Our week

 photo by Blake

 sometimes Chloe joins in on lesson work

 boys and babies...love it!

 she had been asking to paint all day- finally, it was time

 she set this shot up- she wanted to take lego guns and pretend to shoot me AND chloe had to be in the picture

 yes, short weather!  it got warm this week.  And breezy

garlic ginger lemonade-one of our home remedies to help fight off colds (we also use elderberry syrup and tea tree oil baths)

I am glad I have these pictures to look back on for the week as it seems by the time Friday rolls around, I don't remember much.  Maybe it is due to lack of sleep or being a homeschooling mama to four, but whatever the case may be, I am always grateful for documenting our life in this way!  I like to look back at photos of the kids when they were wee babes and many times, those photos stir up memories that have been otherwise buried in the back of my mind.  Sometimes I question the amount of photos I am taking or is it too intrusive on our lives...certainly my life wasn't documented like this.  But most of the time, I am just happy to have this time of our life preserved forever.

This week started out much like the weeks past have been.  Blake and I are still plugging away at our Norse Myths block and Jacob and I are still doing a four elements nature block.  But by mid-week, Blake had come down with a bad head cold and well, we all took a break from "school".  But that isn't to say learning didn't occur.  Blake spent the last several days resting on the couch and devouring book after book and the little guys were wrapped up in lots of imaginative games.  And of course, there is always creating!

There has been a shift in our rhythm.  A shift that seems to naturally occur as the season's begin to shift as well.  Dinner has been moved up a bit to allow for more outdoor play.  Rising in the morning is not in complete darkness.  The geese have been making their presence heard as they fly overhead.  The yard is filled with migratory birds and some are even in the early stages of mating.  The trees are in blossom and some have early leaves!  Yes, it seems spring is on our doorstep.  And we are ready!

This week

This week there was-

~knitting in front of the fire

~many birthday parties complete with wrapped gifts

 ~ reading, reading, and more reading

 ~ top secret valentine creating

 ~ the beginning of our indoor plantings

 ~ kid made snacks

~ muddy toes

 ~ cushion forts

 ~ front porch race tracks

~ a renewed interest in the marble run

~ daffodil harvesting

~ playdough eggs inspired by a visit to our friends for "real" eggs

~ cooking up a storm, always

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Moments from our week

Are you tired of seeing pictures of Kenna and her babies yet?  There aren't too many times when her pals aren't with her.  Now she is very much into having me photograph her with her babies.  This shot was completely set up by her.  Such a funny girl!

 On one of the mornings where the three younger ones were involved in a game of "real life", they created this wagon for all the babies.  While they seemed pretty satisfied with it, I was also instructed that they needed a baby wagon with wheels.  I suppose that would work a bit better than a basket.

 Evidence of what happens when Kenna gets a hold of a ball of yarn and some scissors.  She is all about the scissors lately.  I usually sweep up several scissor scrap piles a day.  And now it is extending to tags on her clothes.  She wants them all cut off.  I am just waiting for the day she sports a new haircut!

 There has also been lots of music playing this week.  Very upbeat songs are being played by all sorts of instruments-guitar, recorder, pan flute, drums...Hmm we may have a family band in the making.

 It appears that after all these months (and when I am most ready for spring) winter has come.  We have been needing to bundle up in many layers for our morning walk, even bringing a blanket to provide and extra layer of warmth.  I think I am the only one who minds the cold though!

We have a busy weekend ahead of us, but I am hoping we can also squeeze in some relaxing downtime and some Valentine crafting as well.  Bring on the glitter!

For the babies

When the kids were away last week, I took advantage of the quiet to sew up a few things for the babies in the house.  The kids had been asking me for quite some time to make their babies more clothes and to be honest, I was putting it off b/c sewing is still something I feel so inadequate about.  But I am slowly trying to change that...slowly.  Anyways, after doing some searching online, I found a simple enough tutorial here that would work for Molly, who happens to be 12".  My first attempt at the peasant top resulted in one that had unfinished hems around the arms (which I could have hand sewn, but I don't really enjoy hand sewing) and was a bit tight/short.  So I made a larger one with finished hems and it fits much better.  Still not perfect, but good enough.

 I also made two diapers, using the same blog as a tutorial, out of some extra flannel.  The off white one is Molly's and once Parker saw that she had a diaper, he wanted one for Kennedy.  Happy to make another, since these were super duper quick and easy, I used an old receiving blanket of Kenna's to make the striped one.  I think I will also make a matching nightie as well.  I think ;-)

 And Kennedy happened to be the only baby in need of a sweater, so I knit this one up a few weekends ago.  I chose brown to match Parker's christmas sweater and he was really happy about that.  The sweater is the Poppy Cardigan and it is knit top down so no seaming!

 There has been lots of doll play with the boys again.  It sure does make this mama happy to see how loved their babies are.  And now there are lots of plans for Daddy to make some more beds and it seems every baby needs their own changing table/wardrobe.

my apologies for the bad pictures...it has been cold, wet and dreary for the last several days!

Behind the Lens-photos by Blake