Solstice, 2012

The dolls I made for the girl's gifts.

Violet having a hard time waiting to open gifts.

Bunny Num Num wearing a Rudolf nose.

Pig having a turn with the Rudolf nose, and also wearing her ghost costume.

Vi  opening her gift from Pen.

Breakfast Doughnuts

Making paper snowflakes.

Coloring pictures.

Watching movies.

Candles burning.

Decorating cookies for our party.

Sign Penelope made at the beginning of the month, and I've been loving it every day.

Girls bundled up to walk to our friend's house for a Solstice party.

Peanut butter, bird seed pine cones.

Hanging them in the tree.

Spreading peanut butter on the pine cones.

One of my many failed attempts to get all six kids together in a picture.

Our solstice celebration didn't go quite as planned this year. We were all sick with runny noses, aching ears, and bad coughs. But we celebrated as best we could. We began the day with opening gifts. Penelope worked so long and hard making things, and loved doing it too. The best one, I think, was the beading kit she made for her sister. She used some very old wooden thread spools, which she painted in different colors, and also decoupaged a little box we had lying around here with various papers from my paper collection  She included some long shoe laces and it turned out to be a great bead stringing gift for Violet.

She made Steve a prism with a beautiful hand strung, beaded string. She was so proud to be allowed to use a real needle and thread. She drew me a beautiful picture, which I hung on the wall. I made both girls a new Waldorf doll. Penelope named hers Marie and Violet named hers Lulu.

Steve made us all baked doughnuts for breakfast, and then we spent the rest of the day resting, napping, watching movies, coloring, and making paper snowflakes while we tried to take it easy and get well. We couldn't go out because it was freezing and raining all day, so we had our Solstice fire inside, with many candles burning brightly.

The day after we all felt much better, and were glad because we were expected to join friends for a solstice party and tree decorating. We had a wonderful time, ate wonderful food (our sweet friends made everything gluten free and vegan) the children exchanged handmade gifts, and we went outside to decorate a tree for the birds together.

I still want to have our walk through the woods leaving birdseed and treats for our forest friends, but we will wait a few days to be sure our lungs are ready for a long time breathing such cold air. I don't want to spend the next month coughing, so we will take it slow. It was still a beautiful Solstice, despite it not being exactly what I had planned, and anyhow, the sun has returned and every day will be a little longer than the day before. For that I am very thankful.