thankful tuesday, 2/28

• a girlie day with ella - swimming, shopping, lunching and giggling
• a restful school vacation week
• making friendship bracelets with the girl scouts
• hiding under the covers with my kids
• creative planning with laura
• kiddo's mr. buckley games with grandpa
• cookie care packages
• how wes reminds me to be still...vs. always having a plan
• dinner with k&k, my putnam girls
• meeting little ben
• saturday morning cartoons with the kids 
• finishing a classic novel...hmmmmm
• b's stories from his new little "cool" (school)
• a bowl of wes' kettle corn and the oscars
• lent devotions
• kiddo explorations with their dad
• rummikub fun
• sore muscles after a good run
• my new tea cup

thankful tuesday, 3/13

• wishing i was home snuggling w/those guys
• juror #9
• quack, quack, waddle, waddle games before bed
• how bennett call's his sister "ulla"
• a silly gym moment and remembering critical gear
• scripture at just the right time
• wegman's date with grandma and papa
• cousin sleepover fun
• fabric shopping with laura
• getting out of the house on time
• after school hot cocoa stand
• hula hooping withe ella
• a night with my book club girls
• a maple syrup day at the farm
• adorable spring baby animals
• endurance during a long day
• updates from home
• dinner with jess and her baby girl here in portland
• warm sunshine
• a funny book
• preparing for easter

pro bowlers

the low and wide...

the running slide...

the no look...sending kisses to his fan club

the wind...blowing by so fast you can't even see me!

 we got mad skillz yo...coming to a league near you!

little artists

paint brushes, aprons and splatters everywhere...a colorful outing to paint some pottery with my little artists. 

 

hike, hunt, hooray!

a week ago i couldn't tell you what "geocaching" meant. i thought it was some sort of geological crevice in a mountain.  yeah...i'm not that technical.

but what i can tell you 7 days later is that it's giving our kids (and us too) a whole new excitement for going on a hike.  a big thanks to my friend rachel for giving me the low down on this great outdoor fun!

because if your kids are like mine - the excitement of going on a hike usually only lasts about 5 minutes, before this starts: "can you carry me?"  "can we have a snack?"  "how much longer do we need to walk?"

well geocaching puts the adventure in our adventure.  you can read more about it here - but in a nutshell we use our phone gps to direct us towards a hidden treasure.  hike, hunt, hooray! 

using a few clues left on the geocaching site - you hike to your spot and begin your hunt. the kids (and again us too) were quite excited to search and search for the hidden treasure.  

this box hidden under a rock contained all sorts of little trinkets left by explorers from all over. bennett really like this red army guy....and really, really wanted to take him  home with us.

but nope, we packed it back up, logged our family's name in the enclosed log book and rehid it for the next explorers to find. next time we plan to bring some trinkets of our own to include and/or swap for trinkets in the box.

an exciting, whine-free, outdoor adventure for this little family...with piggy backs on the way back as a reward for a successful hunt! looking forward to our next adventure!

thankful tuesday, 2/21

• 3 dates with wes in one week...woot! woot!  
• bonding with my love
• lunch date jen and and her adorable little ones
• robins & blooming crocus
• little boy playdates
• bottom painting giggles with kristina
• sticker nose disaster...and "blowing" it out
• snot in my eye, ear and hair that saved a trip to the er
• spiritual shape inventory insight
• workshop giggles with wes
• 10 minute drive by visit with a&a...that filled my tank
• kiddo sleepover at grandma's
• spoiled grandkids
• big kid date with justin & maggie
• remembering craig
• high school memories and sharing
• being on february break
• saturday morning coffee & breakfast with the girls
• the smell of outside on my kids' cheeks
• geocaching inspiration and our first successful hunt (thanks rachel!)
• wes & ella coloring contests
• a night home by myself...reading, downton and letters
• bowling fun

"o" is for...

oshkosh overalls (i hope he fits in these forever and always!)

oatmeal (steel cut irish oatmeal is their favorite!)

open wide (1st visit to the dentist)

owls

ouchie :(

 ocean (kids were convinced a piece of the ocean was inside that seashell...)

oreos (yummo!)

 orange playground (notice the pants change...o is for an oopsy accident)

 

 loving our journey through the alphabet...and linking up at finding joy. happy weekend xo!

where the wild things are...

he roared his terrible roar...

and gnashed his terrible teeth...

and rolled his terrible eyes...

and showed his terrible claws...where the wild things are.

man alive...our little wild thing is throwing himself some major tantrums these days.  

this last pic resulted in him ramming his head into the wall...seriously.

my favorite kind are the ones that happen in the aisles of target that go something like this...

he rips 2 loaves of bread off the shelves, and takes off running, bread in hand, up and down the aisles of target.  i don't chase him right away, count 1-2-3 and then realize he's not coming back.  i start out at a fast pace, and then full-blown sprint, up and down the aisles shouting his name.  at least 5 people (mostly other moms of course) asking me... "are you looking for the kid w/the bread?"  me...yes, please (commence sweating).

i finally track him down, and essentially tackle him to floor.  there we are sitting on the floor (on top of the 2 loaves of bread)...me trying to reason with him, amidst the tears, screams and fierce squirms.  then along comes one of my new my girl scout's mom - who decides to stop for a friendly "let's get to know one another chat."

yes - i'm still on the floor.

yes - i'm still sitting on the bread.

yes - my child is still trying with all his might to get out of my arms.
yes - i'm sweating.

yes - this mother is trusting me to lead her daughter in my troop.

i try to carry on and engage in conversation - thinking to myself, "um....i can't really chat right now, i'm sweating and trying to tame a wild thing."

instead, i smile - finish conversation - and leave target immediately,  paying only for the 2 loaves of squished bread - because i don't have the energy or the resources to track down my abandoned cart full of all the stuff i was there to by in the first place.

 

oh where the wild things are...

so today, i'm beyond reasoning.

 instead i whip out the camera...

take a few photos...

step over him...

and carry on my business. 

 and then just moments later...this.

photo taken after we got his coat off, 

which is what initially triggered today's photographed meltdown.  

where the wild thing are and where mama sweats...alot!

thankful tuesday, 2/14

"love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. love never fails." 1 corinthians 13:4

• my 3 sweet valentine cherubs
• when e plays photographer
• smooth travels
• nyc falafel
• catching an earlier flight home
• playing the tooth fairy (and not missing it...phew!)
• embracing julia child's beouf bourguignon (delish)
• an afternoon with my brother
• hearts & crafts
• having a snowed in day...even when we weren't snowed in
• breakfast date with wes
• countdown until school vacation week
• adele
• long hugs in the midst of fierce meltdowns
• staying up too late to watch downton abbey
• bennett's "fancy" sunglasses
• playing outside until dinner time....love these longer day
• kiddo treasure hunts
• challenging hangman games with ella
• that wes loves playing with the kid's legos more than they do
• that i get to love wes, ella and bennett
• that he first loved us (1 john 4:19)

you color me happy

e&b are looking forward to wishing their little friends a very "happy valentime's day" tomorrow (oh how i hope they call it "valentime's day" forever and always....so cute!).  

"you color me happy!" - groovy heart crayons along with a couple crayons, markers and sidewalk chalk. a fun non-sugar treat that was fun to assemble for their little friends!

ella was quite diligent as she wrote out each of her friend's names and checked them off her class list. bennett just wanted to make sure that there was a little packet for him too...little stinker!

heart attack

hearts, hearts and more hearts...it's been a valentine's day heart attack over here!

a hearty day breakfast...

 hearty valentine's crafting...

a heart diggity dog lunch...

 hearty groovy crayons for classmate valentine's...

wishing you all an extra sweet valentine's day!