Snow Day!

WHEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!


Daddy gives everyone a ride on the snow shovel.


All day long Payton and Alyssa begged to go out and play in the snow. I waited until after lunch, then after quiet time. By then it was pretty warm, but I made them clean their rooms first. (Yes, I am a mean mom!) Daddy pulled up from working just in time for the fun to start!



Even friends, Bella and Ivy, got to come play. (Bella & Alyssa above.)


Then began "5 Phases of Snowman Destruction."

1. Knock off, er, I mean, completely destroy the head. (The most exhilarating phase.)
2. Climb it.
3. When all else fails, have sister help you climb it.
4. Rise up as conqueror!
5. Take a daredevil leap back onto solid ground.

Friends went home. Daddy hanged the shovels. Mommy started dinner. Kid's changed into dry clothes. Alyssa said, "Mommy, that was a lot of fun to have Bella over to play in the snow with us."

I smiled inside. Sometimes life is so simple and sweet.

Autumn Traditions

I never really cared for fall. It always meant the end of summer and the start of a long cold winter.

Last year I fell in love with autumn for the very first time. Now it seems more like a mild extension of summer. (Where winters are almost 9 months, every nice day counts.)

This year, I want everyone else in my family to enjoy autumn too, so, because I'm the mom, I decided to start some traditions to welcome it. Mostly, it would be things we do anyway, but, I wanted a specific time to start it, so "Conference Weekend" it is. I love "Conference Weekend" because I get to be home with my family and it's a fun time to prepare special meals for them.


"Saturday Conference" has always been a "clean-your-house-while-listening-to-conference" day for me --- so what better time to pull out our box of Halloween stuff and put up the decorations?


Each year, starting a couple years ago, my kids and I started making a ghost wreath to hang on our front door. (We pass out those ghosts to trick-or-treaters.) Perfect quiet conference activity!


For food.... pumpkin pie for dessert, that definitely tastes like autumn. But for dinner, I wanted something I could make a bunch of and freeze 1/2 until Halloween eve. I really wanted stew. But nothing popped into my head. Something special. Bread bowls? I couldn't find any so I tried making some. They weren't worth the work. And stew, apparently, does not freeze well --- I tried to find information on the internet and that's what I found out. So, I have another year to think of something else. (I spent so much time on the bread bowls that I never did get around to baking a pie.)


Sunday it snowed. And it snowed! Is autumn over already?!?!


That brings up another tradition we celebrate here, one I gleaned from a coworker about 11 years ago... He and his friends would meet at a certain gas station during the day of the first snowfall and sip hot cocoa.


But, here, I make it, and we sip it around the kitchen table. Mmmmmmm... it was really good!


I also (just last week) learned about "Conference Bingo" from another friend of mine. I could see my family do that! So, I sat down Friday evening and made up 4 Bingo cards. I was actually quite pleased with the nice results from my minimal effort. (If your interested I can send you a .pdf of the cards. It's all pictures so it's fun for everyone.) Sunday afternoon, we did play it, even Eli. We used Peanut M&Ms (my favorite) as markers. Not a good idea. They rolled all over the place. Next year, we'll use candy corn. (I think I'll eat fewer of those too.)

So, autumn, really, I do like you! Please, come back and visit! At least for a couple more weeks!!! I just bought some garlic to plant, and I just know I won't do it in the snow.

The Hunger Games

Just finished. I read it for book group. Need a good book? Read it! It's really good. I can't wait to get started on the sequel, Catching Fire. Stephanie, thanks so much for making me take time to read. I so enjoy it.

When Life Gives You a Lemon...

It started with a visit to the library. The kids got free books. Alyssa choose an "Amedia Bedelia" story. I loved these books when I was a little girl and told Alyssa about that when Payton, her and I sat down to read it the next day.

Then, Eli decided to have them ask "Mom" to make a lemon meringue pie. (Eli doesn't even care for that type of pie. Not my favorite either, one small piece is good enough for me.) But, maybe the kids will like it? At least they'd know what type of pie Amelia Bedelia made, right? So, the search for a fairly simple recipe on the internet began. I found a video the kids and I watched HERE. Then the cooking started.

And, once again I failed to take a picture of my beautiful masterpiece. (However, this one truely is prettier). I think between the 4 of us we got about 1/2 way through it.

Although a lot of work, I at least feel like I taught them all about baking a lemon meringue pie in a fun way. Happy cooking!

7 Dancing Princesses

Left to right: Abby, Evelyn, Lizzy, Bella, Alyssa.
(Not in photo: Joselyn and Shelby)

Last spring I told my playgroup friends about my adventures of having Alyssa in ballet. When registration time came up this year, I mentioned it again. I was wholly surprised at their interest. Yes, I feel so lucky, honored really, to be a part of this group of moms. (I do wish all our little princesses could be part of this!)


Alyssa's there on the black line, right in the middle, standing tall and confident, on her very first day of class. I am so happy to see her feeling so secure. I relax and prop my camera up on my knee.


Listening to instructions. (Alyssa, Abby, Evelyn --- so tall and beautiful.)


So sweet. I am just so happy to see her feeling so comfortable! (I'm also really excited about carpooling.)