this morning i asked her, "well, birthday girl, what do you want for breakfast?"

she smiles wide, "presents, please."

when we sang happy birthday she requested the version: "happy birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too!"  she giggles, stands to blow out the candles, and loudly announces,

"i wish for a pony! ... or a DOG!!!"

"do not be afraid to love. without love, life is impossible...love by the way you walk, the way you sit, the way you eat. learn to love yourself and others properly...

the well being of the world depends on us, on the way we live our daily lives, on the way we take care of the world, and on the way we love."   ~thich nhat hanh

"mom, you're my favorite mom."   ~genesis

...and you are my mother."

so glad i am her mother.

{birds speak in a super high pitched voice according to H, be advised.}

and i'm simply amazed at this video of the egglet being born. 

watching a mama bald eagle ROCK her babies as they come into the world...

i'm simply in awe. 

when i get into my art zone it's like nothing matters but the work before me.  this is awesome when it comes to creating my own work.  but it makes it very difficult for me to paint while my kids try to paint... i sorta forget that they're there and paint seems to multiply on the table as they mix all the colors into one mix of sludge.

however, i think i've found a way to merge the two.  making art with my children. we had started out just making shamrocks, then moved to painting cards, and when i realized that H could easily paint with a stencil and get awesome results my first thought was, SPRAY PAINT!

to make this a happy afternoon for all, this is what i learned:

• it will be messy.  just embrace the mess, it's the only way to have fun with this. if you're concerned about staining things then remove anything you're concerned about.  wear paintable clothing and pull your hair up.  but, if you're anything like us, just wear your regular clothes and then wear your paint with pride.
• assemble everything you need before spraying anything. we used a canvas drop cloth, four 16x20ish pieces of cardboard or trashable canvases, masking tape (lots), spray paint, regular craft paint, stencils, stamps, shoelaces/ribbons/ etc. 
• create stations.  if you've got more than one kid doing this, break it up into as many stations as you can so that everyone is happy, everyone gets a turn, and you (the responsible adult ;-D) can work with one child at a time while the others work independently.
• roll with it.  your reactions to mess, art, mistakes and successes are all absorbed by the kids.  if something goes unexpectedly, like someone accidently painting their shoes bright pink, just roll with it. let go of all preconceived ideas.  
• prepare for some serious joy.  and not just from you.  i couldn't believe how quickly F picked that can up, shook, and got to work.  i might be raising a graffiti artist, or four. *tear*  help them to be successful and let them create as much as possible. let them spray, let them mask, and if they're not strong enough to press the nozzle then help them push but let them choose the colors and direction.  
• whenever the kids would get stuck on something i'd show them something new, how to use a stencil, shoelace, or masking tape to get new results.
• we did have one hard and fast rule, all spraying takes place on the drop cloth,at  one child a time. 

i shouldn't even have to tell you to have fun, just relax and it will be.  trust the mess.

for E's birthday she was given a red-eyed tree frog.

that was such a nice gift for her aunties to give me.  for real.  i honestly don't know that i've ever loved an animal like this.  i love this frog.

LOVE. 

it's the cutest thing i've ever seen.  and you can't possibly disagree, right?

since he's nocturnal it's been kind of a bummer for the kids.  but for me, we get to play once the kids are asleep.  i change his water, feed him disgusting bugs, i've even been known to play him "sounds of the jungle."  my love for this frog runs deep.  and i'm a complete dork, who apparently shouldn't be allowed to chew gum.