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    • At last we finally came out of the deep freeze! Last weekend was brutally cold and this made us all feel “cabin fever”. It didn’t help that Ellie had a 4 day weekend, but now as I look at it, we had a nice time together and managed quite well. I think just the thought of the below zero wind chill was a bit daunting…I would of had it no other way, but to be together.

      The above shot is a wonderful hideout the kids made on Sunday afternoon. It involved all the house couch pillows, blankets, many chairs, binoculars, magnadoodles, patience and a baby gate to keep Penelope out!

      Here’s my sweet babe reading to her baby dolls. I love watching her be so nurturing to her animals and dolls. This past week Simon remarked that Penny is an explorer and we need to remember that! What knowledge this kid has OR a great memory from one of the PBS blurbs!

      There is never a week that goes by without me making something. I had fun sewing a shirt for Ellie and making more of my nests. I also have been enjoying the book “The Shadow of the Wind” for my book club. A really great read…it’s long, but an interesting mystery. I hope to finish it by Tuesday. Yikes…


      Here’s my “teenager” chatting to Nana on her calculator! I can not get enough of this kid!

      Well, I am off to Ohio early tomorrow morning for the weekend. I have a 7am flight and will be helping my sister out with an event she is in charge of at her boys’ school. Happy weekend, one day early!

      By the way, I DID take the kids to see “Nanny McPhee” and we all totally loved it. My kids are really picky with movies and rarely even want to go, but this was a delight. Everyone should check it out whether you have kids or not.


It’s amazing when given a few hours alone what a person can accomplish! Nathan took Ellie and Si to an indoor pool on Monday, so while Penny napped I attacked a tunic pattern for Ellie. It was very easy to make, but I also learned some techniques that I haven’t used since high school (like interfacing, sewing on a sleeve). One problem is that Ellie is petite for her age and the size of the shirt is a tad big. I did adjust it a bit…hopefully she won’t come home from school complaining.

It is really satisfying to make clothes. Even if they are the simplest of patterns. To MAKE something for a loved one means so much more then just going out and buying a really cute shirt. It’s full of love and wishes for that person and that to me is worth the $10 bargain at the Gap. Don’t get me wrong, I will buy things for my kids too- time and skill will not allow me too much time at the machine, but the made items I know will have much more of an appeal and will be kept! It is so much fun to buy fabric and patterns…I love that mind-spinning feel when devising a plan for a shirt or skirt.

The smile on my daughter’s face made my day.


It is bitterly cold here in the midwest. Yesterday’s high was 9 degrees and that does not include the wind chill. We have been very fortunate this winter and have had pretty mild temperatures. One thing that is a positive, the sun has been out bright and that gives us a little spring in our really, cold stiff step!

So with the frigid temps., I decided to start a project that gets our minds thinking about Spring. A few weeks ago, Simon and I discovered a craft page in “enchanting learning” that had a whole bunch of bird crafts. My mind was set to make my own version of their papier mache nest. I love the end product and plan to make a few more for our house.

A few years ago, we had the the fun of discovering a birds nest on our deck. Unfortunately the mama bird was scared away because there was too much activity with kids, dogs, etc. When we felt it was safe, we removed the nest and had so much fun looking at how she created a home for her eggs. We found carpet threads we had thrown out the previous Fall, Beatrice’s hair, lint, twine from out garden, and more! So while making these nests, I started to find more inspiration for the next.

I love nature and being a spectator of squirrels, birds, and all creating homes and gettinf ready for the next season. I’m up for it…cabin fever has crept into this house and I can’t wait to blow bubbles, plant a garden, and feel the warm pavement on my bare feet.


a steamy bowl of scrambled eggs on a cold winter’s morning.

Penelope discovered water painting and especially loves to dump the water all over the floor!

Remember when as a kid you would get up to watch cartoons on Saturday morning? Now kids have 24/7 options for cartoons- well at least other kids, mine are still keeping the Saturday tradition alive.

Simon’s at it again! He was very deliberate with styling his hair and having a clump sticking out…I’m not sure how to find my previous post on how he likes to give himself “hairdudes”.

Ellie discovered the joy of dipping apples into honey. It is really good, but we have to limit it to a once in awhile treat…boy, the honey just makes you want more!


friends in corner
Originally uploaded by carol lee.

It’s my weekly “Corners of my Home” entry. Check out the description in flickr.

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Yesterday we celebrated Simon’s 5th birthday. I had a really nice time spending time with only him (thanks mom for watching Penny!). He had school and then we went to his favorite restaurant for lunch (Chipotle) and then he picked out a few gifts with some birthday money. My family came over later that night and we enjoyed homemade pizza and singing “Happy birthday” several times.

Simon had a smile on his face the whole day…not just a normal everyday smile, but a “I’m about to explode with happiness kind of smile”. When someone would say “Happy Birthday” to him he would reply, “Happy Birthday to you too!”.

Here’s a shot of my little rascal from his 1st birthday. This year’s birthday has made me a bit more sentimental, especially when I look at photos from when he was a toddler. The time has flown…but there is a side of me excited to see what this boy will be up to in years to come. He is my sweetness.


What does the newly turned 5 year old like to do?
make hideouts
play with clay
go to school
go for walks
birds
his sisters
legos, trains, you get it!
magnets
cuddling
computer games
and of course his pal, “friend”…a bear he loves to sleep with and dress.

Simon’s cupcakes. He decorated them himself and hardly ate his share when it was time to devour! Oh well, I had fun. The photos in the background is a collection of him from birth to now…yeah, the tears were flowing when I was gathering them the other night.

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Oh boy! Penny has been in buttercream heaven and I have been in that other place…trying not to sample too much! I volunteered to make cupcakes for Ellie’s class party. I love frosting these crazy things, I imagine I will have more Valentine themed goodies to make tonight, since I will be working tonight. Don’t you just want to take a swipe of this stuff?

It was a blustery day yesterday, so Ellie and I decided to warm up the house with some cut outs. She is at such a fun age- helping in the kitchen, sewing (see below), and reading a lot of interesting books.

I wanted to make something for a few people for Valentines day and decided to make these “lovebird” bookmarks. They were super easy to make and fun to include Ellie with the stitching. I should really make one for myself- I am that annoying reader that folds down the corner on the page.

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This subject, “around the house”, will become a weekly entry. Hopefully on Fridays or may be some time over the weekend. Since the whole reason for this blog is to document our life to share with others and ultimately for my kids I will try to show how our life REALLY is…not all that thrilling, let me tell you! Besides, hopefully this will suffice since none of my children have baby books. Ugh. The lack of baby books will hopefully be a temporary problem.

The photo of Penelope is a perfect example of her curious and exploring ways! She is a climber and will get to whatever she wants without fear. I found her on our table sniffing these beautiful hyacinths. Ellie noted that at least she was putting them back into the vase! Yeah, and at least she didn’t walk down the middle of the table (which she has) and fallen off.

Not posed, I swear!

My mom gave me an early Valentine’s treat. A very thoughtful album of me and my sisters! I really will treasure it. I just had to share this shot of me (the youngest) with my sisters. Yes, that is me…not Penny! My baby pictures eerily resemble Penelope. Don’t you love the dresses? The apple dress I wore for my kindergarten picture. I wonder where the dresses are now?


The kids have been battling colds all week. Penny actually has an ear infection and is quite the trooper and cuddler. Simon has had a perpetual cough and runny nose, but this will NOT stop him from going to see the “Curious George” movie this weekend. He was thrilled to wear a sweatshirt today. He commented that a sweatshirt helps him NOT to sweat…funny, that kid.

I love this collage Ellie made in school. The 2nd grade class had all of theirs displayed and they were all so much fun to look at…kid’s art is so enchanting. What I was the most proud of was that Ellie’s had the only figure laying in the snow! That girl is clever and it totally warms my heart to see her express herself in such an individual way. I wish I could get a better shot, but this will have to do!

Happy Weekend!

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tight corner
Originally uploaded by carol lee.

I am part of a flickr group entitled, “Corners of my Home” and thought some others would enjoy this shot of Penelope and Nathan.

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This past Saturday, Ellie and I had a fun afternoon together.

I’ve wanted to check out a store about 30 minutes away and use a gift certificate that was burning a hole in my purse! It was a nice drive…through farm land mostly. It was actually very sobering because a lot of the land is being sold to developers and I can imagine what it will be like 10 years from now…

But on a lighter note, I found some great stuff! The lady who owns the store has done a great job with both vintage clothes and fun home stuff. Of course I was totally attracted to the vintage fabrics, dresses, and sweaters. There was so much and all pretty reasonable prices which is a huge plus.

At first I hesitated to try on anything because I honestly thought there wasn’t much shape to the dresses. I was pleasantly surprised to try on the below dresses and found they looked nice and not like a potato sack! The photos really do not do them justice.

The shirt on top is crazy and I love it. It’s pretty fitted through the shoulders and chest and just bells out in a very “frocky” way. If I embarrass my kids too much with the shirt, it will make a cool bag! I can’t way to go back and get some more fun dresses. Maybe I will shed a few more pounds and I can perhaps have more of a selection!


I remember in high school my friends and I would buy similar styled dresses. Some with really crazy prints, buttons, and zippers. I love the fact that we did not care what people thought and really loved the adventure of finding cool things. I wonder what happened to all the loot? I’ll probably come across it all in this store some day!

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