Fruity

You know how, when you have kids, even going to the grocery store is an adventure?  We found some exotic fruits at the new Hyvee.  The best part was watching my kids crack up over them. Absolute hilarity!

 And, here's Greta with her beautiful new smile.  The last glimpses of my baby before the big teeth. I am crying in my coconuts.

Time to Smell the Roses

Our days are warming into our favorite times of walking the paths at Deanna Rose Farmstead.  In the spring time the farm is filled with sounds of baby goats and chicks and geese.  There is an easy peacefulness in the air that the long cold winter is behind us and the green grass will line our way and the clover is soft and full.  We snuck away this day, to the farm, while Greta was at school.  We met Nicholas and Isabella for a hayride and a stroll.  We promise we will return with the golden girl.  But, my days with little Jack are becoming fewer as preschool takes his time, and we wanted to go to the farm.

These babies are not ready for the pen, but still snuggle in the barn.  Their fur is still so soft and their voices are so sweet.  They are in the big white barn with the milk cows where we always get our snack of chocolate milk and animal crackers.

The boys said, "Swing me!"

These are the best of fwends.

Jack is a good mamma!

Jack's first pony ride. He got to ride Sadie the sweet pony.

Nico and his incredible mamma.  Alicia is my friend of the heart. She is the most talented, creative woman.  And she is so thoughtful.  And, she is absolutely stinkin fun!  I am so glad you kids are fwends, because I like my fwend, too.


We plan to feed more goats in the next months and even catch a fish or more.  We love to walk through the farm.  I always did as a kid, too.  Deanna Rose would be perfect if they would let you jump in the hayloft like Dado let us! Maybe some day...

Children and Art

Greta drew Merida from Brave.  I love her style. 

Earth Mamma

On Earth Day, I will tell you about the nest of baby bunnies we uncovered as we worked our front flower bed! I love them so much! There were 4 all cuddled up together in a shallow hole covered lightly with fur and mulch and hidden by daffodils.

We watched them for a week and kept them safe from severe thunderstorms.
We called the wildlife rescue and learned that if we touched one, we had to touch them all.
We did.
Often.

And then last Sunday morning they were gone and we could tell that they left because they needed to stretch their bunny legs.

And now I think I would like to grow a garden.
For them to eat.

Two Teef

Just for kicks, do you ever lift up the lip of your kid and look at their gums? I sure don't.  Until Greta said, "Hey Mamma, my big tooth is coming in through my gum!" Greta wiggled her front tooth for weeks but never got it loose enough to pull, and when she showed me the white spot on her gum, that surely did appear to be a big tooth coming in, we decided Dr.  better help us out.

We took her in and he xrayed.  The teeth looked good and both front teeth are right there ready to come in.  He said to wait and let her get the tooth out.  I said, "But, isn't it coming through the gum?" He lifted her lip, and said, "That isn't a tooth! That is an abscess!" So, without further adieu, meet toothless.  He pulled both front teeth and got the infection out.  How horrible I feel as her mother that didn't even know! How long had this been going on!? Well, possibly since she fell a few years ago.  Greta never said anything hurt.  And, Greta, you were so brave and good at the dentist!

The Tooth fairy came by again.  She left a 20.  I think she has some deep seeded guilt associated with dental pain.  Stay tuned for adorable pictures of Greta with her new smile!  Big girl cometh!

Dying for Easter to Come

We dyed some eggs. They turned out beautimous.

Jack became enraged at one point.

We began to color everything .

The pressure is too much.

A treat for he who hops.

He came, muddy paws and all.

Jack got giant Wreck it Ralph hands and a fairy...

Greta got that special Lala oopsie, Princess Nutmeg.

Hunter Jack

Happy Greta

Easter breakfast table

Easter Eggs!

Marker Fingers Does it Again

Sweet Greta's illustration was chosen to be on the cover of the book her Kindergarten class wrote this year! They wrote an incredible tale of a certain Kindergarten class that was sucked into the smart board through a portal in to "Castle Math Adventure"!  There is also a wicked queen and a chipmunk involved heavily.  This is going to be a must read!

I am so proud of Greta. She has such a great imagination.  I am so lucky to experience it!

She also did this little drawing of space and I had to keep it. I love the planet name spellings -  Urnis, and Sadrin...Netoon and Plludao.  You are here.

I Guess You Never Stop Growing

This is about you kiddos, and me.  I have had a few weeks of growth and before they were through, you both shot up an inch.  Such busy schedules in our home lately have made me savor our quiet days of nothing special to do, but just enjoy each other.

I took a week long job in Wichita food styling for Freddy's Frozen Custard.  We shot stills and motion with the RED camera and we styled fun custard sundaes, shakes, and hot menu items including fries, hot dogs and their beautiful lacy burgers.  Those old fashioned burger milkshake restaurants are always a favorite of mine. I think back to being a little girl and pulling up to a drive up burger spot in Windsor Missouri. We called it the barn,  and it had the best shakes and soft serve vanilla cones.  Dado would take us.  My dad loved it, too.  They served their fries in a little paper dish that I would take back to Dado's farm and float worms across the water tank like they were sailing in boats across the ocean.

(Making a batch of artificial custard)

(Peanut butter cup custard!) I took a picture of these because they are your favorite, Greta!

(Sundaes in a row)

(Picking out hero buns at the bakery, we got to wear hair nets.)

(Making pretty bacon the night before in our suite. The studio we shot in didn't have an oven, and that is how we make bacon beautiful! )

(I fried mountains of long and skinny french fries.  And, I will have the acne to show for it in a few days!)


I got home in time to be at Jack's very important preschool teacher conference.  And, I cried at it because he is such an awesome kiddo and has done so well despite his slower speech development that I feared would make things so hard.  Jack, you are this incredible little boy that is such a good friend to everyone.  You have even helped other kiddos in your class feel love and comfort when they were anxious and crying.  You are smart as a whip and are even doing addition and subtraction.  Mrs. Porter was amazed.  She adores you and your willingness to participate and share. I couldn't be more proud of you, Jack!

(Jack and I made biscuits after some morning marker sniffing.)

We had a week of catching up before I took a job that I would say redefined what is hard and what is not.  I was called to bake cupcakes, a small cake and some side items that would be found on a Thanksgiving dinner table.  I was hired for 2 days to shop and prepare these items that would be used for a table scape for a Chinet photo shoot.  Super fun and super easy. And, then the job shifted and became quite a challenge. But, I love a challenge!  I ended up preparing 30 items to be shown to the client a day before they initially wanted them and then had to prepare them again for the shoot day. I was up until 2 am and then was at the shoot at 6 am.  I was hired as a food stylist with no assistant. But, I did it and now I know I can do anything.

(This is an egg strata that I made for the job....4 times.)

The day after this shoot Derek and I took you kids to Disney on Ice.  We had incredible seats and the show was so well done! Your eyes were so big and amazed by the skaters and the effects and costumes. I love watching you and I love knowing that you are imagining yourself twirling on the ice shooting off fire arrows like Merida.

(Greta and Jack at the Sprint Center)


So, here were are, waiting for Spring to finally warm the breeze in the next few weeks.  We are well, and thankful, and growing like weeds.