At The End Of The Day

Each and every night as the girls are getting ready for bed Gretchen wanders into their room. She has always loved this time of day and she has always joined us for stories and snuggles. Ever since we returned from our Florida trip this summer she has spent each and every night sleeping on Grace's bed. She has a favorite spot, generally the left corner, but recently has started snuggling right up against Grace. Each night as I kiss the girls good-night, I can hear Miss Gretchen purring contentedly while that night's Sparkle Story begins and the stars from the girls Twilight Turtle cast their soft glow around the room. It's the perfect ending to our days and I am so very glad that this sweet kitty is a part of our world. xo

Evening Meditation

I went outside to get Grace's guinea pig out from under the rhododendron bush and found Emma meditating on top of the sandbox. 

And before I knew it they were both meditating on the lawn. 

The sun setting in the background, guinea pigs in their laps and chants of "om" made this lovely autumn evening even more divine. 

Clearly, yoga has had a tremendous impact on their lives. 

And for that I am eternally grateful.  

Namaste. 

The Evening Rhythm

A few weeks ago we changed the evening routine.  After a good few weeks of endless trips up and down the stairs to calm down the party that seemed to be taking place in the girls room at bedtime each night, Dave and I decided that we needed to change things up. Instead of putting them to bed when we think the girls are ready we now put them to bed when we know they are ready.  This one change lead to a few other things changing (like the TV staying off from the time we make dinner until after the girls go to bed) and brought with it a lovely new evening rhythm.  Some nights we play games, some nights the Legos are brought out, some nights the dollhouse is played with, some nights everyone finds their own thing to do, and some nights (like what's pictured above) it's all about creating.  The evening mural was one of those simple projects that turned into something so much more.  They easily worked on it for over an hour and could have kept going except for the fact that there was some serious yawning and eye rubbing going on.  The simple act of getting out some paper and crayons, of seeing what each person would contribute to this lovely mural was enough to quiet the sillies and let the girls become ready for sleep.  Once they were done creating for the night it was up to bed for stories and snuggles.  It truly is delightful how one simple change has lead to even more love, peace and joy in our little world!