Peek of the Week - March 30, 2012

Welcome to the Peek of the Week!

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

I've been working a lot lately on making an always accessible creative space for the boys. I moved their little table and chairs in front of the window in the living room. I bought some little crayon/marker/colored pencil/sticker holding boxes at IKEA. And I set up the paper roll at the table under elastic on each side so they can roll out paper and color til the cows come home. And I organized the supplies. In doing so I found eleventygaseven crayon giblets.

So, inspired by pintrest, we went to home-makin' some crayons.  

Here's how we did it:
1) De-papered crayon bits and let the boys separate them in color groups
2) Bought some ice-cube trays from IKEA and a boy themed cookie tray from Michaels
3) Loaded up the bits into the trays and let them melt in a 250 degree oven. It took about 10 minutes and we checked their progress often.
4) Stuck them in the freezer til they were hardened.

By far this metal pan worked better than the plastic IKEA trays. The shapes were so distinct and well formed and popped right out. Most of the ones from the plastic trays broke when trying to get them out, and they crayons turned out really chalky.

This was my fave kid project we've done in a while. Eli was all over it. And it was so easy and fun and they had a great time separating the colors and picking how they wanted to mix colors up. The race cars were the winners though. We made like 4 batches of those.

Now you!
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.

Embrace the Embarrassment

I don't know how this happened. I take no responsibility for this embarrassing scene. 

Except that I sewed our little frocks and dressed us both that day. 

So, a little responsibility.

My intention was to just step out into the yard and have the fella snap a few shots...

...but somehow we ended up at a 5 year old's birthday party in matching outfits.

In public.

And, in hopes of airing my dirty laundry so I'm shamed out of ever trying such a stunt again, I'm posting this up with the Anderson Crew for Embrace the Camera today. That'll teach me.

Baby Face

That's all. 

Compliments of the Lazy Blogger, and the beautiful beautiful baby.

Weekending

What a fun filled weekend!

Early Saturday morning we set off to achieve a personal Mama goal.

See, I had these two New Years Resolutions.

One was the Flash Mob. Checked that one off here and again here.

The 2nd was to run.

It's not my 1st go at that one. I don't love to run. But whenever I come across anyone who got in good shape, what did they do? They ran.

Pooh.

So, from a place of good self-esteem and appreciation of my body, I decided to go for it. See, this body's been working hard the last 4 years growing, and housing, and feeding my 3 favorite people, so it's time I showed it a little love.

Thankfully, someone turned me on the the Couch to 5K plan, which takes you from non-runner to 5K runner in baby steps over 9 weeks (which is good because my plan was to get up every morning at 6:00 a.m. and just run - wonder how long that woulda lasted?).  And since I am nothing if not a rule follower and box checker-offer, I printed out that plan and got 'er done. Step by step, run by run, week by week.

And a few weeks ago, I was done. So it was time for my 5K.

So Saturday I ran a St. Patty's Day 5K and dare I say...it was kind of awesome.

I totally kicked my expectations in their hineys:

• First off - I liked it - didn't see that coming. 
• And I ran THE WHOLE TIME. Didn't need to walk at all. Even up that CRAZY HILL. I think everyone around me walked at some point or another. Not me. In fact at one point toward the end I was the only person near me still running. Not fast, mind you, but definitely running.
• I came in solidly not last. SOLIDLY.  Like cool down for 10 minutes and runners are still coming in. Not to mention the walkers. Totally shocked. 
• I came in minutes before North Carolina girl I met at packet pick-up and "I'm not lucky, I'm good." shirt wearing girl I saw in the parking lot. Now, you don't know these women. Neither do I really, but they're young fit looking ladies I noticed and assumed I'd never see again. But you know when I saw them? When I was running past them mid-race. Who saw that coming?
• I felt like a runner. 
• I actually want to do it again.

So take that, Couch! Me and my 571st finished kicked your behind. But don't be mad because I'm gonna want to sit on you later. I'm mean, I'm a bad ass now, but I still wanna be friends.

Hazel and I had our post-race priorities in order, boobies and free beer. In that order.

So, got that done and had the whole day ahead of us. We took the boys to see the Lorax. Eli was a fan:

 He came home wanting a costume pronto. The 'stash will have to do for now.

And I may have accidentally put tiny pigtails in Hazel's hair. Squeeee!

And then Eli sang in church yesterday, which I CAN. NOT. RESIST.
Enjoy:

I hope your weekend was full of fun, rest, and all manner of other good stuff.

Peek of the Week - March 16, 2012

Welcome to the Peek of the Week!

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

Our peek - just some good old fashioned snuggles. 

Full disclosure: They really only sit this close on purpose when they're sharing the iphone. But it's just so sweet when they do.

Your turn!
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.

Embrace Reflections

Remember back when you started participating in Embrace the Camera and you had to really work to get in photos or you had to dig to find one with you in it? 

Well I think I can expect to receive in the mail any day now, my Embrace the Camera diploma. Surely I have graduated. I excel at embracing. 

A few months back the fella made some fun of me when he came home and I had installed a mirror on our living room wall about chest height. On him.

It's just right for us 5'1" gals in the crowd.

And all our chillens too. 

So for the past couple of weeks we've found ourselves cheesing it up in that shorty mirror.

Each in turn. 

And a peeper pops in from time to time. 

Aside! I am in love with Hazel's New Party Pinny and Bloomers. I whipped up this delightful balloon covered pinny with ironed-on Suki butterflies on the front bottom trim and one on the butt. Clearly. She wore it to a birthday on Saturday and she was belle of the ball.

 Just plain yum.

This is such a sweet little brood and ever little grin in the mirror has brought me so much joy. 

 Oh. So. Sweet. 

Consider my tassel turned.

We tried.

A friend recently order this trio of headphone onesies for her newborn baby twin neices and singleton nephew.

If these kids don't grow up to be in a bitchin' cousins rock band, it won't be because we didn't try.

Rock on.

Introductions.

Eli has Harry (Harry Elephante). 

Amos has Jelly (the mouse. Amos...A Mouse - get it?). 

Hazel, not to be outdone, has Moink and Mindy.

Pig and Crab. 

Lovies extraordinaire.

Peek of the Week - March 9, 2012

Take a peek at my elder boy child. His big 4-year-old self started swim lessons this week at the Y, where we are new members.


Oh wait, what's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.


Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.


So, take a peek at our new little swimmer. But first! The pre-lesson photo shoot with Hazel.

 What were they looking at?!

LOVE. 

Ok, now onto the real Peek. Which one of these is not like the others?

I could use the excuse that Eli missed the first week and these other kids were old pros. But truly, it's just my sweet trepidatious Eli. He's timid. He's cautious. I was not remotely surprised that he had to be coaxed into the water. Remotely.

Amos woulda jumped right in and plumb near drowned before the teacher got there. We're waiting a few more months on lessons for Amos.

Even cuter was that fact that in his precious little whisper plea he kept saying "I'm pretty scayered." with a thick southern accent. Love it.

Your bravery is rewarded, young timid grasshopper.

There were bits he liked. He liked holding on to the wall and blowing bubbles. 

He liked kicking, which apparently had to be done with your eyes clenched shut.

But bless him. He was so scayered. He tried hard to keep it together and really almost did but the backfloating really scayered him. After his first turn, he looked up at me with that face.

And of course I went straight to him and...took his picture. 

Then on his second turn, he rocked it.

This Mama is super proud.

What are you proud of this week?
It's your turn!
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.