for daddy, from the little guys

for the mommies, from the little guys

I love Easter

springtime (supposedly), special treats, sunday best and knowing that "without Easter, there would be no Christmas." Wise words of Gordon B. Hinckley.

a hunting we will go

with the promise of brightly colored ovum bursting with sweets and prizes. never mind the 20 mile per hour winds and wintery temps. the little guys were undeterred in their quest, bundled in fleece and jackets, easter buckets in tow.

lucky me

I only have a smidgen of Irish blood coursing through my veins, but we like to have a little fun whenever we can. Feeling pretty lucky to have 2 healthy handsome little men to love. They're feeling pretty lucky to have discovered a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Little do they know that they are my very own pots of gold.

springtime, if we're lucky

it's spring in most parts of the country right now. and while i've tried to embrace our lengthy bitter winter i'm just not willing to endure it any longer. There is a different sort of chill in the air that hints of life. The sun has a kinder edge to its light in recent days, and there have been reports of robin sightings right in my backyard. So, we are keeping our hopes up that winter really is on it's way out and spring is really on it's way in. Staving off the last of winter's grouchiness by making our own wearable rainbows. We made an extra one for daddy to wear on St. Patrick's day lest he be pinched.

Celebrating 2

Our littlest guy turned 2, much to my dismay. But we did celebrate with a few dear ones from near and far and with some of Nanuk's favorite things: the animals of our local wilderness, lots of balloons, and lots of cake.

animal invites for my animal loving babe, with a balloon attached. A special birthday wreath for every special occasion, plus a borrowed bunting. Plenty of balloons tethered in corners. Animal coloring pages and quick-to-make raccoon tails for entertaining the kiddos. (I have to say these were a hit, even with the dads!) A light homemade dinner, and an old fashioned cake with animals (for keeping) on top. And as a "thanks for loving our little one" favor: trail mix in coordinating bags. Nothing fancy or elaborate or costly or at all chic. But it worked just right for us, and for our not-at-all-terrible 2 year old.

loves for my little loves

paper airplanes, new paints and a bright red box of pocky

love mix, made with love by the little loves for Mr. J

valentine sprinkles on their traditional morning oats

little splashes of valentine-y-ness here and there

and somehow the little loves are grumpy today. so, an extra dose of curling up on the couch with a movie for all of us. perhaps homemade pizza for dinner (hearts, of course) will chase away the grouchies. or perhaps just more chocolate. 

Happy Valentine's Day

I've tucked little love surprises into these bright red bags, plus our traditional jar of love mix for Mr. J, hand mixed by the little ones. All ready to greet them in the morning. I love my three loves. And they love pizza. so, later, it's mini pizzas, heart shaped of course, with heart shaped pepperoni. of course.

valentine craftiness: take 2

with the proper tools, we found success with our little valentine project. together we broke the crayons and chopped the crayons (piglet felt very important helping with that part) then sorted them. Piglet mixed the bits up into our heart shaped pan and happily watched the magic happen through the oven window. I hope he'll be happy to deliver these to his little classmates.

sending loves

for far away grandmas and grandpas, a valentine made by the little ones.

a single project suitable for both boys: multi-sensory finger painting, with white chocolate pudding and a little food coloring. paint a little, taste a little, paint a little, taste a little. and our littlest one is so pleased. several times a day he points to the displayed artwork and says "I made a heart! I made a heart!"

in this year

thank

give

cherish

run

jot

save

soften

lift

...with, i hope, a little bit of grace

Goodbye and Hello

The rush is through, the trimmings stowed away, the sweets and rich treats (oh so many!) consumed, the thank you notes begun, closets tidied, calendar pages filling, lists jotted, and a sparkling drink awaits the strike of midnight.

And we bid good day to the year 2010 and its triumphs and challenges and tiny moments and remember the night we first met, and welcome all the promises of 2011. Promises that will surely include  monumental trials of patience, stumbling blocks and mistakes but also promises of lightness and love and grace and laughter. We will celebrate memories made and memories yet to come with a little dancing with the little guys, fortune cookies, sparkly drinks, and a resolution or two. On the morrow we'll enjoy breakfast with lovely friends, and then some football. A pleasant end to the season and a sweet beginning to the new year.

all aboard!

Today's advent activity: Polar Express play date.  Not an elaborate party, just a few special activities with a couple of little playmates from the neighborhood. A nod to Piglet's undying devotion to all things Polar and Express.

Wooden trains to play with, a perfect story to read, a special art project, and hot cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars. Even candies with nougat centers. Happy little boys indeed! 

ten.

happy ten to us

...candy canes and silver lanes aglow...

Today's advent activity: christmas ornaments, like last year. Positively simple, a reproduction of an ornament my mother hung on our family Christmas tree all through my childhood. It was always a favorite of mine. I like that they look old fashioned and shiny.

white pipe cleaners, cut in half

red tri-beads

clear tri-beads

scissors

This was really easy for my little guy to do on his own, and a fun lesson in patterns and fine motor skills. Not to mention visually fun to look at, all those shiny beads. 

The original, far left, and our reproductions

Mr. Santa

We ventured into the frigid evening air to take part in the local Christmas celebration along the river. Though it was a somewhat lackluster event overall, and really really cold outside, we had a pleasant visit with jolly old St. Nick. A darling fellow, really, who stood to greet all the children with a warm "Ho Ho Ho."  A sentiment little Nanuk has been repeating ever since.

festive

this could be a fun project on a restless winter day. multi colored, monochromatic, or perhaps in gold and white?  instructions on lisa's lovely blog

PS: she's offering a discount on her lovely jewelry, too!

thankful heart

Just us four, but Thanksgiving nonetheless. I managed the entire meal without a single catastrophe. It's the truth. I can put the paprika on the mashed potatoes even if it's just four of us. The four of us can be family enough. We can watch the parade on television together. We can feast together. We can miss our loved ones together. We can be thankful together for  electricity, good books and bedtime stories, healthy children, real friends, flannel pajamas, chubby little boy cheeks, sharing, this land that I love, heat, michael buble, snowplows, modern medicine, sunshine on a bitter cold day, curious little minds, grandma's crystal dish for the cranberries, hugs and kisses, four-wheel drive, faith, miracles.

gobble

menu, check. cranberries, check. "turkey"artwork, check.  Looks like mother nature intends for us to have a small celebration of thanks, just the four of us. Snow and ice have made "over the river and through the woods" much too hazardous. it's ok, I suppose. Thankfully I know a fabulous stuffing (or dressing?) recipe and have a turkey breast on hand. I always thought Thanksgiving meant big gatherings and lots of extended family and friends even though my childhood rarely saw such celebrations. I longed for them. I want my children to know holidays like that despite our distance from all our family members. Sometimes it's nice to be just at home, other times it's good to be with the clan. Blast this stupid Idaho weather. But we'll make the best of it. Starting with the stuffing (or dressing?)

Our Favorite Stuffing
3/4 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup butter
3 yellow onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped
2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
6-8 cups cubed very dry cornbread (croutons)
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 1/2 cups chopped tart apples (i.e. granny smith)
1 cup raw cashews, toasted
2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
2 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute sausage in large skillet over medium high heat until just cooked through, crumbling with a spoon as you go. About 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and discard fat. Add butter, onions and celery to the pan and saute  until tender, 10 minutes or so. Add to sausage along with herbs and cornbread. Stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine cherries, pecans and chicken stock. Add to cornbread & sausage mixture until moist but not soggy. If it's too dry, add more chicken stock. Season to preference with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover, and bake until top is golden, about 20 minutes.