Thursday, February 9, 2012
Valentine's decor
I haven't posted any holiday decor for a while. Since I have a few new Valentine's things thought I would share. A few notes: the cute book heart banner was made for me by my sweet friend Jen. 2. The LOVE big scrabble tile word was so easy, I just had the boards cut at Home Depot and my friend cut the letters and numbers in vinyl (thanks Erica!) 3. The hearts that embellish my wedding photo and daisies were done by Lucas, and I simply couldn't refuse his sweet attempt at adding to our Valentine's decor. Bless that little heart.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A weekend of wacky waterfalls
Brian was telling me about this radio commercial in which a dad is trying to give his kids the experience of a fun vacation on a real budget, so he leads them to the "wacky waterfall." "Dad," the kids say, "it's the shower."
Brian then (lovingly) compared me to the dad. "Perhaps," I replied. "But the difference is our children still believe in wacky waterfalls."
I know they won't believe in wacky waterfalls - or Santa, the tooth fairy, the St. Patty's Day leprechaun, and all the other magical parts of childhood - which is why I try so hard to capitalize on it while I can. Before it becomes just the shower, so to speak. And this weekend was full of them.
Friday
Friday was a snow day. It started snowing Thursday night and snowed right clear through Saturday morning. School was canceled on Friday. By that afternoon, it was approaching blizzard-like conditions at times and the snow was building fast. So I suggested we get outside and go for a walk. Because I have one child in particular who has energy enough for the entire neighborhood and thus effectively burning it is key to my sanity. Plus, I'm from northern Minnesota, where, as I've previously mentioned, we go on family walks until about 20 below, after which it just becomes too cold. And we've got the gear. So we bundled. Brian was working from home, so we left Mason at home to nap. This simplified things significantly.
The snow was really driving, and Lucas got instantly whiny. I thought fast. Then I suggested we pretend to be a polar bear family on an arctic adventure. My kids LOVE to play pretend. That was all it took. Our 90-minute snow adventure included hunting for seals, stopping to rest in dens, and the occasional group polar bear huddle for warmth. We ended our walk at the park, where the children transformed themselves into penguins and went flying down the slick slide into a snow pile, and creating dens under big evergreen trees. It was seriously fun, and had the tiring effect I was seeking.
When we got home, we warmed up with stove top hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows, my first attempt at homemade marshmallows. I despise store-bought ones, they make me wanna hurl. These were easy and fabulous!
Then we hauled out the play forts and the kids snuggled in them while I read some "Little House on the Prairie" to them. We had been reading it for a fun reason, more on that later. Isabel decided to create a fire in front of hers like in the book.
We watched a movie, then make snow ice cream after dinner. This was novel and interesting, not something we're likely to repeat. :)
The kids carried over the polar bear theme into Saturday, and I was so amused at their creativity. They pretended to ride the "Polar Bear Express, have a polar bear campout where it's "easy to get a great night's sleep (Mattress King slogan), and called their polar bear parents ma and pa (Little House on the Prairie).
Saturday
Weeks ago, I had signed up Connor and Isabel to attend a Laura Ingalls Wilder Birthday Party at the library to celebrate Laura's 145th birthday (it was for ages 6 to 10, which is why Lucas didn't go). It was taught by a nationally renowned historian and expert on all things LIW, and she did a fabulous program. The kids did pioneer crafts and games, listened to fiddle music, heard stories from on of the Little House books, got to take home some fun items, and had cookies and lemonade, including homemade gingerbread cookies that were Laura's favorite recipe. Oh, and the children were encouraged to dress in period clothing. Game on!
Did you love LHOTP when you were young? Oh my, my sisters and I had all the books and rushed home from school to watch the show. I think I was as excited about the party as my kids, who only recently became acquainted with the books and show. Not surprisingly, Isabel has grasped onto them the most.
A few years ago my mom gave me some clothes she had made me when I was a girl, and one of the was very prairie-looking. I found some fabric that coordinated with it, along with an online tutorial, and made her a bonnet to go with it. LOVE the end result. She got so many comments at the party! They both looked so great.
Isabel working on her calling card, just like Laura and other women carried with them to leave when they called on neighbors and friends-
Connor with the button toy he made and the lob cabin he built-
Sunday
After church I told the children to don their swimsuits, we were going to have a luau (idea inspired by my sister Lara who has to get very creative to survive the depths of winter in northern Minnesota with three young children, and one time threw an indoor winter beach party). I didn't really have time to plan much other than a tropical-themed dinner and some activities. They didn't care. They thought it was fabulous.
Please do not judge Lucas in this swimsuit. It was in his drawer, I don't know where it came from, he would never be allowed to wear it in public for its sheer hideousness and the fact that it's about 3 sizes too small. Oy. And they donned sunglasses and some random plastic leis we had around, but after the photos were done. Oy.
We had the Superbowl on, didn't pay much attention. Dinner was baked coconut shrimp (unbelievably amazing), tropical fruit arranged a la Pinteret, coconut limeades (where were different from the original plan thanks to my blender burning out in the midst) and banana spring rolls.
During halftime, we turned off the television, cranked some Caribbean steel drum music and had our own show. This included doing the hula (I could hardly contain myself for the sheer amusement of watching my white boys try to sway), the limbo, crab walking and pretending to be fish. This, again, was designed to burn off what remained of some energy before heading back to school. I love how much we all laughed. Even Mason got really into it!
See? We're still chasing wacky waterfalls.
Brian then (lovingly) compared me to the dad. "Perhaps," I replied. "But the difference is our children still believe in wacky waterfalls."
I know they won't believe in wacky waterfalls - or Santa, the tooth fairy, the St. Patty's Day leprechaun, and all the other magical parts of childhood - which is why I try so hard to capitalize on it while I can. Before it becomes just the shower, so to speak. And this weekend was full of them.
Friday
Friday was a snow day. It started snowing Thursday night and snowed right clear through Saturday morning. School was canceled on Friday. By that afternoon, it was approaching blizzard-like conditions at times and the snow was building fast. So I suggested we get outside and go for a walk. Because I have one child in particular who has energy enough for the entire neighborhood and thus effectively burning it is key to my sanity. Plus, I'm from northern Minnesota, where, as I've previously mentioned, we go on family walks until about 20 below, after which it just becomes too cold. And we've got the gear. So we bundled. Brian was working from home, so we left Mason at home to nap. This simplified things significantly.
The snow was really driving, and Lucas got instantly whiny. I thought fast. Then I suggested we pretend to be a polar bear family on an arctic adventure. My kids LOVE to play pretend. That was all it took. Our 90-minute snow adventure included hunting for seals, stopping to rest in dens, and the occasional group polar bear huddle for warmth. We ended our walk at the park, where the children transformed themselves into penguins and went flying down the slick slide into a snow pile, and creating dens under big evergreen trees. It was seriously fun, and had the tiring effect I was seeking.
When we got home, we warmed up with stove top hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows, my first attempt at homemade marshmallows. I despise store-bought ones, they make me wanna hurl. These were easy and fabulous!
Then we hauled out the play forts and the kids snuggled in them while I read some "Little House on the Prairie" to them. We had been reading it for a fun reason, more on that later. Isabel decided to create a fire in front of hers like in the book.
We watched a movie, then make snow ice cream after dinner. This was novel and interesting, not something we're likely to repeat. :)
The kids carried over the polar bear theme into Saturday, and I was so amused at their creativity. They pretended to ride the "Polar Bear Express, have a polar bear campout where it's "easy to get a great night's sleep (Mattress King slogan), and called their polar bear parents ma and pa (Little House on the Prairie).
Saturday
Weeks ago, I had signed up Connor and Isabel to attend a Laura Ingalls Wilder Birthday Party at the library to celebrate Laura's 145th birthday (it was for ages 6 to 10, which is why Lucas didn't go). It was taught by a nationally renowned historian and expert on all things LIW, and she did a fabulous program. The kids did pioneer crafts and games, listened to fiddle music, heard stories from on of the Little House books, got to take home some fun items, and had cookies and lemonade, including homemade gingerbread cookies that were Laura's favorite recipe. Oh, and the children were encouraged to dress in period clothing. Game on!
Did you love LHOTP when you were young? Oh my, my sisters and I had all the books and rushed home from school to watch the show. I think I was as excited about the party as my kids, who only recently became acquainted with the books and show. Not surprisingly, Isabel has grasped onto them the most.
A few years ago my mom gave me some clothes she had made me when I was a girl, and one of the was very prairie-looking. I found some fabric that coordinated with it, along with an online tutorial, and made her a bonnet to go with it. LOVE the end result. She got so many comments at the party! They both looked so great.
Isabel working on her calling card, just like Laura and other women carried with them to leave when they called on neighbors and friends-
Connor with the button toy he made and the lob cabin he built-
Sunday
After church I told the children to don their swimsuits, we were going to have a luau (idea inspired by my sister Lara who has to get very creative to survive the depths of winter in northern Minnesota with three young children, and one time threw an indoor winter beach party). I didn't really have time to plan much other than a tropical-themed dinner and some activities. They didn't care. They thought it was fabulous.
Please do not judge Lucas in this swimsuit. It was in his drawer, I don't know where it came from, he would never be allowed to wear it in public for its sheer hideousness and the fact that it's about 3 sizes too small. Oy. And they donned sunglasses and some random plastic leis we had around, but after the photos were done. Oy.
We had the Superbowl on, didn't pay much attention. Dinner was baked coconut shrimp (unbelievably amazing), tropical fruit arranged a la Pinteret, coconut limeades (where were different from the original plan thanks to my blender burning out in the midst) and banana spring rolls.
During halftime, we turned off the television, cranked some Caribbean steel drum music and had our own show. This included doing the hula (I could hardly contain myself for the sheer amusement of watching my white boys try to sway), the limbo, crab walking and pretending to be fish. This, again, was designed to burn off what remained of some energy before heading back to school. I love how much we all laughed. Even Mason got really into it!
See? We're still chasing wacky waterfalls.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Mason
Mason is nearing 20 months and finally has a decent haircut in which he looks like a little boy. You might remember we went through mullet stage on account of my doing. When I had it corrected, I couldn't bear to part fully with the curly locks so we left it longish. And then it kept growing, as hair is known to do. But with an insane amount of hair + some curl + a bunch of crazy cowlicks, we needed a new direction. And short it was.
He looks so different and so much older. I was sorta dazed for days whenever I looked at him. But it was so necessary. And is so much more manageable.
Let's see... what else is going on in Mason's world? Well, he's been going to nursery for 2 months. I should just leave it at that. But for remembrance's sake I will add that he screams as though he must be in an agonizing amount of pain when we even drive into the church parking lot. And then he calms down when he realizes we are headed to Sacrament meeting and we are all together. And then as soon as the "amen" is said for the closing prayer, he lets loose again. It's like clockwork. People have even started bracing for it, it's that predictable. And the meltdown continues for a while into class. At first it would last upwards of an hour. But I have stuck with it, because, call me mean, I totally believe in empowering children and teaching them to be independent and if I sit in there with him he is never going to learn. So we hug, love, drop and run. Almost like putting out a fire. Almost.
Now he is down to maybe 15 minutes of screaming. And once he stops, he has started to play with other children and... could it be?... actually enjoy himself. A little bit. We had one other child who had a rough time (I'm thinking Isabel? can't for sure remember), but it wasn't this bad. He seems to enjoy ending a lot of things with a bang!
Other that that, we all continue to adore this little person. His communication skills are growing by the day, which is always so fun to watch. He loves Elmo - LOVES - and will sit and watch an entire 45-minute Elmo movie with not the slightest utterance of sound. I can be accused of using this to my advantage on occasion. He loves cars and trucks, music and dancing, being in the kitchen (he recently "helped" me by unloading all the dirty silverware from the dishwasher into the clean utensil drawer, wasn't that nice?), he LOVES when things boil on the stove, he loves bubbles, and he goes crazy with joy anytime he can get outside.
He also loves putting things in the toilet anytime someone forgets to close the bathroom door. Toy cars, blankey, stuff animals, puzzle pieces and more have all gone swimming on occasion. This makes me crazy. He eats crayons like it's nobody's business (which he really believes, that it isn't our business). This is very difficult given the fact that I have three other children who color and do art projects on a daily basis. Nap time provides a nice safe option for art play. But if there's a roving 20-month old in the vicinity, he is ready to strike at the slightest drop of a crayon and instantly skulks off to chew away. Kinda like a shark. This makes me crazy.
He thinks he is way older than he is and will get seething mad at any attempt to exclude him from older activities. He is smart as a whip and can count to 13 (well, we can count for him and he likes to say 2, 6, 9 and 13, in the correct places). He has a slew of words. He loves his family and can say most of our names. He has different games he plays with each of his siblings that they have created for him, and he has such love for each of them. And they in return are crazy about him. Even after he has thrown their favorite toy in the potty and chewed their favorite crayon color.
His daddy adores him, especially when he wants to sit in daddy's lap and backs up like a truck for about 10 feet before landing and also when his little hand grabs daddy's big hand to be led in trust somewhere.
And I adore him so. Even if his toddler-ness makes me crazy.
He looks so different and so much older. I was sorta dazed for days whenever I looked at him. But it was so necessary. And is so much more manageable.
Let's see... what else is going on in Mason's world? Well, he's been going to nursery for 2 months. I should just leave it at that. But for remembrance's sake I will add that he screams as though he must be in an agonizing amount of pain when we even drive into the church parking lot. And then he calms down when he realizes we are headed to Sacrament meeting and we are all together. And then as soon as the "amen" is said for the closing prayer, he lets loose again. It's like clockwork. People have even started bracing for it, it's that predictable. And the meltdown continues for a while into class. At first it would last upwards of an hour. But I have stuck with it, because, call me mean, I totally believe in empowering children and teaching them to be independent and if I sit in there with him he is never going to learn. So we hug, love, drop and run. Almost like putting out a fire. Almost.
Now he is down to maybe 15 minutes of screaming. And once he stops, he has started to play with other children and... could it be?... actually enjoy himself. A little bit. We had one other child who had a rough time (I'm thinking Isabel? can't for sure remember), but it wasn't this bad. He seems to enjoy ending a lot of things with a bang!
Other that that, we all continue to adore this little person. His communication skills are growing by the day, which is always so fun to watch. He loves Elmo - LOVES - and will sit and watch an entire 45-minute Elmo movie with not the slightest utterance of sound. I can be accused of using this to my advantage on occasion. He loves cars and trucks, music and dancing, being in the kitchen (he recently "helped" me by unloading all the dirty silverware from the dishwasher into the clean utensil drawer, wasn't that nice?), he LOVES when things boil on the stove, he loves bubbles, and he goes crazy with joy anytime he can get outside.
He also loves putting things in the toilet anytime someone forgets to close the bathroom door. Toy cars, blankey, stuff animals, puzzle pieces and more have all gone swimming on occasion. This makes me crazy. He eats crayons like it's nobody's business (which he really believes, that it isn't our business). This is very difficult given the fact that I have three other children who color and do art projects on a daily basis. Nap time provides a nice safe option for art play. But if there's a roving 20-month old in the vicinity, he is ready to strike at the slightest drop of a crayon and instantly skulks off to chew away. Kinda like a shark. This makes me crazy.
He thinks he is way older than he is and will get seething mad at any attempt to exclude him from older activities. He is smart as a whip and can count to 13 (well, we can count for him and he likes to say 2, 6, 9 and 13, in the correct places). He has a slew of words. He loves his family and can say most of our names. He has different games he plays with each of his siblings that they have created for him, and he has such love for each of them. And they in return are crazy about him. Even after he has thrown their favorite toy in the potty and chewed their favorite crayon color.
His daddy adores him, especially when he wants to sit in daddy's lap and backs up like a truck for about 10 feet before landing and also when his little hand grabs daddy's big hand to be led in trust somewhere.
And I adore him so. Even if his toddler-ness makes me crazy.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Smile
Isabel recently lost one top tooth-
and then the other one came out a few days later. She looks and sounds so different!
Sometimes when Mason gets upset he only wants Connor or Isabel. And they are ALWAYS willing to take care of him. It's one of my favorite things, having a little one with some older siblings. Their love for him started before he was born, and has never waned, the novelty has never worn off. Sometimes Connor and I "argue" over who gets to get him up from his nap on the weekends. He usually wins. There are so many times that they happily help me with him when I'm in the middle of something else, and it always makes me smile. For so many reasons.
and then the other one came out a few days later. She looks and sounds so different!
Sometimes when Mason gets upset he only wants Connor or Isabel. And they are ALWAYS willing to take care of him. It's one of my favorite things, having a little one with some older siblings. Their love for him started before he was born, and has never waned, the novelty has never worn off. Sometimes Connor and I "argue" over who gets to get him up from his nap on the weekends. He usually wins. There are so many times that they happily help me with him when I'm in the middle of something else, and it always makes me smile. For so many reasons.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Out with the old, in with the new
January makes me happy. I love Christmas, but I love putting it away too. It could be that perhaps our Januaries are often mild and sunny. Or that it means the Stock Show, Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day and Easter are lined up on the horizon. Or that it's a new year with new possibilities. Or all of the above.
December ended on a fun note. One evening I met up for dinner with a bunch of girls from my single days. We still keep in touch, despite being spread between three states. I turned the dinner into a surprise baby shower for my dear friend Wendie, who is expecting her first baby - a boy - in April. So much fun to celebrate her and her baby! I made blue velvet cupcakes for the occasion, which were phenomenal and oh so pretty.
We had a fun pre-New Year's Eve get together with my dear friends Kristie, Elizabeth and Paula and our families. It was much fun, as always-
and it's especially fun to see our darling little daughters playing together and becoming good friends too-
Isabel wanted to show grandma the outfit she wore (thanks for the gift!)-
On New Year's Eve we had a early party with the children, which basically consisted of a family toast to the new year with amazing fizzy citrus fruit slushes-
and then we left the children with a sitter and an early bed time and headed to a friend's house for a couples game night. This was a blast! Such a good time. And we actually made it to midnight to ring in the new year. I love game nights; they always remind me of how smart and funny my hubby is.
2011 was a year of milestones for us. Connor turned 8, was baptized and started Cub Scouts. Mason turned 1. Lucas turned 4 and started preschool. Isabel started kindergarten and turned 6. Brian and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.
And now we are in 2012. I believe in setting goals, not making resolutions. I think it's no secret that Brian really wants/needs to get out of the newspaper industry and into something with a more promising and stable future. He's had a tumultuous year work-wise, and we've been on the search. So, our main goal for this year is an employment change. There are other goals. But none consume me as much as this one. I've been searching everywhere for that darn crystal ball, and just can't seem to find it anywhere. But I do hope a change is somewhere out there.
So here's to a new year! I hope y'all will continue to make blogging one of your goals. I do love it so.
December ended on a fun note. One evening I met up for dinner with a bunch of girls from my single days. We still keep in touch, despite being spread between three states. I turned the dinner into a surprise baby shower for my dear friend Wendie, who is expecting her first baby - a boy - in April. So much fun to celebrate her and her baby! I made blue velvet cupcakes for the occasion, which were phenomenal and oh so pretty.
We had a fun pre-New Year's Eve get together with my dear friends Kristie, Elizabeth and Paula and our families. It was much fun, as always-
and it's especially fun to see our darling little daughters playing together and becoming good friends too-
Isabel wanted to show grandma the outfit she wore (thanks for the gift!)-
On New Year's Eve we had a early party with the children, which basically consisted of a family toast to the new year with amazing fizzy citrus fruit slushes-
and then we left the children with a sitter and an early bed time and headed to a friend's house for a couples game night. This was a blast! Such a good time. And we actually made it to midnight to ring in the new year. I love game nights; they always remind me of how smart and funny my hubby is.
2011 was a year of milestones for us. Connor turned 8, was baptized and started Cub Scouts. Mason turned 1. Lucas turned 4 and started preschool. Isabel started kindergarten and turned 6. Brian and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.
And now we are in 2012. I believe in setting goals, not making resolutions. I think it's no secret that Brian really wants/needs to get out of the newspaper industry and into something with a more promising and stable future. He's had a tumultuous year work-wise, and we've been on the search. So, our main goal for this year is an employment change. There are other goals. But none consume me as much as this one. I've been searching everywhere for that darn crystal ball, and just can't seem to find it anywhere. But I do hope a change is somewhere out there.
So here's to a new year! I hope y'all will continue to make blogging one of your goals. I do love it so.
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