dancing to the music of the waves

the more things change...

A lot has changed from the first picture to the second but so much more hasn't. They may not sport the whale spout hairdo anymore and they both find the idea that they ever wore diapers ludicrous, however they both still love their thumbs, an ear, a certain stuffie named Twinkie and being with each other.

playing at the dinner table

I am a huge fan of board games. I have loved them since forever. I played Uncle Wiggly and Chutes and Ladders as a very little girl and I still enjoy a rousing competitive game of pictionary or trivial pursuit. I purchase games for my kids for birthdays and Christmas every year. Some have been big flops, like the Ben 10 game played only once. Others we no sooner finish and we're already setting up to play again. Like everyone else though, our lives are beyond busy. The demands of school, sports, extra-curricular activities and work make it hard to play an extended board game. This unassuming little metal box has come to the rescue. Dinner Games contains about fifty cards with ideas for games that you can play at the kitchen table. Most require little or no materials and little to no prep. I originally bought this as a family gift for Christmas but Santa was so generous, I decided to hold on to this for another time. About a month ago, I pulled it out of the closet and set it on the table without saying a word. The kids hadn't even put their bottoms in their chairs before they were asking about it. I pulled the first card out of the box and read off the directions and we began to play. It has been a huge success. We've only played a handful of the cards and every one of the suggested games have got us thinking, laughing and working together. I love it. It's a way to get our game fix when we don't have a lot of extra time and it also adds another element to dinner time. We don't put it out every night but the nights that little metal box is sitting on the table gets the kids running to the table and some nights find us sitting in our seats still playing long after we've finished eating.

snippets

Sam calls upholstered chairs and couches in waiting areas "comfy collages" I have no idea how he came up with that. The comfy part is obvious but collages? Just don't know.

Sam also refers to his new room as the audition. He spends oodles of time wandering in there and just sitting and looking at his new digs.

My parents were watching the kids for me while I took the dogs to dog training class. Teresa happened to have a stomach bug and was throwing up. My Dad commented to my Mom: I wonder what's the matter with Teresa? Katie overheard his query and puzzled: Papa....I thought you were supposed to be a doctor?

The person that invented Japanese erasers can go suck eggs. Do you know what a blight these things are on my existence? Erasers that are the size of a large coin actually come apart into several teeny tiny little pieces and are puzzles. Sounds like an adorable idea but have you ever wasted time you don't have searching the floor of a van for the pinhead sized eyes to a bluebird? Talk to me once you have. Same thing goes for the person who decided Polly Pocket should have removable shoes. And I had the audacity to complain about Barbie's shoes.

The last two weeks have been unbearably hot and humid. I thank God for my air conditioning. I can't even believe I'm going to complain about this but I am. I miss an open window. Especially in the morning or at night. I love listening to the early morning songs of the birds, the late night croaks of frogs and the other noises of nature.

We got Katie's acceptance letter to preschool (be still my heart). She has been wearing her backpack daily since it came.

Sam told Teresa : I really liked you a lot when you were three.
Teresa: why?
Sam: because you didn't know so many words back then and couldn't argue all the time.
Teresa: that's so mean! And it's not true. I knew a lot of words when I was three!

I told Katie God is in her heart. She now thinks that he physically resides inside her body. Kind of like an alien invasion. I overheard her tell her friend that Jesus gets hungry and when she eats he gets some of the food too. I'm not so sure that's exactly Catholic doctrine.

fit to wrap a little Princess in

This past February my sister had her fourth child, and first baby girl. She was named after her most amazing aunt (and her grandmother but really it's all about her aunt). Walking into the hospital room after M was born was walking into an explosion of pink. I decided I was going make Miss M a delicious little quilt as precious and girly as she is. I kept it simple so I could finish it in time for her Baptism in May. I finished in the nick of time, taking up the last few stitches the day before her Baptism. I adore the combination of fabrics from simple cottons to eyelet to silky satin to the flannel to the soft plush pink. I also adore the colors of pinks, whites and greens. This project was so satisfying. I think mostly because I actually finished it.

pick your own

This weeks haul from the CSA. Look how pretty the eggplant is! This week we got blueberries in our pickup. We had the choice to get a pint at the farmstand with all the other produce or to go to the farm and pick a quart. I am not one to refuse free food so we decided to pick our own blueberries. We ended up picking enough for two quarts in less than a half an hours work. This week we got some leeks. Something I have never used or even eaten. Anyone have any recipes they'd recommend?




A couple pics from our blueberry picking outing. Teresa wants to make blueberry pie. I think I'm going to make some mini pies instead of a full pie. Not only are they cuter, I think they'll get eaten up quicker than a big pie.

two disheveled princesses

What? Doesn't everyone wear tiaras and veils to watch television?

Side note: The two blankets Kate has wrapped around her serving as her veil and dress are not being used for lack of dress up dresses. We have a room, yes a room, full of dress up dresses. Lately she has gotten attached to these blankets and she carries them both with her almost everywhere. She loves wearing the smaller one on her head like this to pretend she has long hair like Rapunzel. You know what it reminds me of? Remember when Linus wraps his blankie around his head in the Christmas special as his shepherd's headgear so Lucy won't punch him for having a blankie?










Do you see the resemblance too?