Snow days and date night

 

Having snow days right after professional days (i.e., school is closed pretty much all week long) is tough!  But we try and make the best of it.  Today went pretty well - no major fighting, and mamma didn't lose it too much.  ;)  We did tons of drawing, painting with kiddie paint, then Emilie helped me paint a piece of furniture (pics later!).

Fast forward to Friday (sorry, started this post earlier in the week and never got around to finishing it).  Whew!  So glad the kids are in bed (where I will be very soon) and the weekend is here.  There were some really fun moments, but lots of i-don't-feel-great whining from the girls.  They're not really sick sick, but just not 100% and the constant whining wore.me.out!  

We did get to go on a date night, though!

We both look SO tired (will I ever feel normal again?!) but we loved our legal seafood night out.  :)  :) :)  Thanks mom for babysitting!!

Night night bloggyland.

More from the week

Muffin tin Monday, from last week!  Someone else's idea - but it sure helps my super picky eater get a few more things in her (meager) diet!  Emilie loved it.  Ate everything all up.

The nice thing about having 2 girls 19 months apart is that they will be BFFs.  When Jee and I are long gone (so sad, I know), they'll at least have each other!  Sorry if that's too morbid.  But I think about stuff like that.  From time to time, that is.

 

We melted crayons this past week.  Fun!  If I wasn't too cheap to buy heart-shaped tins, they would've been a heck of a lot cuter.  ;)

Oscar sheeting!

Ok, I don't know what it is about this design, but I love it!  It's so hard to find "boy fabric", I mean really cute designs for boys.  So when I saw these PB pillowcases go on clearance, I had to get 2 sets.

Emilie loved playing around in it!  All before they got washed and dried, of course.

 

So I washed, dried, ironed, cut up the pillowcases and now have a few yards to play with.  I mean, sew with.  So many baby boys being born now!  It makes me want to have a boy.  Ahem!

Multitudes Monday

11.  Thankful for a wonderful husband who took over household duties this weekend while I was sick
12.  For the Body of Christ that loves and prays for each other
13.  For strong coffee on Monday mornings.  ;)
14.  For family
15.  For hugs and kisses from 2 yr olds
16.  For heat!
17.  For grandparents that give and give...
18.  For free, comfy sweatpants ;)
19.  For hanging snowflakes
20.  For melted crayons

Multitudes (gratitude) Monday

So it's been a long time since I've written on my gratitude list... in fact, so long that it was my old, now defunct blog that contained any lists of thanks.  I think it's time to start up again.  Ann Voskamp @ Holy Experience is simple amazing.  Love her.  Farm girl, homeschooling mamma in Canada, now inspiration to millions of women across the globe... challenges us to list our thankfulness... up to 1000!  It may takes years to get there... but it's the process of learning to give thanks in the midst of the muck that is what we are called to do.  So here goes, 10 at a time.  Won't you join me?

1.   Thankful for encouraging blogs like Ann's that has lifted my heart in many dark nights.
2.  For people like Helen that stuck with me through those same times.
3.  For dinners with my aging parents, knowing my time with them is short.
4.  For my dear husband who loves us girls so much.
5.  For my dear daughters.
6.  For snow days.
7.  For flannel PJs.
8.  For strong coffee and vanilla creamer to get me going after rough nights.
9.  For our home church that tries its best to be the best for God
10.  For the Word, living and active!

organized???

ok i'm new to the simplemom.net following, but i recently finished her book and was really challenged to make big changes around here.  this book is really great and chalk-full of practical ideas on how to streamline your home and your home management skills.  she challenges your whole perspective on having and buying STUFF.  i wouldn't call myself a packrat but i'll be the first to admit there's CLUTTER here that probably shouldn't be.  things that aren't necessarily bad, or completely useless, but just aren't the most worthy things to have around when you're trying to make every item you own really count: i.e., to be truly useful or truly beautiful.

anyhoo one of her big things is having a home binder, which is a place to store everything: cleaning lists, monthly menus, to-do-lists, etc etc so they are at your fingertips all day long.  it's a great idea but i'm trying to figure out a system that works for me.  going digital would be much more convenient - but i just can't let the paper and pencil go.  then binders are too bulky for me.  she had her personalized planner spiral bound, but once you do that, then there's no room for changes.  if i weren't such a picky planner person this whole house makeover thing would be much easier, haha!  anyways, all that to say, the book is well worth a read and i highly recommend it to anyone who might be interested in really getting organized in 2011!

Gingerbread houses!

so it took 2 inches of evening snow to cancel all of today's activities - preschool, MOPS, lunch bunch... but we still had fun!  busted out the gingerbread kit we never got to do in december....

lots of decorations and snow!

the bakery turned out pretty well, i think..

emilie was having so much fun...

then eliz came down from her nap and joined in...

messy hair and messy frosting!!!  (excuse the decorations sliding off rooftops, haha)

but they loved it... and they were so quiet!!

and one of the houses crashed at the end... ah well!  it was fun anyways...  

happy snowday!

preschool dilemma

to make a long story short, i'm in the midst of a preschool placement dilemma.

emilie can either stay at her current school, or switch next year to our church's school, which uses the a-beka christian based curriculum.  they sing songs, talk about jesus, and learn and play.  eliz could enroll there too.  only problem is it's $2k more a year.  ACK!  how and why are these programs so expensive???  what to do, what to do.  her current school is great too, but just not christian based.  which isn't bad, but i know it's a blessing to give the kids extra seeds of faith while their hearts are young and tender.  lord give me wisdom!!

i have to decide by tomorrow - or if school is cancelled because of the supposed snow, then by next week...

elizabeth and her cake

we FINALLY had a cake for elizabeth's 2 yr birthday!  she was all smiles at her pink cake and she managed to blow out one candle... you go girl!

but mamma had to help with the second candle... it was so cute!

we didn't have a formal party - just piggybacked on our church's small group january meeting.  next year it'll be a big one for you little one!  we just had too much going on this last month to do a real party...  :(

but she even ate her first piece of cake... wow!

and of course, big sis had her fair share of cake and frosting!  

happy belated birthday, little girl.  we love you soooooooo much (as you say)!!  :)

winter white

because i know when it's 100 degrees in july, i will miss this...

and the hanging snowflakes...

and boot trays with drying shoes...

so as cold as it is outside, i'm trying to enjoy these winter moments...

Recovery day 2

feeling a little better today, but still not great.  thanks honey for taking the day off to help take care of the kids!  jee's been the best and has been trying so hard... but i secretly loved that at the end of the day yesterday, he said, "oohhh you have to get better soon... the house is falling apart." (wink)

on another note i've been obsessed with this lady's creations.  her little sad (and happy) faces on recipe cards, to-do-lists, etc just cracks me up and makes me smile throughout the day... i love that she has adopted kids (like 2 of them, in addition to her 3 other kids!) and supports World Vision minitries... and she has time to craft and make stuff??  just amazing.  

I spoke too soon

Laying on the couch all day in excruciating pain and vomiting all afternoon is no fun.  But I'm thankful my husband worked from home today to help.  First time I can eat something in 7 hours.  I hope it doesn't come back up.

2011

A new year and a new decade!  And new blog colors to correspond.  :)  I was getting tired of all the black.  Black on the blog, black thoughts, black in my heart.  It's much easier to focus on what's bad, what's hard, what's black each day than to see what is good, what's positive, what's bright & has colors -- and to be thankful for it all.  Easier said than done of course!  And, a little red and blue never hurt to brighten the day, right?

For example, the family is sick with the stomach flu, at the moment.  Jee is missing church service even though he's supposed to play bass and no one else can fill in -- Eeks!  Sorry, Michelle (the coordinator).  What can he do - he's passed out on the couch.  But, I know it could be worse and I could be sick too.  Then we'd all be done!  So thank you Jesus for a day of rest for us all.  Prayers for speedy recoveries would be so appreciated!  :)

Happy New Year's!