Slime

Do you remember making slime as a kid? Growing up in a time where Nickelodeon game shows were huge and green slime was hilarious? I have great memories.

I thought I would post this old recipe just in case anyone forgot how to make this good time happen.



What you need:
2 bowls
Water
1 teaspoon of Borax
1/2 cup of white glue (or if you want even more slime like go for the clear Elmers for more $$)
Food coloring

In one bowl put one cup of water and the 1t of Borax and mix it until it dissolves.
In the other bowl put 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of glue and mix in food coloring. Mix until it is completely blended.
Poor the glue mixture into the Borax mixture and watch it polymerize. Mix it as much as you can, than kneed it by hand.... or just let the kids do it!

Drama, Drama and Tired Mama

Thursday we got wind that our little town was going to have a professional Ballet come through on tour. The girls are so in love with ballet and I would hate to miss a rare opportunity. So last minute, I bought tickets, threw together some outfits, made dinner, and got everyone ready.

Ok..wait... back up... earlier that day Madalyn told me that her belly button hurt, it did look a little red and I told her to leave it alone. After nap she came to me and said that her belly button had water in it. Sure enough there was a clear fluid coming from the inside of her VERY deep belly button. I called our Pediatrician and wasn't able to get an appt. for that day to have it looked at, but they would get me in first thing the next morning. Before hanging up they made it clear the thing that I can watch for until than. Fever, fatigue, shaky, ect.. and if these things were to happen we would need to go to the ER. The ER?? Really??? Over a belly button?? NAAAHHH.....

Sure that none of this would happen and I would keep my early morning appointment only to be told to apply more Neosporin, we got ready for the Ballet.



Naturally the girls were so excited! They danced though the house and begged me to let them wear lip gloss... no signs fever or fatigue here. We made it to the Pavilion on time and even was able to sit next to Madalyn's best bud.





Half way through the performance, one of the ballerinas came dancing down the aisle. Hannah was on the edge of her seat with stars in her eyes and Madal was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. We knew something was wrong, we grabbed our things and left the ballet. In a few minutes we were in the ER and Madal had a 102 fever, shaky like crazy and dry heaving. She was treated for a bacterial infection that was in the abyss of her belly button. She was so miserable and we were shocked that we had no idea what was going on down there and that these awful symptoms came on so quickly.



By the time we got home it was late and the antibiotics the ER gave Madal had kicked in and she perked up as if nothing happened. The next day was filled with trying to get Madal to take it easy (even though she didn't feel at all that she needed too) and lots of antibiotics.

Saturday we felt that the antibiotics were doing their job well and it would be fine for us to use our last day skiing. Josh and I skied all day while the girls hung out with Amy (Thank you Amy!!). It was a great way to end the season.

Saturday night I started to feel a little sick, but summed it up to just have aches from my 3.. yes... THREE... falls on the slopes. Sunday morning I woke up pretty miserable, but took some Advil and went to church. The kids went down for a nap after church and so did I. Than it happened... I slept ALL day!! I can't remember the last time I did that!! Can you? When was the last time you took a nap and didn't wake up until the sun was going down?? It is just not something we do as adults. Josh was fantastic, he took the girls out to fly a kite and came home with soup for dinner and just let me sleep.

THANK YOU JOSH!!!

Glee Shmeee

Apparently there is something about a Gap store that just makes people want to dance. I have been known to dance after the perfect find on the clearance rack but that's about it.

Last month Glee (the tv show musical) did a song in Gap. I thought they could have done better with the song selection, but awkward and funny none the less. If you missed it, here it is...



Yesterday we took a little trip to Gap Kids to get Easter dresses for the girls and Madal just couldn't help herself. Here is our MUCH BETTER GAP STORE DANCE!!



She is a pretty little young thing!! How hilarious is that!?

The next video is both girls dancing. I had to post it since it is a little sneak peek of our ADORABLE new Easter dresses and the song they are dancing to brings back all kinds of Freshman Field Hockey memories for me.. GO RAMS! HAHA

Hi, my name is Christine and I like things to go my way.. ALWAYS!

I never considered myself to be type A. I guess I always viewed type A as someone who has is it all together and it very organized. Both in which I am not!

I looked up what Wikipedia describes type A as. "Type A individual are ambitious, aggressive, controlling, highly competitive, impatient, preoccupied with his or her status, time-conscious, and tightly-wound."

WOW!

How wrong was I? I am very much type A!!!

I like things to go my way (who doesn't). I'm not very flexible and I can be controlling. It has been very hard for me to take a step back and let the girls pick out their own clothes, wear brown shoes with black pants or string two blue beads next to each other. Is this type A or OCD?? Hmmmmm...

I like things to coordinate. Don't judge me as a mother, but I have a hard time hanging the kids art on the wall when it doesn't match the room and there are no handmade ornaments on my perfect Christmas tree. Don't get me wrong I love my children's art and always encourage and praise them on their artwork......than I stuff it in a binder that works with the thyme of my bookshelf for safe keeping.

So in my attempt to be more flexible, but still be in control, I planned a craft for the kids. I bought two wrapped canvas squares and craft paint that coordinates with my living room. I sat the girls outside with paintbrushes and told them to paint how ever they want, just make sure they paint the whole thing.



I LOVE it!! I love the way it looks in my living room and I love that the girls can do something I can't... paint freely! They can paint anything and it looks great, where I paint best with a stencil and a ruler. They are very proud of their artwork on the wall too!

Low Quality Documenting High Quality

What did we do before camera phones??

We enjoyed this weekend's sunshine to the fullest. Every second of each one of our precious days off was used.

Josh got off a little early on Friday...... the girls and I waiting for him at the door, stroller ready and Hannah excited to show Dad how fast and how far she can go on her bike without training wheels...... two mile ride with Josh running behind her with the dog and me pushing Madalyn in the stroller...... once we got the bike and the stroller put away in the garage, the kite comes out and Josh and the girls are flying high and I make dinner...... from the dinner table to the car and on a quest for a special sunny day treat..... both girls in the back seat chanting "Smooshy, Smooshy" (preschool word confusion.. a mix between slushy and smoothie) we pull up to Looney Bean for ice cream and a coffee for Mom.

Up early on Saturday to pack the car for skiing in Telluride...... Skied all morning with the girls. Madal only fell one time and Hannah did her best jump ever...... Met up for lunch at Poachers Pub.... my sweet cousin Cathy took the girls after lunch for some time at the library and Josh and I got to do some adult skiing...... Look Out, to Bushwhacker, to Revelation Bowl, to Prospect Bowl, to Gold Hill, to Woozly's, to See Forever, to Plunge and out Bailout to the parking lot........ Pack up and get in the car to drive to Cathy's..... drop off an overnight bag for Hannah and her 5 year old slumber party that she has been waiting for for the last 6 months....... back out to the car.. clip Madal in... drive off to meet my parents in Ouray for a much needed soak in the springs............. BLISS.......took our pruned fingers and toes and went out for some pre-St. Patty's day eats at O'Briens Pub.

Up again Sunday for Church service and kid check-in... home to change our shoes and pack the bikes onto the car.... drive out to Ridgway..... stick Madal in the bike seat and ride from the park to the Res... stopping only to say hi to the woman who was taking her parrot for a walk (gotta love Ridgway).... hang out at the lake... play at the playground and hit the path again... ride back to Ridgway.. take Madal to the yak farm and than back to the park... meet up with Cathy, Fletcher and Hannah and go out to eat at The Adobe... walk back to the park... back in the car and home for bedtime and BLOG!

In all that we did this weekend, we never once stopped to pack the camara. TGFcamera phone!! We didn't stop to take much but I am so grateful for all the little low quality pictures we did take.


Madal flying her kite


Sweet Treats at the Bean!!




Ski break at Poachers


Cold feet after skiing and nothing but Chaco's to wear

Cathy also documented Hannah's overnighter and text me updates.








Last our Beautiful bike ride in Ridgway

$2.50 Joy

I don't think there is anyone who loves the Target Dollar Spot more than I do! Call me cheap, I don't care. It is my first stop on my daily... uh.. I mean weekly... yeah.. weekly... tour around target. So many little, inexpensive bits of joy patiantly waiting to be tossed into my big red cart and brighten my day.... and later brighten the playroom.



$2.50 little wooden pink tray, perfect for tea parties



Can't help but smile each time I pass the playroom door.

Processing Five

I am still learning how to say "I have a five year old". It is not an easy thing for me to say. I always start out saying four, which turns into a chattering jaw and a slight stutter into the word five, kinda like "Fou-I-Ive". Turning five is huge! Turning five sends us into the big girl section of the department stores and soon into Kindergarten registration. Not to mention I had the words from my past Childhood Development and Psychology courses pressuring me for the last five years. What if Freud was right and adult personality is dependent upon early childhood experiences and largely determined by age five? These first five years may have been the most important years of her life and my time as a parent. Such pressure.

Our first week of being 5 was awful! The attitude and the drama seemed to be multiplied by five. Everything seemed to be a fight and I longed for my four year old back. Than I realized that maybe my struggle wasn't that she had turned five, but that four was over. Four had been fabulous and there was so much that happened at four. She started skiing, she started reading, she started basic math, she learned how to ride a two wheeler and so much more. Maybe it wasn't her that had the attitude, but maybe it was me. As wonderful as four was, I'm exhausted!! It was a full and amazing year and I am tired and this new jump to five had left me overly sensitive. Hannah will never be four again, but this will be the only time she will be five and I am going to enjoy it, even if it means she takes the lead on more. I pushed and encouraged our way through all the wonderful things she learned at four and now I am going stand behind her and watch as she grows in those things.

Even if Freud was right and Hannah's personality is largely determined by age five. She is independent, dramatic, stubborn, smart, fearless, caring and willing to try anything and I am so in love with her and this job that God has given me to be her mother.

My Love for Hats

Maybe this should be titled "My Love for Knitting", because this is more about knitting than hats.

My dear friend sent Madal the cutest little red coat, that she has been wearing all winter. She gets so many compliments and it is the perfect weight for staying warm and strapping her into the car seat. Our only problem is finding a hat to match. Red is more a color for the boy world and I wasn't having any luck finding a red hat that didn't have a character from the Cars movie on it (I will save my character issues rant for another day). Enter in why I LOVE KNITTING!!!.......



Red chunky yarn is under $5 and finding this pattern, our problem is solved and the cuteness continues.



When you can knit, you don't have to search for things that work, you can just make things that work. My only problem now is, I can't stop making these hats. Hats for everyone!! I need to look into a new knitting project. Stay tuned

Things we do crafty

I am so excited to enter the blog world. I have stalked the blog world for about 2 years now and have been inspired by so many amazing people out there. I never realized how many brilliant and talented people there are in are all around us until I began searching blogs. Unfortunately I am not one of those brilliant people. Some of my ideas are my own, but most of my crafty stuff is from inspiration from others and I promise to always give credit where credit is due.

Here are some crafts I have done in the past that were inspired by others:

I got this headband idea that I use all the time here




My braided rag rug that I adore was from this tutorial



Our #1 toy of the summer I found here

How we do life

So here we go......

We are Freed: We ski, we hike, we craft, we cook, we bike, we boat, we camp, we travel and we love.

Now I will do my best to share it all. Craft idea's, recipes, trails and trips.