Mademoiselle Moustache

a.k.a.

Goatee Girl

Able to make large bubble mountains in a single bath!

"Single" Dadhood

When I got home from teaching piano today, I noticed a few things were out of place in the garage...Paul had pulled Livi up and down the street on her little sled. "Awww, that's sweet!" I thought. Then I found out Noah enjoyed his sled ride up and down the street attached by a long rope to the riding lawn mower! Now that's taking it to a higher level - one which Mommy could never attain. :)

"Single" Momhood

So, I'm on evening number two of being a "single" mom. My dear hubby brought a group of kids from our church to MBBC for the Great Lakes Music Festival (I'll have more info on that coming soon...), and I couldn't go this year because I had some accompanying gigs this weekend. But, of course, being a woman, I had to know EVERYONE he spoke to and WHAT EXACTLY they talked about. So I had a lengthy conversation with him tonight on the phone as he was on his way back, and this is what I found when I was done...


I guess Noah and Livi wanted to make sure she wasn't bored!

So what do you do when you're on your own with the kids and you've come to that most precious time during the entire day when the kids are all in bed, the house is quiet, and all the chores are done (relatively speaking, of course)?

This is what I did.

Night number one: scrapbooking night. I haven't been doing much of it lately since I've been blogging more, but I find that I like to scrapbook when everyone's tucked away in their beds, and I can put on a good old movie and scrap until I can't see straight anymore. I've been thinking that maybe I would give up scrapbooking and just give the kids a CD with the blog archives on it as their family heirloom. :) But, alas, I found out last night that I do still like to scrapbook, so I won't be quitting that just yet.

Night number two: cooking night. I've been yearning to try some yummy soups, so I'm trying my hand at this tonight. Then I'll put it in the crock pot tomorrow and actually have a meal prepared for when we get home from church! I'd also like to try these, if I have enough time and energy.

So...what do you do with your alone time?

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees

But diamonds do.

After an ice storm we had last week, our neighborhood was magical with crystals hanging on the trees. They shimmered in the sunlight and many of the trees displayed little rainbows as the light reflected off the ice. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road as I drove through our town.

These pictures don't do it justice.

This is a picture taken the day before the pictures shown above.

Update on Christmas Concert DVD

We have experienced some technical difficulties with the DVD's from my Christmas concert. So, for those of you who asked for one, we will be converting the DVD to CD and mailing those out. It will probably still take some time to finish, but you'll probably get them in time for next Christmas!

My ABC's

More tagging! I was tagged by Danielle for this:

A- available or single? Married
B-Best Friend: My husband Paul
C-cake or pie - cake! Any kind will do just fine.
D-drink of choice - Coke
E-essential item I use everyday- the car
F-favorite color - blue
G-gummy bears or gummy worms - gummy bears
H-hometown - St. Paul, Minnesota
I-Indulgence- reading in bed with a heating pad at my feet
J-January or February - January - it's Noah's birthday, and February just seems SO LONG!
K-Kids and names - Noah, Olivia, Chloe
L-Life is incomplete without - joyfully growing in the grace of Christ
M-Marriage date - July 25, 1998
N-Number of Siblings - One older brother, Jeff
O-oranges or apples - apples, but oranges are a close second
P-phobias or fears - something happening to my kids
Q-Favorite quote - "As the days begin to lengthen, the cold begins to strengthen." Found in one of my favorite books. I love to say this every year to Paul, mainly because I feel intellectual for speaking poetically. :)
R-Reasons to smile - my family
S-Season - late spring/early summer - is that two?
T-tag three or four people - Holly, Denise, Amy
U-Unknown fact about me -In third grade I wished my named was "Patricia Montgomery" because it was so sophisticated and alluring
V-Vegetables you don't like - hmmm...this is tough, because I really do like vegetables
W-worst habit - ordering take-out food instead of cooking
Y- your favorite food - anything chocolate!
Z-zodiac - cancer

It Was a Day Just Like Today...

...sunny, cold, beautiful. On the seventeenth of January, in Suite 17 at the hospital (the gas price was $1.17 - I know it's weird to remember that), our little Noah came into the world five years ago, eight days overdue.

Here are some highlights from Noah's past year at age four:

1. Started preschool
2. Started violin lessons
3. Second year in Awana Cubbies
4. Learned to ride a bike
5. Developing a creativity that is fun to watch

We love you Noah!

To Infinity...and Beyond!

Happy 5th birthday, Noah!

(a few days early)

Tinkertoys, Woody and Buzz Lightyear...how much better can a birthday party get? Add streamers, balloons, pizza, cake, and grandparents who are willing to make new creations with the Tinkertoys, and you've got the "best party ever", as Livi kept exclaiming.

Noah's second set of Tinkertoys in two weeks - his new favorite toy.


This is Noah's impression of Buzz Lightyear.

We missed you Grandma and Papa Ice!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Livi had fun taking Chloe for a trip downstream in Chloe's little bathtub. The blankets wrapped around them are supposed to be life jackets "so we can be safe, Mom". The orange building block is her paddle.

Gotta love it when the older children amuse the younger ones.

Lists

I am a person who simply delights in making lists, probably so I can enjoy the simple pleasure of crossing something off the list! Ever since I found this list through a link on the Girl Talk blog, I cannot stop thinking about it. This list of questions has been a real inspiration to me as the new year begins. Maybe you will find it as encouraging and challenging as I did.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? (I loved this question. I started a new journal of songs and hymns that I love that focus on worshiping God.)

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? (Ouch - I can list many things!)

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Cheerio Baby

Mmmmm...yummy!

A Resolution

I'm making a resolution to memorize a new verse or set of verses each week. I'm doing this with the help of Bethlehem's Fighter Verses. I did this last year, too, which was a different set of verses, and I'm sad to say I did great until about July/August when I lagged behind and never caught up again. So I decided to post the verses weekly on my blog so that whenever I check on everyone's blogs, I can take a look at the verse, too, and maybe the repetition of seeing the verse will help me learn it! I invite everyone out there to memorize these verses along with me.