It's easy being green

I'm not sure why, but St. Patrick's Day became quite a big deal at our house this year.  On Wednesday evening, David and Keith were laying out their clothes for the next day when David realized that Keith would have to go to work in the morning.  He was so disappointed that Dad would not be home on St. Patrick's Day and would miss out on all the fun.  Thankfully, I did have some fun planned:

Pot o' Gold Roll and Cover game from 2 Teaching Mommies

Lucky Charms graphing from 2 Teaching Mommies

Gold Jumble form Musings of Me

We started our morning with a bowl of Lucky Charms.  I was surprised that David actually took the time to sort and graph his marshmallows before scarfing them down.  Lida enjoyed some cheerios (and I think David slipped her a rainbow or two as well).

Then we moved into the living room and tried on Lida's new green mama-made legwarmers.  They fit perfectly and she was so excited to wear them.  She laid like that on her back for a good few minutes just pulling at the legwarmers and doing her happy scream.  Unfortunately, the legwarmers slid off as soon as she started scooting across the floor.  She seemed genuinely distressed by this, immediately turning around to pick them up and trying to figure out how to get them back on her legs.  So cute!

David and I played a few rounds of Gold Jumble - identifying uppercase and lowercase letters (I bought the green and gold coins on clearance at JoAnn's).  Notice David's all-green outfit - he picked it all out on his own, right down to the green "church socks" and green camouflage underpants.

In the kitchen, we did a little shamrock patterning with window clings (another JoAnn's clearance find).  

Later in the day, David and I prepared our surprise dessert (adapted from Oopsey Daisy's Leprechaun Pie): rainbow pudding with... 

hidden gold coins!  

David was so excited to share these yummy treats with Daddy after supper (which landed us at Bob Evans after my failed attempt at potato pancakes).

Our St. Patrick's Day celebration ended with one very happy little leprechaun!

GoldfiKids's bookshelf: st-patricks-day

Fiona's Luck

by Teresa Bateman

Happy St. Patrick's Day

by Abbie Mercer

Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato

by Tomie dePaola

Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka

by Tomie dePaola

The Story of the Leprechaun

by Katherine Tegen

Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk: An Irish Tale

by Gerald McDermott

Christmas Card Plan B

All I want for Christmas is one good picture of my family...all four of us facing the camera with eyes open, preferably smiling; hair that isn't sticking straight up (David) or covering our eyes (Lida); color-coordinated clothing (or at least something that doesn't clash)...is that too much to ask?  


Apparently it is.  We've tried to arrange a photo shoot with Christy a couple different times, but so far it hasn't worked out.  December 25 is quickly approaching, so I'm creating a Christmas card back-up plan just in case my beautiful family photo doesn't materialize.  What do you think?

Bright Blooming Tree Christmas Card

Personalize your Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Jake's Hat...Take Two

After learning to knit last winter, I attempted my first gift-able project.  I planned to make a hat to give to Jake for his birthday in February.  It was my first try at "knitting in the round," and it went surprisingly well.  I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to do this complicated-looking thing with four needles and a mess of yarn.  I even used two colors of yarn to make stripes and did something called a "jogless jog."  I was officially a master knitter who had made a wonderfully cozy hat that my brother would adore...if he were a midget.

It turns out that the pattern I found online (that I'm absolutely sure was listed under the heading of adult hats) was actually a child-sized hat.  A delightful little child-sized hat that was not going to fit onto Jake's head.  So, happy early February, David - I made you a hat!

Unfortunately, Jake's Hat: Take Two was also a flop.  I could not find an adult hat pattern that I liked, so I attempted to adjust the child-sized hat pattern.  This was a bad idea...especially because I was too impatient to actually do any of the math that might have allowed the hat to turn out nicely.  So, for his birthday Jake received a sort of overgrown, giant-sized hat that I'm sure will keep his head toasty warm...if he ever decides to wear it out in public (and I won't hold it against him if he manages to misplace it before he gets the chance).

But don't worry, brother...you'll have another birthday next year!  And I've got this book on hold at the library:

there's sure to be something in here that will fit a normal-sized adult head like yours.

Holiday Cards @ Shutterfly

The Halloween candy is almost gone, the temperature has dropped, and I even noticed some little bits of white floating around in the air yesterday...it's time to face the fact that winter is on its way.  While I'm not a big fan of bundling up in layers and driving on icy streets, I do love all the preparations and celebrations that lead up to the holidays.  So I'm happily beginning to think about baking and gift-giving and sending out Christmas cards.


Here are a few of my favorite holiday cards available from Shutterfly: 

I love the blue & red color combination of This Much Merry.  It's a bit less traditional than the typical green & red, but still seems very festive.  I'm a sucker for fonts, and the word "merriest" on this card is what immediately caught my eye.  So fun!

In my opinion, the whole point of a photo card is the photo, and the Star Shining Bright design does a mighty fine job of showcasing one large photo.  If I had a really great close-up photo of my two little ones this would be the card I'd send.  

I don't usually bother with writing an extensive Christmas letter (I think I've read a few too many bizarre details from the lives of distant relatives over the years), but I love that Shutterfly offers folded greeting cards that have space inside for a personal, lengthier message.  I especially like the Cool Collage Holiday card with its simple design and sincere cover message (Happy Holidays | May your hearts & homes be filled with joy & happiness).

While I was browsing photo cards, I also came across this little bit of info that I'm so excited about:

Shutterfly's wall calendars are super customizable...you can even add photos and text to individual dates!  Wouldn't these make great gifts for family members (particularly those who have a tendency to forget birthdays)?  I'm thinking of ordering one to hang in David's room.  He loves to know whose birthday is coming up next, and this would be a great way for him to keep track of birthdays and begin to grasp the concept of days and weeks and months.

Have a blog?  You can receive 50 free greeting cards from Shutterfly.   

Wicked Nice!

When I was a kid, I had a bunch of these stamps. I managed to save a few of them and made them into magnets several years ago. They now hang on the side of our microwave, and I've considered tossing them out many times. They add to the clutter of our already too small kitchen, and they really serve no purpose, but they are such a fun reminder of my childhood that I can't bear to get rid of them.

cards, cards, cards

In an attempt to use up some of the scrapbooking supplies I've have had for a long time (and because the books I was listening to at the time were very addicting) I went a bit overboard with the card-making last month.

I attempted to sell some at a local church craft show, and managed to make back all the money I had spent on blank cards and envelopes, so I guess it was worth it. I still have lots left though, so don't be surprised if a set shows up in your mailbox on your next birthday.