This morning

Hi! I don't really have anything to say but I was tired of looking at that hand -- so here are some pictures of what this morning looked like.

Have a good day!!

Heather

Everybody needs a helping hand

I'm considering snatching this up for my future mud room. Wouldn't it be fun to drop your keys into this hand right after you walk in the door?

Pea Soup

One of the charming things about Idaho is that every so often we have days with fog. I'm not talkin' the haze, or inversion type fog but rather the pea soup variety. Today is one of those days. People who have lived here forever don't like it because you can't see the car in front of you, but I think it is mysterious and cool and I feel like I am in Wales today or the English countryside. Ava looked out the window and she thinks we are in the middle of a cloud. Which is kind of right.

Ode to the Roomba (a love poem)

I'm sorry I doubted your abilities

but truly it didn't make sense

how could something so obviously round

clean corners without leaving a mess?

I didn't know about your magic brush

or your power to super suck

or your space age sensors that tell you where to go

or your 4-wheel drive that can get you unstuck.

And now, despite my lack of faith

you work hard for me every day

sweeping my floors (carpet and wood)

while I fold laundry and put it away.

How do I thank something that cleans my floors?

a job that I really detest.

Should I kiss you? or hug you? send flowers or treats?

Maybe a simple poem would be the best.

Dear roomba you've given me the thing I need most

more than diamonds or rubies or pearls

you've given me a few extra minutes each day

and for that, I forgive you for terrifying my girls.

Copy Cat

When it comes to all the wonderful things that I have found on the blogosphere (fab recipes, great books) I think this idea is my very favorite. This year I was inspired by (totally copied) design mom's idea to have kids make their sibling gifts for one another. It worked out so great!! The kids had a blast making the presents and couldn't wait for their brothers and sisters to open them. We copied some of her ideas which you can find here . And did some of our own. Sam made two different kinds of bubble bath for Ava, he had so much fun following the recipe for honey-vanilla and almond bubble bath and getting the colors just right. He wrapped it up with a shower poof and Ava loved it. He burned a CD for Josh with some of his favorite songs from the radio and made a label and case for it. It was a big hit. Then Sam tie - dyed a blanket for Sophie. Josh modpodged pokemon pictures all over a 3 ring binder and filled it with card collector pages -- A perfect new home for Sam's pokemon collection. Josh cut out and ironed on some pictures to make a tote bag for Ava and a shirt inside the tote bag. He also strung some extra large jingle bells together to make a rattle for sophie. Ava mod podged treasure boxes for the boys. One for Sam's marbles and one for Josh's cars and stuff. And then we laminated some abc cards and tied them together to make a book for Sophie. It took us only 2 days to put everything together and they were probably the 2 funnest days of Christmas this year. OK besides Christmas day. I'm already thinking of some great ideas for next year!! Thanks blogosphere!

Good Friends

I highly recommend that all of you live next door to your very good friends so that when you have a New Years Eve party all the adults can be at one house and all the kids at another! It looks like this.