I didn't want to leave you hanging . . . wondering desperately. What could it BE? What IS the most popular ocean creature? I HAVE TO KNOW!!!!
Phoenix is doing a poll for school.
The weather has been lovely around here for the past week, as it has been for much of the country. It's been a wonderful respite from the snow and cold that have plagued us for the last 2-3 months. Knowing it won't last, we've taken full advantage of the spring-like weather.
Last Thursday, amid near 70 degree temperatures, Phoenix and I headed to Raven Run Nature Sanctuary for a hike.
We ended up hiking about 3-4 miles down a trail we'd never been on (Phoenix's choice, but I was game.) The sun was shining, the trail was deserted (and muddy at times), and it was just about perfect.
I could have stayed up there all day. Hiking is my happy place. Maybe for Phoenix too.
Oh. And these. I made these things too. Because every little girl should have some hair candy on Valentine's Day.
And it should match her shirt.
Sigh. She's still my baby.
I've been trying, over the last year, to simplify our life in various ways, which has included keeping holidays simpler and presents smaller. For Valentine's Day this year, I had the vision of something small and sweet for the kids. I wanted to make these cute little origami boxes to hold a bit of candy, but the paper I had wasn't big enough or sturdy enough.
So I decided to make my own. I carved out these stamps from some leftover erasers my Mom gave the kids at the beginning of the school year.
Then I went to stamping.
Only the small hearts are mine. I already had the large heart stamp. I was pleased with the result.
I got kind-of lazy this year with valentines, I'll admit. I eschewed creative, homemade valentines in favor of cheap, easy ones. We DID do a really fun family art day yesterday (Sunday) wherein I loaded the table with all sorts of paints, markers, paper, etc. and we all sat down together (including Stayc) and made our family valentines. But of course I didn't take pictures of that. I was too busy painting valentines and carving stamps (more on that later).
For the kids' class valentines we went the cheap, store-bought route. Actually, we purchased the valentines last year when everything went 90% off at Target. The kids got to choose one package each. I think that came to $1.00 for both packages. (Seriously, who pays $5.00 for a package of cheap valentines?)
Phoenix gave them out to the other kids in his primary class at Church, including one for each of his teachers, Brother and Sister Miller.
For Lutece's valentines, we also attached a package of silly bands for each child in her class. I found the silly bands at our little local Kroger on clearance last month. I bought them for 10 cents per package, down from $4.00. TEN CENTS! I couldn't resist.
Not bad for about 12 cents per valentine.
Not for me though, thankfully.
We kept with the origami theme for the decorations at the shower too. I made a ton of cranes, fish, bunnies, and butterflies, which were then attached to the ceiling or posed around the tables. My friend made these fantastic tissue paper "poofs" that also hung from the ceiling. Sorry, no pictures. You'll have to take my word that it was quite pretty. I don't know why I enjoy throwing baby showers. It's so weird. But I do.
Also on the same day as Chinese New Year, although unrelated, was Lutece's 100th day of school. Her class spent the week writing essays about what they would be like when they were 100 years old. Lutece's class was encouraged to dress up as their 100-year-old self. Here she is, holding a self-portrait of her "older" self.
On the 100th day of class, parents were invited in to hear the kids present their essays orally. Lutece went first.
She said she would NOT live in a nursing home, but rather in a "small" house with six rooms (when I countered that a 6-room house was not really small, she insisted that our house was much bigger than that. I guess, if you count ALL the rooms, which, of course she was). She would play checkers with her husband and enjoy the company of her grandchildren. Apparently, I died 30 years earlier, but Stayc died 40 years earlier. So sad.
I thought I'd throw in a picture of Lu's teacher, Mrs. Vest. She really is great.
Lutece hammed it up for the camera, playing the part of her 100-year-old self. She found her cane on the way to school in the morning.
She may not have looked quite 100, but she looked so grown up that day. I just had to take a picture.
Chinese New Year, that is. Oddly enough, this is our third year . . . if not truly celebrating . . . at least recognizing the Chinese New Year. It has become something of a tradition for the kids. It is the year of the Rabbit, hence these cute little rabbits for the kids when they woke up this morning. For dinner we feasted on Sichuan stir fry, egg rolls and dumplings. Mmmmmm.
Last month Phoenix and I studied the Arctic Circle, or the Far North, as some are wont to call it. As part of our studies, Phoenix created an arctic animals book and researched a bit about each animal. MY idea was that he just write one interesting fact about each animal (he is, after all, still in Kindergarten). He, of course, had his own idea.
He insisted that this was a poem . . . and it sort of is, if you say it in the same sing-songy voice Phoenix uses:
This is, perhaps, the best of the bunch (I swear I didn't help him at all on this one.):
He had trouble creating poems with some animals. Not to be deterred with the moose, he decided that "submerge" and "lurch" rhymed well enough for his purposes:
He decorated the cover with a picture of the Arctic and a couple of the animals, namely, a polar bear, and a snowy owl family. We read in Julie of the Wolves that a mother owl will stack up dead lemmings (up to 50 at a time) for her baby owl to eat. Can you guess what the little brown creatures stacked up above are?
