GLOW!

 

This past Saturday night we decided to go to an event that we always mean to catch and then never do... GLOW.  It is a lighted sculpture garden full of paths and live music out in Oracle (about an hour from our house) on a big ranch (yup pretty much as random as it sounds).  It was definitely as random and fabulous as I expected it to be. 

View from below of the lighted udders...

 

The event was complete with a water tank that you can walk inside, pull levers on, and lower and raise glowing udders.  I think my favorite was an oak tree filled with little lanterns that hung over a cool little metal stool to sit on.

 The finale of the night was a circus of sorts, where people played with fire and stood up on a big stand to be electrocuted.  While watching this spectacle Izzy told Patrick, "Daddy, I wouldn't ever do this, it is not safe." While the hula hooping with a hula hoop bedazzled with fire was decidedly impressive the rest of the show was just weird.  There was, however, good music, good cupcakes, and really cool (but random) art.

Fairies

Photo taken of the garden by Evie to use as an example for her school garden.

Izzy and Evie have a bit of a thing for fairies.  For years now they have both been building (and tending) fairy houses in our backyard, up at the cabin, and other random places (like in the nooks of trees at girl scout camp).  Last Friday Evie received a package in the mail from a mysterious place called Lakeland, Florida.  Within this package were a letter from a fairy named Luna, a whole lot of fairy dust, and a new book for Evie to read as a thank you.  Upon reading the note, which thanked Evie for her hospitality as a traveling fairy, Evie proclaimed "I just knew they were real.... I just knew it!" Izzy asked, "Mommy, do you think when I learn to read the fairies will send me a book too?"

Newest fairy house... pay no attention to the dirty dishes beside it :)

Within the note, Luna informed Evie that she has told her friends about her fairy garden and that they might use it as a way point as well.  This note served as a call to action for more housing, so last weekend we went to the craft store and bought a new house (and outdoor paint) to make sure that there was plenty of room at the inn for any traveling folk.  Although Evie does generally tend her fairy garden on most mornings on her way back in from feeding the chickens, the past week she has been extra careful to make sure that it is hospitable.... just in case some new fairies decide to visit.  Evie is now also kid in charge of the school fairy garden, which she is going to start building with her English teacher.

Izzy does Expo

Izzy's family tree.

This week Izzy had her first Expo of the year.  The unit was all about family.  For the expo she got up in front of the class, sat in the "hot seat", introduced herself and then read through her book she made on her family.  After this solo presentation she then stood up in front of the whole class and sang a little song in French.  Unfortunately I thought I was recording the whole thing, but as it turns out I recorded nothing, and don't even have a picture :(  Regardless, I was very impressed, especially because at the first one of these, at this time last year, we couldn't even get her to go up as part of a group, let alone as a solo act.  What a cool thing to see her get so brave over the course of just a year! 

Izzy and her best friend before the "show"

Weekend (and Week!) fun

It has been a busy few weeks. Most of our adventures have been of the around Tucson-type.  On Sunday nights we have been working on our French cuisine skills.  With Anna's help we are slowly making it through a french cookbook she bought for us.  Perhaps the best part of this cooking endevor is that (almost) the whole family is getting involved.  (The almost is for me.  I am these meals as my chance to just sit and watch everyone cook... and maybe be just a little bit of a backseat chef :)

 

We have also made it out to the Tucson Art museum, where Evie hit another very important milestone ...it has been awhile since we've discussed one of those!... first selfie:

I should probably note for the record that is is one of about 10 selfies she took in front of this painting in an attempt to get it just right.

This week we headed out on Thursday night for the first football game of the season.  I was able to get free tickets to the game and so we were even able to bring one of Anna's friends, an exchange student from the Netherlands.  It had been raining so much that day that we were going to skip it, but the girls (all four of them) were so excited about the game that we decided to give it a go, which turned out to be a great idea.  Not only did we not have any rain, but it was downright chilly up there way high in the stands.

 

There has also been quite a bit of at home play (our living room once again looks like a fort bomb went off).  With the girls making paper dolls, building legos and watching TV in their fort. Sadie is often a companion for these games....

All-in-all it has been pretty busy (especially because I was in Wisconsin last weekend... but more on that later) but a lot of fun!