Friday, July 25, 2008

Fair Folk Welcome

When our children were small, we were extremely strict about books, movies, toys... We had nothing to do with magic, relationship/romance, or attitudes that portrayed parents (esp. fathers) as dumb. As they grew older and could not only distinguish right from wrong, evil from light, lies from truth, but make decisions about those things for themselves, our movies, tv viewing, story books and such have reflected their growth.
When Minda was about 10 and Cassia 13 we watched the story of a girl who went to stay in Maine with her aunt on an secluded island. While she was there she visited a place that the villagers had designated as a land for the Faeries. They built homes for them out of just what was lying about ~ nothing un-natural. After that, everytime we would go for a hike in the mountains or along the beach the kids would plop down somewhere along the way and build little huts from mosses, pinecones, shells, bark... whatever was about.

They love it to this day! At the ripe ole age of 15, Minda joined me for an enchanting afternoon.

We spread moss over roots, made a roof of branches and grasses and more moss, paved a path with pinecones, laid, flat green rocks for stairs... arranging and rearranging until it seemed a castle fit for a sweet fairy queen!

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4 comments:

Sara said...

What FUN! I want to live in one of those little houses! Have you rented Spiderwick yet? :)

Deeapaulitan said...

No. We don't do movies very often still, and without a DVD player we watch even less than what we would normally. The girls just watched Beauty and the Beast for the very first time yesterday (on VHS from the library)! They have seen all the Disney Princess movies now (within the last two weeks) except for Aladin. Told ya we were strict. 15,17, & 18.8 and just beginning the princesses. :o)
Today all the kids are floating the Madison - much more worhtwhile I think.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful family thing to do! As children, my sister & I were inspired by Laura Ingalls and often played pioneers in the woods around our home. We even built a little "sod" fort that was partially underground with some of the other neighborhood kids!
I found your blog via Peggy @ the Simple Woman! The title of your post intrigued me!

Deeapaulitan said...

eliazabeth ~ we all love Laura around here. My son's favorite book is Farmer Boy and he would love it if I cooked meals as big as the ones Almanzo's mama does! Children should always be inspired to daydream and make-beleive. George MacDonald did that for me in his books The Golden Key, and The Light Princess. As well as Tasha Tudors artwork and books. Such joyous memories ~ but mine were alone. I'm thankful that my children have eachother to pretend with. :o)