SOCIAL MEDIA

It Was a Weekend for Organizing...

1.19.2014

It's funny how doing one little thing (like a scrapbook layout) can lead to another (quite sizable something).  I scrapped that one layout the other day and it led me on a mission to organize and clean up my crafting area.  It was in desperate need of it so it was a very good task to take on this weekend. I literally had my crafting supplies in three different rooms and would grab things as I needed them and then stash them away again.  Not a very good way to stay organized or to feel inspired to create anything substantial.  I am feeling so happy now that I have everything out, in one place and organized again!  The best part of all though...is that I am itching to get creative again! Love that feeling!

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Mama & Zoey Scrapbook Day

1.18.2014

Zoey and I have been doing a little scrapbooking today...it felt good to get out my papers and glue and play!  So fun that she likes joining me in this activity too.

For my layout I literally just grabbed to scrap papers that were on the top of my bin and went from there.  It was a pretty quick layout.


Here is Zoey's layout...love all her little doodles and how she added that I helped with the lego building too.  She has to be fair!



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Snapshot of Everything Zoey...

1.12.2014

She's loving making rubber band bracelets.  The name brand loom for these is the Rainbow Loom but we got an off brand at Walgreens and it works just great.  I have to admit too...I've been making some as well and they are addicting and fun!  There are tutorials on how to make different kinds on YouTube.  Zoey has successfully mastered the making of the fishtail bracelet.



She is still listening to 1 Girl Nation...


and enjoys music from the soundtrack of the movie Frozen.



And this is the song that she is currently dancing to in her dance class...it will be for their jazz dance in the spring recital (is what she thinks).



She is devouring the Harry Potter books and is currently on the third one.  We are letting her watch the movies once she finishes the book.  It's fun to watch her enjoy something that both Ethan and I did as well.


She is watching episodes from the television series H2O Just Add Water (televised in Australia)...she LOVES them!  I have to admit too that they are really fun shows and the girls are very likable characters.  Wish they had these shows on over here.


When she's on the computer she is most likely playing on Webkinz World...it's fun because she can meet up with a real life friend in their house or a clubhouse or some other place in the Webkinz World and play using their pets as their persona of sorts.  There is lots to do in Webkinz World...so much that I wouldn't even know where to start if asked to share!  She will sometimes be on the phone with her friend while playing so they know where to "meet up" online.  So crazy!


Here is Zoey's collection of Webkinz animals.  Starting from the back it's Lily, Giggles (dinosaur), Chocolate Chip, Baby Love Button, Bubblegum, and Sunshine...all named by her.  She got Chocolate Chip from her Grannie Annie, Lily from Ethan and I, Baby Love Button and Bubblegum from me and then she purchased Giggles and Sunshine on her own.  We've discovered recently that our Ace Hardware store sells them for a very nice price (the cost of two was less than one from another store!) so she got the canary for $2.67 and the dinosaur for $4.99!


She is currently loving bubble baths.  She read in one of her American Girl books that it's a good way to relax and she's been taking at least 3 a week.  


Another current love of Zoey's (and one that has been a constant since his existence) is her dog Leo. She loves taking pictures of him, cuddling with him, teasing him and sometimes bothering him.  She also enjoys taking care of him.  Today was his bath day which was not fun for him but fun for us!


He doesn't look very happy does he?


Oh well...we couldn't stand that he was smelling like old peanuts any more.  Now he smells like oatmeal and oranges.


And then because we felt badly about making him smell all pretty we got him a toy (pink!) which he promptly destroyed.


That's a pretty accurate snapshot of Zoey's life right now, at age 9, half way through her 4th grade year.  She still loves her dolls (American Girl dolls), Science, playing with Legos, reading, her teachers and has a few really special friends to call her own that have seen her through some tough times already.  She loves spending time at home with her family and sending emails to people.  She still loves fairies and has added mermaids to that list.  She loves playing mystery and detective, playing dress-up and running.  And still LOVES to dance.

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Snowshoeing and Life Right Now.

Yesterday was one of the first days in a long streak of days that it hasn't been too cold to go outside for an extended length of time.  We decided to go skiing (Ethan) and snowshoeing (Zoey and I).

It was an amazing day.  It made me feel alive again.  Well again.  Like me again.  Why, oh why, do I forget so easily that spending time outdoors makes me want to dance to the stars and back?  I see clearly again...I trust myself more.  I feel.




It was good for all of us.  It was Zoey's first time snowshoeing (beyond using them at school in gym) and while she was worn out at the end of it, she did great and was a trooper...I think we will be able to talk her into doing it again.


In true Ethan style, he led us to the trail head (which happened not to be the trail head...but the end rather) and promptly left us to navigate (or discover our demise) on our own.  After passing skiers (on what was supposed to be a snowshoe only trail) going the opposite direction as us, we decided to turn back around and figure out where it was that we were supposed to be.

Lucky for us...we weren't too far off from where it was we were supposed to be!  That, and we got to have the satisfaction of discovering which trail to take all on our own and navigate it on our own as well.  :)  It's the little things!


Zoey was sure to allow me some breaks here and there during our trek which I appreciated!


It was so very beautiful and the day was perfect weather-wise.  A balmy 28 degrees which compared to the -30 temps earlier in the week seemed downright tropical!


One thing that I enjoyed was the quiet.  The swishing of our shoes in the snow and the ability to hear our breathing.  The scent of sweat and cold.

Feeling alive is so amazing.



To be able to share days like this with Zoey makes me complete.



Me and my telling pink cheeks...if I am going to continue snowshoeing I'm going to have to figure out what to wear.  I didn't really have the appropriate outdoor wear for keeping warm after done snowshoeing as I got a bit chilled since I was wearing cotton under layers.






I will say though...because I am honest, even in my storytelling, there was a point about half way through our trek that I started wondering if I had chosen the right trail.  It was starting to get darker and I didn't see anything that looked familiar or like an ending.  :)  I kept trying to get Zoey to keep moving as I was starting to feel a wee bit of panic start to creep in.

Luckily, it was short lived.  We soon saw familiar buildings across the way and we cut across the frozen lake (not pictured) to get to where it was we needed to be.  I swear too that not 1 minute after I knew where it was that we were did Ethan swoop by on his skis.  His timing is impeccable.  As soon as he knew that we knew where it was we were going, he took off for another loop around the lake.


At the end of our adventure and after taking off our snowshoes Zoey collapsed in the snow.  We were beat!


It felt pretty funny walking just in our boots after walking in snowshoes for so long.  



I think, that being outdoors together as a family, helps to remind me of who I am.  Who I was.  Who Ethan and I were and are.  Who we all are now.  And that I love it.

Feeling Happy...

1.05.2014

It's funny how an unexpected day off of school and work can make one almost giddy with happiness. We got the word this morning that due to the dangerously cold weather we will be having, all of the area schools will be closed tomorrow.  Which meant that I made us a "there's no school tomorrow" celebration (gluten-free) cake this morning, for us to enjoy this evening.

It also meant that I ran into town to get some other special goodies (as well as some necessities) including some bubbles for Zoey to experiment with for when the temp's drop.

I snapped a picture of our neighbors snowman before he turns into an ice man...you can't really tell but he has an icicle mohawk and they used wine corks for his face.  They have grown children.  They are awesome.


And for those that might be concerned about our dear pet Leo...he's ready and set for the cold snap that's coming too...Zoey has made sure of it.  She's thinking that anytime that he needs to go out tomorrow to attend to business he might need to wear one of her sweatshirts.  I'm sure he would be mighty pleased with that offer.


As of right now Ethan is watching the Packers play, Zoey's playing on Webkinz World and I'm planning our dinner which will be homemade pizzas.  I love days like this and knowing we have tomorrow to call our own as well means it's an unexpected and very happy day.

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