Happy Valentine's Day!

I hi-jacked their valentine's for school again this year.  Can't help myself.  Hey, at least this year, I let them pick what they wanted to do and say.  And they turned out SO fun!

 

With pop-rocks candy...

 





With a bag of chips...

With a chocolate heart...

I have arrived at grown-up-ness, because we spent VDay cleaning the house and working on job stuff on our laptops.  Now we are headed to the neighbors to let the kids play while we warm our insides with beverages and conversation.  And my heart is oh so full.

Happy heart day one and all!

Amazing Race

We did it!  They raced.  And it was err..... amazing!

It really was fun to put it together.  So much work too.  All 16 girls and 9 grown-ups were extremely good sports.  The girls gave it their all, and we had a HOT, fun afternoon! Sara Jane, DeeDee, Jena, and grandparents...I owe you a kidney.  You were champs to let me boss you around.  Let's be real - YOU are why it all worked out!

If any of you want to do a party, let me know - I can send you pdfs of all the clues, race flags, etc.  And if you live close by, borrow our clue boxes and finish mat.  Hours of work...I would love to spare you some!

Thanks to Amy Sharp for coming along and capturing the fun. She's got talent!

  

They got first!  And I promise we didn't throw it.   Eva loves that show and has been begging to run an Amazing Race of her own for the past 3 years.  I was worried she would freak or have a break down or something, but nope. 

After the finish line, we had lemonade, snacks, and cake and watched the race film.

 

 

 So check that off.  Fun and done!

happy day!

I hijacked the kids' valentines again.  Drumroll please.

we'll put a sucker with this one..

a nose pencil sharpener on top of her nose for this one...

and laffy taffy for the Buzz...

scramble

I put on my Fun Mom pants and made a scavenger hunt for the Sand Creek Trail.  We had friends visiting from KC, and a gorgeous day to play with.  

Each kid got a pack with: a list of things to find, a bandaid, paper and crayons for rubbings, a pencil, snacks and bug juice for fuel, and a candy necklace because you know sometimes you gotta just keep going and you don't have time to actually stop and unwrap your sugar.  The lollipop wasn't in the bag and was a prize at the end.

A girl could get lost in there...

The reading of the rules...

Quiet, steady, and determined as always...

Trailing behind and already 3/4 of the way through her necklace...

"Seeds," check...

Buzz chose this for "something you think is beautiful"....

"a bug," check...

We dumped out our loot and checked our lists.

A really really good time!

If you visit Sand Creek Trail and want to give it a try, get in touch with me and I will send you a pdf of the list.  Or you could just be like McCage and go solid for sticks!

13 for 2013

When your daughter tells you she wants to dress up as an astronaut for Halloween, it might go something like this...

1.  You check yourself and notice that you're stressed out and too busy for costume making this year.

2.  Show her the cool princessy, fairy-ish rockstar costumes at walshart in hopes of convincing her to choose that instead.

3.  Check yourself and notice that your daughter said she wants to be an astronaut and realize that is the coolest thing ever and heaven help us you're trying to raise a strong woman who can do anything including fly to the moon.

4.  Check yourself before you wreck yourself, and make the dang costume!!!

5.  Make your first ever ebay purchase....an astronaut helmet for $4.99.

6.  Go to your favorite Sherwin Williams for white painters coveralls for $7.99.

7.  Send your daughter on her bike to the hardware store for red duct tape.

8.  Get out your stapler and that duct tape and work your magic.

9.  Dress up your easy-to-please other two children in walshart costumes because you gave all your energy to your astronaut daughter.

10.  Dress up as a witch because a) your closet is full of black stuff b) fake eyelashes are a tradition and c) on this one day of the year you get to let your witchy self out to play.

11.  Find some friends who will host you for dinner and wear the pink mullet you bring along.

12.  Line your kids up for a picture.

 13.  Pimp your kids for candy on one very gorgeous October night!

Halloween 2013, you were so good to us!!!!!

fruit flies be gone

What is it about peaches that makes those pesky fruit flies get so bold?  They multiply by the second and the kitchen air is full of them within a day.  I love having fresh fruits and garden vegetables out on the counter though, and I'm stubborn about keeping them there.

This concoction is magic.  Within a day of putting it on my counter, they are g-o-n-e!

Fill a small bowl with apple cider vinegar.  Add one or two drops of dish soap.  Don't stir it.  Just set it on the counter.  The cider attracts them and the soap weighs down their wings so they are trapped.  

Go get 'em!

very hungry caterpillar

Luke and Sarah are soon welcoming a little girlie (as in any day, as in its all I can think about), and we were honored to host a shower for them!

Let's just be real, showers are a ton of work.  They are fun.  I truly loved doing it.  But just talking about it makes me tired now.  So the pictures will have to tell the story...

 No food pics....just of making it...

We had fresh vegetable pizza, strawberries, black bean and corn salsa, blue corn chips, cupcakes, and lots of candy - gummy worms, skittles, m&ms, etc.  And basil lemonade.  All recipes are on the Recipes page.

We SO cannot wait to meet you, little caterpillar!!