Random bits

The girls spent Christmas morning writing their thank you notes so they would be ready to pass out after they opened their gifts.

Denton turned 16 months on Christmas Eve. We're still breastfeeding and he's never been sick. Coincidence?

I'm a huge fan of peppermint coffee creamer, even if it does have soybean oil in it.

Cadrian has a new favorite Iowa State outfit that I'm afraid is going to be worn every other day. (and that's just because I make him wash it, otherwise he would never take it off).

I started something called The Tens List for Bible reading in April. Yesterday I just finished reading the entire Bible for the first time!  I've started a book called Crazy Love.

Our kitty Goldenmane is 14ish weeks and likes to spend time in laps and inside the Christmas tree. She also has a purr you can hear in Colorado.  Her favorite place to sleep is in the scarf drawer.

Aviana can do some magic tricks with her new magic set. It's pure joy to watch her blossom.

I cleaned out the guest room. It's never looked so good (if you ignore the ripped wallpaper, green shag carpet, dated furniture and the torn and sullied duvet cover.) 

Brielle is super sweet even when her face isn't covered in tea ring frosting.

Cadrian's favorite games to play are "Bad Guy Fight" and "Roughhouse". Aviana loves the paper and pencil version (probably because we don't have the branded game) of "Battleship". Brielle enjoys look and finds, like Where's Waldo? or 1001 Wizard Things to Spot.


I read the first Hunger Games in less than a day. I'm a little afraid to start the next one because of the amount of time I'd have to ignore my family.  But I can't not start it!

I organized the storage and got rid of a bunch of stuff. That felt pretty good. I'd forgotten one should actually be able to walk into a room.

Aviana can't wait until our 'sewing for 18" dolls' books come in at the library.  She can't wait to make Laura Hope Grace Lacy some clothes. (I hope it's EASY!)

We still haven't had any snow. Cold without snow just isn't fair.

Countdown to Christmas

I saw a fabulous idea for an Advent calendar on Pinterest, so I made it.

You make little cards from cardstock and fold them over ribbon stapled to the back of a picture frame. I just so happened to have a frame that was newly glass-less, so I was all set.

You clothespin the cards to the ribbon so you can't see what's inside.  Aviana and I decoupaged clothespins with scrapbooking paper, but it turned out that the regular sized clothespins were way too heavy for the ribbon.


I used some mini clothespins that happened to have a summer theme, but ah well. On the inside of the cards you write an activity for the day.

The blog I read this on ((The original post is here)) suggested using post-its, so you don't have to re-make the cards every year, and it gives you flexibility to change up the activity if something comes up at the last minute. Is she brilliant or what?!

A few of our activities were ice skating...

and making popcorn strings...

do our Advent candles...

make Christmas cookies...


and go see Santa.


Even though Aviana made all the cards for me, I've since then found some K&Company paper that had beautiful vintage Christmas numbers. I did feel a little guilty about covering up all her painstakingly placed stickers, but I do love the calendar all the more with its new Victorian feel and matching numbers.

Funny family

Last night Aviana asked me to tell her a story from my childhood. So I started telling her about one of my childhood houses and some of the games we would play there and some of the activities I remembered doing there.

After a few minutes, she said, "If that's the story Mama, it's more like an essay!"

Too true, too true. Called out on my plotless story by my seven year old!

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The children asked for ice cream after dinner. I told them they could have pickle ice cream.

They thought for a few seconds, and readily agreed!

I guess pickle ice cream is better than no ice cream.

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Cadrian hid his stuffed animals behind something and told me:

No budee see 'em dere! No buddee can eagle eye 'em!

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Brielle calls our sweet friend's sweet baby "Jewelry-a".

Her name is Julia, but I'm kind of fond of Jewelry-a and call her that in my head...

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"Aviana," I said, "A dirty old sock is not a very good bookmark."

"Mama," she replied, "a dirty old sock is better than NO bookmark."

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SIze matters

I saw an adorable elf hat pattern in a knitting book. I knew I just had to make it for my one year old sweet boy. Only it had me making cables.

I've never done cables. I've been knitting for about two years now, but I've never done cables. Or color changes either. Or anything with true shaping, like a sweater. Or anything else that requires a lot of attention...

But this time I thought, I can do it. So I watched a couple of how to videos just to reassure myself, and soldiered on. I went out and bought special yarn, knitted a size swatch because I wanted to make sure it would fit him, and began.

The hat turned out ok (except for the very first cable turn).

Oh, and except for the fact that it didn't fit Denton! It was too big for ME! I have no idea where I went wrong (unless I mixed up centimeters and inches or some crazy thing).

So I tried again. This time-- was pretty cute!

Now if I could just get him to keep it on for more than eight seconds.

Smart Bottom Kids

When I find something that I love, I feel compelled to share it with others who may love it too. While messing around the other day, I ran across an Etsy store called Smart Bottom Kids (and with a name like that you know it has to be good right?)

The shop owner, Darcy, puts together craft kits for you and your kids to do together. Darcy is a former elementary teacher and has a seven and a five year old (kind of like me :-) so one would think she's pretty much a genius when it comes to small child craft kits). (Turns out she is.)

I ordered the Christmas Ornament Banner. It was a little pricier than I would normally spend on a craft, but I love to support Etsy shops and I love to do crafts with my chiddlers. I don't relish the setting up and cleaning up part though. I was hoping the kit would take care of the setting up.

I wonder if Darcy would come and take care of the cleaning up too...

I wasn't sure what to expect when I quickly got the kit in the mail. She said all would need is scissors, but is that really all I would need?

A great big resounding YES!

The kit came with everything clearly labeled in nifty little packets. Even the craft sticks were labeled "glue spreader". Her proportions were extremely generous, we would actually have enough sparkles and decorative paper left to make an entirely different garland, all I would have to do is cut out the ornament shapes.

It was perfect for two children--it came with 2 each of several ornament shapes.

It was also the perfect size craft for them--they were almost to their crafting limit by the time they finished their last ornament. It was also wonderfully sparkly, and especially for the five year old, whose favorite color is "glitter", this was another perfect.

This guy helped by playing nicely in his chair and

also finding, and subsequently, emptying, my wallet; having a dirty diaper; getting into other various and sundry mischief.

I originally hung it here,

but then we moved it to the archway.

( I am just posting this review because I want to, not because I've been asked to or given anything free ;-))