Scrappy Girl

Fairy Festival

Ok, so this goes back to May (!) but their is an herb farm near Fenton that hosts a fairy festival every May.  And we have been meaning to go for years, but we always have something else that we have to do, and we never make it.  Well this year, we made it, and our friends Sean and Michele and Ryleigh even managed to join us!  And the weather being a bit dicey worked in our favor for once, and I think it kept the crowds away!

Hugging the "real" fairy

Checking out Erin's unicorn tattoo

 Their tea party

I love small little festivals like this-- the wee ones can have a little freedom to run around because the crowds are not crazy and you can see exactly where they are!  And as a bonus, there are gorgeous gardens and a fun gift shop and wandering checken across the street!

Heavenly Scent Herb Farm  
 
 

Back to blogging.

Yes, I know it's been for-ever.  So, I will try to do some catch up.  And maybe even try to keep up.  But that might be too much to ask.  We'll go slow.

Remembering that life really is all about the small moments. Watching all the girls (Erin, Sam, and Calliope) pile on the dog bed together and giggle. Singing songs at the dinner table. Watching as Sam takes her first steps. Good stuff.

And a Happy New Year

You know you are getting old when you are actually a little bit relieved it's January, and some of the hub-bub is winding down.  Not that my next two weeks are not jam-packed, but even that is refreshing from sheer chaos and late night partying.

The smallest one is 8 months old now, and crawling, and trying very hard to walk.  Which means our days are crazier than ever!

And a few from the holidays (though it was very hard to get any good shots this year, so please excuse the photo quality!)

   

And we did experience a twinge of disappointment that there was no Santa terror this year. 
 
  Making cookies in Mimi and Papa's new kitchen, and with Mama in the Christmas Eve tradition

 

Christmas morning, with their Santa presents...
 
 

Mid-morning naps...
 
  Tha Kamman side

 
 

I think We should have a contest to guess how many outfit changes Erin had on Christmas (hint, they are not all shown here!)
 
   
 
 

Early Halloween Wishes

from our Party...more photos later!
 

Six months old

Sweet girl is now 6 months old...she weighs in at 16 lbs 5 oz and 27 inches...still on track to be a tall girl!  She is still a happy girl, who I think keeps trying to say "ma ma", and lights up and giggles for her big sister!  The girl wakes up so happy at 3:30 in the morning, it's hard to not be happy to snuggle with her!!!
 

Growing so fast....

Samantha is growing so fast....I have spent most of this evening moving out the 3-6 month clothes (which were pulled out less than a month ago) in favor of 6-9 month clothes.  It's always tugs a little at the heartstrings to put away all those tiny clothes....

These are her 4 month photos....

  (Love this face!)

And from the Baptism last weekend...

 

And Erin and her cousin (and also her "best friend Ella"), which is a little melancholy this week as yesterday they moved to Berlin.

And yes, Erin had to wear the fancy gold "sparkle" shoes. 

New Classes!

 Just sharing some new classes I will be teaching at Paper Tales.

First Up: Oh Baby!!!  Milestone books for boys and girls!  A fun book for the first year of baby's life, with spaces for pictures and journaling about all of those "firsts" and stats.  I think this is much more fun than those boring baby books.  This would make a wonderful gift for any new mommy.  And I just loved playing with Basic Grey's Lemonade and Lime Rickey papers!

 

And next up, I am attempting a monthly-ish page class.  Right now, I am title-ing it "A Child's Life"-- I was going to try to do the first year of life, but I realized that I don't scrap chronologically, and that was bound to throw people off.  So, I am just going to go with some layouts of topics that most people with wee ones have photos of.  In this case, "coming home" (from the hospital, from an adoption, hey, even camp for those with older kiddos!)  And then the two page layout is about water-- here, first bath, but it could easily be about pool or any other adventure with a sprinkler or bucket of water.  I am also hoping to put together a couple of samples with some of the "leftover" pieces you will have when you finish these 3 pages!

 

Sorry about the less-than-great photos, but with two wee ones, sometimes what you get is what you get!

One of my favorite places

Greenfield Village has always been one my favorite places.  I always wanted to get married at the Martha Mary Chapel (it was too small, and it would have to be candle-lit--- me in a puffy dress and candles sounded like a very bad idea.)  So we took the family for a little visit yesterday (Erin's second-- the first was to see Thomas the train in May.) If you have not been in a while, you will be amazed at how much activity there is-- there were suffragettes marching, all the cars and bicycles and horses were out, there were musicians and singers out (Erin loved this), games you could play, and docents giving demonstrations and talks in most of the buildings.  Erin still loves the Roundhouse, where Thoams's friends are getting fixed. 

Suffragettes marching And Erin & Daddy giving a puppet show...

 

The singers (Erin sat and watched 5 or 6 songs), playing with the grace rings (very fun, tough I kinda suck at it), and the gazebo where Erin performed for us, and inside the McGuffy schoolhouse...

   

And some of my favorites, in the Cotswold Cottage gardens...

 

That last one we call "froggy face"-- she tried to make it her pouty face, but we laughed so hard, now she cracks up too!

And the cute story for today....we were in the McGuffy schoolhouse and I was explaining that a long time ago, when you went to school, you would have to sit on these benches and listen to the teacher, and Erin says "and watch TV!" I tried to explain that there would not have been any TV back then, and she just kept saying "no, they would sit and watch TV!".  Ah, kids.

Time flies....

We've been busy, and a little under the weather, and lots of fun and craziness--- I can't hardly believe my babies are about to be 3 years old and 2 months old!  I feel like if I take a nap they'll be driving!!!

The first birthday girl....Calliope is now one! (Complete with birthday haircut and bows-- that lasted less than 24 hours!)

 

Samantha is "growing like a bad weed" to quote her great grandmother...

 

And someone who was very excited about her balloons...this whole week has been a series of birthday parties leading up to the official day and party this weekend....

 

She actually has a sassy new haircut that I need to get a good picture of.  I am sure I will get some this weekend.  Trying to convince her she wants to do a photo shoot for me....

Oh!  And don't forget about the "Scrap Samantha" contest.  I saw four entires at the store today....