my loves.

Well, Valentines Day has come and gone. It was a bit of a crazy week preparing to celebrate with friends and our family but we survived!

For starters, we prepped our homemade Valentines' for friends at school. I always like to try and stay away from candy because well, so.much.sugar. I found these adorable heart pencils in the Target Dollar Bin (love target!) and printed out a simple template with room for the kids to sign their names. I think they are so cute and the kids loved them!

Knowing the morning of Valentine's Day was going to be a bit busy with trying to get out the door for school and work I made a special breakfast the morning before. Banana pancakes, bacon and green smoothies. Yum!

 And then Tuesday morning came. And it wasn't good. Lucy woke up with a high fever, no appetite, low energy and basically felt awful. Simon had a temp. too and lots of snot everywhere. So, change of plans! I stayed home from work, sent Carter to school with a backpack full of party supplies, emailed his teacher to let her know I couldn't make it to the class party and cuddled up with some sick kids as we watched a Tinkerbell movie. Poor Lucy....her face just says it all.

Luckily, about halfway through the day (and after a long nap) she was at 50% or so and perked up when a friend dropped off some Valentines Day crafts for her as a special gift.

 Carter came home and spread out his loot from his class party. It's so fun to see all the kids handwriting as they address each little Valentine. Such a fun age to celebrate friendships and giving. He even shared some of his candy with the rest of us!

After a lot of sleep and tons of veggies Lucy woke up feeling good enough to go to preschool today and get her bag of goodies. She was so excited to read each note from her friends.

 Simon is doing a bit better too, although all the kids continue to have lower energy levels than normal. I can't wait for this season of germs to be over so we can get out of the house more and play outside. While we have lots of time throwing the football around in the playroom, reading books and doing puzzles, Simon still loves to cuddle on the couch when he's extra tired. I try to savor those days when I can let him nap in my arms because I know it won't be like that forever.

 Speaking of love, Carter's homework assignment last week was to share something he loves. Without hesitation he quickly wrote about his family. He sure knows how to make his mama feel loved.

And I just adore her too. She is growing up so fast but continues to be one of the most thoughtful, helpful, kind kids I know. 

 And Simon? Oh gosh, he is driving me absolutely bonkers lately. Being a very busy toddler, getting into everything, learning how to be kind to others (aka not hit/push/pull/bite/slap) is exhausting sometimes. But then he just unexpectedly sits down at the bookstore to read or squeals with delight over seeing a dog or cuddles up with his football and politely asks to watch Seahawks highlights (seriously, he is so obsessed with the Seahawks it's quite impressive) and I'm quickly reminded that he's a pretty great kid too.

 Our Valentine's Day ended with our usual tradition of homemade pizza for dinner and a quiet evening at home. Just the way we like it!

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snow much fun!

We've had a bit of a snow storm the past few days, which for most parts of the country is laughable. But in the Seattle area we just aren't equipped to deal with several inches of snow so when is happens (which is rarely does) the whole half of the state sort of shuts down and everyone calls a snow day! We were pretty lucky to just get a couple inches compared to friends in nearby cities getting over a FOOT of snow! That is crazy! 

Either way, school was cancelled, kids were excited and the dryer worked overtime keeping all the snow gear dry and warm.

Simon was up first to check it out. And once one kid discovers snow, the whole house is aware. Luckily I convinced them to eat some breakfast and wait until it was light outside before going out to play.

 Something about snow makes everything seem so much more beautiful and peaceful and quiet. It's always so pretty to look at.

 We bundled up and headed out. Not a ton of snow but plenty to play in!

 Simon did much better this time in the snow. As long as I had my hand on him he was happy. Anytime I walked more than 5 feet away he would panic and cry! Poor guy!

 Lucy was a trooper taking turns with Carter pulling the sled. He isn't easy to lug around in the cul-de-sac but she was determined to have fair and equal turns. Love that girl.

 We came inside for a bit to let Simon nap, drink some hot chocolate and play a new board game (which by the way, the Harry Potter Magical Beasts game is so fun!).

 Then it was time for round 2. The big kids went down the street to play with some friends while Simon and I headed out for a neighborhood walk. Of course we timed it perfectly with new snow falling all around which made it even prettier!

 Day 2 I was sure we'd have school. But apparently some other schools in the district had horrible ice and power outages so we had an extra day off. It's a good thing these kids are cute because the three of them together can be pretty mischievous!

 We ran a few errands, went for a nature walk by the river and then headed home for more outdoor play time. The snow was basically gone but it was still fun to play in the little we had left.

 And Simon had plenty of football practice. He is so obsessed with football and constantly wants to watch it or play it. He ran around for over 20 minutes in the backyard throwing and catching this little football.

This morning we are back to our normal routines and while other friends still have 5+ inches of snow I'm happy to have ours gone. It's so fun and special when it's here but I'm ready for spring!!!

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date days.

Each month we try to take time for a one-on-one date with each child. It's a time to reconnect, do something special and make a point to focus our attention just on that person. Just like adults need alone time we think kids do too! Especially in a big family where sibling activities often get in the way of really catching up with each other. 

Last weekend I headed to a preschool birthday party with Lucy and Simon so it was the perfect opportunity for Matt and Carter to head to Mariner's Fan Fest! Carter doesn't really enjoy playing baseball on a team (too slow - he likes to run!) but watching it and playing for fun is always a good time. Both of them loved being on the field and seeing some of the behind the scenes stuff at Safeco.

 Meeting the moose was pretty great too!

 And Carter's favorite Seahawk!

 The next day it was Lucy's turn. Matt took her to tennis lessons and then out for a pizza lunch together. I love when we find time for these little moments. The kids get so excited,  even when it's a simple lunch.

 In other news we are all about books lately! All 3 kids can't get enough snuggle time in on the couch cuddling up and reading a good story. It's so fun to watch them all read more books, especially together.

 It's been a good week!

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