A pretty day in February

magnolia tree tent

(they also make excellent climbing trees...)

Lark is a tree climber extraordinaire. I've never met anyone so in her own body or at home in a tree as my girlie. Her sisters are also excellent climbers, mind you. She just has a certain nimble sprite-like quality that surprises me..somehow, even though I feel it's the motherly thing to do to remind her to keep her focus, I rarely ever worry about her falling. She's just sure-handed/footed. She somehow manages to look dreamy

Mirth climbed the tree long enough to say she did it, and was off the fish in the pond some more. :OP Busy, busy.

I was really proud of my sweet Gracie girl, too. She's a little methodic in her climbing (like her mama), and while she's got an increasingly good command of things, she tends to freak out a little when she feels stuck (like her mama). And, also like me, she doesn't want anyone to help her. So, "Help, help, help!!" but also, don't help, I've got it! So, after I went up after her (and that didn't do) and daddy extracted her from below with me braced on a limb above, she begrudgingly allowed herself to be settled into the fluffy dirt floor of the magnolia tent. She came and found me, and said, "I didn't do it. I can *never* climb again." So I assured her she could whenever she felt ready to, and that I hoped she'd always climb every tree she felt ready to climb, if she wanted to. And she purposefully went right back and called out, "I'm stuck in the very same SPOT!" So, I ran over and realized she'd done it on purpose. Oh, I recognize that stubborn drive to untangle problems by one's self. :OP So, I stood on the ground and called out instructions/suggestions, and tried a few times to put a hand on her leg, and she started yelling, "No, no!!! I want to do it my SELF!" with the angst that only a 3.95 year old can muster. And she did it. She made it all the way down by herself. I could have swooned over the look of competence and happy all over her little face when she announced she'd done it. Never lose that feeling, Gracie lady. :hearts:

Electra was thrilled with the loamy dirt, sticks and magnolia-cones (I don't know what they're technically called) under the tree...we spread out Barefoot's trusty wool Masai blanket inside the "tent", but what fun is it to stay on the blanket? ;OP

Love that Lark is waaaaay up above and Electra is way down below...both cheesing for the camera, LOL

We also caught some crrrrrazy big fish from the pond (my dad reeled in the biggest), and then went home to celebrate Electra's very first birthday. Happy Birth Day, my sweet lovey! She has the best grin known to mankind. I cannot see her smile and not want to grin back at her. Also, her sisters designed and did about 80% of the cake decor themselves, much inspiration and technique drawn from CakeBoss and NerdyNummies a la youtube.