Naturally Optimistic

Well, due to my recent obsession with Play At Home Mom , I've been trying to be more creative about the activities I do with the kids. We really don't spend any money on new toys. I'm mostly okay with this, but sometimes I feel bad...sometimes I get bored. And I know if I get bored, it's quite likely that they get bored too. We get toys as gifts - from Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles, and my awesome friend Sam who works for Mattel (her 'shipments' get metered out through the years). But one thing I feel totally okay with is 'making' our own toys. So that's what we have been doing! One rubbermaid bin that was empty in the garage. 2 large(ish) bags of white rice from Cub (plus one refill bag purchased today) about $3.75 a piece - I buy the cheapest rice for this!! Whatever scoops, empty plastic containers, spoons, various utensils, etc. I have awesome retro metal bowls which work great because they make a very interesting sound. Oh and I keep th...

Had a lovely visit with Peder & Sarah yesterday. It's difficult when there's 4 kids under age 4 running amok, but they understand how to hold a conversation with on ear/eye on the subject, & the other watching for the toddler who is obsessed with running over to the tallest, steepest slide at the park. I long for days with lengthy conversations that are uninterrupted because dang, I think of SO MANY THINGS I wanted to talk about/ask them after the fact but my brain, while is pretty good at multi-tasking, isn't THAT good. It was fun though to see our kids play 'together.' For the most part. The boys are still very much in their own world & Dahlia's speed is a little less than Relia's but thankfully they all got along! It's so nice to see old friends & be able to hang out as if no time had passed. Oh & after talking to Peder, I wrote again at 750words. I had crapped out of the monthly challenge last week (I blame the fancy tea ...

Well, that was fun! Dahlia & I threw a "fancy tea party" (ala "Fancy Nancy") for Trudy & Maud this afternoon. It turned out really sweet. I was thinking of not doing it this week as I was totally unprepared but since Maud leaves on Sunday, I thought it would be fun to have her too, so we just said - screw it! And threw it together! Dahlia decorated butterfly placemats & also our cups for lemonade (or milk if you think lemonade is the devil). We hung up the Princess (fancy!) bunting from her birthday party & put fresh flowers on the table. We did not have any tea. Our menu consisted of apple streudel bites, quiche Lorraine, strawberries/bananas/blueberries & cream puffs! Yum. Dahlia licked all of the cream out of her puffs. Not very ladylike but who can blame her! I was so proud of her. She acted like a little lady & contributed to the conversation (so dang cute) & was as animated (& totally random) as ever. It was a nice little tea pa...

Today Dahlia & I are hosting a "Fancy Tea Party." My step-mother-in-law (Dahlia's Grandma Trudy) & our Swedish cousin Maude will be attending. I'm making a quiche & we've decorated the front porch & some placemats. I plan on wearing a tiara - why wouldn't I? We'll have lemonade, but likely no tea because I don't think anyone here drinks it! ha! Looking forward to it. Hope I get everything done in time! Photos to come soon!

By Dahlia. (the one on the left. Steve drew the 'base' for the one on the right & Dahlia made it looks "more like Daddy." The yellow spot above her head is the sun, the gray spot is a cloud.)

I took Dahlia to a gymnastics gym last week to burn off some energy. 1 hour of "preschool" time for $3. Totally worth it. They get the RUN of the place. She had so much fun. I was worried that she wouldn't jump right in (ha!) but she did & loved it. We're going tomorrow as we don't have ECFE this week. I can't wait!!

We put up Dahlia's slides/climber thingy last Sunday and BOY was it a big hit! She was doing laps around us in excitement as we tried to assemble it. She was climbing on it when Steve & I were just holding it together. I know that over time some of the excitement will wear off but right now she is all about her slides. The first thing she asked on Monday morning was if her slides were still outside & if they were still put together. Now to get some sand for the sandbox!

WIN: I found a slide/climber thingy on Craigslist last night. Retails for $399, I got it for $150 (I'm channeling my inner pregnancy-twin-Sarah ) I'm so excited. Dahlia is loving climbing & sliding these days & to have something right out our backdoor this summer will be great. I was able to pick up all but two of the pieces this morning. Two very odd shaped pieces just wouldn't fit in my car. Oh well. We weren't going to put it up this weekend anyway. LOSE: While Steve was packing his car for his overnight camping trip this morning (! I know - brrrr!) the glass patio table top, sitting a considerable distance from where he was & totally unmolested, touched, stacked upon or otherwise disturbed, SHATTERED. *sigh* It is now in a million pieces & I am now searching Craigslist for a (cheap) picnic table for our backyard. You win some, you lose some....

I was afraid I wouldn't get a chance to take Dahlia outside & enjoy FALL with all the leaves, bright blue skies and temps that didn't require a snowsuit. Luckily the past couple of days have been nothing but gorgeous. On Friday I worked from home and mostly spent the day hanging out with her. It was great. We played, we read, we had snacks, we jumped in the leaves, we looked at bugs, we napped (well, she napped). It makes me want to stay home with her every day. I need to figure out how to make that happen. Last year she *liked* the leaves but didn't really play in them. This year, she LOVED them! She shrieked & squealed & had a fantastic time.