2/20/11
Cousins of all types
A weekend with cousins! How many people can say they know not only their 1st, but their 2nd and 3rd cousins well? How happy it is to see these kids playing together, knowing their great-grandparents were siblings. It was also wonderful for the adults to re-connect, too.
2/15/11
Valentines
A Valentine quote from G-bear, age 5:
"The heart is the best part of the body. When you go there, you can be or do anything you want. It's a free place."
Geesh, I really need to get in the habit of taking more pictures. Here I thought I had collected a nice little bunch of pictures that would illustrate our Valentine's Day. Come to find out, I only have three! Sigh. Anyway, we've had a good family Valentine's day. It included things like: making a ton of Valentines for school and friends and family and pets; eating heart noodles and heart biscuits and yes, candy and cookies, too; a secret mission to the local chocolate store for a chocolate spine (the kids loved this!); an edible arrangement; audio love letters from the parents to the kids; a lunch date at the restaurant that we can't steer clear of whenever we have a date opportunity (variety is over rated); roses from a grand daughter to a grandma.
Life is Good.
"The heart is the best part of the body. When you go there, you can be or do anything you want. It's a free place."
Geesh, I really need to get in the habit of taking more pictures. Here I thought I had collected a nice little bunch of pictures that would illustrate our Valentine's Day. Come to find out, I only have three! Sigh. Anyway, we've had a good family Valentine's day. It included things like: making a ton of Valentines for school and friends and family and pets; eating heart noodles and heart biscuits and yes, candy and cookies, too; a secret mission to the local chocolate store for a chocolate spine (the kids loved this!); an edible arrangement; audio love letters from the parents to the kids; a lunch date at the restaurant that we can't steer clear of whenever we have a date opportunity (variety is over rated); roses from a grand daughter to a grandma.
Life is Good.
2/4/11
Winter Storm, NOT
Well, we did have a winter storm, no doubt, but the hype far exceeded the production. We were expected to get 10-15 inches of snow. School was cancelled the night before. Businesses were asked to close unless they were providing a "necessary" service. So, we went to sleep with much anticipation (except Mark, who said we'd probably get 3 inches). I explained what a blizzard was to the girls, who were excited and a little anxious. G-Bear asked if our basement was made of cement. She was relieved to know it was, because "that's where you go in an emergency. . . a cement basement."
Well, we woke to some lovely, beautiful snow. . . about 7 inches. And the snow that fell all of that day was the kind with big, beautiful flakes. They were big enough to see the design of each one easily. And it sparkled so!
Here are some pictures of our snow days of late: Mark getting to ski to work, snow forts, ice skating, and lots and lots of shoveling.
Well, we woke to some lovely, beautiful snow. . . about 7 inches. And the snow that fell all of that day was the kind with big, beautiful flakes. They were big enough to see the design of each one easily. And it sparkled so!
Here are some pictures of our snow days of late: Mark getting to ski to work, snow forts, ice skating, and lots and lots of shoveling.
2/2/11
Mistress of Our Collective Mood
I remember when Moo was G-bear's age, I realized that how the day went depended highly upon her mood. At the time, I was slightly annoyed with this. If Moo was in a good mood, and tolerated her little sister well, the day went great. If Moo was crabby, it went on down the line until everyone was crabby. In hind sight, I have learned that this is one of the normal progressions of sibling relationships, and Moo should be free to have crabby days. She shouldn't be responsible for keeping everyone happy.
I see this now, with the two younger, who spend their mornings at home together. It's a little more severe (as are most things with this second, wonderfully spirited, child of mine) with G-bear. If she's in a good mood, and is feeling well and eating well, she is a wonderful, delightful little being to be around. She is helpful and kind and thoughtful. But, when she is not those things, she is really not, and, oh, the day does reflect that. Lately, I have been basking in a string of days of the former. She has been such a great big sister, and is learning to enjoy Bug more as he is more capable.
Here, they are enjoying Stella's crate. Their togetherness is the part that I noticed and loved.
I see this now, with the two younger, who spend their mornings at home together. It's a little more severe (as are most things with this second, wonderfully spirited, child of mine) with G-bear. If she's in a good mood, and is feeling well and eating well, she is a wonderful, delightful little being to be around. She is helpful and kind and thoughtful. But, when she is not those things, she is really not, and, oh, the day does reflect that. Lately, I have been basking in a string of days of the former. She has been such a great big sister, and is learning to enjoy Bug more as he is more capable.
Here, they are enjoying Stella's crate. Their togetherness is the part that I noticed and loved.
Stairway to Heaven
I feel like I have done very little to nurture the spiritual life of my children. Sometimes I feel badly about this. But, it's also wonderful when I get to hear or see their little spiritual selves unveiling before me, all on their own. It usually comes very spontaneously, their telling me these things. It just comes out, in the middle of something else, and then, shortly after, we've moved on.
Today it was Moo. She told me that sometimes she has dreams about a park, where there is a huge, long stairway that goes all the way up into the sky. She said that when you miss people or pets that are gone, you can climb that stairway and bring them back down again, back into your life.
How wonderful.
Today it was Moo. She told me that sometimes she has dreams about a park, where there is a huge, long stairway that goes all the way up into the sky. She said that when you miss people or pets that are gone, you can climb that stairway and bring them back down again, back into your life.
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