Fairy Houses, Reading, and Baby Love

::We're getting the house slowly ready for the big Easter gathering we're hosting over the weekend, and it makes me so cheerful to catch a glimpse of flowers as I'm going about my tidying.  As the Easter card my inlaws just sent reads, "The new life that surrounds us in spring is a beautiful reminder of the new life we've been given because Christ lives."  

::We have taught all of our kids how to read using this book when they're four or so, and it's always magical to watch them suddenly "get it" and start reading more fluently.  Ben and I have been competing over who gets to give Hugo his reading lesson in the evening.  I am already looking forward to teaching the twins: at least we'll each have a pupil!

::Zosia and her friends put together a little song and dance number for their school's talent show, which made us all so proud!  It's not easy to get up in front of an auditorium full of people, let alone do it with grace and poise and smile on your face.  It's so fun to watch each of our children develop into unique individuals, pursuing their own interests and talents.  As I kid I had some awful stage fright, which I truly think I've only fully gotten over as an adult: I think doing a talent show like that would have been my worst nightmare.  But there she was, confident and happy, in front of a room of friends and their parents.

Watching Zosia up there, we realized that over the past six months, our kids have developed close friendships with some pretty great kids. I remember my sister in law, who has spent most of her adult life as an air force wife, moving more frequently than I can wrap my mind around, once said that it takes about six months to feel settled in somewhere.  And of course she's right.  :-)

::I can't believe that just over two months ago, we hadn't met Josephine yet.  It feels like she is right in the middle of our family, acting as entertainment, antidote to boredom, and superlative winner in most categories according to her siblings.  To me, a new baby is the ultimate teacher of pure love. Because, if you think about it, Josephine's siblings shouldn't boundlessly adore her: they should resent her (which all of those parenting books tell you they will!  Six kids later and we're still waiting on that one).  I mean, here she is taking up attention, and needing new diapers and all.  But they absolutely adore her and she brings out their kindness, creativity, and gentleness in entirely new ways for no good reason, other than love.  And likewise, we should probably be pretty grumpy about the fact that we are getting up at night, or jiggling a baby and what have you, but there is nothing that could make us happier.  Babies, you guys!

:: We are right in the middle of a "fairy house" craze, which means that I find little shrines all over the house containing a mix of random toys, natural elements, food waste, and in this one, a nativity icon.   They are so incredibly creative, I leave them up for as long as I can bear it before reclaiming that bit of countertop (or tabletop, or lawn, or bathtub).  Clearly, if we don't yet, we will soon have a lot of fairies living in our house.

May you have a blessed Holy Week!  Our feet are going to be so clean in an hour or two.