February Fun

I've been loving the outfits Erica has been putting together lately. She just wears what she likes and takes no thought to how they look or function together. 

On the other hand, I expect more from my 9-year-old headed to school. This was Sarah's outfit this morning and I held my tongue on the too-small lavender shirt with the peach pants with brown dots but when she put on black socks that were totally visible I had to say something. (She decided to put on long jeans and that solved all the problems)

Last week my kids had their artist in residence performances. Henry's grade did a storytelling thing. He's shouting something the bear said.

Sarah was some sort of undersea creature? I don't remember. I spent half the performance not knowing it was her class because I didn't recognize the shirt she was wearing. Erica kept asking if that was Sarah and I was occupied with James and kept telling her this wasn't her class until I noticed her when she was right in front of us. Oops.

 Some mornings I have to wake James up because it seems like he'll sleep forever (while other days he's up before the sun). Usually just opening the door wakes him up but this day he was totally out.

Oh my goodness he's like the sweetest thing ever. Ever since he would rather be put down than rocked so sleep, I haven't seen him asleep! I didn't even know he was a tummy sleeper.

*Sidenote: I've decided to this morning to see how long he'll sleep. It's nearly 11 am! He must be in a growth spurt!

This is Erica watching the piano tuner tune our piano last Friday. She came into the kitchen a few minutes before this and asked when she grows up, if she can marry him.

He reminded me of a young Russ, in case you were wondering Erica's type.

I explained to her that he was already married and when she was grown up, he'd be pretty old. So she went back into the living room and continued to stare at him for another 30 minutes and then tried to get his attention by hopping on one foot. "Look what I can do."

We talked bribed Henry into getting a haircut last Saturday and gave one to James as well. This was his second buzzing and he acted like he couldn't care less. It tickled but he was like "whatever guys".  He's mad in this photo because he wants to get out and I just kept snapping pictures.

His buzzed head makes his eyes look so big.

Sarah's class was making Valentine envelopes in class but she still wanted to make her own at home. This was pretty simple so I let her. I think it turned out so cute! We used it as our centerpiece at our family Valentine's dinner. We filled it with cards we made for each other at family home evening. 

This was my Valentine to Henry. He thinks I made it up and thought it was so lame but funny.

This is Sarah's to me. "I love your smile. I love your laugh. When we fight over a candy bar, you split it in half." For the record, she and I have never fought over a candy bar.

Here are my Valentines. We had steak tacos and rice and beans for dinner then watched the Olympics.

 Every winter our neighborhood looks like a scene from the birds. This was yesterday. This is like a third of them.

 Ugh I hate the sound. The chirping and flapping of their wings.

 James is going to be my kid that escapes out of the house without anyone knowing and neighbors will find him a block away. Until then, he will do this because he's not big enough to pull open this door any wider.

 He acts like he's going to die without outside air. He's his father's son.

*****

I was talking with Henry about Europe and what countries our ancestors were from. He was getting so confused by the whole concept.

Me: Grandma's grandpa came from Denmark when he was a teenager. That's in Europe, across the ocean. He's your ancestor---your great-great-grandpa.

Henry: I thought ancestors were girls. And sisters.