Family Fun Day

We had such beautiful weather last weekend that we decided to head outside for a family fun day.  We went to Old MacDonald's farm, and for the first time the babies were let out of the stroller.  They loved the train, riding the ponies, seeing all the animals and playing.

 I always love when different personalities show through.  Carter loved the giant sand pile.  He and Tyler would have stayed there for hours.  Brady?  Not so much.  He has always been a little sensitive to textures.  He decided to take Dad over to the tetherball pole and play there instead.

 What a fun day.

Random Pictures

I often find myself taking pictures, thinking of their place in a potential blog post, and then I never get around to blogging them.  So here, in random fashion, are some recent pictures.

Tyler's "Friendship Party" at school.  Heaven forbid we call it a Valentine's party.  Here he is playing, and winning, this chopstick game.  Notice his robot box on the side.

We didn't do much for Valentine's this year, just made heart shaped pizzas for dinner.

Yes, they keep me busy.  Yes, they are into everything.  Yes, the destruction continues:

Ha, ha!  Tyler snapped this one of Carter getting a bum check from Dad.

I took these two when I was feeling completely overwhelmed at my house.  When the twins were born, Dan found me a cleaning lady who comes twice a month.  I love the days she visits.  She came this week, and just a few hours later this is what my house looked like.  The pictures just don't do the mess justice.  Wipes discovered and thrown across the floor, toys and clothes everywhere.  And the rice.  Oh why did I serve rice the day my house got cleaned!  I had to get out the vacuum.

We have been to the jump place by our house countless times, but it was a first for the babies.  They loved it.  And although I did a lot of chasing, we had fun.

And I'll finish with this adorable one of Brady.

Why I don't like sending Dan to the grocery store

I know my list said the large can of baked beans, but seriously?  7 pounds?

Mr. Roboto

When the letter came home about making a Valentine's Day box for school, Tyler was so excited.  He had already decided on a robot.  I figured we could get a little creative, since his previous Valentine's Day box had been used for 3 years in a row.  He wanted big.  I kept encouraging smaller, but he even asked his teacher how big they could make their boxes.  Her answer: As big as you want, as long as you can still carry it.  So we gathered some boxes.

Covered them with one coat of gray primer and one coat of silver spray paint.

Cut out the slot in front and a hole in the back for the Valentines.  Assembled using duct tape.  Cut out the letters and shapes with my Cricut, and then Tyler added his name and the face.  What do you think?

Valentine's Decor

Last year when I pulled out my Valentine's Day decor, I found three things.  I thought I had more, but apparently I was still in twin-induced fog brain.  Well this year, I remembered that I only had three things, and have spent some time adding, inexpensively when possible, to our decor.  Here are my new things:

This black shelf is in my kitchen and I try to decorate it for each holiday/season.  I have always put out the jar filled with candy hearts, and the bigger white heart is out all the time, but everything else is new.  The sweet little bird is from Hobby Lobby, and I made everything else.  I had the white frames, so I just made some text boxes in word with some Valentine's words--so easy.  I whipped up the pillow with some fabric scraps, in other words--free!  But my favorite is the yarn wreath.

 The pink fabric was a 50 cent remnant, the yarn was $2, and the wreath was a grapevine wreath in a 2 pack for $1.77.  Total: under $5, and I have enough to make more.  I just love the way it turned out.

 Next is my mantle, that needs a major overhaul.  Another project for another day.  I found the heart garland at Home Goods ($7).  I've decided I want to make or find a garland for every holiday--I love the way it looks over the fireplace.

 I cut up a beaded garland found at Hobby Lobby and put around my candles.

 I made me some subway art, but took the idea from HERE.  I love their version, but it is made for 8x10 porportions, and I wanted to put it in a 5x7 frame I already had.  I just used a text box in Word, typed my words, changed the color and font, and then made it the right size.  Again, super easy, and one I might replicate for other holidays.

My last project is also stolen from the same blog above, located HERE.  They used 5x7 frames.  I went with 8x10, and while I like the impact, I realized that it is hard to fit 3 frames that size in a row. Another inexpensive project.  Frames: $3 each from Walmart.  Letters: $1 each from Hobby Lobby.  Red spray paint: $4 from Walmart.  Glitter: $3 from Walmart.  Paper: from my stash.  Total: under $20, and I can reuse the frames for more holidays.

I have stuff to do one more project, but it doesn't look like I will be getting to that in time for Valentine's Day.  Maybe.  We'll see how the next few days go.

Yellow Belt

Tyler has been doing karate for 5 months now.  He loves it.  We weren't sure if he would be ready to test for his yellow belt, since it hadn't been that long since he started.  Well, he made it.  Um, over 2 months ago that is.  I am finally now putting this up.  I wanted to get some pictures of him sparring, and I finally remembered to send the camera with Dan tonight.  I told him he didn't have to take the pictures behind the glass, but he did, so pardon the quality.

How to spend a no-snow snowday

Pop popcorn and watch movies

look at the icicles on the neighbor's roof

drink hot cocoa

build blanket forts

steal mom's phone and play cut the rope

make and decorate valentine sugar cookies

watch the babies destroy the toy room

snuggle in bed and read

Some thoughts on adoption.

It's not too often that I get all serious when it comes to adoption.  I wish I had the confidence, knowledge, and ability to advocate for adoption, but usually I just count my blessings and go merrily on my way.  But in the last weeks I have read some articles that really got me thinking.

First, this USA editorial from our local FSA blog.

Then this article by a teacher linked on the r house.

The stories break my heart.  The statistics are grim.  And then I get a little upset that adoption is never brought up as part of the solution to the problem.  And while I will never know what it is like to be a birthmom, I do know the statistics show that both she and the baby are more likely to succeed if the baby is placed for adoption.

I read a message board quite often, and maybe a year ago a woman posted how stressed their family was.  Her young adult daughter came to her saying she thought she was pregnant.  This mother didn't know what to do.  They couldn't decide if they would encourage an abortion or offer to help raise the baby.  Someone else on the board pointed out a third option: adoption.  The mother was quick to respond that they could never do that.  There is no way she could carry the baby for nine months just to let another family raise it.

What?  That is such a small sacrifice, and in the end, do you know how many people will benefit from that decision?

I don't know the purpose of this post, other than it is a lot of stuff I've been thinking of lately.  I just wish our society was more pro adoption.  Now go read those articles if you haven't--there's good stuff there, I promise.