I Believe In Fairies

We've been busy around here.  In an effort to keep three very active boys and one anxious little girl with a broken leg occupied I've been wracking my brain trying to think of activities for each day.  The weather has been deliciously hot so we have been trying to spend as much time outside as possible even though Grace is limited to what she can do.  

On one particularly gorgeous day I decided to take the kiddos to Bookworm Gardens for a little fun, adventure, and inspiration.  If you live in the area and have not been to this magical place I HIGHLY recommend it.  Bookworm Gardens takes favorite children's books and turns them into garden themed art.  It is like a playground in heaven.  And get this, it is FREE.  

The place is magic.  I was so busy enjoying the gardens that I only snapped a few pictures.  I was so excited to be able to live out a dream and pretend I was Laura from Little House in the Big Woods.  The boys were happy to try out the wagon.

Grace wore a bonnet just like Laura and I asked her if she would churn butter for me but she refused.  Ah well.

The kiddos even got to sit in Papa Bear's big chair.  You can see the three bears in the background. Watch out kiddos!

Here the kids are hiding in the garden just like Peter Cottontail.

The funny thing about these photos is that none of them actually shows just how beautiful this place is.  The flowers and plants and trees are amazing.  And you have to go back multiple times just to catch all the tiny details.  There is a big barn where kids can learn about planting fruits and veggies, composting, and even sample the in-season produce.  My boys had a blast watering the apple trees over and over.  Grace just liked to keep the cow company.

The kids got to try out instruments, learn about different cultures, dig for dinosaur bones, write letters to a cute little mouse in his house, read books, and even build their own fairy gardens.  Which brings us to our next project.

When I saw this post it gave me an idea of something new for the kids to do together and having had our own inspiration at Bookworm Gardens I figured we were up for the task.  We went to our local greenhouse and picked out plants, a bushel basket, and soil for our very own fairy house.  We went online to Amazon and ordered the perfect house for our fairy (which is actually a bird feeder, but I think it makes a better fairy house-and MUCH cheaper than actual fairy houses being sold), a table and chairs, a fence, wheel barrel, watering can, birdhouse, planters, and a pretty gate.  We tried to wait as patiently as we could for the items to arrive and they finally came today.  


After much plotting and planning the fairy house is complete.  I think I may have turned to the obsessive side with this house, and I don't care.  Look!

Take a closer look.  Can you see the table and chairs?  Did you read the sign?  "Welcome to our neck of the woods"  We have a similar sign up north at our cabin.  Did you see the straw hat we left for the fairy?  I wonder if it will fit.

The fairy even has a pumpkin patch.  I just love that gate and little watering can.

Look at the wheel barrel, people!

Needless to say, the kids love it.  Gracie just squeals every time she sees it.  Tommy pulled me aside and said, "Do you really think a fairy is gonna live in there, or were you just kidding?"

I've never seen an actual fairy.  But if I were a fairy, this is definitely where I'd want to live.