I know Spring is a month away but ...

why do the daffodils think it is time to come up?  The snow just melted off the ground a few days ago and these silly greens are poking their way up through the dirt.  A few more weeks little ones. 

Construction Update

When I came home from work the walls in the living room and bedroom were painted. 

Saturday was the Aunt's Meeting and for February I made a Red Velvet Cake roll with the cooked flour frosting to which I added white chocolate.  It was delicious. 

See Grimm? In the bathtub, just lying around.  

I was able to fit in a night of sewing to make a sock monkey for Ian's third birthday gift.  His parents were just having the grandparents over so that meant my parents were going.  They took him the gift and he really liked it from what Mom and Dad said. 

Stacey sent me a thank you email with the photo included.  

Grimm is a sweet cat and he is doing well finding his place in the house.  He is not afraid of Eddy when he wants to get somewhere. He has even run under her and between her front legs to get past her.  For the most part she does not charge him anymore and they have switched water bowls.  Grimm likes to practically  go swimming in Eddy's bowl.

More views of the stairwell where the deck stairs used to be.  I love the window at the bottom and already have plants ready to sit down there.  

One night after his bath, Baylor said he needed some peace and quiet.  Then then proceeded to move his hands about in deliberate movements.  When he was done I asked him if he was meditating and apparently he was.  He was very serious about it and we even vidoed it so he could see himself doing it.  

Cats, Cake, Beds and Bagoogies

Sunday we had plans to take John out to dinner for his birthday and Baylor started out his morning with a bath with an audience. We have discovered Grimm is drawn to water and can be found in the sink and in the tub just laying around. 

My parents came to my house and we all headed to Heather and John's.  After they got their dog situated we all went to the Hickory Bridge Farm for lunch.  The food was good and even the kids ate well. I think Baylor ate all the corn fritters at the table. He really enjoyed them a lot!  Then it was back to Heather's for cake for John's Birthday.  Both his kids helped him with the candles of course.  There is something very intriguing about fire even if it is just conquering it by blowing it out.

The boys played all afternoon and into the night.  They made a few forts and ran from room to room, blasting and chasing and having fun.  Heather and I worked on and finished a puzzle they had started. 

Brigid cuddled with her dog Charlie in the fort when the boys were not looking!  We stayed really late because I really lost track of time working the puzzle and the boys were playing so well.  It was 9:45 when we left which was not my plan.  Connor had school the next day but I was off work.  

Since I was off, we headed to IKEA for a bit of family shopping.  Baylor wanted to lay on every bed and sit on every couch and chair in the store. We did not buy too much but we did get a shower curtain for the new bathroom and sheer curtains for the new windows.  

We had seem the Lego Movie and Baylor already had several of the mini figs from the movie.  He made a Dr Business with tall legs like in the movie. 

By Tuesday Baylor's head cold had moved into his eyes. He was getting bagoogies  in his eyes which we were constantly cleaning out.  Gloria took him to the Dr in the afternoon and he was given eye drops to clear them up.  When I got home from work, we made ice cream which makes everyone feel better.  So much better that he hugged the ice cream maker. 

And then he used his Leap Pad to take a few selfies.  It took a few days and a few nights of eyes glued shut in the morning for the meds to work their magic and by the weekend, he was all better.  

Just Another Saturday

We love cinnamon here and I do enjoy the occasional canned cinnamon rolls.  But I discovered after this, I am not a fan of  cinnamon rolls made on the waffle iron.  They were dry and other than being hot and covered in frosting, I don't think they turned out as well in real life as they look on Pinterest.  

I will stick to making waffles with a cinnamon smear, which we all love.  

Guess what, more snow!  

Baylor has taken to tilting up the end couch cushion and making a fort.  He likes to pop out, hide and be found or just peek out to watch TV.  

We came back from the Lego Movie and found cardinals at our feeder!  Baylor has always loved these red birds and we watched then from the van. 

I had a hankering for some Brigadeiros and covered them in Valentine's sprinkles. I do love these for a creamy chocolate treat.   

New Hair Day

Sometimes I get a bug in my hair and want to cut it off.  I am pretty hair lazy and tend to let it grow long because it can be easy.  But with aging has come significant changes in my hair and I really do not like what it does when it is long.  So I found a photo of what I wanted and went in for it.  Miranda asked me if I was sure and I said if I don't like it, it will grow out.  

It is a bit poofier when I do it but I like the cut for the most part.  It is more work but I have to do it, I cannot be lazy and wash a go or put it in a pony tail.  Boy do I have a huge forehead.  And a new cow lick that I have never had before!  

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is not a big holiday for me and I usually ask Gloria not to do anything special.  But for the Grandparents, they at least get a homemade card and the school kids get fun treats.  The sticker card was for Meme and we had bought a few sleeves of stickers at Hobby Lobby just for the occasion.  I cannot rotate the photo but the drawing on the other card is Baylor's take on a family portrait with all four grandparents, two Moms, three pets in the family, and himself.  I put a legend on the inside for my parents.  The card actually made me cry because it was soo sweet and  he was so earnest when he was drawing everyone.  Mom and Dad hung it in the kitchen which has become a little art gallery of Baylor's work.

And he signed them in lower case letters, which he has learned just this year. I am so proud of my little learner. 

For his school treats I went a bit overboard again.  I really just enjoy making things but I am sure it may not come across to some.  I made cereal treats with cocoa and plain rice krispies with sprinkles mixed in.  I pressed them into a sheet pan and when the cooled a bit, I cut them out with a heart cookie cutter.  I used white chocolate to drizzle over them with more sprinkles added on top with a big red heart an each. 

I found these heart marshmallows and coated the bottoms in white and dark chocolates. 

Each bag had one treat and one of each marshmallows.  

For another school treat I made flourless peanut butter cookies with a dark chocolate Dove heart. 

For Baylor I picked up a small purple monkey who had to be included in the chalkboard photo.  

Snow Day, again

I have lost track of how many work at home days I have had this year but I believe it has been more than the last few years combined.  It is winter after all so I don't complain. It is nice being home with Baylor after all.  But I do have to work for most of the day.  I get to spend my lunch hour clearing the driveway.  Today I had a lot of help because Gloria was home and awake.  

The snow was deep and beautiful. 

And thankfully Gloria cleaned it off the driveway with the snowblower because I may have blown out my back trying to get all this off!  Baylor thought it was great fun. 

And even more fun to be blasted with snow!  He said he had a hard shell on (snowpants and heavy coat to the rest of us).  He did this after she had cleared off most of the snow so he was not being pelted with 8 inches of it.  

And it was clear until the next storm and I did not have to do it all myself with a shovel. That is my idea of Heaven on a snow day!