True Love

I love Valentine's Day.  It was my favorite day at school when I was a teacher.  Every child had a chance to feel truly loved by his or her class. Such excitement.

Today I went and had a Valentine's lunch date with each of the kids at school.  It was so much fun. Then they headed back to class for their parties, and came bursting in from the bus with all their cards. But there's more than cards now, if you haven't done kids' Valentines lately. There's candy. And tattoos. They love every bit of it.

Ben wins the "True Love" award with the Valentine letter he wrote to Bethany at school. In case you can't read it, here is what it says:

Dear Beth

I love you more than

playing on our dance mat

hooked up to the T.V.

I love you more than

eating a peanut butter

and jelly sandwich

on june 21st at noon.

I love you more than 

challenging math problems

at school

Now that's love!

To My Valentine

Happy 

Valentine's Day...

you're still my 

favorite! 

XOXOX

Little House on the Tundra

This was one of those days when they tell you on the weather not to go out unless you absolutely have to because your skin would freeze from two seconds of exposure (or something like that).  So we hunkered down in our warmest clothes and did the things that we never get around to.  Lee and Ben built a 500 piece puzzle (we girls helped a little), while Bethany and I worked on a little quilt for her stuffed animals.  And of course we had to do a little baking and read some books and play a few games.  As I taught Bethany how to use a needle and thread, I felt like we were a page out of Little House on the Prairie. Thank goodness we have indoor plumbing!

Frosted Flakes

There was plenty of opportunity this morning to observe the uniqueness of the snowflakes. What amazing care the Lord takes with His creation! To see these and some others full size, click here, and then click slideshow.

Winter Reprieve

Do you hear it?  Drip, drip, trickle...music to our ears!  Sort of like in Narnia (but thank goodness we have Christmas).  It probably won't last, but I thought I'd go out during the "warm" spell with my NEW CAMERA.  I'm so excited!  It really does take beautiful pictures, but I think my favorite part is the major digital video upgrade for us. Hopefully my next movie project will be coming soon!

'Kinz Kraze

You haven't lived until you've seen Webkinz.  These very cute stuffed critters are a few more dollars than Beanie Babies, but they come with a secret code to their own website and offer endless fun.  (I know, I should work for them.)

Each animal gets its own room, so once you have an account, you keep adding rooms to your "house".  You can clothe them, feed them, accessorize them, decorate their rooms, read virtual books with them, take them to the arcade (oh, so many fun games!), send them to school...you name it!  My sister-in-law has said that Facebook is "gaming for girls", but I'm here to say, THIS is gaming for girls at its finest!

Check out Ben's tiger riding around in his little Chevy, and sleeping in his racecar bed.  (Of course, there's also the cat with the baseball room, the dog with the beach room...you get the picture.) Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got some (ahemmm) work to do before the kids get home.

P.S. It took a mom with little kids (way to go Lainey!) to answer the question of what had Ben and Bethany so preoccupied that I could snap all those cute pictures in the last post. She recognized the "Webkinz stares" right away!

A Study in Delight

If you asked me who my kids resembled, I would tell you different sides of the family for each. But the reality is, they look like each other.  Their expressions, the way they turn their heads, hold their mouths, the way their eyes light up.  It forever amazes me.  And then I always laugh thinking about it because of the way Ben describes it in this post from last year.  

Now here's a challenge for YOU...guess what they were doing while I was having this snap fest. Click on the photo to get a closer look.

NEW HINT:  Notice the furry clues in the photos.

New Things

Last night we went to the mall to walk. There was a game the kids wanted to play after we were done, and it just happened to be right outside a kids' clothing store that has great clearance sales. I took each of the kids in for a turn to shop for some clothes. It was the fashion statement I'd managed to avoid for more than eight years. Camouflage. They both chose it, each independent of the other. What's a mom to do?



Earlier in the day I had taken them to shop with their Toys "R" Us gift cards. Bethany picked out an electric guitar with two microphones. So today the "Wildcat Band" spent the day rehearsing for their first concert. Good thing they had chosen matching costumes.


So now I'm laughing at myself for wondering if there would be anything new to add to my blog in 2008. :-) Happy New Year!