Tadpoles

I have to start this post by saying that we have the awesomest neighbors in the world!  They are fantastic.  They are so good to our kids.  Case in point:  they scared up some tadpoles for us on their daily dog walk last week.  We started out with 25 tadpoles in a bucket.  Before we knew any better I let the kids play with them (this is apparently very hard of their thin skins).  We have since learned our lesson and only handle them when it is time to clean out the pond.

We have been reading and researching and observing and having a wonderful time learning all about tadpoles and their remarkable process to frog.

I have been impressed with the diligence the kids have put into cleaning the pond and feeding the little critters twice a day.

They check on them often and are proud to show off their little pets to visitors.

We lost three the second day, and one the day after.  Erik and I happened to be planting flowers when the first three were discovered so they earned a spot in the ground, enriching the soil.  Djeryd made the little grave marker.  I was just glad no one got emotional (we have a history of crying over random animals that wind up dying on our property – and sobbing is probably a more appropriate term).

It’s a remarkable thing to watch these guys popping out legs and arms and growing their big mouths, seeing some of God’s ingenuity up close an personal. 

We have wonderful neighbors.

Sweet Things

I have been doing lots of little crafty things lately, but not taking pictures.  Yesterday I forced myself to go get the camera before these sweet things walked out the door.

These are little rice bags you can either keep in the freezer for a cold pack, or pop in the microwave for a minute to turn into a nice little heating pad.  They are pretty small; about 4x6”.  I did not use a pattern or anything, but I was inspired to do the project by this tutorial.  I made some for the kids for Easter and we have used them many, many times over the past month-and-a-half.  I keep them in a Ziploc in the freezer so they stay clean.  And I only put them boo-boos that have been washed off.  They are the perfect consolation prize when a band-aid is not really warranted.

And the sweetest things of all:

. . . the absolutely most delicious part of my life.

Happenings

A quickie post to catch up on the myriad goings on around this place:

 

:: Anna can proudly ride her bike across the lawn without training wheels.

:: We have some visitors staying with us for a while (special post coming soon).

:: Lu insisted I do her hair the other day, and this gorgeous little ringlet came to say “hello”.

:: I finally finished my nephews birthday present and it was only five months late (Anna took this picture – sorry for the blurriness).

:: Anna got “ballerina hair” courtesy on an unnamed benefactor.

:: Lu wants to kiss you with her lusciously lipsticked lips.

:: And the biggest news of all . . .

::  Anna finally lost her fist tooth!

Things I’m Loving

:: my girlies and all their girliness

:: Erik’s newfound fascination with the video camera (discovered, perhaps, because his big brother is off at Outdoor School?)

:: my first poppy ever – grown from seed I planted, no less!  oh joy and rapture of my soul!  one of the most gorgeous flowers ever created!

:: watching “Leave it to Beaver” and being reminded that kids are kids

:: the promise of strawberries in my garden in just a few short months

:: seeing my cover crop mature enough to actually benefit my soil this year

:: this glorious machine that provides me with so many opportunities to grow and serve others

:: only a month-and-a-half left of school – summer is on its way

Daddy/Daughter Dinner

 

I was a little under the weather on Sunday, so Sean and Anna stepped up to the plate and made the family dinner.  I was particularly pleased because they actually made what was on the menu.  Usually when Sean is pinch-hitting we get one of his stand-bys (i.e. waffles, pancakes or hamburgers).  But they rose to the occasion and made sweet and sour meatballs (so yummy!).

 

Of course, what made me happier than them following the menu was being able to watch these two interact from my cozy nest on the sofa.  Anna insisted on stirring the sauce while Sean made meatballs.  They worked and chatted and made a delicious dinner.  I hope Anna can see in her daddy all the qualities to look for in her future husband – I know I see them.

And yes, I know I am an incredibly lucky woman.

Sprinklers

 

We experienced a small miracle last week (at least I think it was last week, maybe the week before): the thermometer hit somewhere above seventy-five degrees!!!!  In order to celebrate the little Styrofoam cold caps were taken off the hose bibs and our little plastic sprinkler head got to herald in the new growing season.

Anna is my sprinkler girl.  That lady wants to don her swimming suit and dash outside into some water whenever the sun is shining.  She believes that any day the sun comes out is summer, even if it is below freezing.  This leads to some disappointments through fall, winter and some spring months, but pure elation on warm spring and summer days (oh, please let us have a decent summer this year).

She always wants her little sister to join in the fun. 

And after some coaxing, Lu obliges.

That is, until a water droplet finds its way to her skin.

 

Anna is not deterred, however.  I am grateful that even if her invitation goes unheeded she has enough joie de vivre to soak it all in herself.

My Subconscious Plate

Sometimes I think I put too much on my subconscious plate.  For instance this stack of books has been sitting on my nightstand for a month, virtually untouched, but nevertheless reminding me of all the things I’m not doing something about right this minute.

Too much?  Yeah, I think so, too.

Things I’m Loving

:: flowers, glorious flowers

:: my Primary class – could a group of five-year-olds be any cuter?

:: sunshine, we’ve had a peak at it almost every day lately

:: watching Djeryd play with Alyx – he is an amazing big brother

:: being ahead of schedule with Anna’s birthday dress (I never dreamed such a thing was possible)  ;>

:: poppy buds waiting to burst

:: Anna changing her birthday party theme from Strawberry Shortcake to Pixie Hollow

:: afternoons at the park

:: catching up with an old friend

 

:: watching Erik and Anna dive and make serious tracks in the water

:: a laptop in the house once again

:: inspiration at long last for the kids’ rooms (think flight)

Manna

This week, as I have looked around, I have found Manna from Heaven in so many different forms.  One was driving home from a miserable trip to the grocery store in the pouring rain.  It was just me and my girls and no one to help at the other end.  I silently offered a prayer asking for mercy, that the rain would stop so I could get all my groceries and my kids in the house without being drenched.  Quite literally the second my tires touched the driveway the rain stopped.

Another one has been the miracle of finding a friend I never really thought I would see again in this life.  But she found me.  On facebook of all places.  ;>  On Friday afternoon into my inbox popped a friend request.  We have not seen each other since the sixth grade and I seriously cannot describe the void that has since been filled in my heart that I never even knew was there.  There is a long letter from her every day and I find myself pushing priorities aside to soak in every word and then gaggle out a reply, usually laughing or crying along the way.  It is nourishment to my soul.  That’s what a true friend is – Manna from Heaven.

Money Jars

I have been looking for a good, cheap, easy way for my kids to sort their income.  I did not find anything I was satisfied with.  Even the expensive things did not offer the versatility or convenience I was looking for.  This is what I came up with, making one set in each child’s color:

I did not take pictures to make a tutorial, but it is very easy and I think you will be able to figure it out.  If you need pictures let me know and I will make another set and put up the pics. 

All you do is take four standard-size cans (like the kind fruit cocktail, olives and beans come in) and four strips of scrapbook paper that measure 4 1/8” x 9 1/2”.  I printed up the labels on the computer, trimmed them up a bit and glued them to the paper.  Then I hot glued a vertical stripe on the can, attached one end of the paper (make sure it is facing up) and wrapped it around the can.  I hot glued one more vertical stripe onto the can where the papers meet, and finished it off with a glue stick on the leftover paper flap.  That’s it. 

Seriously I would be happy to do a tutorial if anyone is interested at all. (It would just make me happy if someone liked my idea enough to copy it.) ;>  How do your kids process their money?

Tulips

Do you love tulips as much as me?

Yippee for spring!

Captured

My two new favorite pics . . .

A rarely photographed smile from Djeryd.

And an even rarer photograph of double fish-faces.

These guys are definitely going on the wall.

Alyxandria’s Birthday Dress . . .At Last

Here it is, at long last. Alyx got to wear her birthday dress for the one and only time on Easter Sunday.  Unfortunately the fit is a bit snug and I’m not sure she will be able to squeeze into it again.

 

She got some strawberry dribble down the front in Nursery, which I hope will come out because this little number is being entered in the fair this summer.

Things I love about this dress:

:: How all three fabrics make each other look more beautiful than they are by themselves.

 

:: How the piping makes everything pop.

:: How much my girl loves wearing it, even though it is a pain in the neck to get on and off (next time I use this pattern I will be installing a zipper or a nice, long placket for buttons).

:: That swingy, gorgeous hemline accentuated by the piping and bias hem.  It was worth every hour of labor (I only wish it would fit her for a just a little bit longer).