Hubby Proved Me Wrong

I didn’t think he’d really be able to do this.  I should have known that telling him I didn’t think he’d be able to do it would be challenge enough that he wouldn’t give up until he’d succeeded.  And succeed he did, even I have to admit it.

The other day Hubby got the idea in his head he’d try to build a snow cave with the kids.  Yesterday, he piled up a huge mountain of snow on the front grass.  The kids spent a while sledding down the hill yesterday and again today, helping daddy compact the snow.  And today he started digging in.

Here’s E-boy in the start of the cave:

At this point I said, “yeah, we made a cave big enough to fit a toddler”.  Hubby was undeterred.  E-boy looks on as daddy continues.

Now, the cave is big enough for Hubby to squeeze in, and he convinces me to help move the snow out of the entrance.

All three kids now fit into the snow cave.  Neighbors start wandering over to see what we’re up to, and passing cars slow to watch to action.

Finally done, the whole family inside the snow cave.  I recruited a neighbor to take this picture.  (Thanks!)

Inside, the snow cave is actually quite cozy.  There is plenty of light coming in through the door, and through a couple little vents in the roof.  The walls are about 10 inches thick.  It’s surprisingly roomy inside, with plenty of room to sit or lay down and to turn around.  Wiggling through the door is a bit tight for an adult, but totally doable.  So, yes Hubby, you’re right.  Having a snow cave on the front lawn is pretty cool.

Snow Days and Sick Days.

The winter storms are here, and with them come quiet days at home.  Actually, this week hasn’t been as quiet as it should be due to having sick kids at home.  On Wednesday, A. stayed home from school with a fever, Thursday was E.’s turn.  To keep the sickies busy, I helped them create these shrinky-dink ornaments for our tree (on the left are mine, already shrunk; on the right are E-boy’s, ready to go in the oven).

I spent some time crocheting a hat and some fingerless mitts out of the leftover yarn from making my slippers.  Can you tell which project came last?  I think the not-quite-matching look makes them charming…

E. spent some time practicing new hairstyles in front of the mirror.  Hubby insisted I take a picture of this one.  She said, “I have a garden on my head!”  She’s going to be trouble when she gets a little bigger… who am I kidding, she’s already trouble.

And finally, we did a little baking.  These gingerbread bears turned out pretty yummy!  However, I do recommend removing them from the tray immediately after baking, as the recipe directs.  I was busy bundling up a two-year-old in snow clothes, and didn’t get to one of the batches right away, which resulted in a lot of broken cookies.  The kids helped me dispose of them, so I can’t say it was such a bad thing.

Here’s hoping you’re staying warm and cozy and happily busy during these cold winter weeks!

Toasty Toes

Look!  I finished corcheting my slippers.  It was quite a challenge, especially for a beginner.  At several points, I sat in front of my computer using a google search to find out what the stitch should look like.  I love the colors of these; I used dark brown for the bottom sole, an oatmeal shade for the inner sole and blue for the uppers.  Having two soles makes these super cushy.  The only issue is I didn’t realize how “slipper”-y these would be on our wood floors.  Seeing as the wool socks I have are pretty slick, you would have thought I would make the connection that wool slippers wouldn’t be much different.  But despite that, I’m loving having my feet toasty warm in the slippers I made.

The Big Chill

After much waiting, the snow and cold weather has arrived.  We got about five inches of snow at the house this weekend, and the kids were all glad for the chance to get out and play in the snow.  Mama was not so glad for the chance to shovel the driveway so we could get out of the garage, however. Here are some pictures I snapped before my fingers went numb.

Yes, It Is Another New Purse.

This morning I took this design I had sketched:

And turned it into this purse:

Of course, I adore the shape of this bag, but I want to know what you think of it.  I’d love it if you’d leave a comment to let me know what you like and what you’d change about this design.  It’s highly likely that this will be the next pattern I’ll make available for sale, so now is your chance to make your voice heard.  Many thanks!