snowflakes

this week we had snowflakes.

real ones and paper ones.

made with love.

they create magical shadows on the wall.

we started with some old magazines.....

we cut lots and lots of hearts out. Aidan started cutting some in bright construction paper and I said, "Oh, I really like the magazine ones....." but he convinced me the colors were a good idea so he kept cutting and cutting construction paper and I kept cutting up magazines.

Soon we had lots of heart-strings to hang in the window.

And as you saw on my banner, we had lots of fun with the construction paper hearts.

Lesson learned - let your kid make his art project any way he wants to.

Happy Valentines!

yesterday

well, i vented a little. thanks for listening. but i know that i do have a lot to be thankful for as well. Sometimes it is hard to remember that when we get bogged down with the curve balls life throws at us.

So today I am focusing on being thankful. i am thankful for snowflakes. Yes - the kind which melt on your tongue.

the kind which provide hours of entertainment for the kids in the neighborhood.

(warming up with some hot cocoa)

the kind that are piled so high right now I don't think I can physically shovel them any higher!

I also love the kind that you cut out of white paper. I love the surprise when you unfold them. Aidan and I made a bunch last week and we hung them in the living room window. They make neat shadows on the wall in the morning sun.

snowed in

A day for creativity and contemplation.

Pardon my random blog thoughts today.

So yes, we are snowed in, not just because of the snow, but Aidan is sick. I am actually thrilled he is sick on the weekend because between the snow and Aidan I can excuse myself from all social functions, errand running, etc. I hadn't really been in the mood to "create" this season but after last weekends Crafternoon I am again feeling inspired, so a weekend in is just what I needed!

Aidan must be feeling it too, even in his flushed cheek/feverish state he is busy coloring and creating.

Since I was snowed in I thought it would be a good chance to finish up the little gifts I wanted to give the nurses I work with. Now, I manage 44 nurses. Why I got it into my head to make them all a bag of homemade hot cocoa mix I will never understand. Not to mention, there are a few people who work closely supporting my nurses and a few other nurses who I don't manage but they work closely with us as well........ I didn't want to leave them out. Why do my ideas always end up being more work and money than I had planned???? My intent was to show them all that they are appreciated - if it wasn't for the good work they do I wouldn't have a job - so I wanted to write them all a little thank-you and give them a token of my appreciation. However, the treat bags I ordered were a lot bigger than I pictured them in my head, so even though I only filled the bags half-way I ran out of cocoa mix.

So far I have made 50 bags of hot cocoa, and I am still about 20 short. (Aidan wanted to give some to his teachers as well, and I am still missing a whole department's worth!)

This is the view from my front door. A kind neighbor came over last night and helped James snow blow out the end of our driveway. (note to self, buy a snowblower when they clearance out next spring!)

This picture was supposed to be on the top. I have not seen this much snow in years, many years. The last time I remember this much snow was in 1988. (I am sure the Midwest has had that much, but for many years we lived in PA and MO so I may have missed out.) I just have a vivid image in my mind of shoveling our sidewalks with my dad on January 12, 1988. My dad had a big, blue puffy jacket and the snow was higher than his waist. I was the "big helper" so I was able to shovel with him while my little brother stayed indoors. My dad silently shoveled and wept. My sister had died the night before in the midst of a blizzard. When we woke up on the 12th the sun was shining bright- all was serene, and we were blanketed in the fresh white that sparkled in the sun. No one could really visit us that day, the roads were snowed over. So we just stayed home, the 4 of us, and shoveled and prepared for the busyness of the days ahead.

Snowed in.

A day for creativity and contemplation.

Today

Blizzarding.

We have received a foot of snow thus far, with more expected to fall throughout the night.

I braved the roads this am because I had a hair appointment that I did.not.want.to.miss.

Maybe wasn't a good plan..... while the roads were

somewhat safe at 7:00 am, three hours later I could barely make it home. The visibility was so bad I seriously debated just getting a hotel in Maple Grove. (12 miles from my home.) But I had a sick little boy at home who needed me............ and he also needed some "Jewish Penicillin." (Little does he know I made the "authentic kind," complete with parsnips, turnips, leeks, lots of onion and garlic.)

I kind of played hookie one day this week and betwen naps I caught the show "The Doctors." They were giving lots of tips on how to avoid colds or feel better when you have one and Chicken Soup and Gargling Salt Water were both on the list. I have a hard time admitting this, but those are both things my Dad always recommended.............. he also gave us blackberry brandy but can you believe the Dr.'s didn't condone that one?

So James shoveled twice, while I worked on Christmas gifts, made soup and watched Christmas movies with Aidan.

You know, I think I wouldn't mind having a blizzard once a week!

Photo here.

Thanksgiving Eve

We spent the day running errands, playing games, wrestling, sledding, and hanging out.

Aidan was a real trooper and endured a lunch meeting at "mommy's work" and then a long, drawn out shopping experience at Anthropologie. So I kind of felt like I "owed him" some fun for the rest of the day.

For some reason Aidan really wanted to go to IKEA, (he loves the playland and always wants to spend his day off there.) I obliged but I admit it wasn't the brightest idea we have ever had. Thanksgiving eve, in a snowstorm, driving to IKEA which is on the way to a busy airport.......... like I said, not the brightest plan. We bought some white paper to wrap Christmas gifts, ate an ice cream cone and then headed back home.

We decided the evening was too beautiful to be spent indoors. We did some sledding and then I played "sled dog" and took Aidan all around the neighborhoods. (pulling a 50 lb. + child through the snow is way easier than the Insanity workouts I have been doing lately.)

There are some moments in parenthood you wish you could capture forever and last night we had one of those. Picture this. I am pulling him through the snowy streets. He is laying on his back looking up at the snow with his head resting in his hands and he says "Mom - I had the best day. Thanks."

Melt my heart. Yes-we can go to IKEA in a snowstorm any time you want. And yes, I will be glad to pull you through the neighborhood anytime.

Sorry, my pictures ended up in reverse order. But regardless, wouldn't you agree the park is amazing at night? Recently one blogger asked what kind of software I have - it is Lightroom and it's possibilities are endless; I am barely skimming the surface. ( I think i need to take a community ed class about how to use it.)

Anyway, have a great Thanksgiving!

today

making this

Christmas shopping here and here. (and I can now say I am almost done!)

listening to this

doing this

photos here, here, here, here.

morning surprise

It is mid-November. My mums are still alive, I can still pick herbs out of my garden and the pots on my deck, we went for a bike-ride last week. I am still heading to work barefooted in my shoes and Aidan has yet to wear a jacket to school. That is why I didn't really get too concerned when the forecast predicted lots of snow for us.

Look what we woke up to!

This is the view from our bedroom window and one of my favorite scenes every year. Our backyard almost looks magical when the trees are all frosted in white and today the leaves we failed to rake up are also blanketed in fresh white coat . (So is our deck furniture and garden ornaments......... oops.)

But today we will just forget about all the unfinished work under the snow and instead we are going to build a giant snowman.

Better go - Aidan is already outside waiting for me!

How to have a picnic in the winter

First spread a cheerful blanket on the floor and light a campfire.










Then order Jimmy John's Delivery so each person can have the sandwich of their choice, and that way Mom can have Jalapeno chips.

(A very rare treat indeed, my mouth is watering even as I type this but sadly there are no chips in our house!)

Have some good entertainment like the Picnic game.

And make sure you line up some good company for the evening too. (James is here too, somehow he just isn't in a single picture)

And that is how you have a picnic in the winter.

February

Tomorrow at work we are supposed to wear red for heart disease. I surveyed my wardrobe and I have no red shirts. No pink either, just grey, black and brown with a few random deep teal or orange sweaters thrown in. Ugh! When did I turn into "Miss Neutral?"

However............there is red popping up all over my house because I love to decorate for Valentine's day.

Here's a little Valentine red from me to you.

p.s. I am thinking this might become a colorful addition - after it clears out. I tried it on last week hoping it would clearance out, but alas, not yet.

SNOW?????

When you wake up and it looks like this outside,

you know it is going to be a good day for homemade chicken noodle soup.

This has been one of Aidan's favorite foods lately and he enjoyed the canned version in his lunch all week.


Now he will have some of "the good stuff" next week. Little does he know, but I added some leeks, celeriac root and turnips along with the carrots, peas and corn. I also added the rest of the
basil pesto I made this week. I had planned to make more pesto to freeze, but I didn't cover my basil plants up last night because I didn't really believe the weather man........... so in other words, no more pesto. But - we will have lots of soup to enjoy this week. I hope you all are staying warm too.

Gray Day

Yesterday we had enough sunshine and birdsong to give us all a little spring fever, and today -

Gray.

Inside and out.