Piper Finn Willow
Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans; it's lovely to be silly at the right moments. - Horace
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I think she’s right.
After a particularly lovely sunset across the silhouette of the bare tree tops, Piper Finn walked inside and smiled big at me. “Momma,” she said, “Sometimes I think the outside is a show.”
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Finn Takes The Stage
All you have to do is ask her. If you see my little Piper Finnian she will enthusiastically deliver her lines for you, British accent and all. “Mum said you might want to play a game with me. We can skip rope if you like.” Pause. Sad face. “But I’m finished with all of my chores. You can have a go first.” Sadder face. Head over shoulder and stepping away from Lucy. She and Kevin have been starring together in a local theatre’s version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Piper is the youngest on stage with a speaking role. I’m pretty thrilled for her. Kevin plays Professor…
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In the Rearview Mirror …..
One thing I love about blogging is that it’s as if my memories are all filed away neatly and in chronological order. Even the memories I have forgotten. These days we’re living right now with kids seldom involve poop and spit up and although I can distinctly recall the smell and the horror of both, I mostly spend my current days not really thinking about the poopy spit up days. Which is all to say – it all moves so very quickly. But this same month, four years ago, life looked a lot different. And since I had the pleasure of looking back – I’m going to invite you to…
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My Girls – Differences Defined.
So much about the differences between two of our daughters is explained in this simple conversation: London – Remember when I was younger and I had dreads? I didn’t like them. Do you remember why? Me – I do. You didn’t care for the dreads because you didn’t care for all of the attention and the comments from strangers. London – I just don’t care for so much attention. I don’t care for a lot of people admiring me at once. Piper – I do!
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cue the laugh track.
Greetings from the Maybe She’s Our Funniest Kid files. “Hey, Mommy – doesn’t Otto look like Gerald?” Piper Finn called to me from the other room. “What?” I asked. “He looks like Gerald.” She was pointing at Otto. (Who, at the moment, looked like ……. Otto.) “Piper,” I asked. “Who is Gerald?” Piper’s hand went to her hip. She looked exasperated but explained mostly patiently, “Hark – the Gerald angel who sings at Christmas.”
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happy birthday willow.
“All I want for my birthday is to play dolls with my friends.” I love when wishes are so easily granted. Six is a good age. We invited a few dolls over. And their girls. Lemonade was served in tiny tea cups that once belonged to Piper’s namesake and birthday twin, my mother. London made her famous scones. (They aren’t famous yet actually, but they should be. They’re legitimately delicious.) She even created seven miniature scones for the dolls. With a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream and strawberries and blueberries – the table was set simply but sweetly. A strolling musician named Daddy composed an original spontaneous tune for…
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miss communication.
“You know what?” Willow asked me. “What?” I said back. “I think it’d be sort of fun to lose your independence.” “Okay. Why?” “You’d probably get toys and ice cream and stuff.” “Oh?” “Like Madeline in the hospital?” “Oh. Your appendix.“
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logic. five year old style.
My lovely friend Jo is going to give birth next week. This will be their third baby and she and her husband Jason have chosen to let the baby’s gender be a surprise. That seems like a giant deal to me. I love the mystery of it, the anticipation. But I know I couldn’t take the suspense. I just need to know. But they don’t. And this one is their baby so they get to choose. Aren’t we glad life works that’s way? Mostly? Anyway. The kids and I were talking about this much anticipated baby human. And I say, “I can’t wait to find out if it is a…
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daughters. sisters.
One morning this week the girls and I put on pretty dresses. We drove to a friend’s house and attended a tea party to celebrate our sweet young friend turning five. It was a lovely morning. Tables set up outside in the cool morning breeze. Tablecloths. Real deal china plates and tea cups. French bread smothered in home made cream and fresh strawberries. Scones. Piper was thrilled to put on a dress. She chose from her plethora of options and happily dressed her dolls to accompany us. Mosely was happy to oblige the dress code suggestion and even submitted to a barrette placed in her hair but requested no braids.…
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a doll story, a Finn story
I just deleted about thirty-five blurry, barely recognizable photos from my phone. There were at least twenty more that I sent packing because they were basically a picture of darkness. (Not nearly as poetic as it sounds. Just – literally – a picture of nothing.) Piper Finn and Otto asked to borrow my phone to take photos of Piper’s pal, her doll. I think they were inspired by their siblings’ earlier forays into artistic photography. Out of the barrage of blurry and unusable images, I did get a handful of cute savers. (All photos taken today were taken by a three and a five year old. You’ll know who took…
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a funny video.
It’s been more than a year since we moved twelve minutes down the road into this old farm house where we seem to be collecting memories and animals at an increasingly alarming rate. Kevin’s been plowing new ground with Jody over at Bottlecap for more than a year and we’re all still here – paying rent and eating meals and clothing our children and living a life that would never qualify as luxurious but has proven to be blessed and fulfilling all the same. Bottlecap has been making videos – good ones too. The most recent one is funny and features the cutest little expression from my Willow. Today, I…
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night song to piper finnian willow
The distance from your bedroom door to your bed is about two yards. Max. I step lightly, working to miss the squeaky boards. Climbing up the ladder to your bunk, your breathing lets me know you’re already asleep. I love you. Brushing the hair from your eyes and gently tucking it behind your ear, I’ve loved you and your tiny head since first we met. I swaddled you – burrito style – in your rectangle of a crib. And I loved you then. Soft head. Inch-size appendages. Squinty eyes. You were my baby. You’ve been my girl. You’ll be my friend. And I’ll love you always. Stuffed animals piled by…
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Piper Finn Saves the Day
I hope I never stop thinking these Keiglets are funny. (I hope they never stop being funny. The pressure’s actually on them, not me. Right?) Otto is a collector. (A hoarder if you must.) And he likes little things. Lately he is obsessed with our friend Torrye’s hair clip. It’s an unusual looking black clip that opens and closes in a way that reminds Otto of a spider. He thinks it’s awesome. Luckily Torrye thinks Otto is awesome and she has kindly given him full possession of said clip. Of course he sleeps with it. It traps his cars and his fingers and other people’s fingers and his stuffed animals.…
