Valentine Cards

I know that it's a little late to be discussing Cupid, but Annabel really wanted me to show you the V-Day cards she made for her friends this year.

I found a pad of festive stock paper at Hobby Lobby, and thought that this would be a good alternative to all of the commercial cards out there.  While we don't have a problem, philosophically, with Sponge Bob cards, we just wanted something slightly more creative.

 We wrote the recipient's name on the back of the card,

then Annabel included a little note on the inside, along with some candy (a Valentine's staple!)

Next we folded the little card up, and sealed it with a heart sticker.

Voila!  Homemade Valentines for all.

Lastly, I just had to show you the card that Jordan gave me with a little note that promised that we WILL one day stop living out of a suitcase and that we WILL do more traveling once things get settled here in Maine.

Perfect!

Highs and Lows

It's been a quiet week here.  Jordan has battled the flu, so not much work has gotten done on the new house.  Thane now has the same crud, and he has (for the very first time in his little life) spent all but 30 minutes of today in bed.  That, if you know Thane, is quite remarkable.  Poor little man!

 

Luckily, Annabel & I have managed to avoid getting sick, although we had a bit of drama with Annabel when her top tooth fell out shortly after dinner last night. 

Yikes - with a crazed face like that, let's hope that the tooth fairy doesn't pass us by...

Freezing Field Day

There are times when living in a cold, snow-laden area stinks.  Long, dark nights, freezing temperatures and stuffy indoor air conspire together to give us a strong case of cabin fever.  Well, I say that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!  And that's exactly what we did a couple of weekends ago at the beautiful Cobscook Bay State Park, where the Forestry Service and local schools worked together to provide the ultimate winter field day.

 

There were trailers full of ice skates, sleds, cross country skis and snow shoes to use free of charge.  Annabel was thrilled to try her hand (or feet, as the case may be) at ice skating.  Thane enjoyed sledding, and then they both LOVED the snow mobile rides around the park trails.

After a huge beans and frank lunch (the official Maine State Saturday night suppah), the kids even got to make their own bird houses for our neighborhood chickadees.

As exciting as the day was, the highlight (by a long shot) was our "other Uncle Johnny's" visit.  Jordan's buddy, Johnny, is finishing his Master's program at MIT, and is now only a 6 hour jaunt away.  So he came to visit with his girlfriend, Karen, whom we've been eager to meet.

Karen is absolutely delightful, and we had a great weekend getting to know her.  They even spent Sunday evening watching the kids so that Jordan and I could go out for a long overdue dinner date.  Not that it's a problem or anything, but we always say that babysitting is the best form of birth control!

Lastly, it was really interesting and fun to see how Johnny has transformed from slick bachelor to attentive boyfriend.  We'll always adore Johnny in any state of mind, but I'm not gonna lie - I think he's been hanging with Karen a bit too much.  This getting in touch with his feminine side is freaking us out just a bit...