Crafty Girl

Equipped with many crafty kits after her birthday, GGirl and HandyMan crafted the afternoon away.  The cat is her first ever sewing project and she did an awesome job of it!  She and HandyMan upped the skill level when they jumped to the rubber-band bracelet loom - that was a little more challenging.  The owl is a plush coloring project that she whipped out while she was watching Frozen (what else!) and I think she had it done before Ana could get to the chocolate.  

Taking Advantage of a 20 Degree Morning

Even with my warm weather gear, I've decided that if the temperature is under 15, it's just to cold to be out walking.  And it takes way too long to warm up afterward!  Not enough hot cocoa fixins in my kitchen.  I've discovered a great yoga channel on youtube to get me thorough the rest of winter

But, it means that on the rare morning like this, when the little red line on the thermometer is actually above 20, I hit the road. Yes, 23 degrees felt warm, even though I looked like Olaf's cousin by the time I met up with my ride.

I can't wait for spring.

Sensational Six

Dear GGirl,
Today is your birthday!  You requested banana bread pancakes for breakfast and pizza for dinner.  Cake from the bakery at school and presents after school.  Calls from friends and grandparents were a highlight as you are now becoming interested in getting your own phone calls.  Ice-cream with a candle topped off today's festivities and on Saturday, it's Tea Party Time!

You are one great kid!  You are so full of energy that I can hardly keep up.  I love your inhibitions at being the center of attention - it showed in full color today as you were so excited for any gathering to sing happy birthday to you!  You wore your birthday crown with pride and were thrilled with a new dress we found in the stash of clothes that you hadn't gotten in to yet. You are a great reader, but can't be bothered to color in the lines.  You seem to have my planning gene and like to have everyone lined out around you.  You are gracious with your brother and kind to your friends.

Last night when I tucked you in, I was lamenting the last night of tucking in my 5-year-old girl.  You very matter-of-factly informed me "I'll be the same girl, I'll just be a different number!".  I'm glad that you've reached a "different number".  That you are healthy, and that you are the same girl.


I love you and the little girl you are!
Love,
Mommy

Safety from Siblings

Me: MMan, what are you doing?
MMan: (with an mischievous grin) I safe of Gwnonyn!

Snowy Play!

Our family time doesn't fall in normal intervals like evenings and weekends.  Occasionally, HandyMan is home to get GGirl off the bus and play in the afternoon.  On this particular afternoon, they all bundled up and headed out to play in the snow.  There was running, there was chasing and there was tossing of clumps of snow.  It was packed down so to say they "made snowballs" may be a stretch.  But it was clearly two against 1.  I only stepped out as far as I had to to take a few pictures. :)

I Happy!

Today was one of those days that the sun shone brightly and the temperature seemed tolerable as long as you didn't look at the thermometer.  The sunshine comes with a cost in the winter!  Days like today where the sun shines off the snow and temperatures seem tolerable, I remember there are a few things I like about winter.  But it seemed nice enough out so MMan and I ran some errands.
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I guess I've told him that we take naps and sleep so we can be happy and have fun adventures.  So now, on a few occasions, when fighting a nap, he proudly announces "I happy!" And goes about his merry way.  He's also excused himself left whatever is going on to go to his room, snuggle with his binkie and blanket and return 5-30 minutes later making the same announcement.

Backseat Drivers

It was one of those mornings when we were all trying to get out of the house at the same time to get GGirl to school and then off on other errands.  It was time to leave and MMan was lost in his imagination driving a busload of passengers (the staircase) and holding on to his steering wheel (rubbermaid lid) for dear life.  So in an effort to get out the door without a meltdown, I told him to get in the car and he could drive in the car.  That appeased my public transit wannabe.  Except then GGirl wanted to drive in the car too and made a break for my rubbermaid cabinet (in the opposite direction of the door we were trying to get out of) to get her own "steering wheel".

Oh, no you don't!  Just like every other house in this country, the bottoms and tops of my rubbermaid container rarely match up when I want them to and we are certainly not taking them to get lost in the abyss that is the back-seat of my van.  

So with a quick thought I sent GGirl to go grab plastic plates.  And we were out the door.  On time.  

All in a morning with small children.  I wouldn't trade it for anything -except maybe the cup of coffee that I never got this morning, yawn.

New Cooking Adventures

2014 began my gluten-free life. The health benefits for me have out-weighed the sacrifice of many favorite foods.  I've found GF alternatives to many of the necessities, a girl needs her brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  Most of my baing is centered around a pre-mixed bakin mix. For Christmas I was gifted a specialty GF baking cook book and I'm excited to explore a new way of baking!

A Boy and His Trains

Thomas the Tank Engine, Chuggington, any engine he can find is a new friend.   And if the engine pulls musical cargo, its only better!

The Cost of a Clear Day

The river valley where we live sees as many cloudy days as Seattle.  In the winter it is dreary and it gets old.  My psyche still longs for the 360 days of sun a year that we had during our time in Colorado and Southern California.  On the occasion that we have a clear day, we pay for it in temperatures.

I've enjoyed my morning walks because it gives me a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning for having dragged myself out for the walk before 8am,   a sense of strength that comes from completing a physical challenge (drive up my hill, you'll see what I mean!) and it feels good to know that for 38 mintues in the morning, I get to take care of me, before meeting the demands needs of my children and getting caught up in the tasks of the day.

But when the temperature drops, it was not as enjoyable.  And by "temperature drop" I mean the nostril-freezing, crunchy coat cold.  I often opted out of the cold morning walks mostly because I didn't have good cold weather gear.  That changed this week.  A friend gifted me an REI gift card that was converted into thick fleece running pants and SmartWool socks.

This morning I walked.  My face was cold, but the rest of me was warm and I'll have a better day for it.

Modern Art

GGirl was gifted a scratch art kit for Christmas and has spent hours scratching away creative masterpieces.  With a humored glint in his eye and a bit of excitement in his step, Handyman pointed out one of the newest pieces of art to be added to our collection.  "It's 21st century modern art!" he raved.  "GGirl, tell your mom what it is!"

"A high-heeled boot that stepped in dog poop" she replied with a proud grin.

There you have it folks, coming to an art museum near you!