Gluttony

The eyebrows tell a story

Here is my tweet from the other day, because sometimes you need company while you laugh in disbelief at yourself.

"I shaved off part of my eyebrow (don't ask!), this goes nicely with my newly acquired adult acne (shout out to my dermatologist!). #monday."

What I didn't include was that I'd also completely forgotten to put on deodorant that morning...the morning that I was driving to work. I'm just trying to give you the full picture of my ineptitude.

Of course, I couldn't leave it at just a tweet. Since none of my family are on twitter (the nerve!!) I emailed it to them - don't want them to miss out on the fun! Imagine my delight and out-loud laughing fit when my sister-in-law sent me this email.

"Like sister, like brother, Ben shaved his eyebrow off a couple months ago. He had to fill it in w/ a brow pencil & was so mortified." 

Brother and sister in it together.

Jese

The Princess has developed a new obsession lately, a Toy Story obsession. Specifically an obsession with Jessie, the cowgirl.  (yay! A rootin'-tootin' cowgirl who's loud, enthusiastic, independent, physically active and not "traditionally beautiful"!)

Every day we have this conversation:

"Mommy. Guess who I am. DON'T TELL ME, DON'T TELL ME!"
"Okay, I won't tell you. Who are you today?"
"It starts with a J and then an E,S,E. That spells Jese!"
"Oh! You're Jessie today?"
"Yes! I'm Jessie!!!"

She figured out that spelling all on her own...

I had to pick up toothpaste for her so, of course, I got the Toy Story kind. (I don't pass up obvious ways to buy my child's love.)

The Princess was in RAPTURES upon discovery. We don't need to take her to Disneyland or Hawaii or the Mall of America now. The reaction to the toothpaste was enough excitement to last her until at least the age of 30. Oh, and then I threw in a package of kid flossers too!

Over the moon.

She picked out a frog one and slept with it that night.

I'm totally winning at this mom thing (today).

Screaming

Sometimes, when The Princess throws a screaming fit, because she does and does it well, I want to just start screaming with her. What would happen? Is that just reinforcing behavior that isn't acceptable? (there are better ways to express/handle anger) Would it scare her? Would anger and disobedience and "bad attitudes" just become a game? Or, would she feel like I really got her frustration? Maybe it would diffuse the situation because she wasn't alone in the tornado of her emotions...

Should I do it? Should I just keep my cool? Because, really, if I start screaming along with her it won't be anything but me letting out my own emotions too.

Sweetpea would probably be freaked out by the both of us.

Making a stick forest

I get an email every day with a prompt to use for writing. I've been ignoring them since January but it's time. I'm challenging myself to use at least one prompt a week and write something, anything... I'll be posting some of them here on the blog. I have no idea where they'll take me. You've been warned. (The prompt word will be italicized in the text.)

Friends

Don't mess with my friend...

We take care of our friends around here.

Time with Papa

Quietness

THIS. This is why Quiet Time is so important. (Even when it's not so quiet!)

2 hours of fun!

The mice have tea

Princesses visit the beach

Princesses HAVE a tea party or ARE the tea party?

Oh no you didn't!!!

Yes. I did.

I helped my daughter pass on a chain letter. I thought chain letters died many, many years ago. But, lo and behold, The Princess received a letter in the mail JUST FOR HER. In it was that familiar letter with instructions to move #2 address to spot #1, add her name to spot #2, send it to 6 friends and soon, SOON, she will receive 36 packs of stickers in the mail!

Well, she immediately started naming friends and even went so far as to take the pen from me and write the names herself as I dictated the letters. How could I refuse to help after the initiative, the excitement, the willingness to pick out boy stickers without asking for some of her own when we went to Target?

I couldn't.

I copied that letter, moved address #2 to spot #1, wrote in her address and found my little used stamps for the envelopes (I should send more letters.)

She's so excited. I just hope she gets at least one pack of stickers back. And I hope that the parents who receive this letter from us don't hate me forever!  Ha!

Signing her name to each letter.

A place to lie

I grew up with cats and when Steve and I first were married we had two of them. For some reason all cats love quilts, especially when they're laid out on the floor and you're trying to work on them. Wherever you need to be, that is where they need to be also.

We don't have cats anymore, but I don't need them. My children have filled in nicely.

Maybe I should just trace around them and quilt their outlines...

A girl and her blanket

I'll admit it. I've encouraged their attachment to their blankets. Mine served me well for many years and I still have it in my room. There's nothing like that tangible comfort you can carry wherever you go. There is no end to appropriate occasions.

Getting ready for church

Teddy and Pacifier are important too.

After nap time

Pretending to be cats on my quilt

Celebrating special occasions (Valentine's breakfast)

The only picture I could find.
That scrap of blue I'm holding is my beloved blanket.

Wind and Waves

We took a surprise trip to the coast this weekend. It was cold, rainy, windy, and stormy - perfect.

A break in the clouds

The Princess braces against the wind

She doesn't know that a bus was our
family car when I was growing up!

Orders chocolate then steals my peppermint...

She's a fan of any flavor, Rootbeer today

Who cares about the giant body of water outside?
There's a pool to visit!

They're wild animals at this point.

She was a stegosaurus this weekend.
Which means she refused to eat anything but greens.
Yes, she ordered and ate this salad!
(We tried to convince her to eat a hotdog but she wasn't impressed.)

Sweetpea notices the circling seagulls...

I walked for 1 1/2 hours wearing Sweetpea who slept on my chest.
Most likely the last time I'll ever get to do that.
Another bittersweet moment.

Cuddling with Daddy

The Pen(cil) is mightier than the sword

This is the newest toy in the house.

Sweetpea is contemplating a takeover of the coveted machine...
The Princess has her comb at the ready for a defense!
This is what happens in the afternoon - ragamuffin children and clutter all over the place!

Every single pencil has been worn down to or past it's nub and the only pencil sharpener I could find in the house was one of those plastic ones that kids use in school. Which worked just fine until I used it to sharpen crayons for a project with The Princess... Well, there was one other but it's wooden with a carved elephant on the top and I think the blade is actually a piece of tinfoil so you can imagine how effective it is.

I came home with an electric one which cause much excitement among the troops and The Princess was thrilled to learn how to use it and worked diligently through the pile of pencils I had for her.

We now are fully armed with dagger sharp pencils. Perfect for stabbing through paper when trying to write or poking out an eye!

Monthly (February) Menu Review

No, you're not crazy. I didn't review January...there wasn't much to review. I managed to make some food, we ate, we survived.

But, I have been waiting a month to share my most favorite new recipe! A recipe that Steve thanked me for making on a night he had a business dinner (coincidence - he totally lucked out!), and I later thanked myself when I realized I didn't have to share it with anyone - I ate it all myself and it was AMAZING!

Recipe of the Month:

White Bean and Spinach Quinoa Salad with Bacon Pan Sauce Dressing from Closet Cooking

Mouthwatering - no other word for it!
photo from Closet Cooking

Wildlife Refuge

One of our new "resolutions" is to take the girls out hiking more. A few weeks ago we went to Beacon Rock and were reminded that Washington State has a new program called the Discover Pass to help fund the State Parks. We did the complicated math and realized that since it was a $10 fee for the day parking or $30 for a year pass we should probably just get the pass. Which we did, telling ourselves that it was good incentive to keep us hiking all year long.

Saturday we headed out again. We are so, so fortunate to live in a place with parks and hiking galore so we chose a new one 30 minutes away. We gleefully hung our Discover Pass in the window as pulled into the parking lot, patting ourselves on the back for making good financial decisions and finding family bonding time opportunities. Then I walked over to the information board. Turns out we picked a FEDERAL park...they have their own "Golden Eagle" pass...so we paid the day fee and off we went. FOILED AGAIN!

The hike was great and I've only posted 1/8 of the tree pictures I took.  You're welcome.

Sweetpea the doll

See that cute expression? I get to see every day. 

And it kills me every time!