Moonrise, Moonset.
It is often not hard AT ALL for me to blog. It’s not like pulling teeth. It’s not forced or faked or really even “phoned in.“
I run on a mix of instinct, love and adrenaline. A three year adrenaline rush, and counting. I have blogged through trauma and have really gotten through the hard times better because of it, and I blogged through sickness and pregnancy and a new baby. I used to always wing it at the last minute but that didn’t always pay off in time. I would have days like today in which I’d wake up feeling highly unmagical, but luckily always a little motivated, so while I wouldn’t call it hard…it wasn’t easy. So now I’m more scheduled.
I feel a slight letdown that such a fun and warm(ish)weekend has ended. It was also the first Easter I can ever remember not celebrating. Although to be fair, we are celebrating this weekend with my family and also to be fair, my kids are 75% Jewish and too young to read a calendar. I think I just missed getting a chocolate bunny. And putting Scarlet to bed with visions of magical bunnies.
‘Cause as you can imagine, Scarlet believes in magical bunnies and other magical things. She’s three. At 32 I don’t not believe in magic. And with Easter and Passover and her obsession with princesses and magic wands, I struggle a bit with what we can and should tell her about it all. It’s alarmingly ludicrous (and amazing) what children will readily believe about magic bunnies and flying reindeer and even some of our spiritual beliefs that have glaring holes in them, especially when you know..science..is factored in.
And I guess that’s really the beauty of it – to believe in something while life can slowly give you more and more reasons not to believe as you grow. You can hold onto those original beliefs, or more likely, you’ll create new ones as you grow. I can be jaded and confused.
That doesn’t have to mean Scarlet and Des will be.
I believe that magic is something inside of the human core and nature and how we relate it to ourselves and our paths, and to each other, and to animals, and..lots of stuff. Scarlet believes in dragons and unicorns and doors in the floors that lead to magic kingdoms..
Maybe this all meets in the middle somehow.
Like with the beautiful reflections the sun through the pine forest creates on our (still) snowy lawn. Add in some other-worldly pink tinge and some cute raccoon(?) paw prints, and I’m a believer:
And this is very holy static indeed, because when you see it you say “holy static!”
Sometimes there are slight..while not doubts..there are slight questions in her steadfast beliefs. Like when she made a magic wand at school. She took it home and told us, “It’s made of..paper and a stick. And some jewels. Where is the magic? Is it in the jewels? The glitter?” And we tell her that included in all of those decorations, it’s in her. “The magic is in you!” Still we test the strength of her wands. Cassidy does great magic tricks where he sneaks jellybeans into eyeglass cases while she’s not looking, but she does see them after making up an incantation and waving her wand..It’s beautiful to see her face brighten to discover, and eat, those jellybeans.
She likes to think about wishing on eyelashes and full moons and shooting stars.
Recently she noticed that the moon and the sun can be up at the same time. She said, “The sun rises and the sun sets, just like that time in Cape Cod when we all watched it together. And actually (her new favorite word) the moon must rise and set too, right?” And I agreed that it does but that’s harder to track than the rising and setting of the sun. And she thought that just made it cooler to see.
And hey, there’s a magic in thinking your dad is a prince. Sure it’s probably inappropriate for your dad to be your prince when you’re 30. Not so when you’re three. When I was twenty-something, I often wondered if he was a prince. At thirty-something, I know he is:
I think I’ve got all the proof I need..
Oh my Gosh, those last pictures of the princess and the prince are killing me!! So so sweet!! 🙂 Love!
Right? That's why I have to always have my camera on hand. They weren't performing for the camera..not even sure they knew I was there, to be honest. I'm a sneaky person.
I needed a little magic today! I am afraid Liam might not have any!! Hold on tight.
Oh I think Liam is very magical!
Your photo of the snow is magical! My husband is definitely my little girls' Prince. They are still at the age where they want to marry him, and wonder why we giggle when they ask him.
Right! She acts like it's totally expected and normal and that there are no alternatives. "I'll marry Dada, of course." And I'm all like, "Well..he's already married..oh never mind." 'Cause one day she'll find the thought mortifying so we'll enjoy it for today!
I wish I had documented more of those sweet moments! Those pics of your princess and prince are adorable!! My daughter is still daddy's little girl, even at 14. 🙂
It never ends, does it?! I wonder what my son will be like regarding us..
What a precious snow white picture!
Thank you! She's obsessed with these cheap costume dresses, even though they're mostly torn! I'll have to one day invest in a nicer one, or make one myself.
I have been lamenting not having a Passover or Easter although we had a lovely day on Easter. Like last year, this nana has an Easter surprise for her grandchildren…(one got his early in Netcong) ..and yes, there is a chocolate bunny lollypop with your name on it!
I know! We're totally spring holiday fans. Well we get our do-over this Sunday and then next year will be epic.
My little guy gets so excited when we see the sun and the moon in the sky together. The moon is definitely special for him. And speaking of special? Those last photos are beautiful – what a wonderful moment to capture. 🙂
I had an ex-boyfriend who I overheard telling my mom one day that the sun rises and sets every day and it's pretty magical and majestic each time, and that we take it for granted not to watch it all the time. I can't imagine watching every single sunrise and sunset (especially sunrise!) but I liked that he thought about that.
Oh my gosh…this was so sweet I got a little teary. And I love that your girl likes to "think about wishing on eyelashes and full moons and shooting stars." I still wish on those things.
So funny because I was just on YOUR blog after seeing your comment at Dose of Reality's blog (I love our community) and then I got a "ding" that a new email came in and it was you! So I'm off to continue where I was, but stopping back here to tell you that I also wish on those things!
I had a princess Aurora dress. 🙂 She's so cute!
Thanks! Never enough princess dresses around here.
I love this post because it really is our choice what to believe! I think having kids reminds us about the magic and can bring it back to us again!
Yes, exactly! I also really love re-living holidays and vacations and beliefs with them.
I don't believe in magic, but boy do I believe in fate and some things happening for a reason. 🙂 Always love your posts and pics! Big smiles here!
I think I'm probably similar. Not the kind of magic she believes in, but I do believe in destiny and all that.
How I love to come to your blog! Such a wonderful post and PRICELESS photos. (We had a low key Easter too—our house is still making us ill, post renovations, so we went out to eat with inlaws. It was really quite nice.)
That sounds nice! We had the Easter bunny come last night, as strange as that sounds. He brought a chocolate bunny for her. On Sunday when my mom gives the kids the baskets, I think we prefer to give her the credit for it!
Have you ever seen Enchanted? That's what her princess pictures remind me of. 🙂
Actually, yes! Love that movie and I can totally see what you mean.