Merry Making in May

It's been an exhilirating week, and it certainly feels like Summer is on the way!
The humidity and sunshine is lulling us into slower movement as we search for the shade...
The sun looks beautiful while laying under the trees, now full with green leaves...

We were finally able to celebrate our May Day with the playschool children after many weeks of vacations and rainy days.
I set out to create our own Maypole...but pondered more than a few times if I was in over my head..
I originally thought of using cement and a large bucket.
I considered screwing a piece of PVC pipe into our Christmas tree stand.
Bah! There had to be an easier way!

Jay and I finally concluded that hammering a large stake into the ground and placing a piece of ribbon covered PVC pipe onto the stake would work well. And it did!
I drilled holes into the top of the pipe to thread the individual ribbons through and secured them with a knot.
I placed an old flowered wreath on top...and it was finished in less than one night!

While playing at the creek one day, I wove willow tree branches into small wreaths for the children to decorate with flowers and wear upon their heads.

It was a beautiful afternoon, filled with friends old and new..

Beautiful music floated through the air from my very talented friend, Lauren...

With a potluck lunch to enjoy, I managed to host this celebration under my original budget. The total cost was $4.80 for the gold bells I purchased for our ankle bracelets. And that's it. Everything else had been donated or thrifted beforehand. I highly recommend joining your local Freecycle group. I've found so many treasures this way!

The playschool children were exhausted after the celebration...they were really looking for their rest time, pillows in hand. They needed the quiet return of our usual rhythm. This proved to me, over again, the importance of an "inhale, exhale" flow to the day. (i.e, a quiet activity always following a more energetic activity.)
Every day, I am learning more and more!