Story Time

Painting the Kitchen

I have been spending my computer time working on our 2012 blog book and it is FINISHED!!!  I can't wait to order it.  I am now on the lookout for a good coupon because a 220 page 12x12 book is not cheap :)  

Early in January, Essie and I painted the kitchen together.  The paint in the kitchen was really not bad.  It was white and a dark blue.  I liked it fine, but the paint in the rest of the house is all warm and soft and the cool white and blue just seemed out of place.  The dark blue was also above the cabinets where there are those big boxes holding the florescent lights (which I am not in love with).  Having that dark blue hanging over my head while I was cooking made me feel a little bit claustrophobic, so we painted it a neutral tan that goes with the rest of the house.  Eventually (sometime in the next 30 years) we plan on redoing the kitchen completely, but in the meantime this paint helps.  

Essie LOVES to help.  She is happiest when she is able to do something that is truly helpful.  She often asks what she can do to help.  She is on to me in seconds if I give her a job just to keep her busy while I do the "real" job.  Her age is what holds her back from most things she would like to help with, but she is quickly mastering more and more things.  I am one lucky mother to have her as my daughter!    

 Did I mention that she is also incredibly fun and silly?

Ice Fishing

During Christmas break we went ice fishing with Bubba.  It was COLD!!!  We drilled several holes, waited a lot, wiggled our lines, waited some more, and got no bites.  It was still fun.  It was so nice to be outside where it was so quiet and peaceful.  I loved the way everything looked all covered in snow.  Once we were all getting uncomfortably cold, Bubba broke out some hot chocolate!!!  Yum!  That warmed everyone up enough to do a little bit of sledding.  The sledding was all fun except for once when Jackson went down with one of the kids and hit a rock with his tailbone.  Ouch!

Christmas Break

Christmas break was wonderful.  We played at home a lot, went ice fishing/sledding (post to follow), and relaxed.  I didn't realize how much I was enjoying it until this week when real life began again.  

Essie is becoming very helpful.  Alexander is beginning to trust her to help him with small things like bruised knees.  Hooray for dollar store bandaids!  

Eleanor began the long teething process.  She now drools and has an adorable craving to bite things.  I think her favorite thing to chew on is Daddy's finger :)

One lazy afternoon, Nicholas came running upstairs and asked me to come take a picture down in their room.  I was occupied with the baby and gave him permission to carefully take my camera and take the picture himself.  I think he did pretty well.