March Beginnings

03.01.13 Our little princess walks around and tells us,  "I'm a princess."  I love it and encourage her to feel good about herself.  We were at the Parker's taking pictures of the new baby and all the kids and Esther plopped herself down and wanted her picture taken in her dress up clothes.  She looks so cute and it was easy to take a couple pictures.  Here are some of the good pictures from our photo session.  I am not a professional but I love to try and take pictures. I hope the Parker's like some of the pictures.

After taking pictures at the Parkers and before we went home, we delivered 3 quilts that I had made to our local women's shelter.  This year I am working on a kindness project.  To help me and my children do things for others.  I made the quilts but the kids helped me to deliver them.  It was supposed to be in February but with sicknesses and other things it got done today.  I added a card that helped express that love was quilted into these quilts and we hope they feel it.  Especially if they have had to leave a blanket or quilt at home.
To read more here is the link to my other blog and an explanation of the whole Kindness project. http://craftsredesigned.blogspot.com/2013/02/kindness-inspires-kindness.html

 03.05.13  It snowed and it snowed and it snowed today.  Then it snowed some more.  It pretty much snowed from about 9 am to after dinner.  It came down at a steady pace most of the day.  I think we got somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-8 inches.  I had been sitting near a window most of the day and decided to take a picture of the swing set and watch the progression of the snow.

 After the kids got home we played in the snow for quite a while.  It was getting deep and the kids were enjoying digging and playing in the snow.  I pulled Esther around in one of the sleds and every time we would go down the small hill in our yard, she would say "again, again, again."  I decided that it was fun to hear her say that and was helping me get a little exercise in since it was a bit of a workout pulling her up the hill and through the snow.  Our neighbor friend joined us and we played almost until dinner time.  Dave had worked from home and so he shoveled the driveway and sidewalks probably 4 or 5 times throughout the day.  Every time there was another couple inches to clear away.  It was also a heavy snow, so doing it in spurts was better.  The news and weathermen called it "heart attack snow".  After moving some of it myself I could see why. 

 Today was perfect also for my package from UPS.  I got a silhouette machine.  Dave and I used our tax return this year to buy ourselves something and mine was a Silhouette Cameo machine.  I was so excited to use it but their system was down and so I didn't get to use all the features I wanted to.  But I played with it for most of the "snow day" we were having.  It was a good day to have it come.  Hopefully I will have many projects to come when everything gets back up and running on their site.

February

02.01.13 It's wear red day for the American Heart Association to help women be more aware of heart disease. I also wear red to bring awareness to Congenital Heart Problems. 2 of my 4 children have been affected, my siblings, many of my nieces and nephews and even myself were all born with heart problems. Find out more on the web. #wearredforheartsday, #chd, #behearthealthy (This was posted on my Instagram and Facebook accounts.)

 

02.02.13 - Today is the big day.  Kirsten and I went to Claire's in Bolingbrook and got her ears pierced.  We made a day of it with eating lunch at Go Roma's.  Kirsten got a drink from their fancy machine - she made a raspberry sprite.  Oh boy was it yummy.  It took awhile for the right lady to be there so they could do a double barrel approach and so we had to wait a little bit longer then we expected.  But when it was done she was pretty proud and excited.  But now we have to wait 6 weeks before she can take them out and change them.

 02.04.13  It finally snowed enough for us to go sledding.  So after school we went over to the school and went sledding.  I wasn't quite sure how Esther was going to like it.  Last year it wasn't all that great for her.  Snow and wind in her face, but this year was completely different.  After her first ride down the hill, she was hooked.  She would get pretty upset if she thought you were going to go without her.  She wanted in on the action every time.  It got pretty cold and she didn't have good gloves to keep her hands warm.  The kids had such a fun time.  Then we came home for some "chocolate soup" as Esther has renamed hot cocoa.

Every day - three times a day Kirsten has to clean around her earrings.  She is enjoying having earrings and remembers probably 2 times a day.

02.06.13 Kirsten began Piano lessons today.  She has wanted them since we told her about getting the piano.  The teacher is pretty impressed by Kirsten's knowledge and thinks she will breeze through the beginner books.  I was pretty excited to find someone that comes to our house.   It is fun to watch Kirsten learn and grow.

02.07.13  Is it the 100th day?  Are my kids 100 days smarter?  This year the kids were pretty excited for the 100th day of school.  Kirsten made a necklace out of crispy o's and had a yummy trail mix with 100 items brought from every kid in her class.  Then they took the trail mix and tallied how many of each item was in the portion they got.
This means we are more then half way done with this year.  Where does the time go?

02.08.13  Finally!  We got to visit our friend's the Parkers and welcome the newest member of their household.  SETH!  He is adorable and I love to hold him, and so did Kirsten, and Esther, and Peter.  You would think they never held a baby before.  He was pretty good and let them hold him, I guess that comes from having siblings that want to hold you all the time too.

 02.08.13  Our ward put on a pretty fun Valentine's dance for all ages.  Esther heard the music and was out in the middle of the dance floor most of the night.  She was a crazy dancer.  I think she has pretty good rhythm and she was copying moves from other people and making her own up.  Here are a couple of videos I took with my iPod.  In the second video she had found a red heart they were making into a basket and used it as a hat.  I could not figure out why she needed it, but it helped her dance better I guess?

 

 

 

 

02.09.13 We bought some thing at IKEA to help Kirsten organize her bedroom.  She kept telling me that there was not a place for things.  After we got done, she went and took these pictures.  I hope it can help her keep her room clean.

02.13.13 This girl is so silly.  She found this headband and decided that she could dance.  She reminded me of a girl from the 70's.  I could barely get a good picture with her moving around.  She is a crazy dance girl.

Dave completed the stairs coming into the house and down to the family room.  They are gorgeous!  I keep staring at them every time I walk over them.  I said that they were the best Valentine's gift a girl could get!  One more step (pun intended) toward getting the kitchen/living room done.

02.14.13  Valentine's is not officially a holiday (according to Dave and other people.) But for me it is the one day I shower my family with silly heart shaped strawberries in semi pink pancakes.  I make red velvet shaped cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles.  They get chocolate heart shaped candies and notes in their mailboxes telling them the 5 things I love about them.  In return I get chocolate covered kisses (real ones), roses and chocolate.  Who could ask for more? 

 

 

02.18.13  Today was President's day and because we had been given free passes to the zoo that expired the end of the month.  We took off for an adventure at the zoo.  We were pretty glad that today was actually one of the warmer days we have had in a long time.  I think it was in the 40's.  The kids had a great time exploring many of the indoor places at the zoo.  Eating lunch outside with hot chocolate, and running from place to place climbing on and off of various things throughout the zoo.  It was a fun day together and the kids really had a fun time.

 

 

 

02.19.13  Looks like chicken tonight.  I am in charge of getting the chicken for our blue and gold dinner for Friday.  I had to do a pretty good cleaning of the fridge to get all this in.  I am not sure if we have too much but I am figuring I have almost 120 to 150 chicken legs in my fridge.  I don't have to cook it all but I do have to cook some.  Hope the boys are really hungry!

 

02.21.13  Esther found Kirsten's socks and decided she had to have them on.  Then off, then on again.  I think they are knee highs for Kirsten but go thigh high for Esther.

 



 

02.22.13  I love it when my babies put their babies to bed with them.  She has so nicely put the blanket on her dolly.  Precious!

02.23.13  I took the older two kids sledding after they spent the morning cleaning the house.  We went over to the park districts hill and no one was there.  After a bunch of times going down the hill and running across the bike path and almost into the lake.  I decided that we should go to the really big hill at Ebersold park.  I think the kids agreed mainly because I kept getting on them for going to close to the lake.  The other park was super busy.  Peter spent part of the time trying to get his sled over a bump that someone else had created.  It was funny to watch him try over and over again until I think he succeeded.  I wasn't watching when it happened.  Kirsten and I were getting cold and so we went one more time and went home to get warmed up.

02.26.13  Today we got 4 or 5 inches of heavy wet snow and lucky for me (said sarcastically) had Dave out of town just when I needed him most.  So I went out before dinner and shoveled the driveway.  I decided to take Esther out mainly because she hasn't been out of the house much.  We had a stomach bug over the last week or so and she has been house bound for way too long.  She had a great time.  Once I was done shoveling I spent a little while making a snowman.  It was an okay one, but it ended up falling over because it was slightly lopsided.

02.27.13  Today was my first day getting myself out of the house also.  We needed groceries and to find a pair of gloves for Kirsten and snow bibs for me.  I figured that Bass Pro Shop would have the snow items.  NOPE, they were totally gone.  NONE at Meijers.  I figured I better just go and get the groceries and go home. 
The kids were pretty good but Esther had a fear of the fish tank.  It took her a couple minutes to come this close to the tank.  She kept smiling with that look of fear.  Eventually she got used to the idea and thought the fish were pretty cool.