reasons why i like today.

I've had my windows open since nine o'clock this morning.
It got to 70 degrees here today and felt like heaven.
Lucy and I soaked up our fair share of Vitamin C this morning,
and that set the tone for the day.



Sandals and tank tops in February?
I'll take it.

This morning I threw some chicken breasts and homemade bbq sauce in the crock pot,
so dinner was done by ten o'clock.
Easy dinners that are prepared by mid-morning are my favorite.
Don't you want to kiss the inventor of the crock pot?
No?  Just me?



I like this little corner of my kitchen right now.
The gumball machine is stocked,
and the happy jar is there to remind me of life's little happy moments.
And oh, do you see that picture of my little Riley?
It was his kindergarten picture.
I have to turn in so it can be included in the yearbook next to his 5th grade picture this year.
Oh my aching heart.

And that little boy, who is now not little,
and his brother gave me the sweetest valentine gift ever.
This: because "you like this color, and you like jars and chocolate."



Again, my heart.
Those boys are going to be good husbands.

And speaking of Valentines Day,
I do believe we started a new Valentines tradition last night:
homemade heart pizzas.



Pepperoni and cheese for the kids,
tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella for Gary and I.

I had a post-Valentines glow this morning,
which has everything to do with the two Ghiradelli dark chocolate salted caramel squares
Gary and I ate after the kids went to bed.
I forced myself to stop at two.
If ever there was a winning combo, salt and caramel is it.

We squeezed every last drop of sun we could out of this day.



Tonight after the kids are in bed I'm going to have another salted caramel Ghiradelli
and curl up on the couch with my husband and some Project Runway.

I like today.

janky and not-so-janky stuff.

Hi.
Happy Tuesday.
It is Tuesday, right?
I'm losing track of days because my schedule is all janky.
{'janky' is one of colin's favorite words.}
{also...'epic'.}
{and 'poned'.  like, "you just got poned!". it's like 'faced', from the 80's.}
Anyway, my schedule is all janked because Avery is sick.
{janked is my conjugation of janky. i guess it's an adjective?}
I knew it was coming,
since Gary and both of the boys were home sick last week,
but I was sooo hoping she could avoid it.

So I am now officially the only one in the house who hasn't had this round of crud.
I'm doomed.
I've now had to cancel two hair appointments because of sick kids.
If you see me in a hat you'll know why.
#rootsproblems

So Valentines Day is next week and I don't have a plan,
I don't have anything purchased,
nothing.
I know if I ask Avery she'll want Hello Kitty valentines.
And the boys something boyish and NOT lovey at all.
They're getting to the point where they don't want anything homemade.
Sad face.
These are the valentines we did a couple of years ago.



I was so on the ball!
I feel so lame this year.
{so janky and not epic.}

In other, non-janky news,
I went to the Alameda Antiques Fair this weekend.



It's such a happy place.
This antique fair happens once a month
but I only make it there a couple of times a year.
It's on the little island of alameda with the most gorgeous view
of the south side of the Bay Bridge.
It's also filled to the brim with gorgeous things.
I only bought a couple of little things.
It's a little pricey, so not really the place for bargain-hunters.
{although there are bargains to be had, if you're patient.}
How gorgeous are those french bottles?
I'll take three, please.

********************

So...I started this blog post at nine this morning,
and now it's 3:45.
And guess what...
I have a sore throat.

SO. JANKY.

ten on {february} ten.

...up at dark o'clock.
to the coffee pot first, every morning.



...once breakfast has been made
and lunches packed,
it's time for some dishes.
{yeah...from the night before.  it happens.}



...a quick attempt at a cute heart hairdo for her valentines party.
thanks to pinterest and this video.



...the kids were off to school
and i was off to run.


{i love these lululemon pants.  pricey, but they are very bootie friendly.}

...straight from running to registering a certain girl for kindergarten.
"please bring three forms of documentation proving that you live where you say you live."
they don't mess around.



...and, just like that, it's time to grab an apple and pick her up from preschool.
those couple of hours go by so quickly.



...later in the day, my parents picked up the kids.
when they left the only thing i wanted to do was sit down.
it felt so good.



...no kids meant date night.
date night means dinner...



...and a trip to guitar center
{can you see me?}...



...and a trip to home depot.
we were the dorks buying two ginormous trees at 8:55pm.
they loved us.



**********

...and that was the tenth of february.

valentines v.2011

Monday night I realized that the kids are celebrating Valentine's Day this week.
I also realized that I had done nothing to get ready.
I further realized that I now have three kids in school that would need valentines,
and had better get my fanny in gear.

Avery's valentines were easy.
We recycled our same crayon idea from last year.

The boys' valentines required a trip to the party store.
Two packages of silly glasses later:

voila.

These are so easy.
I made and printed my template,
punched two holes and tied the glasses on with yarn.
Done.

The boys signed their names and we were good.

Here's the template if you want to make some yourself:
glasses Valentine template

Warning:
use of star-shaped glasses could lead
to extreme goofiness.

{Carrot consumption during Valentine signing is optional.}