A Big Slice of Love

For Valentine’s Day, I was planning to make dainty, heart-shaped, pink-frosted sugar cookies and photograph them. It was for the blog… but wouldn’t my own dear valentine be perfectly delighted, too? I had a timely reminder this week, though, that the man I married is the type who will always prefer meat lover’s over milk and cookies, so I ended up making deep-dish... Read More

Organization Inspiration

Last week I took the older three to their regular gymnastics class. The other moms there – really wonderful people – are very generous to me in providing mommy advice! I’ve wondered if it had to do with my son arriving in mismatched socks… balancing act One of the tips this time (solicited advice, to be fair 🙂 ) was to go visit the Learning Is Fun store. We... Read More

The Winter Gardener

I am beyond thrilled to introduce my brilliant younger sister for a new series of blog posts! We may have to come up with a new blog name… Any ideas?? We have reached new heights of winter denial. My sister (following more than one family tradition) is writing about gardening, and I am typing her words as a four-foot drift continues to grow outside my back door. I think... Read More

Embracing January: Bear Hunting

Last Thursday, my younger sister called for mutual motivation to get our houses clean. We enthusiastically made our lists (I ignored the fact that I have four children under age four, which often renders list-making a ridiculous exercise), and we started wrapping up the phone call. I haven’t been so pumped up to scrub bathrooms in a good long time. Any mother of young children... Read More

Surviving January: Beach Getaway!

Welcome to our Beach in January! Come plant your feet in the sand… happy toes kick back with a piña colada… (er, popsicle)… beach photoshoppage and relax in our castle in the sun! the stage is set I was so grateful last week for every comment from people who cheered me up, cracked me up, and couldn’t stop short of showing me up! 🙂 So many people said... Read More

Brain Potpourri

I’m stealing my title from a same-named post by American Mum, who stole it from someone else. It’s a blog train! In a disconnected sort of way. Speaking of disconnected, this post is all about covering a few things that don’t fit anywhere else. 1. I cut my daughter’s hair last week and immediately felt the heart-pangs of regret. First, I’m not good... Read More

Surviving January: Finger-and-Toe Painting

This has been a yucky week – no other word for it. The kids and I have colds, and the nose-wiping, combined with other things, had a result akin to the seriously heavy-duty bubble maker from last week’s post. I’ve felt bombarded. People want to help, but they can’t, because a) they can’t get here, and b) I wouldn’t want them to be the ones to... Read More

Surviving January: Bubbles

After the holiday red and green are put away, the winter blues hit our household, deepening with the inches of snow. This January my survival plan is to bring summertime activities indoors. While I try to figure out a way to bring in some sand – and then decide how to make castles in the house without regretting it – we’re starting the month with bubbles! We cranked... Read More

Gathering

Family holidays are full of activities – so full that I am splitting this into two posts (gift opening is here). Today some of us hit the ski slopes while the rest took the younger kids to the aquarium. Those are pictures to post another time… Yesterday we cozied up at home, riding horses, making plaster handprints, playing games, snuggling kids. My younger sister’s... Read More

Gifts

The thing I like most about gift-giving is the uniqueness in all the personalities and interests… from the choice of wrapping paper… retro wrapping to the gifts that were on the wish lists… vintage (taken by my sister) never old to the complete surprises that were sure to be a hit… budding ballerina boat builder boy+train=total absorption It even shows up... Read More