2.28 Trains

The slightly mind-boggling moments of parenting for me come at times like this, when we get out an activity that's been around for all the kids. I think about playing trains with Amy or William and it seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once. I glimpse the enormity of childhood and the freight-train pace, and I realize that while all of what I know is behind me, there is a whole lot of parenting track yet to cover ahead of us. 

2.27 Preschool

We've been visiting potential preschools for C and have found a winner. She even got to do a little art project with the class. The hard part for her will be waiting all the way until September. 

2.25 Skating!

We've been talking about it all season and finally had an opportunity to go ice skating as a family today.   The kids all did an amazing job, even Matthew, strapped into skates 4 sizes too big! 

2.25 Spring Cleaning

Similar picture to yesterday, more seasonally appropriate clothing. After another mild day perfect for cleaning out the garage and sandbox/outdoor toys, a cool fog settled in late in the afternoon. 

2.24 Spring Tease

Shorts, bare feet, digging in the garden. Just what one thinks of regarding late February in New England...

2.23 Lobsters

We have an aquarium membership, but for the most part the lobster tank at Stop and Shop works just as well. 

2.22 Beans

I've got to say, five or six bags of grocery store dry beans in a plastic box with assorted scooping vessels and a little extra patience for clean up all adds up to one of the most-played-with activities we have around here. 

2.21 More Pompoms

Last day of a four-day weekend was a lovely day home with my kiddos, playing board games and making pompoms on the side. Finished with the skein of yarn I chose for this project (most poms going to my mommy as a present...long story). Made myself a little garland with the yarn I had left. So happy! 

2.20 Eye Protection

Yesterday this guy got accidentally whacked in the face by his baby brother and as a result possibly got a mild scratch on his cornea - he was in pain for the rest of the night and hypersensitive to light for most of today. Despite all this he was not deterred from his normal activities. Just needed the proper gear. 

2.19 Afternoon

We followed the deer tracks all the way to the back of the yard. 

2.18 Saturday

Bumblebees playing Minecraft. 

2.16 Brace Face

Start the timer; one year with these begins now. She's a trooper! 

2.15

The price was right on this pretty fake flower wreath, and our front door is happy again. 

2.14 As I Was Saying

Exhibit A for why I need to keep my desk clear. This guy figured out that he can fetch the bathroom stool anytime he needs access to...anything! Nothing is safe now. 

2.13 Custom Drawers

My mom has taught me many, many important life skills, but the one I called on for this project was the Art of Covering a Box with Contact Paper. My desk hangs out in the living room in this house. For all eyes to see and all hands to touch. Therefore, keeping it neat with everything put away has taken on new importance. To help, I decided the hutch could use some containers for supplies, so that I could free up the one, shallow drawer for bills and work in progress, keeping that clutter off the surface. I slapped together corrugated cardboard cut from a shipping box and had the roll of contact paper leftover from lining the drawers of that dresser I painted back in the fall. So there, no money spent and my world made much more orderly! 

2.12 More

There really is no way to adequately capture the beauty of a falling snow. 

2.11 Rollerblades

He wants to do it all.  

2.10 Can't Pick Just One

Fabulous day today, snow day #2. So many silly and awesome moments found on my phone. 

Big kids are into singing the National Anthem lately. Thought I'd seize the moment to make sure they knew all the right words. 

Played downstairs again alllll morning. Made a big mess. But I sewed a Practical Bag! 

Been wanting to do that one for ages. Bliss! 

I don't think they realized they had dressed alike.  

Found a ton of fabulous black and white selfies on the phone later, along with lots of toe pictures. 

Made playdoh yesterday. Made dinosaurs today. 

And of course we got outside for a nice long time in the afternoon to shovel and sled and play in the strengthening February sun. I am so grateful for today. 

2.9 Downstairses

I am endlessly grateful for our huge finished basement. C refers to it as "downstairses" or the "base-a-ment" and it's her most requested place to play. We can usually all find plenty to do down here, and today was no exception. The snow swirled outside those nice bright windows and we all enjoyed the day off from school. 

2.8 Making Hay

Springy today, big snow comes tomorrow. I sure have missed New England! 

2.7 Walk in the Rain

2.5 Lego

She spent a long time working on this ensemble so as to look just like her Lego figure. 

2.4 Hot Lunch

My kids almost never buy hot lunch at school. We are just too in the routine of making it each morning, and those $3 would add up fast if two kids wanted to buy all the time. But William has been trying for months now to buy on the one "brunch for lunch" day each month and we simply keep forgetting. When I found these "cafeteria trays" at Target for 79 cents on Wednesday I thought I could try to make it up to him with brunch for lunch at home. I'm not completely sure it counted, but everyone was suitably amused. 

As a side note, Matthew is refusing to sit in the high chair these days. Stand, sure. Balance on the arm of it or climb on the tray, sure. Anything but sit. So we are going straight to big kid land at the little table, and it seems to be an improvement. At least it's not so far to fall. 

And yeah I'm not so sure about the revolver at the table either, but I guess it never hurts to be prepared. 

2.3 Middleman

This was, in fact, the only picture I took today. And while this was just a briefly chaotic moment in the midst of a small art project, it does more or less sum up my feelings on the day. 

2.2 Pom Pom Therapy

Busted out the pom pom makers and a new skein of yarn and feel better than I have all day. My anxieties (which are little more than mid-winter blahs) melted away with every fuzzy friend I churned out late tonight. 

2.1 Marble Maze Mastered

Moving into the second year is such a relief in so many ways: little things that are now okay to do, items to cross off the  worry list (of course others are always added, but I'm all about the positive here). 

M has proven himself trustworthy with marbles now, one of the more tempting hand-to-mouth items. Not only that but he also appreciates the beloved marble maze for the delicate contraption it is, not a tower to be wantonly knocked over. Therefore, we can all play this game happily, and that is a very nice thing.