Summer Daze: Berry Picking

In honor of sub-zero temps, I'll be doing summer-dreaming posts from now until I feel like it's no longer necessary.

Today's daydream is reminiscent of warm summer air carrying the scent of strawberries, red juice dripping down little chins, and 101 ways to eat 9 pounds of fresh berries.

((...and feeling like we should have weighed Sawyer before and after to get an honest count of how many pounds we really (ate) picked.))

 

  

{little LouLou's berry-lovin covered her head to toe}

A Few Matters of Interest

Our most interesting game:

Princesses, Princes, Dragons, and Knights (who in the absence of pants,

sheath their swords in underwear).

Our most interesting use of linens:

Little house building, big house building, tunnel building, 

nest building- only Sawyer knows the difference between them all.

Most interesting place I found Sawyer this month:

Asleep under my bed. 

In pitch dark blackness.

The most interesting thing I found in our fridge:

 Elouise's baby doll, Hello Dolly.

I take her out, then miraculously, she's back in the same spot, 

and it's not big brother who's doing it.

Most interesting mommy style:

I woke up like this.

And Sawyer laughed and said I looked like a dinosaur.

Valentine's Day Storm of Love

Frightful weather greeted our sleepy eyes Saturday morning.  I had planned to take the whole family on a Valentine's Day nature walk but I apparently didn't check the weather report.  Absolute white-out, with inches accumulating by the hour. Basically, we were getting slammed with a classic snowbelt storm.

So rather than exercise in the glories of nature, we ate strawberry muffins and drank smoothies, opened our Valentine surprises from Nana, snuggled, watched movies, and when we did venture out, it was to Chick-fil-A for our mid-day meal in what will now be known as the lunch date that lasted until dinner (slow, safe driving and plenty of time in the play place are to be blamed). 

Braised beef and mushrooms, Chocolat, and lots of chocolate sampling provided the perfect finish to our day.

Build a Better Box

   

"Hey Mama, let's make somefin, wif a box."

It all began one day, when after watching an inspiring episode of Curious George, Curious Sawyer suggested we build him a robot costume to rival that of George.  We set about gathering boxes (of which we have a shameful amount, thanks to post-Christmas sales and amazon) and paper and scissors for Mama.  Sawyer led the whole way. Of course, I offered suggestions of materials to fulfill his ideas, but a lot of things, like the buttons on the robot, he came up with all by his three-year old self.

Thus we embarked on the great cardboard box building quest; from robot to spaceship to train to pirate ship to Pride Rock to his own personal shipping crate to the jungle to a Brachiosaurus which recently evolved into a giant horse (so, sorry Darwin...but we make our own evolutionary rules).  Every time, Sawyer knows exactly what he wants to build and instructs me on this and that and where and how. It's a different creation each time, but always begins with, "Hey Mama, let's make somefin, wif a box. Let's do det a box!"

 {knights who ride dinosaurs must wear their riding boots}

We Found Love Right Where We Are

 

 

And we hope you do, too.

Love has brought us our greatest joys, showed us profound beauty, lifted us out of deep sorrow, ignited our hope, and propels our lives.

Happy Love Day, lovers.