23 February 2025

This afternoon Rosebud and I went for a walk and I dragged D along with us. We walked a different route than usual and crossed a creek running under an earthen dam of sorts. They dashed down both sides to look at the creek and found ice on one side. First they threw rocks to break it up, and then they started bringing me chunks of it. I set them on the metal guardrail posts, and they melted around the shape of them, which was very fun! We spent an hour. Loved being out in the sun doing unnecessary but interesting things.

22 February 2025

D and Nut Brown were both out sick last week. We are working on a make up project. I'm suspicious of how much art is now involved in academic subjects (this is an English assignment) but it's fun to work on it with him. Last week we made a skeleton for science class!

20 February 2025

Some artwork from Rosebud.

18 February 2025

14 February 2025

Yarn all over the house this morning to celebrate Valentines Day, although less than usual since Rose Pink was not home now.  Prices on tiny boxes of chocolates skyrocketed so Mr. Brown chose boxes of Little Debbie treats instead, so we ended up with more treats for less money, yay!  I thought I would have to leave the house super early this morning for a work thing, so the kids were ready to follow the yarn when they got home from school, but schedules changed and so they were surprised by the spiderweb when they got up this morning.  When I got the yarn out that evening, Nut Brown decided to go to bed rather than have to navigate the house after I finished putting out the trails leading to treats.  So fun!

12 February 2025

 

Snow day today!  At this rate we'll be in school until July.  Kids went over to play at our friends' house, and made snowmen in the rain.  The end result was taller than their oldest teenage son!

9 February 2025

Super Bowl Sunday!  Our friends the Bloods were coming for dinner anyway, so we did a super bowl theme and had snacks (sliders, seven layer dip, veggie tray) as well as a pan of lasagna. Then we made a poke cake and set out yard lines in licorice and gummi bears in the colors of the teams that were playing.  So fun!

9 February 2025

Last night, headed out the door to drive himself to bro night with his friends, Nit Brown referred to the minivan as the "bro bus".

7 February 2025

Last night, putting D in bed, he was reading in bed and I was reading in my bed while waiting for the lights-out timer to go off.  It went off (on my phone) but I didn't get up right away to turn his light out. Eventually I heard this adorable chirping sound coming from his room and I surfaced from my book and discovered that D was saying "Mom mom mom mom mom mom mom" in a high little voice, trying to get my attention to turn out the light.

3 February 2025

HEDGEHOG DAY! The donut holes were frosted, speckled with sprinkle spines, and thoroughly enjoyed!  Unfortunately Shelly the Hedgehog had moved on to another home and we couldn't invite her over this year.

1 February 2025

The hormones had caught up to D today and he was in a very grumpy and perverse mood all day.  We went to Wal-Mart to get him new Sunday shoes and he was grumpy about that too.  Then we found a bin of giant stuffies, and suddenly all was right with the world.  His eyes lit up and he and Rosebud had a great time digging around in the bin and exclaiming over all the different ones they found.  He asked me to take this picture, when he usually avoids the camera like the plague now.  He has a soft spot for cute things.  He loves them, and they make him happy.

We're buying new shoes because he's just started jumping sizes.  I bought him new sneakers in September, and he told me two weeks ago that they were too small.  After some juggling, he ended up in size seven men's.  Then I remembered that he would probably need new Sunday shoes too - his current ones were size five kids.  (No wonder he's been complaining about them.)  So off to Wal-Mart, and he liked the size eight men's the best.  I think his feet are bigger than Rose Pink's now!  He's eating dinners that will support the growth - big servings, and then another round of dinner right before bed.  He eats a lot of rice - easy to cook, easy to eat.  But he won't take a lunch to school or buy school lunch.  He bums food off his friends.  Mr. Brown and I feel a little odd about that but I guess it's a working strategy for him at the moment.