Things I've been loving lately...

I think it is only appropriate to begin this post with a little cheer for the fact that I have now posted something three days in a row.  And in case the six people who normally read this little blog haven't completely given up hope on me, I'm hoping you've all enjoyed some new material.  I am still in the "random iPhone photo" post mode at the moment, which means that nothing of real consequence has taken place over the past few days, but there are still some good things here.

So I thought I'd list a few things I've been having fun with lately, and that have brought some pleasure and happiness to our family over the last couple of weeks.



PIE FACE!

I'm pretty sure that, like the Fit Bit and skinny jeans and everything else that is cool, we are late to the party on this one.  But Jason came home a hero last Friday by buying this silly, silly game for us to play over the weekend.  We had such fun.  And the giggles were too numerous to count.  Essentially the point of the game is to earn points by NOT getting pied in the face with whipped cream.  But I think we all had more fun watching everyone get hit in the face with the mess than we cared about who was winning.  This will be a super fun game for a long time.  Grandma even got in on the action with us one night that she was there for supper.

COOKING THINGS THAT I WOULD NORMALLY CLASSIFY AS "TOO HARD FOR ME"

There has been a long running joke between my Mom and me that every time she makes pot pie for dinner, she doesn't tell me because she knows I would show up and plop myself right down to enjoy the one meal that makes me feel like my Grandma Mary is at the table with us.  There were a lot of special meals and memories of special meals that I cherish, but there was nothing that said love like her homemade pot pie.  So, on Jason and my anniversary, when we weren't able to find a babysitter so that we could go out to dinner together, I decided that I was going to make Gram's pot pie.  Which included the use of a rolling pin, which I have always said is against my religion.  (Until I started working on sugar cookies, which has made me rethink my opinion of the rolling pin.)  Anyway, I got to work on this little project in the morning and really had fun with it.  By supper time we had some delicious pot pie on the table and everyone gobbled it up.  I know Gram would have been pleased.  I'm not sure it was as good as hers always was, or Mom's is now, but it was a start.  And I will definitely try again.

THIS GIRL

I've been in utter amazement at the way Lauren has been growing and changing lately.  Physically she has grown inches.  In responsibility and independence, she has grown leaps and bounds.  I'm just so proud of her that I almost don't even know what to do.  Well, this past week she took another step into the land of being a big girl when she lost her very first tooth.  I had to laugh at the contrast between her and her older brother.  When Josh lost his first tooth, you'd have thought he was going to die--- from the screaming and the terror and the utter earth-ending way that he acted about it.  He was petrified of losing the tooth.  Lauren, on the other hand, was determined.  She wiggled and wiggled until she fell asleep one night.  And when she woke up the next morning and the tooth was still wiggly, she gave it a few more twists and soon was holding it in her hand.  She was so proud of herself and not one tear was shed.  

PAINTING

Jason's office hosted a client event at the Barn Owl studio last week (the same place we had Lauren's birthday party a few years ago) and I was lucky enough to get to attend-- it was a Ladies Night Out with wine and a catered supper from a local food truck caterer.  What a treat to get to go and do something like this while he had charge of the kids for the night.  We were working on a slate painting project and were told to pick anything we wanted to paint.  So I went to Pinterest and looked at all of the things I had pinned and ultimately picked this to paint.  It certainly isn't perfect, but I was awfully proud of how it had turned out (after I had a glass of wine even).  

CAMPING COUNTDOWN

We are all looking forward to the first camping trip of the season which will be here before we know it.  We have had such a great time camping, and are looking forward to about 5 trips this summer that will be great chances for us to get away and spend time together without the responsibilities that go along with being home.  I find that when I'm home, I have a really hard time disconnecting from the things that need to be done there-- the cleaning, the laundry, the projects that I never seem to get around to or have enough time for.  But when we're camping, we're just away together, with nothing to do except maybe a little bit of straightening or prep work for whatever we're having for dinner.  The work leading up to and following our trips is staggering, but I'm trying not to focus on that, and instead to be grateful for the time we'll get to have doing things together as a family. 

So...those are a few of the goodies I found on my phone to share today.  Lots of baking coming up in the next few days to get ready for some birthday treats Josh has next week, Teacher Appreciation Day luncheon that I'm helping to chair at the school that is going to require a whole lot of carrot cake cupcakes, and another birthday party where Josh will need some cupcakes to bring along.  How I'll manage to stay on track with my diet is going to be tricky, but I'll do my best.  Or just walk on the treadmill more.  I'd put my bets on the latter.