More Happy Returns of the Day

We suffered a power outage the night before Matthew's birthday which in turn messed up all the clocks (and my ability to bake the cake I had just stuck in the oven; thankfully I could still make Rice Krispie treats on our gas range).  Andrew, in tears, appeared at my bedside at 6:20 am, distraught at his inability to determine the time (and more correctly, whether or not he was allowed to get up).

I eventually convinced him that in was not in fact Jonathan's fault that the clocks were off (though that happens so frequently, it was no wonder he was confused).  He disappeared, Matthew appeared and we went through the whole tale again.  It took awhile to convince him he was indeed 3, and finally he went off to find Stephen and declare, "I really be 3 now."

The Indian Givers vs. The Mine-o-saur

The big boys kept insisting that they wanted to purchase gifts for Matthew.  Though I tried to persuade them to pool their money and purchase one thing, they were not able to agree: Andrew wanted to buy a NASCAR and Stephen wanted a CARS vehicle because I'm sure that's what Matthew wanted (yeah, right).

When we had Christmas Round Two at our house on New Years, Matthew unwrapped all his gifts and then hauled them back to his room and shut the door.  He didn't get to play with them that way, but neither did anyone else (which I believe was the main point).

Everyone got in on the unwrapping action and everyone was pleasant.  Matthew immediately took to a fishing pole from my sister and the big boys sneaked off to their room with the gifts they had bestowed on their brother. 

Matthew occupied himself for at least 20 minutes placing stickers in a notebook, and when he went to put his book in a safe place (the bedroom), he discovered he had been locked out.  "But Matthew will mess up what we are doing!" came cries from inside the room.  We immediately moved into a lesson about giving and sharing.

Jonathan was oblivious and content to mess with the scraps of paper, leftover stickers, and an empty box.

We finished up with bike-riding lessons

and more blue Rice Krispie treats.

What a birthday!



Matthew Turns 3

Happy Birthday, Matt-Matt!

The Weekly Fix

Andrew and Doug scramble for the Sunday comics,

the former to check on Beetle Bailey & Garfield, the latter to learn the latest in the Judge Parker drama.

Family Drawing Time

During the winter months, in particular, when we spend days upon days inside together, we often try to do a daily Family Drawing Time.  This is a bit different from the wild and crazy, messy, and free experience that we have during other art or craft projects.  Family Drawing Time can be a quieter, more specific, and inward-thinking time for drawing.  It's a way from you and your child to each be creating for yourselves, side by side.

The Creative Family - Amanda Blake Soule

This is definitely a sanity-saving activity (if only my brain cells would remember to remember).  The boys happily colored while I tended to my own creative activity.



Patterns have been made, fabric has been cut, and now it's time to sew.

Maybe another week of FDT and the top will be pieced, but don't hold your breath.

Planned Nesting

There's no denying it anymore: there's really a baby coming and time's a-tickin'.

From Booklist:  Each block gets a two-page spread: pictured on the left-hand page is a larger picture of the block itself and graphs showing color and piece placement. Concise, step-by-step instructions, nicely illustrated and very clear, are on the right. Pictures of design variations, an icon establishing skill level, and template shapes to be enlarged are positioned in the margins.

This is one of the best resources I've seen, and it's amazing how simply rotating a block can completely change the pattern of the quilt. 

Stephen and I perused it this afternoon, laughing over the quirky names.  Of course I'm drawn to the most complex patterns, but reality tells me that I need to choose something simple and straight-forward because I can't say that I have a lot of free time these days.

I can't wait to start stitching.

Jonathan at 15 Months

Mind Your P's and Q's

It's taken a week to recover from our initiation into the kiddo birthday circuit.  Well, maybe I exaggerate.  But being in a crowded room with approximately 20 tired, over-stimulated, and sugar-filled kids is nothing to sneeze at.

I'm not a party pooper.  I love decorating and games and cake as much as the next person, but I prefer a more intimate (and less noisy) gathering.  Still it was fun to introduce someone else to one of our favorite books:

It's hard to name just one favorite out of the many Richard Scarry books, but this is certainly at the top of the list.  Of the compilation of seven stories, "Lowly Worm's Horrid Pests" is my hands-down favorite (not that we ever have a Selfish Pest, Grabby Pest, Interrupting Pest or a Whining Pest; and most certainly not a Driving People Crazy Pest

or the Noisy Pest.

I think I'm going to make this required daily reading.

Friday Night Dates

Like a mother managing a toddler's mood swings, our family has built some reliable backstops for the times in our week when work-weary, low-blood-sugar blowouts are most likely.  Friday nights are always pizza-movie nights.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver



This is our baked crust of choice though when the weather is nice and Doug's available to start the grill (it scares me), we prefer to grill pizza - yummy!

Laundry

I don't really understand complaints about doing laundry.  While some things from the past make me nostalgic for yesteryear, scrubbing on a washboard doesn't make the list.  I'll take my Kenmore any day and be thankful. 

Well, sort of.

Seems the previous owners of our home, didn't like going up and down the narrow & steep steps to the basement (and I don't blame them), so they moved the washer and dryer hookups to the back porch, just off the kitchen.

Convenient, huh?  Until it's 20 degrees outside.

The "Laundry Room" doesn't have any heat so we have to plug up a space heater or else the pipes freeze (just ask about that sometime).  It's none too pleasant to move cold, wet laundry from one machine to the other.  And let me tell you about the noise when clothes become slightly frozen and are placed in the dryer...or not; it's too much like boys bouncing off the walls.

Photos from here

But since I can't snap my fingers and make a real laundry facility appear, I'll have to settle for drooling over these while I thaw my hands.

Praying by Faith

Stephen appeared earlier today and asked if they could open the windows in their bedroom.

"What?" (seeing as it is in the 20s).

"Well, Andrew prayed to God that our CARS vehicles would come alive tonight, and we need to allow the exhaust to escape out the window."

Apparently our newest chapter book, The Indian in the Cupboard, has made quite an impression.  We compromised: I told them if the CARS do in fact come to life, they have my permission to open the window.

Recess, Winter Style

Matthew finally got his snowman.

Apparently our one storm last year made an impression, and he has talked endlessly of making a snowman.  Unfortunately we had un-sticky powder on Monday, only good for digging (and making snow cream).  By Tuesday we could make balls and therefore got to work.  And yes, it has a carrot nose.

There was much sliding courtesy of a trashcan lid and a few "gentle" shoves.

Snow was both consumed and thrown.

It's been fun, and the extra brightness has only added to what is usually a dreary month.  Still, I think I've had my fix, and I'm ready for it to all disappear.

Snow of 2011

We really got snow. 

I was beginning to think it might not come, but at 12:50 am Doug announced that it was piling up and I jumped out of bed to check for myself.  The kids were awake at 6 and anxious to head outside, but we held them off until sunrise.

In the meantime, Matthew play acted with a snowplow and his "snowman" clothes.

We missed the Christmas snow, but I snagged some $4 snow pants in Mississippi that came in handy.

Stephen got "new" snow boots (50% off Saturday at Goodwill).

Jonathan wore an assortment of layers: Matthew's socks as mittens, my socks as "boots." 

He was content for quite a while to sit bundled in the wagon watching the excitement, but eventually that got old; he wanted to participate.  All too quickly he learned he couldn't walk in the snow, crawling didn't work either, and a faceplant in the white stuff wasn't much fun.  We decided to head inside and leave the serious stuff to the big guys.



Storm Preparedness

We've got the essentials and are anxiously awaiting some snow.

Culinary Recycling

From bones...

to broth...

to beautiful!



This is why I save turkey bones; a normal carcass (doesn't that sound appetizing) yields close to two gallons of broth which translates into plenty of soup now and a stash for the freezer.  Enjoy! 

The Explorer

Apparently since he's able to walk, he thinks he should be free of mama's apron strings to roam the yard with the big boys.

Not really a safe idea considering the subject, but it was a good excuse for us all to get some fresh air.