What We've Been Up To Lately...

~ Today my three monkeys rediscovered a favorite tree in our woods.  I have a feeling this is going to become a new special place for them.

~ Jackson has also rediscovered the camouflage poncho that Grace made him for Christmas.  He is in love with how well it hides him (at first I did't even notice him in the picture).

~ Grace was cast in this year's play "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" as one of the dwarfs named Jasper (it's the Grimm's version).  She has been busy practicing her lines and rehearsing.

~ To Ryan's delight Jackson has fell completely in love with ice fishing and the two of them have spent quite a bit of time out at the fish house over the last month.

~ We had a real run in with sickness for the last month.  I was the last one to get sick with sinus infection that took forever to go away.  I think we are finally all better.

~ Grace and I have started fiddle lessons.  I am in love but also it is really hard.  So far the enjoyment is outweighing the hard part though so I hope that continues.

~ We recently read the Birchbark House and have now moved on to the second book in the series the Game of Silence.  Grace says these are the best books she has ever read.

~ I have completely ran out of all motivation for cooking and I am finding myself with zero desire to make dinner (hot dogs anyone??).  I have pulled out all of my cookbooks in hopes of inspiring something in myself and have yet to find anything that excites me.  It's going to be a long couple months if I can't figure anything out (I'm assuming my love of being in the kitchen will return once garden season has started. It has too.) .

~ We have no obligations or plans for Saturday and I am really looking forward to just being home, and the first day in a long time that I haven't had to drive anyone anywhere.

Quilt Making In Progress

Recently when trying to figure out how to rearrange bedrooms, now that Nora is moving out of ours, Grace and Jackson and Nora all decided they wanted to share a room.  At first it was tempting to try and persuade them into some other arrangement, I mean realistically this can't last more then a year... and maybe not more then five minutes.  But on the other hand, even if it does only last 5 minutes, the fact that my 9 year old, my 6 year old, and my 3 year old think this sounds appealing, is really very touching.  And, this short window of time will most assuredly be the only time in their whole lives that the three of them will all share a room together.  With that realization, I thought this occasion called for some new quilts.  Nora doesn't have one yet, Jackson's that I just made him is now downstairs in the new basement play space along with almost everything else from his "old" room (pictures coming soon) and Grace's is hanging in there but has quite a few rips and tears (I know a little bit more about quilt making now so hopefully this won't happen anymore).  So yes, a new quilt for each of them.  I always love making quilts, picking out and putting together the colors might be my favorite part (it reminds me of making a giant collage) but all of it is made even more memorable with my little helper.  She has assisted me every step of the way.  Just like her big sister use to do.

Field Trip: Minnesota Center for Book Arts

Makin' Valentines

The Snowball Factory

Out

I love going outside... if it's not too warm, not too cold, not too windy, not too rainy, not too snowy and the sun is shinning.  This shakes out to about 7 days a year in Minnesota.  I wish I weren't like this, I hate that I'm like this actually.  The thing is, while I'm only motivated to go outside when the weather is perfect, if I make myself do it anyway, aside from heavy rain, once I get out there, I always love it.  I don't know why I have this resistance in me but recently I decided to ignore it.  During the school week I normally shoe the kids out the door for some fresh air before we start school while I get ready for the day but over the past few weeks I have been going out with them.  And not just going out with them but letting myself explore with them, hike, or simply sit quietly listening to the courageous birds brave enough to stick out a Minnesota winter.  Last week, deep in the woods we discovered a whole new land (which they fittingly named "Roxaboxen" after one of our favorite books) complete with "houses" and "bridges".  One day we heard an owl hooting, right in the middle of the day.  Today we sat on tree stumps and listened to the chickadees.