Shecklet #2 has had a loose tooth for weeks. He finally made decent wiggling progress this week and it was primed for pulling. He let me grab on to it and it popped right out. He was one proud kid! (And excited to have the tooth fairy visit.)
Why use the pillow bed we have for you when you can sleep in a laundry basket of towels in need of washing?
Back in early October, Jake agreed to do a 10-week fitness challenge with a friend of ours at Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping. In addition to increasing his sit-ups, push-ups and endurance, he has become friends with a fun group of people.
I’m so proud of him for sticking it out through the entire 10-week challenge (even after missing a week due to being sick.) He’s continuing with the program and I can’t wait to see how the coming weeks and months go for him.
Another birthday has rolled around. I can’t believe I’ve been married for 12 years and am the mother of 4. If you had asked 17 year old me what I’d be doing in 20 years, I don’t think I could have come up with the amazing story that I am blessed to call mine. Yes, there have been many ups and downs, some dark periods and some amazingly bright ones. But I wouldn’t change any of them, because they have made me who I am.
(Our attempt to capture a family photo with 6 smiles was thwarted by couple of teary-eyed little girls, but such is life :))
Shecklet #2 has been learning about ancient Egypt at school. The culmination of their Egyptian unit was a bartering fair. The kids created Egyptian items in class that they used to barter with parents. They each had a “keep” and “trade” pile in front of them. I brought an assortment of trinkets, stickers & pencils to barter with. Some kids were bartering pros – I’m guessing their parents really enjoy that at home!
After everyone finished trading items, the kids had a Egyptian-inspired snack (figs, pomegranate seeds, “mummy wraps,” grapes, apples and pitas.)
Twenty-some years ago, when my family made the move from Iowa to Minnesota, my mom was faced with packing up two houses – our house and the house of Sammy, a lovely lady who was a grandma to Tony and me (though we called her “Aunt Sammy.”) Growing up we spent hours upon hours with her – at her home, out on shopping trips, even overnight adventures – like one to DeSmit, SD, to see a pageant about Laura Ingalls Wilder. In her home, she had a chair that Tony and I would fight over take turns sitting in. When it came time to move the furniture from her house, I mentioned how I wanted to keep the chair. At the time, there wasn’t a place for my family to store it safely (it was Sammy’s dad’s chair, so quite old.) My mom’s friend, Marilyn, came to the rescue and unbeknownst to me, offered to store the chair until we were ready for it. Fast forward 4 years, and the chair made its way up to Minnesota…surprising both my brother and me that it was still around.
It sat in my parents’ home (with a slip cover and later in storage again) for another 19 years until finally, this fall, we had it reupholstered. Here is the chair before:
And here is the chair after. Drum roll please…..
Can you believe that is the same chair?! (The ottoman was part of the original pair.) I am beyond thrilled to have this piece of furniture (full of so many wonderful childhood memories) in our home. Many, many thanks to our family friend, Marilyn and my parents for keeping it safe for so many years!
Shecklet #2 is currently all about dart guns and target practice. Here is today’s arrangement in the basement.
Wonderful memories of a wonderful woman. We are so thankful for the years you were part of our life, Sammy. We love and miss you so much!
On our trip to Costco today, we found a Lake Tahoe puzzle that made us think of Jason & Bri out in Nevada as well as a teddy bear with feet bigger than Shecklet #3! Everything’s bigger at the warehouse stores.
