Memory Lane Friday - A Family Heirloom

I have a lot of things to choose from.  We're a sentimental family that believes in handing things down.  I have furniture, clothes, jewelry, pictures, quilts and more.  So it was hard to choose an item.  Eventually, I decided to write about one item from each side of the family. 

From my Dad's side of the family, I chose a heart shaped diamond necklace.  Not because it is diamonds.  Or even because it is jewelry (I rarely wear jewelry other than my wedding rings and plain small hoop earrings).  The reason I love it is because Lin Lin and Chief (my grandparents) came up to visit when we were living in Manassas, just before my junior prom, to give this to me in person.  This was a piece of jewelry that Chief had given to Lin Lin years before as a gift.  And they wanted to pass it on to me so I'd have something to wear at the prom.  And I've worn it since, in weddings and a few other formal events here and there.  So here's a pic of me with the necklace, at sweet 16, just before prom:

I love how simple and understated this necklace is, for being diamonds. 

And go ahead and say it.  You know you're just wicked jealous over my huge POOFY peach sleeves.

From my Mom's side of the family, I chose something that is special simply because I admired it so much as a child.  When my great grandmother, Granny Besse, passed a few years ago, I was asked if there was anything particular I wanted.  I said, yes!  I wanted the bee sugar bowl that sat on the kitchen table by the window.  I loved to look at it when I sat at the table.  At first, I was disappointed because it couldn't be located.  But finally it was found.  The spoon/stinger is missing, and the wings have been glued back together, but I don't mind a bit.  I love it exactly as is, because it brings back warm memories of Granny Besse and her kitchen.

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Earth Day Crafting

I just love Earth Day.  It's a day of so much promise and appreciation.  We've been celebrating the Earth all week long.

And remember our nature walk?

We found this beautiful Dogwood tree, in full bloom.  It's our state tree.

So it inspired a craft.

Well, a little bit of craft, and a little bit of snack ;-)

Check out this very cute idea I found to make an Earth Day snack of edible dirt.

Speaking of snacking, we also read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and were inspired to create our own caterpillar.

I think this is one of those crafts that every kid makes at least once in childhood.

But it never seems to lose its charm, you know?

Happy Earth Day!

Nature Walk

My boys love to be outside.  It was one of Pierce's first words.  So we've been spending a lot of time going for walks this week.

First stop:  the turtle rope swing.  We just got this, and Pierce hasn't quite mastered it yet.

This is the old road from where they logged our place back in the 70s.

It is also my stomping ground.

I love to run on it.

Little flowers in the woods.

Pierce loves to feel the moss.

We talked about how people used to use moss on injuries.

Before bandaids.

Pierce was notably impressed.

Shhhh.  Don't tell Daddy we did this!

This is at the end of our land, about1/2 mile walk.  See that big piece of rusted metal?  I think that's from an old wagon.  Must've just rusted out right there on the old corner of the field.

Tons and tons of butterflies in the flowers.

Running towards home.

The sun was starting to set behind the mountain by the time we neared home.

When you've got a mountain in your back yard, the sun sets kind of early you know.

This is definitely a disadvantage of the mountains!

Baby Bugs for Earth Week

Remember the praying mantis pagoda we got?  I was just starting to think we'd gotten a dud when Paul mentioned on Sunday that they'd hatched.  Just in time to celebrate Earth Week.

Baby praying mantises are known as nymphs.  When young they eat aphids, flies, small caterpillars, and other soft-bodied insects.  As they grow, the insects they eat are larger.

They are carnivorous and do not eat vegetarian.

I am seriously hoping they have a taste for stinkbugs.

They kind of look like mosquitos when young.  This helps them blend in from prey.

Dirty working hubby hands.

Praying mantises don't fly well and they walk slowly.

Kind of like Reid crawls.  Slow, precise, deliberate.

Females lay their egg cases in the fall.  They can withstand even severe winter climates.

Here is what the case looked like post-hatching:

Praying mantises are harmless to humans.

If they have plenty to eat, they will stick close to where born.

We had to set them free, so they wouldn't eat each other, but hopefully we'll get to watch them grow close to home this summer.

Stay tuned for more Earth Celebrations this week. 

We've got lots of nature walks and a couple of crafts planned!

Muffin Tin Monday - Leftovers Rock!

Today's theme for Muffin Tin Monday is Leftovers Rock.  They do in my house...we eat a LOT of leftovers!

Sugar snap peas, a tiny piece of stuffing/sausage quiche, a germ, spanish rice with cherry tomatoes, a heart shaped piece of ham, and cooked apples (cooked from our apple tree and frozen last fall - they still taste just as fresh as straight off the tree).

Wait.  Back up.

A germ, you say?

Yes, a germ.  Circa late 80s.

It's a leftover of sorts.

A leftover toy from my childhood.

I used to collect them and they came in test tubes.  Sadly, the test tube is long gone, but I still have two germs floating around :-)

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Top Ten Things about Summer

I love spring and summer.  In fact, I can't figure out which one I love more.  As we near June, though, here are the top ten things that I am looking forward to about this summer:
10.  Taking the boys to the park and on nature walks
9.  Track workouts (hopefully!)
8.  NOT BEING PREGNANT WITH TWINS DURING THE SUMMER HEAT!!
7.  Sun rays on my arms
6.  Food on the grill (especially corn on the cob once it comes into season)
5.  The baby pool in our yard full of swimmy babies :-)
4.  Long morning runs before the day gets too hot
3.  Flip Flops (already there on this one!)
2.  Tomatoes
1.  Nectarines and peaches

And our chickens laying their first eggs (in June).  And riding my horses.  And camping out.  And trips to the zoo.  And and and.  I could keep going and going.  What are you looking forward to this summer?

Christmas in April

Today is the day of the Roanoke Valley Parents of Multiples Resale (and I have to be there at 7 but am up early to get my blog in).  I spent yesterday helping them set up.  It's intensive!  Lots of carrying and lugging of clothing racks, setting them up, rearranging of things, hanging of signs...you wouldn't believe how much work could go into a yard sale.  But it's awesome because it ends up being so well organized thanks to all that work and planning.  One of the member perks is getting to shop the night before the sale.

So here I am with empty totes, ready to browse:

Paul has a habit of chopping off the top of my head in every.single.picture he takes of me.  Passive aggressive?  If you're consistently chopping off the head of your wife, what does this mean?  It can't be good, eh? 

Look at all this beautiful organization:

And is more, so much more!

Here is what I ended up bringing home:

Pierce is about all things Diego right now.  So I knew he'd love, love, love Diego's treehouse.  It sings the songs and everything.  Of course, when I got home Cort and Reid were also very interested in Diego's treehouse.  So I got to mediate lots of sharing.

I also got Pierce this bouncy ball jumper for outside.

And for the twins, a second Graco Pack N Play.  We have a camping trip next month and needed another.

And here's a pic of all the odds and ends:

Diego's talking backpack with rescue supplies, Dora's mini playground, Tuck's aquarium, Linny's aquarium, and Ming Ming's aquarium (I couldn't very well only pick ONE of them!), a stroller activity bar (there were two, but we already have one from Pierce), two 3T rash guards from Old Navy, a 3T Rolling Stones shirt, an Old Navy fishing style shirt, a pair of 12 month pants, Brother Bear DVD, Disney Dinosaur DVD, a Janie and Jack sun hat, 2 Diego t-shirts size 3T, and a Gone Fishing shirt.

Total damage of everything = $88.50

And the first thing I did was go hide all the toys except the treehouse and bouncy ball.

Those will be doled out very carefully over the following weeks (you know, saving them for rainy days when mommy's going to lose her mind ;-))

Okay, off to get dressed and head off to 'work'!