This Moment: Happy May Day!

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo few photos - no a few words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. ~ Amanda

Every May 1st when my sister and I were young, our mom would help us make May Day baskets to give to our neighbors and a few friends. Once we visited a retirement community and passed out flowers there, too. It was a beautiful tradition to welcome spring and spread a little joy! Now we've re-started this annual event, beginning last year before Harmony's first birthday. 

This year, Harmony was old enough to enjoy playing with the crafting materials, but not quite mature enough to create any May Day baskets of her own yet! But that's okay. We had a lot of fun together : ) My mom sweetly brought the project material and flowers over to our apartment, because Harmony was still cranky from getting over a virus. We spent all morning making the baskets, had lunch together, and distributed them in the afternoon before I left for work. 

The first of May was especially cold and grey this year, so we were more happy than ever to bring a little taste of spring to our friends! 

For more information about the May Day tradition, check out last year's post!

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This Moment: Her Little Ponies

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no a few words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. ~ Amanda

Thanks to her loving aunt who recently graduated from college (where My Little Pony has made a come-back), Harmony is obsessed with equines of all shapes and sizes. She adamantly distinguishes the difference between a "horse" and a "pony", rates them in order of worthiness (yellow figurines get the most attention, while white or blue ones are less desirable), learns all their names (there's nothing more adorable than hearing her talk about "Fluttershy" or "Applejack"), talks to them, carries at least one or two with her EVERYWHERE, and plays endless games of pony-house with anyone whom she can sweetly cajole into playing with her. She looks forward to Tuesday nights when my sister babysits her, because Harmony knows that means hours of playing with her horses and then the treat of watching "My Little Pony" with her Auntie Em before mama comes home from work.

When I say "obsess", I really mean it. I've never seen a twenty-two month old child so enraptured with something like this before. I'm sure it will pass at some point... or maybe it won't. When I was a toddler, I was possessed with a love for music, and now I am a musician and guitar teacher. Who knows what will lie in store for her? It may be that these ponies will be a childhood fad. Or perhaps they will lead Harmony to a lifetime of joy with real horses or work with animals. 

This is the awesome part of being a parent: watching my daughter's dreams and interests begin to bloom!

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