One Should Know [Pants Are Over-Rated Around Here]

...particularly with the littlest E's. And AD seems to enjoy the coolness on the legs, but shoes are almost always a must, as you will see below and in the video clip:




[To get the full view of the video, click on the title "dance, dance, dance, dance," or here.]

Today, we cooled off his top, too. Nothing like a boy with a fresh hair cut!

{finding the lovely} week 4

This week felt like it went way too fast and felt quite ordinary and uneventful, for the most part. Yet, looking back in pictures and in my mind, it was a special and significant week in a couple ways, too.

Overall, this week I am left thankful for the arts and well seasoned artist who share of their time and talents with generous hearts, for heart to heart conversations, for spontaneous family game nights, for the work of self-discipline in child and adult, for playtime!, for tasty, wholesome food, for wintertime dressing every bit of earth so beautifully in white, for hot mugs of cozy on chilly, chilly days.

{Last weekend, our local symphony orchestra played "Peter and the Wolf" while the children's theatre acted the parts. Following, the musicians invited the children to come on stage to ask questions and try out instruments. It was even better enjoying this time with good friends.}

{AF helping "Daddy" play his cards::::school time::::play time::::fixings for chewy granola bars}

{GF buckwheat pancakes topped with raspberry sauce, yogurt, and granola::::looking out our front window to 8 fresh inches of snow in the shadow of our bare lilac branches::::more play time::::one of my favorites, green tea}


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During this month of February, I've been "finding the lovely" with Jeanne Oliver and Kimberly Taylor each Friday. To link up, go here.

{finding the lovely} week 3

I am very much enjoying the challenge to open my eyes a little more this month to the many lovely moments in a day, in a week. There is really so much beauty filling our moments. If only I can have my eyes opened to see.


{my good morning view on my night stand::::home from church preparing lunch in my Grandmother J's wool skirt and an apron my mother made and gifted::::on a quiet, cold, country walk::::chai}


{our little man woken up from a nap and slowly taking in dinner::::paper dolls::::colors and coloring::::making the filling for gluten free chicken pot pie}


{Hammond's Candy Factory's candy store::::a homemade Valentine::::"T" is for (tipsy tongues and) texture::::preparing lunch, struck by bright green and deep red in sunlit running water}

.................................................................
During this month of February, join in the fun of "finding the lovely" with Jeanne Oliver and Kimberly Taylor each Friday. You can share your photos and link up here.

(iphones and such are encouraged for this "finding the lovely" event as we look for the lovely in the everyday, on the go. Yet, our family has the simpliest of the simple cell phones and services, so the camera and picnik.com are being used here.)

Celebrating 7 {Watching Friendship Grow}

Our oldest is now seven.

I think it is fair to say she was one of the most easygoing babies in the world. She went with the flow like no one's business. If she was tired, no complaints on the spot in the middle of playing, she found room right there in her toys for a cat nap. She has always been a looker, taking in her surroundings, making sense of it as much as she could before "stepping in." She's a thinker, questioning, seeking to understand, and coming up with good ideas. Her greatest joys these days seem to come through pretending, coloring, games, and wearing herself out outdoors.

One of her best friends she has known since 3 months of age. This birthday, one of H's wishes was to have this friend spend the night for the first time. They had a ball.


{This is the earliest picture I could find of A and H together. H is 8 months here.}



{It has been precious seeing them grow together.}

We had a few different plans prepared for their night. Surprisely, early on they got pretty hooked on the Mousetrap Game, and they wanted nothing else until bedtime called! Simple joys.



On H's actually day, she wanted to ice skate with cousins. As much as they wanted to, cousins could not make the skating rink, but we celebrated with them the following day.


{Grandma, thanks for the pretty nightgown. Cousins, almost all of the Magic Tree House books have been devoured already.}


{Espi's cell caught this one of all 3 during a brief skating break. I love AD's face.}



The boys watched while the girls wore out every leg muscle we could for an hour and a half. AF took to the ice for the very first time and did beautifully with the "walker."


{She requested her Great Grandma J's Stawberry Pop Cake to top off her day. Yet, our version was gluten free and dye free; so it was a Raspberry Pop Gluten Free Cake. It worked.}

H, how does it feel being seven?

H: Different. It feels older.

Is there anything new you'd like to try this year? anything you'd like to learn?

H: I want to learn how to play checkers and climb trees better.

If you could go ANYWHERE this year, where would you like to travel?

H: to the Wild Life Experience, ice skating again, O'Brien Park, a spray-water park, the zoo...

Favorites. Books?

H: princess and horse books

Toy?

H: my art box

Games?

H: UNO and Mousetrap

Food?

H: PB&J, egg salad sandwiches, pizza, waffles, pancakes, lasagna...

Is there anything hard about being the big sister?

H: AF "always" wants to do what I do! AD "always" wants to play in our room!

Are you going to miss being 6?

H: 6 is a good number for me, but...no.


{Happy seventh to my great skating partner!}

{finding the lovely} week 2

The joys and comforts of the season seemed to fill the days this week.

{bundling up to get covered in multiple feet of cold}

{kindling for the day's fire unbagged across the livingroom floor by two little munchkins}



{sitting close for warmth and entertainment}

{Good morning fog...}


{...followed by more soft flakes...}


{...called for a warm, hearty start.}





{PJ days}



{vanilla buttercream frosting for someone's raspberry pop birthday cake}



{celebrating 7 with ice skating}



{learning how to move on ice for the very first time}

{Requesting "moon squirters" for her birthday dinner added an unexpected burst of color on our February table.}



...........................................
During this month of February, join in the fun of "finding the lovely" with Jeanne Oliver and Kimberly Taylor each Friday. You can share your photos and link ups here.

(Iphones and such are encouraged for this "finding the lovely" event as we look for the lovely in the everyday, on the go. Yet, our family has the simpliest of the simple cell phones and services, so the camera is being used here.)

{finding the lovely} week 1

This week AD said good-bye to the crib. He has been embracing the change pretty well.




During this month of February, join in the fun of "finding the lovely" with Jeanne Oliver and Kimberly Taylor each Friday. You can share your photos and link ups here.

Work & Play {This is the Way to Be Happy Each Day}

Upon waking up, he will set to working right away...

...and all that effort is quite satisfying.





It's been messy outdoors lately. Nearly 60s and plenty of snow on the ground makes for very wet returns and a nice coating of mud on a little boy if mom's not playing bodyguard. But outdoors beats indoors any day we get a taste of the two. So snowsuits, boots, and maybe mittens play bodyguards instead, and out we go to play.

[Oops. I missed snow pants and boots on him! What was I thinking!?? Maybe trying to get out the door before it was time to bring everyone back in?]

[When foraging winter-dry herbs began, I figured it was probably time to get inside for a snack.]


"Work"
Anonymous

Work while you work,
Play while you play,
This is the way
To be happy each day.

All that you do,
Do with your might,
Things done by halves
Are never done right.

[poem pulled from First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise]