This Moment

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

Eoghan's First Easter

I felted Eoghan a little basket, filled with a wet/needle felted ball, a little gnome doll, a wooden teether and a red play silk.

I couldn't resist buying him this ridiculously cute hat and as it was unusually warm for Easter his special Easter outfit turned out just being a Bum Genius cloth diaper. 

Here's a close up of his basket,

and its contents,

And the flip side of the felted items.  I am really proud of the way the basket turned out. I did not have a pattern or anything to base the design on, in fact it was a complete brainstormed idea in the craft store when I decided I didn't really care for any of the baskets they had available.  I hope he can use if for the next few years.

Seamus and Sean Eoghan's Wee Lil' Leprechauns

For Saint Patrick's Day I crafted Seamus and Sean from Wee Folk's pattern.  It was too cold outside to attend our local St. Paddy's Festival so instead we stayed home and listened to Irish music and read tales of Leprechauns.  Here is a fun poem by Aileen Fisher for St. Patrick's Day from The Random House Book of Poetry for Children:

Wearing of the Green

It ought to come in April

or, better yet, in May

when everything is green as green-

I mean St. Patricks Day

With still a week of winter

this wearing of the green

seems rather out of season-

it's rushing things, I mean.

But Maybe March is better

when all is done and said:

St. Patrick brings a promise,

a green-all-over promise 

of Springtime just ahead!

Spring

Late Winter, Early Spring 

Busy gnomes chip away

At the winter's hard ground,

So that bulbs may burst forth

And spring's beauty abound.

In the woods, damp and dark,

They must labor below

Crooked roots and cold stones,

Pushing stalks through the snow. 

Undines melt snow until

Water can flow again,

Filling the leaves growing

Green with spring rain.

Sylphs, they are dreaming

Of winds softly streaming

Through petals all yellow

And purple and blue.

Over the Rainbow Bridge

Long ago a little sprite flew from star to star gathering light and music, which came from all around him. At each star he met beautiful Fairies who showed him the way. One day one of the fairies said, "It is time to go to the Sun." Little sprite followed the fairy to a place of warmth, shining like gold. Father Sun blessed him with the ability to create. There bees and butterflies sang to him beautiful songs of love. The fairy lead him to the moon, clean and crisp like new snow. Mother Moon blessed him with the gift of wisdom. From the moon he saw the most beautiful sight- a fertile place of flowers, trees, rolling oceans, and many special souls who seemed to be smiling up at him. "May I go there?" little sprite asked the Beautiful Fairy " When it is time," the Fairy said. "You may use the gifts of light and music you have gathered to carry you over the rainbow bridge. There a family has been waiting for you."  That night the sprite went to sleep into dreamland and while ten moons waxed and waned he rocked in a little boat. And at the end of that time a beautiful rainbow bridge stretched from heaven to earth and on it came the sprite in the form of a tiny baby who slid into his mother's waiting arms, carrying his celestial gifts. He was ready to begin his new life on Earth.

From the very first moment his Mama saw him she loved him and called him Eoghan Morrigan, because like the yew tree, Eoghan has already proven to be a powerful catalyst for new beginnings in his people's lives. Born on a crisp winter morning with a million stars smiling down on him Eoghan was greeted in the living room of his home, by his Midwife Nancy, her helper Therese, and his Ralph, who loves him very very much.  It was truly a magical morning for all but Eoghan's trip made him very hungry and tired so he nursed and nursed then fell asleep in his mama's arms. Eoghan was perfect.