this could take all day: 6 entries from February 2012

For this year, I'm taking a cue from my friend Sasha and gonna do my daily photos at the end of the month. Actually, I'm keeping this post in "draft" form all month long and adding to it as we go. That way the stories should be fresh.

Here's to hoping this keeps me caught up!

In addition to my photo-a-day goals, my new goal for 2011 is a family photo for each month. As I've dreamed of what to do with my pictures I've been inspired by this blog to have a "title" page with our family photo each month. I can't wait to see how our family grows and changes together over the year.

Daily Pictures:

That's Darin's big sister Charisse on the right, holding Dani. It was so fun to see her, Tim (on the left) and the kids (Landon and Savannah) on their trip to Washington over Christmas break. These lovely folks live in Wisconsin and the last time we saw them Daisy was like 16 months old. It was fun to dig out a map of the US and show the girls how far away Wisconsin really is. Maybe it's time to take a vacation to the Midwest again?

Yesterday morning, the first words out of Miss Dani as she looked up at her Papa were "Gran's house?" Yep, these two girls love their Gran and love love love going to her house. We are so thankful for this very special relationship they have.

Library day! This time at the "little library" in downtown Silverdale. I looked up from the book I was reading to Daisy to find Dani enjoying her own book down the aisle. (cell pic)

Darin is building the girls a loft bed (based on this inspiration from pinterest) where they'll sleep toe-to-toe, and have a place to play underneath. The girls are already in love with it, and invited me up on the raw, unpainted, unmattressed bed tonight to have a tea party/picnic. And yes, I'm in my pajamas because it is another week of feeeling under-the-weather for me.

There are a few things to note about this picture: the fleece vest I always wear around the house these days, as I get cold pretty easily, Daisy's baby quilt she's sitting on, and the "High Five" magazine the girls received for Christmas. We love to sit and read it together, especially enjoying those seek-and-find pages! The girls are really good at finding those hidden objects.

Most days when we come home from taking Daisy to school Dani does not want to take her coat off. Makes me laugh, but whatever. She also loves to draw with markers, but is a bit irresponsible with them, so she can only do it at a table with an adult. She usually starts with a spot on her paper, draws some lines (without lifting up her pen) and connects back up to the place she started. This day she added some eyes and a nose inside her "circle" to make silly monsters, then told me a story about what they were doing. I love our mornings together!

Good morning girls! Cuddle time.

When we got home from church and lunch we were all admiring the lovely weather, so made an impromptu decision to skip naps and go for a walk along Clear Creek trail. The girls were so excited to go and change into play clothes that Daisy ran down the hall and into her room, tripping over her feet and coming down hard on the corner of the toybox. I knew without looking at it that it was gonna be bad, hollared for Darin, who promptly got a towel and we put some pressure on it. After a quick peek, we decided it was gonna need some stitches so our afternoon plans changed once again. Darin stayed at home and put Dani down for a nap, while Daisy and I went off to Urgent Care. She was really scared but we prayed together and talked a lot about being brave and about how God can help us be brave. I was thankful for the stories I had on my kindle that we read together as we waited, and was also thankful for our really kind and competent nurse and doctor. Daisy wasn't so happy when the doctor took the needle to the wound to numb it up, but once that was done sat still under her "tent" for 7 stitches. Afterwards we went out to McDonalds for ice cream, and she kept telling me she was having such a fun date. Funny kid, next time let's do a date without the stitches, k? (cell pic)

Daisy was asked to be "Star of the Week" at school this week. (She is the first one of her class, so was pretty confused when I told her about it. But as I explained she told me she thinks she got to be Star of the Week because she practiced so hard for her Christmas program.) As Star of the Week she got to bring a poster all about her. She wanted to include a picture of herself as a baby, and one of our family. She also included her favorite food (mac & cheese), her favorite animal (unicorn?), her favorite activity (swinging), her favorite song (ABCs), her favorite toy (her play kitchen), her favorite show (Yo Gabba) and her favorite place to visit (Gran's house). She also drew a picture of herself with her bandaid covering her stitches. I helped by printing out the pictures, Daisy cut them out, and Darin helped her color and glue. Dani was sad because she didn't get to make a poster.

Daisy's teacher has been encouraging the parents to give our kids scissors and things to cut. So tonight I handed Daisy a couple of magazines I was done with and taught her the fun of making collages. She loved tearing out pages, cutting out pictures, and glueing them down. Of course, Dani wanted to join in the fun, so we cut out pictures for her to glue as well.

Did you know I got a Kindle Fire for my birthday? It was an awesome surprise and now that the girls know I've downloaded some preschool apps, I feel like I have to fight them for my turn! Dani particularly loves this puzzle app.

When my parents were here for Christmas in 2010, Daisy became Grandpa's princess. I'm not sure how it happened, but it was pretty clear. And now my dad reminds her every time they talk about just who's princess she is. Today she got this shirt in the mail and was so excited about it that she had to wear it to bed that night. (Dani got a cute shirt too.) I also overheard her telling our friends the next night about her new shirt so I'm pretty sure she likes it.

Best girl's night ever, according to Daisy.

We loved meeting baby Ethan.

I find strange things around my house all the time.

Daisy got a haircut. It looks so cute.

This is what happens when she finds the comb and water bottle.

This little girl prayed for snow for days, and she finally got some!

Building a snow fort/cave.

Finally the snow was packable enough to make a snowman. Darin helped the girls build their "frosty" while I took off for a 4-H weekend.

And here are two of those awesome 4-H teens I get to work with. They were working on a video skit for the Know Your Government Conference...and of course, what is funnier then kids in drag? I have no idea how they talked Allen into the role of the maid, but it was marvelous.

I left Clarkston around noon, with a car full of teens and sack lunches packed. But a quick suggestion that we save those lunches for dinner and have lunch at Zips in Colfax was met with happy approval. The burger was yummy, but the fries. Oh my. Definitely rival my favorite fries ever (found at any neighborhood Herfey's location). Maybe it's the sauce?

It was a good thing we fueled up though as the drive home was LONG and the pass was ugly. But our little Subaru was good to us, and with taking it slow and steady we all made it home.

In preparation for our foster baby we moved Dani out of the high chair and to her very own spot at the table. We had hesitated on this move for a while because she just won't stay seated at a regular chair. But the booster seems to have solved that problem, and I love having our whole family at the table together. For now, the high chair is in the girls' room being used to feed all their babies and animals.

A blurry picture because I refused to turn on the light and risk waking her up! But this sweet thing was napping on the floor next to her bed. When I asked her why she told me she was playing slumber party.

I tried to get a picture of her cute hair to send to the grandparents, but this was the best I could do, crooked smile and all.

More fun with the kindle! I love that I found her curled up in my bed.

Coloring on the floor with the big coloring books they got for Christmas.

I am so thankful to get to sing on the worship team at church. I love music, I love Jesus, I love the people I'm meeting through this ministry, and I love my church. (Oh, I also love that Darin got himself and three girls to church on time this morning, as well as lugged the camera into service in order to give me a picture of the day.)

My skin had a strange allergic reaction (or perhaps acted strangely to a virus, as my doctor suggested) by making me crazy itchy and giving me this weird rash on my palms. Just keeping it real folks.

I made a new batch of playdough, and added sparkles this time. Led to a few hours of fun at our kitchen table.

And that was January 2012!

She started talking about it a while ago: wanting her haircut. "Short," she said.

So we let it got a while, but she kept brining it up.

"Short," she'd say. "Really short."

"Are you sure?" I'd ask. "Really sure."

"Yep," she'd tell me. "Short."

So we took her to the salon, and told her stylist, a lovely Miss Ollie, "short".

And a bang trim too please.

Miss Ollie happily cut Daisy's hair, while telling me how good of a mother I was for letting her get it cut. Turns out a woman and her daughter, about Daisy's age, were in a few weeks ago. Daughter wanted her hair short, Mama just wanted a trim. Mama won. That time. Turns out they were back in the salon less than a week later to "fix" the haircut the daughter had given herself. Guess she really did want it short!

Daisy loves her new look, and so do the rest of us.

While at the salon, we decided to give Dani a bit of a trim too. She wasn't so excited about that idea, so it took a Mama's lap and a Papa's phone to convince her to sit still for Miss Ollie and her sharp scissors.