{pretty, happy, funny, real} Cabin Fever!

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Brought to you by Like Mother, Like Daughter

{real}

Cabin fever has spiked. The winter roars outside. The bears have broken in, and they are my children. Wild things, stomping and raging and growling, upending the furniture and scattering the morning’s broken pieces all over the floor. Snow days and sick days have kept us inside for far too long, and the walls are pushing in. These shaggy-haired creatures are chasing me with whining, irrational demands for kids’ shows!  and softer toast!  and smaller pirates! If their evil plan is to turn mama into a grizzly, it’s working.

I want to roar. I want to toss them out into a snowbank. Or perhaps stuff and mount silent over the mantle?

But then, the littlest cub wanders over, blankie and teddy in hand. He is wearing flannel bear jammies.

“I need uppie.”

“I need a bear hug,” I tell him, scooping him up.

“Bear hug?”

“Yes.”

Somehow in the embrace, we feel human again.  Sticky paws turn to patting hands, the gnash of terrible teeth to a smile. This grizzly mama begins to melt. The fever breaks. Maybe, just maybe, I can see the end of winter after all.

~lg

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Epic Winter Compendium!

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Brought to you by Like Mother, Like Daughter

I will admit upfront that I think this has been one of the loveliest winters we've had on PEI! Mind you, I haven't been the primary snow shoveler. However, we've had steady snow since December, and in my opinion, that's the best way to spend a season that is going to be cold anyway.

{pretty}

Arden and I made a winter ice wreath together last week.  It disappeared in a spell of rain, but it was pretty while it lasted. (We got the idea from The Rhythm of Family, by Amanda Blake Soule.) The process was as fun as the end result.

{happy}

The kids and I went to one of Micah's Saturday night hockey games - their first time watching him play!

If Arden knows she is being photographed, she must make some kind of silly face!

Cheering for our winning team

{funny}

Look closely. . . that's not Mr. Cinders' reflection! It's our neighbours' cat, come to pay a call.

{real}

Arden's photography at work

~lg

{pretty, happy, funny, real} on March 16

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Brought to you by Like Mother, Like Daughter

Just squeaking in this week! This is for the grandmas…

{pretty}

{happy}

{funny}

A "princess tent," hung temporarily from a hook at the tops of the steps, makes a great playhouse!

They had great fun "sleeping."

{real}

And because I couldn't think why not, one excited little girl spent the whole night in the tent at the top of the stairs…

… really sleeping. :)




~lg

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Bookish Edition

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Brought to you by Like Mother, Like Daughter

Books are so much part of the rhythm of our days - Mom's devotional first thing in the morning, kids' Bible story at morning snack, poetry at afternoon snack, the Bible after supper, Winnie-the-Pooh before bed. There are usually several stacks placed strategically around the house, and I embrace them in the category of "decorating." They are beautiful and useful, after all!

{pretty}

I am quite excited with this recent addition. I was introduced to its beauty over on this blog quite a while back, and recently acquired a second hand copy for under seven dollars, including shipping!

(Note also the lovely "February 15th flowers" on the organ - just as pretty for half the price!)

This book makes me want to learn to draw properly. It is a replica of a naturalist's diary from 1906. It has notes from nature, seasonal poetry and quotes, and, of course, the lovely drawings.

It is delightful to look at!

{happy}

A selection of stacks. 

Some of our current daily reads, handy in the dining room, aka our morning room.

The cat has his favourites too!

My funny corner cupboard, which becomes a receptacle for "Mommy's books."

Finally finished!! (Begun in November, competed in February, worth its weight in library fines.)

Micah is not much of a book person, at all, but this is his current read.  We are preparing to introduce a couple of pigs to our little homestead this spring!

{funny}

Arden picked up a little book called Latin Matters  the other day, and decided it was an instruction book for how to put away cutlery!

If you look very carefully, you will see a little sign posted on the window
above  the tap.  "Act, don't react." Sound familiar? :)

She was quite intent on the matter.

Chores complete, the kids wanted to show their funny faces.

{real}

Ok, so this has nothing to do with books, but with papery winter fun, which is sort of in the same category. We took advantage of the Olympics to do some winter sport themed colouring.

We did have the TV on quite a lot over the Olympics. Figure skating was one of Arden's favourites, as well as bobsleigh. The most exciting moment for me - sorry to all you American readers - came in the final moments of the women's gold medal hockey game. . . despair,  hand-wringing hope, elation, nail-biting nervousness . . . then GOLD!!!!!! AAAHHHHHH! Watching hockey can be so stressful!

We had some Olympic fun outside too, making bobsleighs out of cardboard boxes and giant garbage bags, and then awarding our own handmade medals.

We are trying our best to embrace the winter! Keep warm everyone. :)





~lg