We’re heading to Florida with friends to visit their family and see the coast.
I may pop in from time to time, or at least pop into the Facebook page. Perhaps I’ll post links to favorite crafts and posts.
I’m a bit of nervous wreck. It’s a very long car ride and I’ll miss my sweetie quite a lot. I might be just a bit hormonal too, what with our recent news. 🙂 I’m sure it will be a grand adventure though!
See you in a couple of weeks!
Filed under the little stuff
Thank you all for the well-wishes about our news last week. We’re quite nervous but quite excited. We’ll see how everything goes!
I’m behind on everything, as usual! Here’s a few quick ways to make some magic this week (some Valentine’s themed, some not!)….
1. Cut out dozens of construction paper hearts and write a reason you love each other on each one. Cover the windows with them all!
2. Got leftover candy hearts? Use them as sidewalk chalk or dip them in water and draw on black construction paper with them! They work on indoor chalkboards too, just not as well!
3. Make a temporary stained glass window. Rip up some non-bleeding tissue paper and give your child a squirt bottle by a low window (sliding glass doors are perfect). Spray the window with water and then stick a piece of tissue paper against it, and add more and more. You might want to put old towels down underneath, and prepare for a colorful (wet) mess!
4. Make decorated toast. Toast some bread, then give the kids squeeze bottles (ketchup bottles are good) filled with jellies, tinted honey (a little cranberry juice concentrate makes a nice red) and/or cream cheese piping (beat some cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk to make a good drizzling consistency). Let the kids make a sweet, artistic mess. 🙂
5. Decoupage an old can together (such as a coffee can, nut can or Pringles can) with old wrapping paper, magazines or garden catalogs and watered down glue. Cut a slit in the lid and decorate the front with your child’s name and lots of hearts. Every time you think a sweet thought about your child, want to share something you’re proud of or otherwise feel loving, write it on a slip of paper and drop it into the can.
6. Tint a bottle of white glue with some food coloring. Spread out waxed paper and draw hearts or other shapes on it. Help your child pipe the glue onto the heart shapes (either filled in or not). When these dry they can be lifted off the waxed paper and stuck to the window.
7. Melt some chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil (or shortening) and then dip strawberries into it for homemade chocolate-covered strawberries.
8. Use scraps from the recycling bin, old wrapping paper tubes and other odds and ends to make a giant Matchbox Car racetrack or marble run. Use painter’s tape to put it all together and watch things zip down it!
9. Go on a hunt for signs of spring. Believe it or not, there are some already! We saw bald eagles here in Minnesota last week, even though our lakes are still frozen and we’re still covered in snow. Maybe they know something we don’t!
10. Write silly commands on lots of construction paper hearts and hide them around the house. Have the kids find them and then perform the actions on them (cluck like a chicken, sing a song in a funny voice, hop backwards 3 times, impersonate a famous person, say three things you love about your sister…).
Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and a wonderful week!
Filed under Ways to make today magical
We have a new little tradition at our house.
This little bird.
He has little wire feet that help him perch all over the house.
I move him every day and the kids see if they can spot his new location.
We do the same thing outside in nice weather, with some colorful ceramic toadstools that move all around the yard. But those are covered in several feet of snow right now.
I kind of like the cheerfulness of perching our little bird in various spots around the house! If you happen to find a cute little faux bird somewhere, I highly recommend it!
Happy Friday!
Filed under happy stuff
I’m sorry for being so lazy about posting lately! I’ve been so tired and I’m behind on everything but my heartbeat.
I promise to get better at it! Or try!
Here’s a few snapshots from our house today…
Then again, I might not be so good about posting for a wee bit!
I am 42, and thought my baby years were far behind me (we thought we were making sure of that!).
I am still at a bit of a loss for words!
I have a very high chance of miscarrying (50/50, I hear), and I have a very high rate of miscarriage in my past (a dozen before I had my four children).
Who knows what will happen, but I’m up for the adventure. 🙂
Filed under happy stuff
1. Make a giant hammock swing out of a big towel, blanket or sheet. Have two adults hold it, one on each end, and swing your kiddos in the middle. Only one adult available? Pull them around on the kitchen floor on it!
2. Dry winter skin? Let your little ones paint each other (or Mom!) with paintbrushes and lotion. Backs and legs make great canvases! When they’re done, rub it in and start over!
3. If you’re in a cold climate, escape winter by going to an indoor butterfly house or arboretum.
4. Use all different colors of eyeliners and lipliners to draw fantasy-like designs on your child’s face. Yours too if you’re brave!
5. Go to the grocery store and pick out produce to eat this week to use the seeds for planting. Start the seeds in egg cartons and transplant them into indoor pots or the garden later in the spring. Do keep in mind that the grocery store produce is chosen for its shelf life, looks and durability more than its taste, so be sure to get some real seed packets for your garden too!
6. Make these adorable pine cone gnomes and felt heart pins from Garden Mama.
7. Hold a Ten Thing Party. Invite friends to each bring ten things they no longer want that would make someone else happy (nice outgrown clothes, toys, board games, sports equipment…). Lay out all the things on a big table and have people take turns picking something new to take home. Donate anything left over to charity.
8. Take “punny” pictures. Have your kids act out puns or sayings and email them to loved ones.
Anna always has such a chip on her shoulder! 😉
9. Mod podge some fabric heart rocks for Valentines Day like Artful Parent’s. Aren’t they gorgeous???? What a fun way to use cute fabric scraps!
10. This last one comes courtesy of The Greenest Dollar:
Have an Indoor Campout
If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, why not have an indoor campout? Set up a tent, drag all the plants into the living room, and start a fire. Turn out the lights. You can roast weenies, make S’Mores, and tell ghost stories.
She even found this fantastic video to provide background noises! These owls are amazing. Wow!
Have a wonderful week!
Kiss your kiddos, count your blessings, and sneak yourself some chocolate!
Filed under Ways to make today magical
It was actually several reasons, all of them in the blower fan.
Specifically:
Please be advised that in order to make up for the dryer bill, I expect extra help around the house, extra hugs and kisses, extra nice behavior towards your fellow small children (and even the medium sized ones) and extra talk about how fabulous your mother is.
Oh yeah, and empty your pockets!
–Mama
Filed under the little stuff
The view from my desk through the snow yesterday
I’ve been fighting a cold and getting sicker and sicker, until this morning when I woke without the ability to speak at all.
I went through the day scribbling notes, gesturing and occasionally squeaking and whispering out a few words.
The funny thing is, it was kind of nice at times. And I’m pretty sure I was a better mother for it.
With four children, I can be a loud mother!
I am frequently hollering “Anna, be nice to your brother!” from the next room, “Jack, please set the table for dinner!” up the stairs and “Alex, stop throwing things off the bunk bed!” from the doorway.
Today was a nice change from that.
There is something to be said for having to get very close and speak very softly.
Of course, it makes it really hard to answer the phone when that important phone call comes!
My voice is coming back already and it should be fine tomorrow.
Just the same, I think I’ll give it a rest. 🙂
Filed under the little stuff
A Magical Childhood 