Second Star To the Right!

"And straight on till morning."
That, Peter had told Wendy, was the way to the Never land.

Welcome, welcome to my adventure in staying young at heart.

Be sure to visit all the other wonderful adventures of participants listed here on the left side of this post.

There are a few things that are key to having a youthful heart. The first of which, is the ability to DREAM!

‘To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~Anatole France

And sometimes if we dream hard enough we might actually be able to fly.

This summer my children and I took our adventure to Never Land. Here is my Lost Boy and I as we discover the second lesson in staying young at heart is the courage to EXPLORE!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain

And chances are good that while you’re exploring you’ll find ways to save those memories. Lesson Three in Staying Young at heart – CREATE!

Don’t just daydream, Create those dreams.

Make those dreams a reality.

All it takes is Faith, Trust and a little Pixie Dust.

Create a place where your imagination can soar… where you can remember all of your adventures both real and imaginative.

“Some pursue happiness - others create it.” ~Author unknown

Look at what magic a few discounted garden trellis’s, clothes pegs, thrifted sheets, curtains, and a few fairy lights and wings can create. An outdoor room perfect for learning the fourth step in staying Young at Heart. - IMAGINATION!

With a little Imagination you can be anything you want to be.

Princess as Tiger Lily and her garden.

Believe me the garden is real, as is the Princess and her dwelling.

As for Itchy the Dog, well she can only dream she’s as helpful as Nana. Personally I don’t think she quite has the imagination skills to make that dream a reality.

With a little Imagination and an enchanted shell necklace…

Maybe, just maybe you’d grow a mermaid’s tail.

Sorry, I just couldn’t resist the classic little mermaid pose.

Hope loved being a mermaid and even insisted on acting out the Fifth Lesson in Staying Young at Heart – FINDING JOY!

And you bet she enJOYed every moment singing like Ariel.

Joy is not in things; it is in us. ~ Richard Wagner

Ever notice how something as simple as blowing bubbles can entrance and entertain a toddler for hours. For them it’s Magic!

And MAGIC is our Sixth Lesson in Staying Young at Heart.

“Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart. And they both take practice.” ~Author unknown

And finding ways to make the magic last is a talent and gift to be cherished.

Yesterday evening in the parking lot of our grocery store I spied two children pointing at the sky. I stopped loading my groceries and looked up to see the most beautiful pinkish popcorn shaped clouds in a brilliant blue and lavender sky.

It’s Magic to witness the beauty in the small moments. The Sunset, the twinkling stars, the smell of a rose.

Sadly, the two children and myself were the only ones in the entire busy parking lot that embraced the magic and soaked up it’s beauty and joy. How much of this magic do we miss as we hurry through life?

Lesson Seven in Staying Young at Heart – DISCOVER!

Try new things. I’ve honestly never made a Sand Castle until this last week.

With just a bucket to scoop wet sand and a stick I made a Discovery.

I discovered what kids everywhere know - that it is actually quite fun to build and create and discover new things. I’m already planning Castle number 2.

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~Plato

Lesson Eight – PLAY

When was the last time that you played an enjoyable game? If you quit playing because it is a child's sport, then you are wrong. As George Bernard Shaw said, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

And while you’re playing – Beware of HOOK!

Hook was so focused on being number one and squashing anything and anyone that annoyed him he lost sight of the true treasure life can bring us.

And that true treasure isn’t gold, wealth or high esteem from your fellow pirates.

Sometimes we bury that treasure, neglect it, and forget about it.

Thankfully, there is usually, and band of people willing to help remind us of the importance of Lesson nine – FRIENDSHIP

“If out of all mankind one finds a single friend, he has found something more precious than any treasure, since there is nothing in the world so valuable that it can be compared to a real friend.” ~Andreas Capellanus

More often than not some of your dearest friends are family.

The adventures you have with your friends and family can either help you become more like Hook or they can help you stay young and nourish your happy heart. So do you surround yourself with leeching pirates or magical fairies who constantly sprinkle pixie dust on your head and take you for enchanted adventures?

My wee fairy girls helped me create a magical village in the branches of a cedar tree in our backyard.

Filled with fairy homes reminding us of some of our families past fun adventures.

We couldn’t resist adding a Mermaid Lagoon as well.

So many fun memories from a truly unforgettable summer.

I promise our adventure to a Youthful heart is almost done. It does take a little work to be a kid. Don’t forget lesson number ten - BELIEVE

Believe in dreams, joy, magic and everything else and no matter how dark the night, how bitter the trial, you’ll be surrounded by peace, comfort and hope for a brighter future.

Isn’t that what being a child is?

I do believe in fairies, I do! I do!

I believe in Light. It’s enchanting.

And helps us find the way when life is dark and worrisome.

Michael: Mother, can anything harm us after the night lights are lit?
Mrs. Darling: No, Precious. They are the eyes a mother leaves behind to guard her children.

The final and most important lesson in staying Young at Heart is LOVE! To Love Life and Family is the truest source of joy and happiness we can ever find.

So the secret to staying young and having a happy heart is simple. Dream, Explore, Create, Imagine, Enjoy, Magic, Discover, Play, Friendship, Believe, and Love.

Now if your a kid, this post was unbelievably long, probably a wee bit boring and your itching to visit all the wonderful other party participants listed on the left hand side of my blog. Check them out then go create some youthful magic of your own. But before you leave drop me a comment. Say Hi or Tootles? Whatever floats your make-believe boat and you could win a little fairy packet. I'll pick a winner next Saturday!

And Thanks for letting me share my adventure to a youthful heart!

Mounds of Treasure.

One week and counting…   I finally finished making all the goodies for my Blog Party next Saturday.

 

Might I say that I’m a wee bit over excited for this event.  Ready to see some of the treasures? It’s my biggest give away ever.

Blog Party Participants have a chance to win one of three different treasure troves.  The first being…

Treasure #1 - Hook verse Pan.

Including a treasure box with wood burned map of Neverland decorated by me.  Also included is a Hook, Pirate figurines, stickers, candy and pirate magnets

Treasure #2 – Enchanted Maidens

Which includes this necklace by craft works, and a pendant that I happily created for the lucky winner.

 

You can’t tell by the picture.  But it’s reversible with layered pop out art featuring none other than Tinker Bell herself.

A Mischievous Christmas ornament and…

We mustn’t  forget the beguiling siren’s of Mermaid lagoon.

 

Treasure #3  Fairy Fantasy

Note:  This is the only treasure than can be won by those not participating in the blog party but merely commenting on my Aug 22nd post.  Hope that makes sense.  Party participants will have a chance at winning this one as well.

 

It features Professor Dalrymples Patented Fairy Catching System.

And another sweet necklace by craft works with yet another fairy pendant made by yours truly.

Yes this one is reversible with pop-up words as well.

Recap:

Participate in the Second Star to the Right Blog Party and you are automatically entered to win on each of these three treasures.  Participants who also leave me a magical comment next Saturday during the party will have a second entry.  Those not participating but just stopping by to spread well wishes and enjoy the festivities will have a chance to win the Fairy Fantasy Treasure.

Leaving a comment on this post will win you well wishes from me but no treasure. :) Visit HERE to sign up to participate.  And the magic begins.

Warning: crafting + boating = hurling

If your prone to motion sickness then crafting while sitting on a boat in water may not be the best use of your time. I’m a major boat wimp. I felt queasy within being on the boat after 10 minutes and that was in calm water – tethered to a dock. Had I been on the open water and I might have just lost my cookies. But I agreed to spend the weekend with Evo-man on Prince Erik’s boat.

Seeing that we would have lots of spare time I brought craft projects along with me to kill time. But darn if I didn’t start feeling sick within minutes of trying to focus on them. Evo-man had better success than I did. So I just sat back and instructed him on how to make fun little pirate trinkets out of bottle caps.

Had a couple of fun Fawn firsts again. Nearly four decades old I am (I know I’m insane to publish that), I mean being a super young whipper-snapper that I am. Somehow I’ve never seen turtles or beavers in the wild. Until this weekend that is.

This little fellow was about 10 inches and was about the only one I could snap a picture of. There’s this beautiful lily pond and beaver dam right next to the Marina and when you sit on a boat all day your bound to see a bit more of nature than you would with a quick glance.

The turtles ranged in size from a couple of inches to probably a foot long. They didn’t like people looking at them and didn’t care for getting their picture taken either. But they were everywhere.

Evo-man and I also enjoyed the path by the lake that stretched on for miles and miles. Seems everyone else and their dog, bike and row team did too.

But it was gorgeous and so I would pull my son along on walks that lasted for hours. Gorgeous I say.

Clearly more than made up for the bouts of upset stomach. It wasn’t that bad – only when I tried to craft. How cruel it that? But there’s nothing like the lull of a gentle rock to put you to sleep at night. And the motion of the boat led me to dream and wonder about mermaids and what I would tell my girls about them when I came back home. I know that didn't make a whole lot of sense but we're still gearing up for our party. And Hope is determined to be a real mermaid.

Under a Magic Moon

Sometimes the night is dark.  So dark it’s scary.  But more often than not there’s a light to guide us. To light our path and help us find the way home.

A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man made perfect without trials.   ~Ancient Chinese Proverb

Well let me tell you,  rubbing downright hurts, stinks to high heaven, and I’d rather not be rubbed at all.  Sometimes the anguish is nigh unbearable.  Our family is having a go at probably the hardest thing we’ve ever faced.  And something I’m not prepared to talk about yet, maybe not ever.  But my Faith and Hope are solid and I know when all is said and done we will all be the most glorious gems you ever laid eyes on.  In fact I’ll be glowing so brilliantly you’ll have to wear shades just to be near me.      And my beloved Prince will be the most skilled mariner ever to sail the seas of Fatherhood.

A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
~English proverb

So while things have been hard – I’ve been focused on finding joy.  I’ll not be detoured in this journey.

Yesterday my older boys helped me scavenge some downed branches from nearby trails.  No living tree was harmed.  We only sought what nature had dropped naturally.

  

And magically we found a family treasure I had made when my boys were little.

Memories nearly ten years old flooded back and the boys excitedly talked about adventures taken and nearly forgotten involving our found memory.  Touching prints of a baby now nearly 11 nearly caught my breath.  Where had all that time gone?  Wasn’t it just yesterday we made these memories.

 

We’re getting ready for our Second Star to the Right adventure on the 22nd.  Let’s just say Tiger Lily’s going to love her accommodations.  And the children are wildly excited to have some fun.

I’m almost finished making my treasures, and I promise to share them soon.

Speaking of treasures.  I received this lovely item in the mail today.  Darn camera still doesn’t have a working flash so you’ll have to put up with this blurry image.  I almost didn’t want to open the box it was so darling.

 

Inside was some wonderful goodies from Ms. Tunibug.

Isn’t she fabulous!

 

She had to be one of my favorite Mad Hatter tea party stops.  You should check her fabulous party.  Love the face paint and the table is priceless.

The marvelous, magical goodies she sent had my girls and me grinning all day.

The Yum-yum’s delightful.

As were the bubbles and sweets.

And her darling business cards – Devine!

I have to say I fell in love with the Wonderland tea party gift tags.

 

And the illustrated pages from an antique ‘Alice in Wonderland.’  Wow!

`

Thank you Tunibug.  I loved each and every treat. 

Dear Rest Stop Operators,

Is there anything you can do about the smell and appearance of your Women’s Bathrooms? Especially along I-5 in Oregon or thereabouts. On our recent trip I had a humdinger of a time convincing the 3 and 7 year old that it was indeed okay to use the toilets. That the toilets were not going to suck them down or that there were no monsters lurking under the lid waiting to seize my daughters.

The very first time we stopped, Hope eagerly ran into the stall to show mom what a big girl she was by using the bathroom. She then immediately ran out announcing that…

‘That Potty is Evil.’

I of course checked it out and it appeared to be functional although battered and ancient. I saw no signs of it being possessed.

It took 5 minutes of pleading and finally bribing to get her to use the accused thing. The look of terror on her face led me to believe she would be scarred for life. I think she was too nervous to fully do the entire job for which the rest areas were created in the first place.

You might think that my bathrooms are immaculate and she has a high standard. Let me assure you that we do not. She has three older teenage brothers. Nuff said.

Needless to say, about 20 minutes after we resumed our journey. Both Hope and Princess announced that they again needed to use the restroom. So within 10 minutes I again spied another Rest Area) where I could pull over.

The scene of the Evil potty was then again repeated. This scenario happened over and over. Even the restrooms at McDonalds and Wal-mart brought not the full relief which we all were seeking due to the tramatization of the first few experiences.

On a good note – Thank you for providing so many Rest Stops. I realize that the recent downturn in the economy has forced you to make many cutbacks. But really, how hard is it to keep up the appearance of the Ladies Restrooms? Maybe you could spend less money on watering the grounds. If the grass turns brown you won’t need to mow it as often. And it will perk right back up as soon as the rains come back.

Later in our trip we happened upon another Woman’s Bathroom (Not at a Rest Area, by the way), where the stalls were PINK. My daughter instantly thought she was in the bathroom created for a Princess. And she gushed about how heavenly and perfect the accommodations were. And you also might want to contact the person responsible for the Target in Sac, CA’s rest rooms. Whatever they use for air-fresheners there is divine.

My recommendations:

*Pink Stalls

*Replacing the Toilet Seats more than once every decade

*More frequent cleanings

*Have you tried air fresheners?

*Stock your vending machines with princess or rose colored glasses.

There you have it. Now, as a side thought, do you have anything left in your budget that covers the cost of having the car seats cleaned and detailed? You know because kids would rather have accidents than use your facilities. Just Wondering?

Sincerely,

The Tired mom who survived a trip that should have taken 12 hours but took a day and a half.

Seafair Fun

Once a year Washingtonians put their pasty white bodies in swimsuits and converge on a beautiful lake close to Seattle. There’s pirates, parades, hydroplane races and a whole lake full of scantily clad drunk boaters.  Some go for the one reason or another.  We go for the Angels.

Prince Erik pulled his Pride and Joy out of mothballs and took the kids out for a day of fun.  It’s the first family trip we’ve taken the great white gas sucker on in over a year.  Stupid economic reasons won’t let us go more often.  But for one day we relaxed and had some fun and tried not to think about all the other worries we seem to be focused on.  It was heaven in so many ways because Prince Erik got to spend some good old QUALITY time with the kids after being out of town for over a week.  The icing on the cake was watching all the jet screaming, fly-by maneuvers of the Navy’s Blue Angels from the best seat in the house.  The Lake!  Boaters have the best view of the show.

Ahhrrrr!  Screaming Jet Engines are the perfect rejuvenation needed to slap a silly smile on my Princes Face.  

And when the shows over it’s easy just to toss the kids overboard (in a less drunk populated part of the lake) and watch them swim.  I think Hope’s part fish.

My kids love being thrown overboard.  ‘Do it again Daddy, PLLLeeeaaasssseee!’

 

And when they get tired of swimming put them on the end of a rope and drag them around. 

They’ll smile soooo big, that they’ll be in danger of sucking down a few bugs while zipping along.  Ah, the good life.   Abner can’t resist trying to get some rays as well.  Nothing like a fresh coat of pinkish-red skin to cover up the normal northwest pale skin tone.

 

The crowning glory happens when Mother Nature decided to put on her own show.  I never cease to get a thrill from seeing a majestic Bald Eagle in free flight.

To be honest I’d never seen one that wasn’t in captivity until we moved to the Northwest.  And even though I see them quite regularly, they still fill me with awe!  Love care-free days like this.  I definitely need more of them.