Marsbarn Designs...

Dad Rules

Let me preface this story by saying that when I am away from home, I am away from home.  I do the total removal routine, and I (hold on to your pants) don't call home.  I don't check in or check on my family.  They know where I am, if they need me they will contact me.  I do this for a couple of reasons.  First, I think short separations are good for the soul, both theirs and mine.  I need time to be me, and they need time to be without Mom.  Also, I think having me check in on them undermines Big E.  If I'm not home, it is Big E's world run by Daddy Rules.  And sometimes, those rules are better than mine.

Now, when I was in New York, there was a domestic tragedy, of sorts.

It went like this:

Hysterical tears and screams from the back room.

Big E to Little e, "What's wrong, are you hurt?"

Little e: "I...I..I.. killed my fairy!" 

We, as a family, don't go in for video games much, or mainstream commercials toys, but... the girls have this thing for the Disney Fairies site.  It is their only computer game vice, and most of the time they play as non-members, so it is free.  When Little e lost her most recent tooth, she asked her Tooth Fairy, Honeysuckle, for a month long membership instead of money.  Honeysuckle, being a soft touch, said "Wish granted" and there you go.  

Little e logged in and accidentally deleted her fairy. She could create a new one, but then she would have no gathered materials to buy things with.  (As non-members the girls collect flowers and berries, so when they get a month as members they can buy things.)

What to do, what to do? 

The Daddy solution?   

"Let's build a new fairy.  We can make her better, faster, stronger, and I'll stay up late into the night playing fairy games so you have berries to spend."

Really.  He spent hours filling her fairy coffers.  
Sometimes it really is better when the house runs by Daddy rules.

Yep. He's a pretty fabulous Dad.

best laid plans and poorly set zippers

There were plans for this weekend.  They were good ones, too.

Dinner with the family of Sweetheart G's new friend and a visit from Bunny and Claude, were the highlights, but there were other things we wanted to do as well.  Then Little e came home sick from school on Friday,  and the weekend emptied of commitment like a high school fling when college starts.  Little e has that cold that's been making the rounds.  The one that cruises through children, but stymies adults.  She complains of a sore throat and a bit of snot, but really the only even slightly alarming sign of illness in her is her lack of continuous motion.  We cuddled on the couch for more than twenty minutes today.  Grand M stopped by today (to drop off more Macs (score!)), took one look at my littlest monkey lying horizontal on the couch, and knew illness was present.

So, I've been sewing.  

What was I thinking when I cut out two dozen zippered pouches?  Was it insanity?  How could those fabrics seduce me so easily?  (Come on, just cut one more...) I vaguely remember picking out fabrics and setting a limit.. but then it gets hazy and suddenly there was this stack of cut fabric mocking me. 

Oh, and zippers are still a struggle.  I'm still waiting for that Zipper Skill slot to materialize... why did I waste all those skill points in kazoo all those years ago?  (Sorry, my inner geek slipped out there. It must be time for bed.)  

the grand mysteries of life

After dinner..

Little e: "Mom! For some reason I'm wearing two pairs of panties!"  

Me: "Is that because you put the clean pair over the dirty pair this morning?"

Little e: "I guess so..."

Me: "So is this the first time you've use the potty today?"

Little e: "No!  I guess I just didn't notice before."

bee still, my little e

Bees still fascinate Little e.

This big bumble was found on a walk to the post office. 

Little e carried her inert friend nearly a mile, cradled gently in her hand.

Once we were home, as I went to take a photo, the bumble moved.  

 

So back outside it went, until it was suitably deceased.

Guest Post: Sweetheart G Fairy Pictures.

Hello! This is Sweetheart G typing today. This is a picture of Nixies [ above ]. They are amphibian fairies. The picture is  called  Nixie Pond.   Drawn with markers and colored pencils.

This is a Western Elfian Sea Side Dragonous Maximous. It loves sushi,chocolate,s'mores,and all desserts. On its wing is a phoenix. In the backgrond is a nixie.  

Here is some sushi that a swimmer left on the beach to eat after swimming. The dragon is thinking about eating it.

This is the cover of the Elfain calender. More fairy pictures soon! Bye!

Ollie-ollie-oxenfree

The whole gang is back home.

The new art area upstairs has been oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over.  

The first argument between sisters has been survived.

The kite quilt has been finished and washed.

Now I just have to arrange to see that new babe!

I did not, in the end, tie this quilt at all.

I used my free motion foot and did little air current swirls here and there.   I found the whole enterprise terrifying and exhilarating, but I did it and I'm giving the quilt away before I begin to obsess over it.  

And, I found an Easter Egg this weekend.

It was stuffed into the middle of a yoga mat.

Happily it contained a playmobil knight.

So we're all back home. 

The house has been reassembled. 

And, we have two weeks to settle into the Home routine 

before school starts and our time is no longer our own.

Sweetheart G: Motivation in Art

This drawing (click to enlarge) and the collection of illustrations like it, are what finally moved us to do something about the floor upstairs.

During our time at the beach in June,  Sweetheart G began to draw. She had been inspired by a visit from our dear friend Z, who is a fabulous artist.  When we returned home, I set up a little art station for her upstairs, and she proceeded to spend several hours a day working on a series of illustrations.  She writes descriptions and histories for her drawings, and is in the process of making a calendar to fill out her make believe world.

If our sweet girl is going to work that hard expressing herself, we needed to give her a better, more pleasant place to do it in.  (There are more wonderful drawings to post, but they are currently barricaded in the girl's room.) 

An old refrain, but a new choir to sing it

Little e's newest zinger when her sister's telling her what to do?

"Don't be like Mom!"

(Sigh)  

Little e and I need to play Taboo together

Little e: Momma... why is there the red thing in the white thing?
h.: What white thing?
Little e: No. Not the white thing, the red thing in the white things.
h.: What red thing in the white things?
Little e: You know white things with the red thing.
h.: Okay.  I need some more words here. What exactly does this have to do with?
Little e:  Ummm.... its a... umm...
h.:  Is this something we've just seen?
Little e: No.
h.:  Can you tell me anything about what we're talking about?
Little e:  I have one word.  I remember one word of the name.
h.: Okay....
Little e: Queen.  

pause

h.: Do you mean Queen Ann's Lace?
Little e: YES!
h.: You mean the red spot in the middle of the white flowers, right?
Little e:  YES!
h.: Okay.

a bee addendum for our little e

While we were at Jade's house:

little e: "Mom, mom OH MOM!"

h.: "Yes babe."

little e: "Mom."

h.: "Yes babe. What is it?"

little e: "Mom!" pause "I found... a new dead bee!"

and of course that new dead bee followed us home.