Six Rides Around the Sun: Pie Fight Birthday Celebration!

And I never met a flower
Who'd deny the higher power
That was born to shine on everyone - MaMuse

Scenes from Satchel's Birthday Party wherein there were bubbles, crowns, and a much anticipated pie fight wish...

I made this Windhorse (prayer flag) with photos from Satchel's birth. I used one of Target's flour sack towels. I tore it into squares so the edges would be tattered. I printed 5 of my favorite photos onto transfer paper - utilizing the seam as top. Then I ironed the images onto the fabric. Next I threaded Tibetan recycled silk yarn through the seam and ta da!

 * I read that reddi-wip was the best choice for pie fights because it doesn't sting and it's edible. (Some people use shaving cream, but that can sting little eyes.) We used flimsy paper plates to prevent injury in case the wild rumpus got extra wild.

Squirters and a Slip n' slide to help de-pie....

 

 

In lieu of thank you cards, each guest received a special photo from the party via paper saving pixels!

 

And some behind the scenes magic making (with linky love to tutorials)...

Tutorial via Crafty Crow
















There's tons of tutorials for giant bubble wands, but here's one with swell photos. There was a bubble wand for each guest to take home! You can make your own bubble solution. There's tutorials all over the web or you can buy an extreme bubble mix here!

 















(An unfortunate typo) and mustache tutorial. *Use foam sheets instead of construction paper because it's way better!


 







Mini Pinwheel cupcake toppers tutorial.

Inside the Goody Bag:

1. Smencil 2. Sunflower Seed Bomb 3. Wall walking spider 4. Mini Play Dough, 5. Gnome Tattoos 6. Pop Rocks 7. Finger Light 8. Meringue Cookies

I always keep a watchful eye for sales on non-perishable goody bag items and keep them in a bin in my closet. I bought a party pack of mini play dough tubs at a yard sale. The smencils and finger lights were a sale item at Michaels.

Birthday Letters: Six

Dear Satchel,

Today marks your SIXTH ride around the sun! You have been literally counting down the days until this birthday, each morning giving me the tally. This birthday you did not cry and complain about being a year older as you have in the past. This is the birthday that you welcomed and said, "I'M SIX...I LIKE BEING SIX!"

You have changed so much over the last year. You take up more room in the family bed. Your big boy bed has never been slept in except by adventurous house guests.

You like to write and do math in your head. Your artwork inspires me in ways that I can't find words for.

You still use the word 'what' in place of 'that' and have your own unique way of forming questions..."Mama, was it funny what I said?"

You are into wizardry and making potions on the sidewalk with herbs from my garden and pots that you found in the recycle bin. You love making arrows and all sorts of weaponry to scare off magical beasts.

You are obsessed with Beyblades and Bakugans. You love Legos, Zoobs, K'nex and Hot Wheels. I will never forget how I blew your mind when I came home from the community yard sale with a bag full of Hot Wheels gadgets.

You are reverent about nature and you've transformed the dining room window sill into an altar to hold all your gifts from the earth.

You can ride a two wheeler! You never had training wheels - went right from your balance bike to the real deal! You're favorite thing to do is ride down the hill and hit the breaks at the bottom. You get off your bike and compare the skid marks, trying to outdo yourself.

You now love greens...including fresh spinach and wakame.

You are articulate, thoughtful and have a terrific sense of humor.

I feel a shift since last year and I wonder if you do too. The occupational therapy and the changes we've made seem to have soothed your extremely aware senses. You seem more at peace.

I cherish the multitude of kisses you give me each day and how you say, "I love you, Mama" throughout the day. You are a blessing to me and I thank you for being my son. I hope that you feel my love also, because you made me understand what Browning meant by...

"I love you with the breath, smiles and tears of all my life."

Happy Birthday, Satchel!

I loved you before you were,
I love you now that you are,
and I'll love you for eternity.
Mama

*As usual, I've set your annual birthday letter to post at the time of your birth because will be in full swing celebration mode at that very moment. You requested an old fashioned pie fight for your birthday...LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!!!

May 24, 2011

"Mama, here's the deal...I get dressed and you give me 10 bucks". "Satch, here's the deal...you get dressed or I take you to school in your underpants".

Soul

"One question leads to another...

Does it have a shape? Like an iceberg?
Like the eye of a hummingbird?

Does it have one lung, like the snake and the scallop?

 Why should I have it, and not the anteater
who loves her children?

Why should I have it, and not the camel?
























Come to think of it, what about maple trees?


















What about the blue iris?

What about all the little stones, sitting alone in the moonlight?








What about roses, and lemons, and their shining leaves?





















What about the grass?" - Mary Oliver

Untidy Exuberance (Annual Ladybug Picnic)

A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty of this world...
Be good-natured and untidy in your exuberance.
Live with the beetle, and the wind. - Mary Oliver

So Many Wishes

“I'll teach you to ride on the wind's back, and away we go!”
- J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)

Mother's Day

"That you live a goddess, but mortal..." - Marge Piercy

And there were gifts...Poetry and an EarthBox from my loves!

Lets scream for joy, altogether now!

And the Winner is....

Not all who wander are lost - Tolkien

A heartfelt thank you to all who have wandered here. The winner is....Alyssa! Please, contact me with your shipping address and the specifications of your necklace, i.e. how many eggs? Which stones, turquoise or pearl? With love and gratitude, I wish you all a...


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Meaningful Mother's Day Gifts (& Giveaway)

I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable
beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes,
and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart.

~ Mary Oliver


It's been a while since I've given my two cents about gift picks. Please indulge me for a moment, then indulge your mother, indulge yourself...

These two books, "Momma Zen" and "Hand Wash Cold" by Karen Maezen Miller have changed my life in that they didn't change my life, but rather taught me to live the life I already have which, after all, is the greatest gift I've been given.

Buy it, read it, teach it to your heart, then unwrap the gift of your life!

If adornment is what you are seeking, I offer a custom mother's nest necklace to honor your divine nature, mother. Mine has one turquoise egg to represent my son. Please visit my etsy shop for details or try your luck as I'm giving one away. Details at the end of this post.

In honor of Mother's Day, I will be giving away a custom nest necklace to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment here, tell me something good!

Winner will be chosen by random generator on Friday morning, May 6th.

Happy Mother's Day!

Wondrous and Wordless

When it's the only thing there is,
how can we talk about it? - Maezumi Roshi


















How can I find words for a moment that has no words?

How can I describe a feeling that cannot be described?

Many years ago I studied karate with a group that met in the gym at Columbia University. I loved this dojo because it wasn't a business, it was a group of people coming together to learn an art. It was a devotion. Eventually the members of the dojo each went their own way and I was in search of a teacher. One afternoon I was visiting the home of my friend Shawn and his wife Charlotte who are masters in several disciplines. Charlotte said softly, "Wendy, stop looking for your teacher because your teacher will find you". I have never forgotten those words.

The last night Maezen spent in our home, I had a hard time sleeping. I kept thinking about what to say to her, some way to express the awe, the gratitude, the wonder of it all.

On the morning of her departure, all I could say was,

"Thank you for finding me".