When Regular Sledding Gets Boring

Kindness

One week at Sophie's dance class I saw a lady with a cool basket and commented on it saying that it was exactly what I was looking for for my "travel" knitting basket. I asked her where she had gotten it so that I could go get one for myself.

Then a couple of weeks later at dance lessons she gave it to me. She said I was a beautiful knitter and that I deserved to have the basket. She was so kind. It made me feel special.

In the background you can see my valentine flowers that I picked out myself. Flowers in the winter are a real pleasure! They brighten things up and make me feel hopeful for spring.

New Fodder

I couldn't find the camera cord so we were a little low on posts. However what was once lost is now found.

I am not sure if Ben and Jacob were upset with Sophie or if it was just a coincidence, but I came home one day and found this outside Sophie's bedroom door.

Sewing

Sophie loves to sew. Unfortunately she was born to a mother who feels like sewing is a duty, a labor...not fun. While I am learning to like sewing, my accomplishments basically include successfully sewing in a straight line.

Anyway I hemmed some maternity pants and Sophie asked if she could have the scraps. I reluctantly said yes, thinking I was probably encouraging pack rat behaviors. However she pulled out her sewing kit and made up a very cute and fun crown.

She obviously gets her sewing skills from Aaron's side of the family.

Time For a Bigger Bed

Jacob's bed is crammed full of toys. They are all "special," and if you try to clean them out he knows which ones are missing. The problem with this is that sometimes there isn't much room left for sleeping.

Caged In

Last week Aaron went on a school field trip where, among others things, they went to a hardware store. (No redneck jokes please!) They had a slightly damaged dog kennel for $30. Aaron called home about it and I just couldn't picture what he was talking about and whether or not we had a real use for it.

About an hour later a school bus stopped in front of the house and off came Aaron with a dog kennel.

Jacob begged me to put it together so I carefully un-bent the damaged bars (the damage was VERY slight.)

Then Jacob begged me to let him inside. I thought it was weird, but he REALLY wanted to get in.

Then he begged me to lock him in. Now I am thinking, "if someone walks in on this I am going to be reported to child protective services!"

He giggled a squealed and laid down. Then reported, "I love this so much, I think I should sleep in it tonight!"

Of course when Ben got home he had to try it too. They loaded it up with blankets and books and had a grand old time for the rest of the night.

Sophie was too big for it, that is why she does not make an appearance.

The next morning the first thing Jacob asked for was the cage so I pulled it in off the porch and he played in it all day.

Now my question is...if he wants to be locked in a cage, would I get in trouble for doing it when I need it?

Oh and I am still not exactly sure what we will use it for, but it was only $30...

Love Hate Relationship

In our church we are encouraged to store a years supply of food in case of emergency. Aaron and I strive to uphold this counsel, not only because it is peaceful knowing that we always have something on hand to eat, but because we find home production and storage to be extremely satisfying.

However I have discovered a little trick to making your food storage last longer. That trick is home production. Here is what happens when you process your own food....

You make a huge mess on every possible surface in the kitchen...

You create piles of waste and garbage...

No surface, high or low, is spared...

You spend copious amounts of time on your feet running from point A to point B etc...

And in the end you have an extremely satisfying product that has cost you dearly in resources, time and labor. There are 2 natural reactions.

1. It is so precious that you don't dare touch it for at least 6 months.

2. You are so sick of the sight, smell and feel of the food you processed that you can't bear the thought of eating it for at least 6 months.

Either way, your food storage lasts longer.

Hard at Work

Each year the elementary school sells seeds as a fund raiser. Sophie takes this business very seriously. Here are a couple of photos of her hard at work. She is on the phone, but it is on speaker phone.


Filling out the forms...

Snowy Day

Just some winter play photos.

Jacob was petrified of sledding last year, but this year all on his own he has embraced it as a fun thing to do.

Sophie always has something fun and original going on.

Not a great one of Ben, but I couldn't leave him out, he was there sledding too.

Don't ask me why, but Bo like to gnaw on the brussel sprout stalks that I never got out of the ground. They are tough little buggers!

The next three photos are from a day when all of the sudden great big huge snowflakes began falling. They were the kind the are great big clusters of individual flakes. It came down fast and thick. It was so pretty and peaceful. I was trying to capture it on "film" and these are my attempts.

Birds

I have an awful confession to make. I stopped feeding the wild birds this fall. I had guilty feelings of poor birds starving because I had ended their food supply. Thankfully my bird magazine assured me they just retreat into the woods and do just fine.

I wasn't being wildly neglectful...my bird feeder was broken and the seed would just dump onto the ground and for some reason the birds ignored the other feeder.

Anyway I got a new feeder and it took one day for my faithful chickadees to return, two days later the red squirrel, by the end of the week a week later a pair of goldfinches was filling up at the feeder. Then another week later a sweet little dark eyes junco. We have yet to have anything exotic, but all my favorites (minus the squirrel) are here, and they make me so happy.

Yesterday I stood at the feeder and a chickadee landed inches from my hand. Soon one will eat from my hand.

I love standing there and listening to the flit flit of their wings as they approach and then realize I am there and retreat.

I love my birds...may they never go hungry again on my watch.

Oh and sorry there are no birds on the feeder and I have since gotten some suet for the feeder.