brownies for breakie

So in an effort to shake up life and throw some spontaneity at our ladies....we had brownies for breakfast!!!  They were a bit shocked and LOVED IT!

I have read and re-read a book called 'Teaching Children Joy' by Linda & Richard Eyre.  The first JOY they address is Preserving the Joy of Spontaneous Delight.   This day of course Graham and I were all about the brownies and ice cream instead of oatmeal - frankly who wouldn't be?!    The book inspires me and encourages me to stop, enjoy the surprises, embrace the unexpected and reveal in the innocent happiness my ladies find in the world around them.  I don't want to ever be too busy, too structured or too proper to take in the JOY.

 

~ Mrs. P

 

 



Counting Down

 

Although I love hanging out with our girls,

I can't wait to see more of these three below getting to have time together.

 

 

We march on and are counting down the days until the shutdown is over. We have had some rough times around here.  Nothing super crazy just missing our Dad, missing my side kick. I am super thankful for really good babysitters, I don't know if I could survive without them.   There is a ton in my life to be thankful for but we are just sooooo looking forward to having our Dad around more.

 

~ Mrs. P

She Rocked It

This chick had her first REAL dentist visit and she totally rocked it!  We had gone a year ago to get all acquainted with the dentist but this was the for real cleaning and check-up....I must say the TV was a super helpful distraction. Yeah for my big girl!!!!!

~ Proud Momma P

soooooo loving spring

The sun has been shinning and the grass is getting green, we are LOVING it!!!!  Well we love the grass in other yards because we still have dirt in ours.  Our little Stella totally enjoys being outside and often tears happen when we have to come in. 

 

Apparently my women are 'gatherers' and the top two things to hunt and gather are sticks and rocks.  Everywhere we go they find interesting rocks and sticks.  Today I left 4 rocks and some sticks in a parking lot because they were floating around in our vehicle....not joking! I kind of wish I had kept them for us to paint, an idea for later I guess.   After Rhyme n Storytime this week we hung out enjoying the sun and grass, picking up sticks.  Stella also found our first ladybug of the season and was smitten.

 

I adore my little ladies in their polka dot jackets, they look so darling.   Every time they wear them I am asked at least once if they are twins, ha!  They do love matching, for real Amelia requests it.  I am totally a fan and will continue to be a geek with matching purchases until they start saying no way! That will be a sad day because they really do look so sweet!

We have also been doing some fun spring crafting and painted some ladybugs on cardboard with a friend.  We are serious fans of paints!!!!!!

 

 

~ Mrs. P



The KINDNES Jar

In Joy School (our mom run preschool co-op) last month the JOY we focused on was: Communication, Relationships and Kindness

 

We did some fun stuff like gifting a secret friend, discussing kind words we can use, body language, manners but the thing that I loved the most were these 'Kindness/Manner Jars' the kiddos made.  Whenever the girls remembered to use manners or I noticed them doing kind acts I would write it on a little piece of paper and put it in the jar.  Super coolness happened when every 3-4 days I grab the jar and read them out to the ladies.  They LOVED it!  I LOVED how it made me more aware of the good things my kiddos are actually doing.  Sometimes it seems that as mothers we are always correcting or reminding so it was refreshing to focus on the good.  I think the Kindness Jar is totally something we will stash away and pull out whenever our family needs a kick in the butt to be kind or use kind words.  It was just cool.

 

~ Mrs. P

Laundry Ladies

I honestly rarely fold laundry when the girls are awake, it is usually an evening chore coupled with Survivor, Amazing Race or Celebrity Apprentice (I am slightly addicted to these reality tv shows).  I think that these pictures are evidence of why the job takes like x10 longer when the girls are 'helping'! Haha

They are starting to actually, sorta help put their clothes in their drawers.  It is all a process I guess.   

 

On a side note I love that they play together, lucky ladies to have one another.

Also, we are over the halfway mark for Mr. P's shutdown woot, woot!!

 

~ Mrs. P



oh my darlings

 

 Oh my sweet darlings!!
We march on.

I must say that this week was a lot better then last.  Stella cut a tooth and I have really tried to smile more!  Despite getting more snow on the weekend (it's suppose to be spring) we still had lots of fun times around this place the last few days.  It has been a week where we seemed to have struck the perfect balance between getting out and staying home.  A fun birthday party was the source of these adorable crowns that my ladies decorated.

I have randomly been asking my darling Amelia "what her favourite part of the day was?" I have not done this consistently but felt like it might help bring a positive groove back to our house.  On Saturday after we had a jam packed day of swimming lessons, lunch with friends, church swimming party...she responded "swimming with you mom".  OHHHHHH awesomeness!!!!  Especially because I do not like swimming and almost tried to get out of it.  It was the highlight for her and I am so glad we went together.  FYI Stella had a special day playing with Grandma Hinko :) 

The coolest thing happened last night with my darling Stella, she said "I LOVE YOU"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Well her toddler attempt, but it was definitely I LOVE YOU!!  Honestly, it totally wiped away the stress and frustration of last week.  Each night before bed we cuddle in the rocker and share a few stories n songs, just the two of us.  Advice from a friend has caused me to look at this time together differently.  Since Stella was a year we have had this little bedtime routine but I sometimes want to rush it along and get to my post bed 'me' time (me time is important but) my Stella totally needs her routine AND also really needs touch and time from me.  I am learning that this time is soooooo important to her, I just see it differently.  Oh always growing as a momma!!!!

This week I am grateful for prayer, good friends advice and a husband with a listening ear.  I might not have survived the week without them.  Also, grateful for forgiveness.  Glad that my girls forgive me and glad that I can pray for help to be better.

~ Momma P

 

Some wise words here...