clearframe

magical.

John and Thea walking towards the entrance to the gardens

On Sunday evening, John and I took Thea to the Gardenfest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Being quite mild, it was a perfect night to see the lights - we didn't even need jackets.

As soon as she saw the lights lining the entrance, her excitement was apparent.  The entire night was filled with alternating states of frantic excitement and quiet wonder.

John and Thea looking out from the bridge to the Children's Garden

I have seen the lights before, and it was impressive. But experiencing this with Thea was nothing short of magical.

What a gift to see things through the eyes of a child -  to let yourself be completely taken with wonder and delight.

Thank you, my sweet girl. I think it is going to be a fun holiday season.

sunny days

Lately, we've had a number of cold and rainy days. As soon as the clouds break, we open the front door to let in some sunshine and warmth. It doesn't take long before Thea starts pointing at the door saying, "Chalk! Out-side!" So, outside we go.

 

She loves carrying the chalk bucket, dumping out all of the chalk, and gathering as many of the chalk crayons in her hands as she can possibly carry. She is thrilled that she can make marks with the chalk.

 
Of course, often the best part is trying to sneak bites of the crayons while mama glances away.

How do you begin to explore creativity with your children?

scenes from a rainy weekend

We had five cold, rainy days in a row, so we spent lots of time indoors cooking, playing, and snuggling.

What does your family do on rainy days?

everyday magic

This totally made my day.

This did too, of course:

More photos can be found on my flickr page.