our days & our ways: "This is the best night… well maybe!"

Happy Chinese New Year!

As I type, Josh and Hadassah are the only ones left on the porch watching and listening to the New Year's Eve fireworks! Everyone else has requested their beds (besides Cade playing legos and me taking a computer break)! This is our 8th straight Chinese New Year celebrated in China! Hadassah LOVES the fireworks and said "This is the best night!" And I asked, "Of your life?" and she replied, "Well, maybe!"

We are happy to say we are finally feeling settled in our home. No more kitchen all over the house!

Smiley Olivet celebrating the week of Chinese New Year.

This is the best spot in the whole house these girls were quick to discover. The sun comes shining through the windows during most of the day. These little ones are often like kitties sprawled out enjoying the sun's warmth.

Rewind to the beginning of January when daddy got home from the week long class he attended in another city. All were glad to see him. Isn't Linda cute? She's our neighbor girl who is Lily's age. She spent about the whole week here while Josh was gone.

Quiet reading time is one of our favorite times of the day!

Cade just finished a book on Daniel Boone. I don't know if I finished any books before fourth grade :).

August is such a cuddler! The kids figured out that when he gives head bonks to our shoulder that means he wants his head rubbed. So fun- I know it won't last forever!

We had to take pics for homeschool art class. I printed them, then they cut them out and drew a landscape. Pretty cool project.

I gave them each two pictures. Cade put twins on his- one "Cade" was laying down on a picnic blanket while the other "Cade" fished.

I finally got the book I ordered in the mail, "The Artful Parent." I like it. It's not what I expected. I just wanted a nice, colorful book that would give me an art idea when I needed one in the spur of the moment for entertaining the littles. It turns out to be an apologetic book explaining why art is good for kids. The 60+ project ideas are great.

This was really fun. I even made a couple. We made a glue design then covered it with salt. After that we used watercolors to paint the design. The salt suck up the color as we dabbed the design.

The rainbow colored effect was pretty cool.

Here is another idea from the book. This all happened over a whole month. I don't do stuff like this with the kids multiple times a day :). Or even multiple times a week! About once a week we like to get messier than usual.

The kids are drawing designs in shaving cream with food coloring in it. After Lily and Caedmon literally begged to do this too, they enjoyed the fun that was an incentive to get their homework done!

gloopy gloop

Vivi in need of a major hair cut

What a good sport! She sat so awesome. Maybe the cool cape that came with the trimmers helped.

Such a cutie! I especially noticed the sparkle in her eyes on this day. I was tired and not in the mood for goofing around and here she sits, as giggly, squirrely and bright as usual. Her sweet zeal lead me to give thanks.

The guys who came to put in the cupboard counters. Too bad the cupboards didn't make it first. They had to wait another day to install the tops.

Yeay- almost here!

One guy put all the cupboards in by himself. They look very nice and clean! We are so thankful for no more mold!

bubbles make (almost) everyone smile

This face Hadassah makes always reminds me of Gampy and Uncle Phil.

We miss you!

I don't know who this face reminds me of, but if I did, I might not say :).

I tried black and white so we wouldn't be able to see such a dirty jacket sleeve, but it's still there. As I sit here, all jackets are "marinading" in a good amount of Shout.

August Baby is 10 months old already!

I thought for sure he would be walking by now. Josh started at around 9 months and August seems to imitate everything his siblings do. But hey, why rush things. You gotta take it easy, mom.

Slow down and smell the milk.

This is what entertains our Broady for over an hour- an apple! He takes a nibble, sucks out the juice and spits it on the floor! He's even fine with someone else's half eaten one.

Another fun idea I totally recommend. When I saw noodles and food coloring I thought, "why bother? Dying noodles will be a hassle!" But no hassle! 1 baggie, 1 table spoon of rubbing alcohol, some noodles of any shape and some food coloring! That's it. It took minutes.

The bright yellow food coloring was the kids' favorite because it reminded them of mac n cheese. I way preferred the green. Then blue, then yellow.

This guard dog would hardly let anyone touch her noodles! Lily commented that whenever we give Olivet part of a craft she acts like it's only hers. She suggested maybe giving her a smaller amount to begin with next time, like a half or a fourth of the whole :).