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With Bows and Arrows


My boys have been making homemade bows and arrows for themselves for as long as I can remember.  This week, Keats decided to make some for his sisters.  He is typically very patient with them, and has earned the title, “Best Big Brother,” from Beatrix.  Beatrix uses that title to get what she wants.  So for instance, she wants Keats to help her with something, but he’s busy and says, “No, not right now.”  Beatrix responds with, “But you’re my Best Big Brother!”  Maintaining that title is very important to Keats for some reason, so he drops what he’s doing and helps her.


Larkspur only required a little bit of help, learning to shoot her arrows.


Beatrix was more high maintenance.  We all crowded around the computer last night, the kids dying laughing over this series of photos of Beatrix trying to shoot an arrow.  Keats would help her get ready…


she would pull back with all her might…


and the arrow would slip.


Try again.


Nope.


Keats to the rescue.


Dropped the arrow again.


She’s a good sport though and didn’t get frustrated.  I’m glad she can laugh at herself.  That’s an important skill to have.


Try again.


She did it!

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Filed Under: favorite things for children · · 35 Comments

Ginny

I believe that when you slow down and savor the small things, you don’t have to wish for a different life; you can discover beauty in the life you already have. {Find out more here...}

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tracy says

    March 3, 2013 at 5:44 am

    Ah ‘best big brother’ is lovely, it did make me smile. Good girl for keeping on trying until she did it 🙂

    Reply
  2. Lisa McK @etcblog says

    March 1, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    Also, think you could convince Keats to write a guest blog about how he makes the bows and arrows? What’s the best material? Do you need a curved stick for the bow? etc., etc.

    Reply
  3. Lisa McK @etcblog says

    March 1, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    Beatrix has the best hair of anyone on the entire Internet.

    Reply
  4. Nadja says

    March 1, 2013 at 7:11 am

    Sebastian is like that…he’ll give in to Gemma wanting to play in his room with his Legos or something while he’s doing something else. It really gets on my Gabriel’s nerves, as he shares the room with Sebastian and doesn’t always relish Gemma in the room!

    I love those photos, and yes, the ability to laugh at one’s self is sorely missing in too many people.

    Reply
  5. molly says

    March 1, 2013 at 2:58 am

    That’s just awesome. Wish I had half the patience (of Keats OR Beatrix!).

    Molly

    PS: Ordinarily, I would never pump a Disney film, but I must say, Merida comes to mind…

    Reply
  6. tara says

    March 1, 2013 at 1:32 am

    Oh how fun! That’s awesome Beatrix can laugh at herself. I always love when kids are able to do that. It took me YEARS (okay, I’m still working on it…). I would totally want to maintain my title as Best Big Brother if I were Keats too!

    Reply
  7. Becca says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:26 pm

    Aw sweet! I’m going to have to show my son this. He would love to make his own bow and arrows.

    Reply
  8. Brenda from Dwyer's Farmhouse says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    Beautiful post. They are so very blessed to have him as a big brother.

    Reply
  9. Lisa Eggers says

    February 28, 2013 at 5:01 pm

    My favorite thing about this post is Beatrix’s fuzzy sleepy hair in the back, so charming! She sure looks like a little firecracker (I have one of those too, her name is Mimi! 🙂

    I love the name Larkspur, I promise not to steal it for any future daughters (even though I might want to!).

    Reply
  10. Peggy says

    February 28, 2013 at 4:46 pm

    Completely warms my heart!

    Reply
  11. Jo says

    February 28, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    oh bless! What a sweet post!

    Reply
  12. Naomi H says

    February 28, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    favourite.blogpost.ever. Best big brother helping younger sisters, bed head, laughing instead of getting frustrated – it just warms my heart and I hope my kids do the same as they get older (well, we’ve got bedhead down).

    Reply
  13. Diana says

    February 28, 2013 at 3:40 pm

    I so enjoy your photography. Today, well done Beatrix. Keats has such a kind heart.

    Reply
  14. Erin says

    February 28, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    Precious! What a victory smile.

    Reply
  15. amanda says

    February 28, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    Bea’s bedhead has to be the best ever. Really.

    And I loved seeing this post as my kids are fond of taking bits from the crepe myrtles to make their bows and arrows – resourceful and creative 🙂

    Reply
  16. Leah says

    February 28, 2013 at 2:33 pm

    Love these pictures!! My girls do the same thing with the “best big brother” except their big brother is the only brother in our family. It cracks me up every time they say it 🙂

    Reply
  17. Tonya says

    February 28, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    I just asked Nolan (age 17) yesterday to please work with Abraham (age 5) to make a bow this spring – there has been many bows and arrows made in our home over the years.

    Reply
  18. C says

    February 28, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    Can I say how relieved I am to know that my children are not the only ones going about their day with bed head?

    Reply
  19. okgal says

    February 28, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    Going to try with my children.

    Reply
  20. dairygran says

    February 28, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    How very interesting.

    Reply
  21. a little crafty nest says

    February 28, 2013 at 11:29 am

    Ginny, My oldest would be in good company with your boys! He is so into bows and arrows…passionate, really. For his birthday two years ago, my husband made him a bow and arrow set and I made a quiver. I am a little shy to share it like this, but I thought your boys might want to make a quiver…it is far easier than I thought and very very beautiful. If you are interested, you can see it here http://alittlecraftynest.typepad.com/a-little-crafty-nest/2011/11/all-a-quiver-a-tutorial.html
    I also think it’s great your daughter can laugh at herself…we should all be so free!
    xo Jules

    Reply
  22. Lisa G. says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:18 am

    Now that I look at it again, that tunic she’s wearing is rather Robin Hood-y looking, isn’t it? Great!

    Reply
  23. Lisa G. says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:16 am

    Great photos, Ginny!! Keats is an angel, God bless his good heart. I think I’d end up laughing if I couldn’t get it either, but he doesn’t seem aggravated by her several failures.

    That puff of blonde fuzz on the back of her head is also comical!

    Reply
  24. Grace says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Oh! So cute.

    Reply
  25. Sue says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:04 am

    Such wonderful photos, adorable children and beautiful memories – parenting brings so many blessings x

    Reply
  26. Michelle says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:48 am

    Does Keats have a tutorial for us? I’d love to make one for Athena. I am serious, by the way.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      February 28, 2013 at 9:56 am

      The boys use flexible new wood for the bows (we have young honey locust trees here that work well,) bend them and attach mason’s string. The bows don’t last forever, because once the wood dries out it breaks. They use pieces of dried out ornamental grass for the arrows, adding chicken feathers at one end, and points cut from can lids on the other. The can lids part scares me just a little!

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        February 28, 2013 at 10:10 am

        Thank you kindly.

        Reply
  27. Amy says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:47 am

    Ginny,
    Lots of interest in this post at my house! My son wants to know what they used for bow string. We have tried lots of strings over the years, but haven’t found the perfect string. Great pictures of a helping big brother.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      February 28, 2013 at 9:53 am

      Jonny says it’s called brick mason’s string. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Lehigh-Secure-NST181RL-Reloadable-800-Foot/dp/B0009WG67A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362063158&sr=8-1&keywords=mason+string
      You can buy it at the hardware store.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        February 28, 2013 at 10:14 am

        Thank you. We will give it a try.

        Reply
  28. Kimberlee says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:46 am

    Even Queen Susan had to start somewhere. Hooray for bows and arrows and big brothers!

    Reply
  29. Jenny says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:44 am

    I have pictures just like these. It’s so much fun to watch them make their own bows and arrows and then to watch them make them work as they wander around playing.

    Reply
  30. Nahuatl Vargas says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:32 am

    How beautiful pictures of her, laughing, trying and her brother helping, cute memories, so good you have them in pictures.

    Reply
  31. Heather says

    February 28, 2013 at 9:27 am

    Persistence is definitely a good trait. I notice that my oldest shines when labeled best big brother.

    Reply

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Hello! My name is Ginny. I believe that when you slow down and savor the small things, you don’t have to wish for a different life; you can discover beauty in the life you already have. {Find out more here…}

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