may 22

When my sisters and I were little girls, we inherited a set of wooden kitchen toys. I don't know the exact details of their origin, but I believe they came out of a preschool and were given to one of my cousins, probably thirty-something years ago.  They are solid wood and sturdy, as if that isn't completely obvious by the fact that they are at least forty years old.  We didn't "inherit" them until Beth was about four, which means I was probably too old, and certainly too tall, to play with them. But I remember playing with them a lot anyway.

 

I remember emptying my mom's pantry of all the canned goods and boxes of crackers. We would fill the cupboards with our "groceries" and "cook" Wheat Thins in little pans on the stove. We probably drove her crazy. Need some tomato sauce? Oh, it's in the bedroom. 

When we outgrew the toys, or my mom got tired of how much space they occupied in the house (not really sure, but I'm guessing the latter), she gave them back to my cousin. Since that time, twenty-ish years ago, they sat in a leaky, spider-filled shed. Insects built homes and chewed small holes in the wood. Water rotted some of the boards and splintered the bottom edges. Hardware rusted and the plastic sink cracked. But, for the most part, they survived. 

We picked them up from my cousin almost two years ago, with the intention of cleaning them up for the girls. After procrastinating and moving them around the shop a dozen times, they are finally back in use. Ryan replaced some of the boards and some of the hardware and built a stainless sink (because he likes metal). The hinges are original, and spring-loaded. Perfect for slamming on small fingers. And I slapped a few coats of paint on them. In the future, I will not try to cover dark green with buttery yellow. 

So far, the cupboard have been filled with various sand-filled toys and weeds picked from the yard. Mia washed her dishes and Laci baked kitty treats. 

And the whole thing just makes me smile.

(I only wish I would have taken true "before" shots. The pics above are post-sanding and board replacement, but you get the idea.)  

valentine's day 2014

We don't usually go "big" for Valentine's Day, but we did a lot of crafting this year.  My mom came by with boxes full of stickers and pretty paper for the girls.  And they discovered the amazing joy that is Glitter Glue.  Glitter Glue is exactly what its name implies:  glitter and glue, together.  Which actually is quite amazing and it means that I won't have loose glitter all over my house for months at a time.  Oh, what am I saying?  I have girls.  We will have glitter all over the house...for...ever.  But what it DOES mean, is that we must glop as much glitter glue as possible on every single art project we create.  It also means that we have already used almost all of it and I need to restock.


Hearts, flowers, love.  This is our Valentine's Day:

I love this little note Laci wrote.

a little pre-Christmas review

~ let's pretend she's wearing clothes ~

Christmas is almost here. Present opening starts tonight with Ryan's family, more presents tomorrow morning with my family, and a stocking with Ryan's parents tomorrow afternoon. Let the marathon begin (past marathons documented here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). 

But first...the buildup, and an undeniable overload of pictures.

Putting up the tree. The girls and Ryan were in charge of all ornament placement. And our tree is more decorated than ever before thanks to two crafty little girls. There's even a Fruit Loop garland. Noah (three weeks old at the time) slept on the couch. 

 

The girls painted lights on their own paper trees. One very neat girl, and one messy girl who isn't wearing clothes for a reason. 

 

We made ornaments from a baking soda, cornstarch, and water mixture (recipe here). They cracked and didn't turn out exactly as planned but it was fun. I hope a solid coat of Mod Podge will help our little thumbprint reindeer family survive at least a few years. 

 

 

And once again, Noah slept. He is a good baby. A very good baby. 

It has been a good, full, heart warming month. We also opened new pajamas last night (pictures to come), made candy walnuts (I can't stop eating them), and the girls made cookies with Grammy and ornaments with Nonny E. Yes, it's been a very full month...lots of projects and lots of time spent together. 

We have a lot to be grateful for, and a lot to look forward to. I hope we are teaching the kids to appreciate the season, family time together, and the spirit of giving more than the presents they are about to receive. Laci has spent much of her time the last few weeks making cards, drawing pictures, and stringing bracelets, always adding, "This is for so and so." She has a generous heart, and, like her momma, loves to give things made with her own hands. I'd say this means we're doing a pretty good job. 

Merry Christmas!