We were out in the woods for a while
yesterday.  The boys have a fort, and they wanted Grandpa and I to see it.  It is a magical place, where little boys imagine they are anywhere, and they can be anybody.  It is where the children want to play for a very long time.  It is the best place for them to play, unstructured, inhibited only by their own minds, and maybe sometimes, the weather.  It is a crazy maze of trees and vines, thick enough for the boys to climb on them and swing on them.

 A place where dreams and reality blur.  An earthly and heavenly place where boys talk to things only they can see.  Where trees and vines become buildings, ships, airplanes, castles, dragons, animals...

A place where they hardly notice the adults are there, but when they do notice us, they invite us into their world.  It is a place I can remember from my childhood.  I am just one step away from the magical land they live in.  My boys take me there, all I have to do is take their hand and follow them.

inside and out

inside

There was not as much holiday baking as last year, when I made the fabulous Buche de Noel, cookies, crescent rolls, etc.  But, I did manage to squeak out a chocolate cake for our solstice celebration.  Atticus may have helped...

It was dark and beautiful.

Elias has been busy.  I don't think he left his room for two days, except to eat and use the bathroom. 

He created little animals and characters and even invented a game to play with them.

I surprised everyone on Christmas eve with some peppermint bark

And of course there was music

Out

And I am dreaming of the summer garden.  So much work to do in the spring.  But, for now, I just observe my little piece of the world as winter unfolds.