The sandbox

My sweet husband honored my one birthday request and built me a sandbox.  Yes, for me!  I may not be the one spending hours playing in it over the summer, but I will be the one spending hours sitting on the porch, making dinner, working in the yard, cleaning the house, or, if I'm lucky, reading a book while these little guys are entertained.

We got the plans for this sandbox from Ana White.  Pete got most of the wood cut at Lowe's after he bought it, since we don't have a fancy saw.  Then all he needed was a drill and screws.  The instructions were easy to follow and he was able to finish it in 3-5 hours.

The seats on either side have hinges and fold down to double as a cover.

I love how it turned out... simple design and super sturdy.  Now I just need to find a way to keep the sand from making its way into our house.

Finding joy in each season

I never thought I would say this... but I have loved the snow, the ice, and the subfreezing temperatures this winter.  Yes, even the cold!  Because with those things have come many hours spent outside playing in the snow, ice skating, skiing out the back door and on trails, many, many cups of hot chocolate (way too many to count), cuddling underneath blankets on the couch, playing make-believe dragons, reading books, catching up on mending and sewing projects, and slowing down a bit.  Pete has always said he couldn't live somewhere without the seasons, and I have always said I could do without winter.  But this year, instead of dreading the cold and being stuck inside, I have decided to simply enjoy winter for what it is.

This is the first year that John and Dan have been able to put on all their snow gear by themselves.  Snowpants, coats, boots, hats, gloves and scarves.  It was so fun to see them come out of the laundry room together, all geared up for a snowy adventure.  And even more great that I didn't have to help them and they didn't have to ask.  John is the snow king, he LOVES the snow.  I've never met another boy who loves the snow more.  He hung up signs he made on all the windows that said, "Let it snow!" and looked out the window first thing every morning to see if it had.  He often got ready for school as fast as he could so he could get outside and play before the bus came.  I think John's love for the snow rubbed off on everyone.

Even though John and Dan can get ready themselves, it was still quite the process getting the whole family ready to go anywhere.  There was one morning in particular when I thought it would be fun to take Dan and Joe cross country skiing while John was at school.  It was a sunny day (and there aren't a whole lot of those in the winter here) and I was feeling extra adventurous.  I spent the whole morning getting everything ready.  A thermos of hot chocolate, packing the car with everyone's skis, the chariot for Will (we have ski attachments so I can pull him behind me), making sure everyone was fed, had gone potty, and was properly dressed.  After a couple hours of prep we finally arrived at the park I wanted to ski at.  Then it was setting up the Chariot, getting everyone's skis on, putting some heating pads around Will (it was sunny but still below freezing) and trying to stay positive and happy so everyone would have a good time.  As soon as we all started skiing, I knew the hard work had been worth it.  The sun felt warm on our faces, the snow was soft, the kids were excited (it was Joe's first time), Will was content and the path we went on was beautiful.  

Pete and I left the kids with a babysitter a few Saturdays so we could ski together on one of our favorite trails.  Since it takes a lot of planning and effort to go anywhere without the kids, I feel like I have to enjoy every minute.  Not that I don't enjoy being with the kids, it's not that at all.  I just don't get to be out in nature by myself (or with Pete) without loud, sometimes needy, children very often.  It's quite nice.

Will got to experience snow for the first time this year.  Let's be honest, there's not a whole lot a 9-month old can do in the snow, but he did seem to enjoy being outside if he was all bundled up.  And by the end of the winter he really did like sledding.  I love watching the kids try and experience new things.  Their excitement and curiosity is contagious.

Unfortunately for Will, he has spent a lot of the winter gazing out the back window, watching his brothers have all the fun.  Surprisingly he hasn't seemed to mind, just looking outside was enough I guess.  But I am getting excited at the thought of him being able to crawl and roll around on warm, green grass.  

And since we still have a while until that warm, green grass will actually be here, I decided to give a go at growing grass from wheat kernels this year.  We followed these instructions and will hopefully have some green grass growing by Easter.  The winter and the snow have been fun, but I must say, I am now really looking forward to Spring, and everything that comes with it.

Fall Nature Wreath

A few days ago the kids helped me make our Fall nature wreath. I love decorating with things that can either be eaten or returned to nature (that way I don't have to store anything), and it's especially easy to do that in the Fall. We always decorate with squash and grass, last year we made the twig spider web, and this year we added the wreath.



I had big plans to go for a fun hike one afternoon and collect things for it.  But Pete had some things he had to do and it ended up getting late, so I sent the kids out back to collect whatever they could find.



I think Dan would have fun doing anything if it involved me letting him use the clippers.



Then we came inside, laid everything out on the table and got to work.  We used a grapevine wreath for the base.  And by this point Will and Joe were both in bed, so it ended up being a very enjoyable evening :) (Not that I don't love the little ones... it's just hard to sit down and work on things for a long period of time with them around sometimes.)



I was secretly intending to shift a few things around after the kids were done to make the wreath balanced and how I wanted it, but I ended up not touching it.  They did a better job than I could have!

Mother's Day gift... garden markers

Living away from family forces me to be on the ball with things like Mother's Day gifts.  Normally I would be whipping something together the night before, but now I have to actually plan ahead so it has time to get there.  This year I tried to think of gifts that were thoughtful but also useful.  Gifts that the kids could help with but that wouldn't just clutter up the house.  My mother-in-law loves spending time working in the yard, so we came up with the idea to make garden markers for her vegetable garden.




I wanted to keep it as simple and natural looking as possible.  I cut the wood and nailed the pieces together, John wrote the letters, Pete used a wood burner to trace the letters, and Dan stained the wood.



I think they turned out pretty cute!  I love little kid handwriting.  I can't wait to see how they look in her garden.



Now I want to make some for our garden!