patrick.

We have been given the opportunity of taking care of this pup during the week. His name is Patrick. He is our neighbor's 9-month-old chocolate Schnauzer and is a very sweet boy!

We will be taking care of him during the day because he is having a very difficult time being alone. :( He gets very anxious while Deb is at work and needs to be around people. She's hoping he will grow out of this stage in a month or so.
Today is day three of watching him and we hardly know he's here! He's sweet, gentle, calm and quiet. And the kids LOVE having him here. Ethnie can't wait to get home from school every day so she can take him on a walk. She has been very responsible, which makes me want to get her a dog of her own soon... (or maybe for me too).

 ready to go.

 come on, bud!

plowing through february.

We are just coming out of another 'cold snap' (as the weather man calls it). The last few days have been super cold and long. I feel like I am plowing through February, hoping (so hoping) for a warmer March!
Despite the cold, the kids are staying active and entertained. We always find something to play with or a new activity to try.

Ethnie's all-time favorite: Barbies.

photo bomb by Emmett.

Emmett's new favorite treat: suckers. He gets one every Sunday from a very generous man who hands them out to all the kids after church every week. 

 
painting his first masterpiece.

morning hair

Hope you all have a great weekend!

montessori makes me happy.

I volunteer weekly at J.J Hill Montessori, where Ethnie attends. I always enjoy walking into her school because it's such a happy, peaceful place. J.J Hill is all about making every child's world a peaceful one that's full of love. I realize there are probably hundreds of elementary schools in the state that are considered "safer" than J.J Hill, but I feel like the children there are very safe. Yet, I still worry about Ethnie being safe from harm away from home.

 

 Recent shootings have scared me to death and make my heart burn for those who have lost children. Sometimes I feel like the only way I can keep my kids safe is to keep them at home all the time! I can understand how homeschooling is becoming more popular.
Now at J.J Hill, aside from fire and tornado drills, they practice 'lock down' drills in case of a dangerous intruder (i.e. some psycho with a gun). It's pretty sad when your child has to practice locking themselves in a classroom and silently lying face-down on the floor until the drill is over. Can you imagine how scary that would be as a kid?
Emmett and I had the privilege of participating in a lock-down drill last week. When the drill is announced over the intercom, it's 'go' time. And no one messes around.   

a section of the 'talking wall' in the front lobby of the school. Each square is a depiction of what peace is to a child. I took close-up shots of a few of them.

I hope you enjoy your child's school as much as I enjoy mine. And I hope your child is safe at school every day!

feeling loved.

I had a very enjoyable Valentine's Day. I received valentines from my favorite people and felt very loved! Snow had fallen the day before and the city was fully flocked with snow. Emmett and I walked the three blocks to Ethnie's school and I was overwhelmed by how beautiful the day was. A tolerable temperature, no wind, and a pure white blanket of snow everywhere. A beautiful winter day, for me, never happens. I was grateful. And I could have stayed outside all day. Emmett and I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk. We took our time.

from Ethnie

After racing home from swimming lessons, Matt and I went out. We went bowling in St. Paul and ate burgers. Yum. I have been to the Ran-Ham Bowling center twice now, and I love it. It's not like those crazy Brunswick monstrosities that are popping up everywhere in the metro area. This alley reminds me of the old one I used to go to as a kid. Small, old, and awesome. We had a fun time. Matt won, of course.

tons of old money pinned above the bar.  

Hope you all had a great day full of love!

latest lit #8 (newest obsession).

Stumbling upon this magazine was total serendipity for me. :) I found it through a blog that I follow, called Trash To Couture.
Cloth is a UK-based magazine that is perfect for DIY-ers. It's all about upcycling, fashion-fixing, sewing skills and style advice. What I love about it is that I can sew clothing by modifying it or adding to it to make a new piece without having to start from scratch (I've never been interested in sewing my own clothing). This way, I can recycle older clothes by updating them myself. Sounds good to me.

 I would encourage anyone who is into sewing or crafting to give this magazine a try. The only thing you'll be disappointed with is the fact that it only comes out once a quarter (I've been searching for back issues on eBay in the meantime).

snow!

We've had a couple of pretty snow falls lately. Usually, we all go out as a family and shovel, plow and play after it snows. The kids look so cute playing together; I can't resist grabbing the camera. :)
These pictures were taken through the window so they are a bit foggy.

throwing snowballs at me (the window).

push toys never get old!

 As most of you know, we got some more snow this weekend. In St. Paul, we got alternations of freezing rain and heavy snow. It's still falling off and on. I took these pictures this afternoon during a break in the storm.

nice job babe!

 
love this

cute helper 

 off to play with the neighbor girls

Hope you all had a warm weekend!!