in the magical gathering and dwelling places,

we bestowed the roads and gathering places with magic stones to help keep the garden goblins away,

and we erected some new fairy dwellings as we anticipated the wee folk's population growth with our upcoming celebration.

Fairywood hills, the recently developed gated community, received a new pool and upgraded roads which lead to the homes and all of the neighborhood's special amenities.

the cabana and pool

the beach house

secret passageway to the gnomes homes

the schoolhouse

Fairywood Hills is definitely a magical place to dwell!

With our preparation work completed, we cleaned off and put away our tools and waited for all of our magical friends to arrive.

On party day, I greeted our guests at the gate to Wonderland with a cup of magic sugar rocks and spoons with each of their names on them. I had each of the wee folk sample the rocks and tell me if they felt their magic working.

With mixed reactions, most of our guests did not "feel the magic". So I guided them to the first area to craft their wings and/or staffs (made from bamboo donated by our generous neighbors).

Mackenzie working on her wings

the staff of the Woodland Wizard (Buddy)

The staff our own little wood nymph (beaded 'M' crafted by Madison Frickenstein for Mackenzie's birthday)

After each guest completed their staff or wings, I had them sample the magic sugar rocks again to see if their magic was working yet. Much to their surprise, most could now really feel their magic!

With their magic now at full force, I had them gather around some crafted flower containers filled with magic pixie dust (colored sand and glitter). Their job was to harvest the pixie dust and spread it in the areas they thought the fairies needed it most. The fairies needed pixie dust to fly and elves and gnomes use it to disappear. The dust would definitely be needed by all of our sprites in order to escape those naughty garden goblins! After all, there was already evidence throughout the trails and gardens that the sprites (fairies, elves, and gnomes) were working hard to keep Wonderland safe.

Secret weapons, fairy flowers, to use against the Garden Goblins

A sword is revealed after the "petals" of the fairy flowers are removed.

After diligently working to harvest and disperse pixie dust, our guests' magic was tested once again. This time we had their adult companions (parents) blow magic bubbles. They were encouraged to catch and carry the bubbles to garden areas.

Touchable bubbles quickly filled the yard

only the truly magical children could transport them though

From there, our guests were corralled, given magic gnome treats, and then encouraged to find and spin the magic toadstools placed throughout the garden areas. The spinning mushrooms would create a shield, through which the goblins could not pass.

After completing all their tasks to restore the magic to Wonderland, the guests were given pots to decorate with gnome stickers which could serve as a gnome home in their yard. Into their pots, they were able to temporarily transplant some red dianthus for their local fairies, elves and gnomes.

Sample gnome home in our Children's Garden

Dianthus

As a gift for helping to restore the magic on our land, and as a reminder to keep the magic alive wherever they go, our guests were given fairy necklaces (the girls) and magical glowing bubble wands that glowed in an array of colors.

We concluded with a celebration of Mackenzie's birthday which would fall on the next day.

The cupcakes were decorated to look like red or blue toadstools and topped with either a dragonfly or a Tinkerbell ring.

After cupcakes, Mackenzie opened her presents.

When most of the guests had departed, Buddy presented Mackenzie with her gift from us.

A blue Strider bike!!!

And so concluded her birthday party day...

About being 3...

Although at first Mackenzie was challenged with being 3 (she just couldn't make her fingers go right), she has quickly adapted to her new status. She even got a new identity (card).

We had an awesome visit to the doctor where, with her new status as a 3 yr. old, procedures had changed quite a bit! She no longer had to precariously perch on a baby scale...

weighs a whopping 27 lbs with clothes on!

She no longer has to lay on a table with measuring paper on it...

36 1/4" tall - NEW RIDES AT THE FAIR!!!

she got her blood pressure taken...

A procedure she had practiced several times on big baby and her animals.

AND she got to wear a big kid examining gown!

which she swam in - she's 45% for height and 15% for weight for her age

After examining and talking to her, doc says she's in GREAT shape...

Which, of course, called for an ice cream celebration after a pizza lunch!

waiting patiently

thinking about whether to share or not

taking another bite

after deciding not to share more than a bite, she moves to a more secluded location

burning some of that sugar off before returning home for rest time

trying to rake a mountain of sand to compete with the neighboring landscape supply company

So far, the life of a 3 year old and life with a 3 year old is filled with fun, adventure, interesting conversations, and lots of laughter!

More to come on those adventures!

Until then...

May your days be filled with wonder and awe for ALL that is wonderful!