There's nothing scarier than a clown

Sabine, Vivian and friend Kate made me into a clown...hmmm...nuff said.

More daddy creativity

Did you know popsicle sticks could look so cool?!? Bret and Sabine made these to give to the Uncles Kevin and Erik. (They'll be in the mail soon, I promise!) We realized after this photo was taken that our camera lens was severely smudged.

Our little "Braveheart"

See the resemblance? Face painting is fun.

6 year old birthday party

This was my original idea for a party favor for the 10 little girls Sabine had invited to her party...as usual I was overly optimistic...This one took a fair bit of time to make, so we gave it to another little friend for her birthday gift, and came up with this for party favors:

Much easier to make en masse.

Happy girlies!

Nim's Island Seaside Shuffle

Don't remember how we found this...but warning...it's quite addictive.

Some things just look alike...

To an almost 6 year old girl...

This is chicken that is defrosting...



This is bread with powdered sugar on top...


Fortunately I caught Sabine before she put former in her mouth...she just thought it looked like, well, bread with powdered sugar. Who can blame her?

A. A. Milne

Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne came off the bookshelf the other day (there's a great post about books by Sandara Dodd here). A couple of the poems jumped out at me, including this one, which I find to be a good reminder about being present:

Come Out with Me

There's sun on the river and sun on the hill . . .
You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!
There's eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm-
And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!

But everyone says, "Run along!"
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, "Run along! I'm busy as can be."
Every one says, "Run along,
There's a little darling!"
If I'm a little darling, why don't they run with me?

There's wind on the river and wind on the hill . . .
There's a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned-
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!

But everyone says, "Run along!"
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, "Yes, dear," and never notice me.
Every one says, "Run along,
There's a little darling!"
If I'm a little darling, why won't they come and see?

And this one:

The Good Little Girl

It'’s funny how often they say to me, “Jane?
“Have you been a good girl?"
“Have you been a good girl?"
And when they have said it, they say it again,
“Have you been a good girl?"
“Have you been a good girl?"”

I go to a party, I go out to tea
I go to an aunt for a week at the sea
I come back from school or from playing a game;
Wherever I come from, it'’s always the same:
“Well?
“Have you been a good girl, Jane?”

It'’s always the end of the loveliest day:
“Have you been a good girl?"”
“Have you been a good girl?"
I went to the Zoo, and they waited to say:
“Have you been a good girl?"
“Have you been a good girl?"”

Well, what did they think that I went there to do?
And why should I want to be bad at the Zoo?
And should I be likely to say if I had?
So that'’s why it'’s funny of Mummy and Dad,
This asking and asking, in case I was bad,
“Well?
“Have you been a good girl, Jane?”

I don't know much about A. A. Milne's background, but it seems with these two poems he's reminding us to take kids seriously and treat them as we would like to be treated...among other things!