The Bug

The other day Edith and I discovered a little squashed bug in the window. Edith finds bugs to be absolutely fascinating, so she made sure to get up close to check it out. 

Really close.

Love that girl.

Freckled Marshmallow Addict

That's what Ginger is. A Freckled Marshmallow Addict. She's always talking about marshmallows longingly and asking if we have any in the cupboard. I'm not sure what brought it about, exactly, maybe just turning twelve.

We hung out tonight and talked about stuff. Ginger is really enjoying her 6th grade year--having fun with friends and feeling confident academically. I'm really glad for her. I love that she is so comfortable with herself for the most part and is able to joke around and laugh without feeling self-conscious. She finds the fun in being goofy.

Here are some photos we took and edited with my phone tonight while we talked:

Love my Ginger.

Mature

Fourteen?? 

Yeah, right. I sure as heck didn't look like Pen when I was fourteen. Of course, I don't know many 5 year olds with mustaches, either.

I guess my kids are just mature for their ages. 

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The Photographer

Big has really been getting into photography lately. I'm not going to pretend it doesn't excite me. A large part of me wishes that I had been able to begin experiencing photography at an earlier age. Maybe then I wouldn't doubt myself so much because it would just be a part of me. 

The original digital camera Rophone and I bought is the one the boys get to use, and Big was capturing some great shots with it. Until he dropped it one too many times last week, that is. When it stopped working he said, "Well, I'll just use the girls' camera." Um, no. The girls use my old camera (a very nice camera), so I told Big that until his butterfingers get better he's out of luck. 

I don't want his new interest in photography to fade away, however, so we might have to come up with a solution. I did let him use my phone to capture a few shots in the meantime. I think he has a pretty good natural eye and ability to frame his shots. I have to admit that his self-portraits are my favorites, though. He even edited some of the photos a little bit.

See? The best.

I love your photos, Big. Keep on shooting!

Love Day

I was excited for Valentine's Day this year. I have been very contemplative as of late, trying to figure out how to make sure that the relationship I have with my family is a more loving one. I admit that having my dad pass away has made me afraid that my kids will only have bad memories of me, so I aim to cover my bases a bit better than I have been. I want to be remembered as the mom who loves, not the mom who snaps and yells and worries only about hygiene (not that good hygiene isn't important, kids).

As I was making the littler kids breakfast this morning before school I told them that we would open their little Valentine's gifts at dinner time. Bud was so cute and said, "What? You don't have to do that. I don't need a gift, I only need THIS!" As he said it he ran over to me and gave me a giant squeeze around the waist. Such a sweet moment. Then Big piped up with, "Well, I need a gift. I love presents." Love the honesty from both boys.

I sent a little Valentine's love to school with the kids today. It was totally unexpected to have Bud tell me that he was embarrassed by it. Wha? Not that I'm going to stop, or anything.

Rophone and I got each of the kids a book for Valentine's Day. We believe in keeping it small, and you can't get anything better than a book. After I put Edith down for her nap today I decided that Rophone needed a book, too. So, I made him one. A few years ago my sister, Martha, gave me an awesome deck of cards that is artistically beautiful, but is completely mind-boggling to try to play with. So, I decided to put it to good use. Thanks to Pinterest, this is what I came up with. 

I really do love Rophone. A lot.

We had fun tonight with the kids, and Rophone took us all out to frozen yogurt for a special treat. Pen was pretty sad when hers was gone, but luckily Ginger was willing to share. What a good sister. 

I am really happy with the way this Valentine's Day turned out. I think we all felt loved and that's what it's all about, right?

Gummer

Bud lost his fourth top tooth last night while he was at climbing club. He couldn't find it and was worried that maybe he swallowed it. Chances are, it probably just fell to its demise. None of the 4 teeth have started to grow in, leaving Bud with a very gummy smile that I absolutely love. He is anxious for them to start growing back in and I tell him that I'm sure it will happen soon. As soon as his mother stops praying that he'll keep his cute gummy smile for a while yet.

Cute, see?

Bud was concerned that the Tooth Fairy might not come since he had no tooth to put under his pillow. He wrote an excuse note that worked like a charm.

It reads: "Dear Tooth Fairy, I'm sorry there's no tooth under my pillow. I lost my tooth and couldn't find it. Love, _____" Sincere apologies always make things better. 

Congrats on another lost tooth, Bud! We love you!

Family

Last week ended up being a really great one. Ginger, the poor girl, was home from school the whole week with a nasty cold (which I am now trying to ignore that I have), and the boys missed school on Friday with it, but some really great things happened. I got to spend a bunch of time with my family.

My nephew went into the MTC for his mission last Wednesday, so we got together with him, my brother, Art and her family, and my mom for dinner on Tuesday night. It was fun to be together, and Art spent the night so we were able to play some games. It was so much fun that I took a picture of my sister's hand and my brother's elbow. You can tell what a good time we were having.

My brother and my mom came over to my house on Wednesday night after dinner so we could play more games again. It was fun to be able to spend time together two nights in a row, and I realized that I don't get much opportunity to spend time with my siblings in smaller groups. It's nice. Although, I will admit that I was a little creeped out by the fact that my brother was dressed entirely in my dad's clothing and he and my mom were carrying and sipping from matching water bottles. But, I guess when you leave your whole suitcase at home you do what you can. 

After my brother left, my sister, Opera, came into town for a few days. You probably can't guess what we did. 

The game playing lasted pretty much all day, with a few breaks for food and some good talks. 

It was pretty much Bud's dream day, I think. This is the face of a kid that got to play Skip-Bo and six (yes, 6!) games of Clue. Plus, he just loves spending time with his aunts. (I do, too, Bud)

And I love the fact that getting together multiple times in one week caused Edith to really begin to get into playing with her twin boybie cousins. I can't wait to see how their friendships develop. 

Ever since my dad died I have really begun to savor the time I get to spend with my family. I want to make the most of each visit, taking time to strengthen our relationships and discover who we have become in our adult lives. I think so often we get stuck in viewing our family members how they were when we all lived under one roof, before spouses, kids, and experiences molded and shaped us into who we are today. Each of us are even different than we were a few years ago. 

I am trying to find what it is about my siblings and mother that I really love and appreciate, hoping that it will be an example to my kids to try to do the same. I love my family and I love being with them. I really do. 

Ooooh! I'm so excited for our sisters/sisters-in-law/mother getaway in a few weeks! I can hardly contain myself!