snow in April

 It's been rainy and cold most of the week.  I don't mind the rain.  In fact, I really like those cozy, we're-not-going-anywhere days that we just put on slippers and sip hot cocoa while we do our schooling for the day.  We've had a lot of those days lately. 

While Bogey and I were sitting at the kitchen table doing reading, it started raining.  Before we were done, the rain started coming down in HUGE, FAT, FLUFFY snowflakes!  I've seen snow before.  I get it, it's not THAT big of a deal, but I've never seen snow this big.  We're talking full fisted snowball size snowflakes falling out of the sky like little white fluffy bombs.  (ok, exaggeration, but they were big)  Bogey totally lost interest in his reading lessons (he may have even stopped talking mid-sentence), and HAD to go over to the window just to watch the snow fall. 

 I had a small "awesome mom" moment as I realized that it was time to close the textbook and explore something on a whim (oh, HUGE advantage to homeschooling!).  We stood there for a few minutes talking about what snow is, how cold it has to be in order to snow, and how each snowflake is different.

I know you can barely see them in the picture

Trust me.  They were big enough to pull a little boy from his lessons just to stare at them.

 He couldn't look away!  (And, it was very awesome.)

"don't look at me! look at the snow!

He only pulled himself from the window when I handed him black construction paper so he could go catch some snow on it to look at the patterns.  I love spontaneous teaching moments like that!  It's so hard to do!  I am a list person, and when I don't stick to the list, I sometimes am hard on myself for not getting everything done that I need to.  But this time I was so touched that Bogey was so amazed by the world around him (thank you, Bogey, for that lesson!) 

And hopefully, this is the last snow for season.  Great finale, mother nature!

Howdy Partner

The Jelly Bean loves to wear this cowboy hat. 

 

 The problem is

 He thinks the only way to wear it is LOW.  (to keep the sun outta his eyes as he rides his steed into the sunset? maybe?)

He's bumping into things.

howdy ma'am

 Good thing he's so dang cute

"the name's Tex"

 Otherwise this could be a huge problem

Anyone have a two foot tall horse he could borrow?

my achilles heel

Hello

My name is Erin

And I love to do crafts.

But it's been 3 hours since my last project!

Actually, I have to confess that I really don't like calling it "crafts."  Paint me egotistical, but that sounds so elementary school.  I imagine myself with pigtails sitting at a low table gluing tissue paper to heavy paper.  oy,   no, no, no. That is not what I do.  I am no mere child in this category.  I am an ART-teest! and I command respect!

Yeah, anyway.  I've been arting. (Well, I can't call it crafting NOW).  I completed a project that I've been dreaming about for a long time.  Sadly, it was only the framework for the real project I was hoping to get to.  Clear as mud?  Doesn't matter.  I'll post more about this.  For now, let's just say I LOVE to repurpose.  And most of my masterpieces reflect that.  Here's just a preview of what I'm working on now.  

isn't she a beaut?

More coming soon! Stay tuned!

I feel like I'm being watched

Dev has been devouring the Magic Treehouse books like crazy.  Like two or three a week.  She loves them.  When we go to the library, I try to point out other books that I think she'll like.  But she barely considers them.  It's ok.  I'm glad she's found a book series that she likes that much.  During Spring Break the library here had a Magic Treehouse party.  Tragically, I didn't bring my camera to that, but it's ok because it was not mandatory that a parent be there.  So Iggy and Bogey and I went out into the children's area and did puzzles and played on the computer until Dev and Cal were done.  In a little while, all the kids came pouring out of the room and fanned across the library.  Confused I looked up and Dev yelled to me (not clear across the library, but still)  "We're doing a treasure hunt!!"  She was so excited to be doing a real treasure hunt with clues and a prize at the end and everything.  She and Calvin were very careful to follow all the clues exactly, and they were led back to the room they started in.  I started to get a little concerned when the other kids started coming out and looking around the library for clues some more.  Dev and Calving stayed in the room for the rest of the time.  When I asked her about it afterwards, she said, "The other kids were sent back out because they didn't get the right answer to unlock the clues.  They had to go out and figure out what they missed."  So it turns out that my kids were the only two that did all the clues in the right order and cracked the puzzle on the first try.  Smart kids! 

Anyway, my whole point was that ever since then, my house has been treasure/hunt/spy arena.  It is what led me to find this on my desk the other day:

"Spying be on look out.  Spying. Watch your step and look out for spying diguises, too.  signed, Jack"

And obviously, on the back, there was some very important paper work that needed to be done.

I thought it was funny, but I busted up laughing when a few minutes later, I saw this coming down the stairs:  

I LOVE the little spy at the top of the stairs, too

 hmmm...I wonder where those kids are?  All I see here are inconspicuous multi-colored slugs.

 This is the way their game works.  They tell me that they are "sneaking."  This means that they are trying to get to some location in the house (past me) without me seeing them.  If I see them, I have to yell out, "I saw you!"  And they have to go back to the start.  So Dev was trying to get down to the toy room, and I was sitting at the bottom of the steps.  She's gotta be quick.  Gotta be quick to get past me! I'm even a quick draw with the camera. 

 I discovered their secret headquarters (they were ratted out by the double agent, Iggy.  He led me right to them! Bwa ha ha ha!  I love this picture.  Notice the flip notebook in Calvin's hand. They were discussing the mission.  I threw the door open and shot! ...the picture! 

 I love my creative kids!

St Patrick's day

 I admit it.  I am not one of those mom's who goes nuts over holidays.  Sorry to disappoint.  It's exhausting to try to add a holiday on top of what we're already doing.  BUT deep inside (very, very, deep) I want to be one of those moms who is perfect and on top of things.  Maybe someday.  This year, as with every holiday that comes up, I had big ambitions to make this the biggest St. Patricks day ever! It wasn't.  And there were so many ideas that I couldn't get to most of them.  I did manage to tell them to throw on something green before we left for church, so. . .  success! 

But one thing that I did do, that I have been doing for many years is making a green dinner.  In the past, I just put food coloring in whatever was on the menu.  In recent years, though, I've tried to actually serve things that are green.  This year's menu:  zucchini quiche, broccoli, and green biscuits.  

 I realize it doesn't look super appetizing, but it's GREEN!  and that' what I was going for. 
 

 Sidenote:  I love Bogey's Bogey's shirt

Gasp! Iggy's not wearing green! I'll pinch those cheeks for us, shall I?







Happy St. Patricks Day!

His birthday wish...

 Bogey had a birthday recently. 
He went through the usual excitement--
picking out his cake (Captain America)
deciding what he wanted to do most on his big day (play Mario) 
but he surprised us all when he announced what he wanted more than anything for his birthday was. . . .

His very own bag of chips! 

Ok, buddy.  I think we can handle that. 

 

He was thrilled to open his presents, and he had a good birthday.  

 

And he made very good use of that bag of chips.  
I love this kid.  He cracks me up!  Happy Birthday, big guy!

Goings on

Church was cancelled today because we had a huge storm.  It only dropped about 4 inches of snow, but I have snowed plastered to the inside wall of my patio, so the wind was blowing pretty hard.  I love going to Church, and I love taking care of the responsibilities I have there, but I cannot tell you well enough how nice it was to sleep in, cuddle with the Hubby, make a nice breakfast, change into my pajamas, and take a break!  I don't just mean from Church, I mean from life.  Thank you, storm, for clearing my schedule for me.  That hasn't happened for a long time. 
My biggest trial right now is that I am so busy.  With two callings, homeschooling, and a busy husband, I barely have time to think straight.  (I realize that those three things may not sound that busy, but trust me--my plate runneth o'er.  My cup is full.) But I realized recently that I am so busy being busy that I haven't taken time to enjoy my life.  I asked for all these things, right?  I enjoy all these things, right?  So, why am I  wallowing in how busy I am?  Why am I caught up in the thick of thin things? I don't know either.  I think I will stop.  I've tried this whole week to stop, in fact.  And I've done really well.  I've enjoyed my kids more.  I've caught more of how awesome they think, how they like to explore and see the world.  I've taken more time to see what they see and laugh at the funny, cute things they do.  It's been a good week.  
I've thought a lot about this blog, too, and I've decided something.  I have to blog for me, and no one else.  That's hard for me because I'm so aware that I'm putting words out there for just any Joe Schmo to read.  But I've spent a lot of time trying to make my blog what I think everyone else would want, and it doesn't work.  My blog has to be for me.  SO I decided that while I am trying to capture the simpler, happier things in life, my blog is a great place to record it.  I guarantee that I will have long gaps in between posts sometimes (I'm busy), and as long as I'm ok with it, that's all that matters. 

This is what happens in my house when I leave my camera out:

They take blurry pictures of themselves!