In my little world lately, part one

So much of our days is routine and rush.  But sometimes we do fun things as well.  Here are a few of the latest adventures...these are actually all from February.  I'll do the pictures from March in a second post.

 

A few months ago our ward Relief Society had a service auction.   People volunteered things that they could make or do as the items to be auctioned.  Bidding was using points "earned" from filling out a questionnaire.  At any rate, I volunteered a set of custom party decorations.  The party ended up being an "Under the Sea" birthday party.

 

Banner with salt dough sea stars

 

 

Poster for "Pin the Starfish on the Mermaid"

 

 

Invitations (and there were also coordinated thank you cards & menu cards)

 

 

It was a fun project :)

 

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For Christmas Santa gave Monkey a new leotard & a voucher for some gymnastics classes.  She loved it and did really well.  She is a monkey, after all. (sadly it's done now...I'm on the lookout for a good deal for her to keep taking classes.)

 

 

 

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This is totally random, but here's a teepee that the kids made one day whilst playing outside.  Sometimes it is nice to have a junk yard.

 

 

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I've probably already mentioned Wedgits...Owl and Otter got a set for Christmas from Santa, and we ALL loved them so much that I bought more so that there would be enough for us to all play with them at once. 

At first there was a lot of tower-making. 

Then Moose especially fell in love with following the instructions on the design cards to make pre-planned designs. 

Chick then experimented to find different wedges (where the pieces stay together because they are wedged together.  So these are two pictures of the kids showing off their wedges...Moose with a BIG wedge, and the three older kids with a display of all of the wedges that they've discovered.

 

 

 

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Valentine's day was fun.  I made heart-shaped breakfast cookies and smoothies for breakfast. 

Then my sister came over for a nice visit. 

Then I spent the afternoon making lasagna for my valentine, the fantastic Mr. Fox.  It was SOOOOOOO good!  Seriously!  The best I've had since I was in Italy. (It doesn't look very pretty in the picture, but it was good.  EVERYONE loved it, which is really saying something).  I used THIS recipe.

For dessert we had heart-shaped apple hand-pies.  Yum.

I didn't put up decorations or do anything very fancy, but I did make fancy foods.

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for February.  Fun times with my people!

A bit of magic...

Earlier this week the kids discovered that if they ground up sidewalk chalk and added water, then it would make a paste that they could smear on things with their fingers to paint things.

yeah.  My yard will never be the same.

Anyhow, they gathered up a bunch of rocks and painted them and pretended that they were muffins and cookies (the pretend items of choice at our home).

Then they lined them up at the edge of the yard and tried to sell them for 5 cents each.  They had an "order form" and they decorated the area with the "Fairies and Elves Welcome" sign that I'd made for Monkey's fairy birthday party.

Have I ever mentioned that we live in a quiet little cul-de-sac?  location, location, location!

Only one person came...our dear neighbor Sharon.  I think she told the kids that she might come back to buy one later, because they kept peeking out after they'd had to come into the house...to see if Sharon had left a nickel out there. 

There never was a nickel.  But the next morning there was a fairy!  And one of the rocks was gone.  They immediately assumed that Sharon had left it (which I assume too)...but I suggested that maybe the fairy had noticed the sign and had decided that our yard looked friendly to a fairy.

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Now here's the thing...the kids believe in fairies.  They ask me if I do, and I can only say, "I've never seen a fairy, and I don't think that there are fairies, but there certainly are a lot of things that I've never seen.  So there could be fairies, I just don't really know."

And I leave it to them-- to believe as they will about fairies.  And they choose to believe.

And in this case I thought I'd encourage the belief.  I did mistakenly draw a parallel to Weeping Angels, when I suggested that maybe this fairy came to life like a weeping angel...and then Owl kept saying that the fairy was going to get her...so then I had to say that she was a nice fairy and wouldn't get anyone...but that maybe she really did come to life at night, or when no one was looking.

So the next morning the fairy had moved from where she had previously been.  "Did you move her?"  no.  "Maybe it was Dad?"  I asked why Dad would move the fairy, and they said that maybe he thought it looked better where it currently was.  I explained that Dad doesn't care about aesthetics AT ALL (true fact), so I didn't think that Dad would move the fairy for that reason.

And so, having exhausted all other options of how the fairy could have moved, she was declared alive.

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They've since built her a little rocky shrine to sit upon (a la Fablehaven), fed her popcorn (which they say she ate), and chalked her wings to be rainbow colored.

There was much debate about what to name her.  They wanted a flower name...but Monkey wanted "Rose" and Chick wanted "Evie Green" (and there were several others suggested, like Tulip and Ivy), but finally they decided on one.

And so, I present to you: 
Poppy Green,  an exciting new member of the family. She'll just go by Poppy most of the time.

(And thank you to Sharon, if it was indeed you who suggested that the fairy fly over to our yard).

(Sadly, the chalked rocks didn't withstand the rainy weather, but now they'll get to re-paint them, so it's ok)

Chick's Big Days!

Chick turned 8 recently!  That's a big birthday for our family, since it's the age that kids can be baptized! 

Her birthday was on a Saturday. 
She chose Blueberry Breakfast Cake for her breakfast, and then we headed over to "Enemy Tattoo" to get her ears pierced.  We'd gone there for Owl and Otter's piercings and were really happy with them.  This time the piercer was different, and he kinda pushed things out of our comfort zone.  He had a forked tongue, as well as a big gear thing under the skin in his hand!  Not to mention the usual tattoos and piercings.

Anyhow, it was not super fun going there this time, but he did a good job, and I feel that it's more sanitary and safe than going to the mall.  I'll probably go back when it's Monkey's turn...but I'm not looking forward to it.

At any rate, Chick, who doesn't like pain of any sort, was a total trooper.  She didn't cry or scream or anything.  She didn't even really complain.  And she's been really good about not touching her ears, so they've healed up really nicely.

After that we ran a couple of errands: to Barnes & Noble for her free birthday goodie, and then a couple of other stores for things that I needed.

Fast forward to the evening (because I can't remember what we did after we got home!).  Her birthday dinner was Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup.  And her cake was an ice cream cake that was decorated with oreos.  It was my first ice cream cake (making one, I mean), and I was happy with how easy it was to make, and how delicious it was to eat :)  Chick was happy with it too, and that was the important part.

The ear piercing was her main birthday gift.  From Fox and I she also got an Ever After High book, and a stuffed wolf (because she wants me to change her nickname from Chick to Wolf, and I've said no, but the least I could do was give her a little wolf friend).

And just like that, she's eight.

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The next weekend was her baptism.  Everything went well.  Dave performed the baptism.  Lots of family and friends came to support and celebrate her big day.  Both of her grandmas gave talks, and they were both fantastic. 

 

Chick was surprised to get gifts on her baptism day.  I'd made her a charm bracelet with symbols to remind her about the Holy Ghost (patterned off of the one found on Jonesing to Create).  And her Grandma and Grandpa J gave her a new set of scriptures in a cute green purse-bag.  She loves it and has taken good care of them.  She also got a few other things that are special reminders of the day, and she felt very loved and happy.

After the actual baptism we headed home for a luncheon with the extended family members who had come to the baptism.  Everything went well...I didn't take any pictures, but I think it was a nice luncheon.  A special thanks to my sister J and my SIL B, who got everything going while we were still finishing up at the church and heading home.

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We had a sweet talk on the night before the baptism, as I was braiding her hair.  And she's talked about getting baptized/related topics several times since then.  It's been pretty sweet to hear her thoughts and see her figuring new things out and feeling God's spirit in her life. 

Oh how I love that girl!  She's a special person, and I really feel honored to be her mom.  I really can't imagine our family without her...she helps me to see things in a different way. 

Happy birthday, dear Chick.

Chick's Photo Date v.8

Yesterday was Chick's photshoot date.  Everyone else is getting theirs late, but Chick's was early...because she's getting baptized in three weeks!  So I needed some pictures for the invitations.

It was cold...she didn't want to stay in the dress for long. 
At least it didn't rain, as I was worried that it would. 

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That was it for the dress.  Just too chilly out.

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Tights, Stretch pants, jeans, boots, shirt, tank top, two sweaters, and a scarf.  Much better.

It's interesting to note that while you can't see the shirts underneath, she's wearing the same white shirt and blue tank that she's worn for the past two photo dates!  I don't know how she still fits it all, but I think it's cool that her favorite style clothes from two years ago are still her favorites.

 

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{This is when she saw skydivers}

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Chick also did some impromptu nature art...she fashioned a hat.



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We went to downtown Snohomish.  Lots of character and texture.  And when we were done with the pictures, lots of yummy choices for our treat!  Chick picked a bakery, where we both got hot cocoa and a treat.  She got a blueberry strussel muffin, and I got a blueberry scone.  Mmm, so yummy.

 

{She's already requested that next year be in Snohomish as well so that we can revisit the bakery.  Sounds good to me!}

 

Before leaving town we stopped in at the library, because Chick is a bit of a bookworm.

It was fun!  We got a ton of good pictures, and explored a few new spots.  I love that girl!
Now to pick which picture should go on my wall....
Which would you pick?  It needs to be a close-up.

Last Weekend's Adventure

Chick

Last weekend there was a free Ice Skating event.  Monkey and I got home from our photoshoot date just in time to get everyone dressed for the ice, and we headed out the door!

None of the kids had ever skated before.  Honestly, I thought it would be a half hour before we heard the chorus of "I'm Cold!" "I'm Tired!"  "I don't want to skate anymore."  And then we'd come home.

Moose

I was COMPLETELY wrong.  They all loved it, and didn't want to leave...even when the rink was closed and everyone got kicked off the ice.

Chick, Monkey, and Moose all did well on their own.  They preferred using the supports...but all three could skate without them by the time we went home.


Owl and Monkey

 

Owl liked skating the least... which is what I'd expect from a toddler.  She did like it ok, she just was the least.

Otter!

Otter was the one that surprised us all.  She LOVED it.  If I stopped to talk to one of the other kids for too long, then she'd start going without me.  She never wanted to be stopped, and just went around and around and around.  She seemed to feel encumbered by pushing the support thing, and would sometimes start skating off without it (though she wasn't quite skilled enough to do that for too far).  At one point she took a break on the side with Mr. Fox...when I started taking her back out onto the ice she actually squealed with excitement! 
It's rare to see someone take to something so much...it was so much fun to see.  We're probably going to get her lessons for her birthday (They don't start until age 3 anyhow).

Otter (again)

A great time was had by all.  Even Fox and I, going slow and helping kids, had a fantastic time.  I think it was one of those special outings that we'll remember fondly forever.  And hopefully we can get back out on the ice soon.

Fox and Owl at closing time

Monkey and Me