february instabits

february bits via instragram!

kitty towl snuggles

letters of love - valentine's day countdown

our little karate kid

jane's first hike on a sunny february day

being silly with my love

sweetest thing ever

making valentine hedgehogs inspired by the paper source

brother's superhero friends are standing guard

friday night movie night on the ceiling - projector shadows

a dentist visit

snow, snow, snow!

100th day of school

saturday morning snuggles & anne of green gables

a creating toolbox

a morning in my hometown

thankful for a baby who loves her carseat

starting our day with our noses in a book

defending catan with friends

my babies

the blooz

we woke up monday morning with a bit of the post weekend / post school vacation blues.  bennett and i were flat out grumpy, grumpy, grumpy.

after a few failed puzzles and while waiting to hear back from a friend about a last minute playdate, we dug through our library bag and came across this gem.

stuck with the blues by caron levis is about a little girl (who we pretended was a boy) who had a visit from "the blooz." a big blue blob, who like the child can't seem to shake the grumpies.  not even band-aides, popsicles, cuddly blankets or cheese sticks could cheer it up.

after giving it some thought the two characters built a fort, cuddled, made a song out of sighs, colored a picture and then turned it into a paper airplane and let it fly.

so...bennett and i did the same.  we got out our blue clay to make our own mr. blooze.  then we built a fort, cuddled, made up a song out of sighs, colored a picture and turned it an airplane and let it fly.

and guess what?!  the blooz went away, just like in the story...and just in time for our friends to call back to confirm the playdate.  see ya later blooz! 

thankful tuesday, 2/26

• jumping over rainbows
• the father's everlasting love for us
• not being afraid
• binkies
• school vacation and freedom from schedules
• tapping grandma & papa's maple tree
• pizza & playing with the cousins
• new chapter books with bennett and his excitement and anticipation when we close the book until the next time
• downton with the girls
• downton debriefs
• sipping wine from pretty tea cups
• breakfast at one of my favorite places on earth
• my hometown
• an afternoon with ashley and our baby girls
• the lord's timing
• waking up to beautiful snow covered trees
• that jane loves her car seat
• when last minute playdates save the day
• books & loves from texas
• sore muscles 
• a day with my brother and the kids' uncle loves
• public bathroom dance parties with kids
• movie and popcorn with the daisies
• paper airplanes

quitter

it's sunday night. do you wish you were about to curl up and watch downton abby?  yeah, me too. but alas, the season is over.  it has taken me all week to process the season finale.  i watched it with two dear friends while sipping wine from those pretty downton inspired tea cups shown here.  i planned to swoon, sigh and tear at the end of the finale just like i have the  seasons before and throughout this season.  but instead my emotions have ranged from confusion, frustration and ultimately a bit of rage.

oh matthew crawley how you disappointed me. you quitter.  you big fat quitter. you big fat beautiful blue-eyed quitter.  i'm sure the dowager countess would say the same - but in a far more eloquent and witty way.  all i can muster is quitter!

i don't understand you not wanting to part of the best series...EVER.  i don't understand how you don't have time for a wopping 9 episode season (btw, why in the world is the season so stinkin' short). i don't understand how you don't think your role has room for growth.  do you not realize how you have swept us away these past few seasons with the richness and depth of your character?!

who are we suppose to swoon over now?  what will mary do?  you were all that was good in her - and reason we all fell in love with her too.  what about lord grantham and lonely branson and what was to be the  powerful and inspiring renewal of the downton estate lead by your brilliance?  who will stick up for edith? and don't even get me started on how unfair it is that another babe has lost a parent on the day they came into the world.

okay - i feel a bit better now that i've got that off  my chest.  now i'll just go on and wait another year to see how it all works out.  i'm sure it will be glorious, but until this then i'll just huff (not sigh) and bid farewell to matthew crawley...the big quitter!

on a happier note and to help with the withdrawal  watch this...it's a good one!

valentine bits

100 days of first grade learning

100 tally marks to celebrate 100 days of first grade learning!

non-valentine's

you know how much we love a handmade valentine.   well, here was this years. i must say they came out pretty cute. but these were not sent off to school today.  they sit here at home.  because 5 minutes after we bagged them up and took this picture it looked like this...slimed! i got a chuckle out of this, and thought you might too.  here's the story and some pictures too!

ever since we made monster goo (borax & glue slime) back in october, my kids ask to make it all the time.  we love the slimy yet solid texture - it's just so fun to play with!  bennett had the idea of making some for each of his classmates for valentine's day.  i thought, why not,  people sometimes give playdoh, and this is kind of like that.  we could include a little tag that says "you make me feel all squishy inside." i thought i'd also email all the moms to let them know what it was,so they weren't like "what the heck!"

so we strapped on our aprons to whip up several batches of goo.  it was a real science lab in here mixing up our valentine colored pink, blue, green and purple slime.  then we divided it out and put into little baggies and glued on some googly eyeballs.  he was so excited!

i then whip out my camera to take their photos - like i always do.  5 minutes later we came back to this mess.  the bags of goo split open and slime all over the table.   while completely bummed...i was also so very relieved.  i can only imagine the parents and teachers would have just loved for this to have happened in the classroom or in their kid's backpack. 

a quick run to cvs for a box of valentine's saved the day...phew!  a royal creative failure...but a good story for sure!  happy non-valentine's!  if you are looking for us, we'll just be here playing with our massive stash of squishy goo!

thankful tuesday, 2/12

• how much that little boy loves his sister
• milk and cookies...girl scout cookies
• being snowed in with my little family
• getting out after the storm
• a sunset sledding adventure
• worship with a baby in my arms
• an afternoon with the mansfields in their new home
• jane's snowman friends
• making summer plans
• fever snuggles with ella
• visiting julie in her new home
• rascal squirrel stories
• a "hearty" meal
• all baby girl clothes
• an afternoon ingrid and the boys
• playdates when you can actually chat with your friend too
• bennett's eskimo kisses...even if they come along with a bit of nose boogs
• dowager countess, branson and matthew crawley moments
• getting to parent everyday with wes

ten on ten: february

1. my little author

2. weekend chores

3. shadows on the blizzard's snow canvas

4. a powerful sermon on influence

5. visiting wes' sister in their new home

6.  a stop for some supplies

7. a new devotion

8. a sunset sledding adventure

9. a heart baby gift that made my own heart pitter patter

10. chinese food on chinese new year