3 Boys

 {this is a part of a series in 2013, a picture of each of my children every week of the year}

The 2nd week in March

Parker

daydreaming 

Monty 

cuddling up to a new friend

Elliot 

about to be woken from a nap

Snow Day White Out

Parker was thrilled to stay home with me today and enjoy the beautiful snow that never stopped falling, not even for a second. 

Three Boys

Taken tonight before bed. Loving the idea of taking a portrait of each child, every week of the year. So I'm going to give this a try in 2013.  

Elliot

You're crazy, kid! Craaaazy. This week you're just as grumpy as you are sweet; I just never know what I'm going to get. Here's a prime example of the insanity that comes out of your mouth ...

(said to mommy in response to something or other, obviously outrageously unhappy with me)

"Watch your language, be a listener, AND you're on the naughty list!" 

You take two baths every day with your new pirate ship and I have to drag you out of there. Your favorite movie is Pirates of the Caribbean and has been for at least 2 months now. Your brothers would have been petrified to watch something like that at your age, but you think it's awesome. We visit the children's museum every week, sometimes 3 times a week, cause you're loving it there so much. And your newest hobby is snowmobiling with your brothers, something that boggles my mind a little with the temps being as they are and with the speed that you zip around at. At night I have to sing you 3 songs, first Silent Night, second Away in a Manger, and third Twinkle Twinkle. It's been the same for a month and at times the process is exhausting but we cannot alter our course or we will hear the wrath of E. Daddy has to come in and do the exact same after I'm done. But you know what? I really can't mind your procrastination at bedtime because while I sing, you let me play with your hair and rub your face and tonight you grabbed my own face and brought it close, until our foreheads were touching, and we stayed that way for the whole song. It was wonderful. 

Monty 

You lost your first tooth this morning after much persistence. That tooth didn't stand a chance! You wiggled it every chance you got and ate as many apples as you could bare. And you're so proud of that toothless gap today. Parker says he's a bit scared of the tooth fairy (and Santa and the Easter bunny) so he suggests placing it on the desk in your room tonight. But you're not worried and have put it on your pillow right next to your head. It's all so very exciting. You love to tell stories, wild and imaginative tales that we tend to just go along with cause, of course, you tell them as if they were true. It's lead us to several more serious (furrowed brow) conversations about truth as a result, something we're working on now. It's tricky when we can't tell if your story is real or not. Very tricky. 

Parker 

You love to be outside in the winter. Every chance you get, you head out there. It's unbelievable to me, that I'm raising these snow loving children. Not unbelievable really, just funny. Tonight, as you rode outside on the snowmobile and I froze my butt off watching, I overheard you yell to the heavens, "This is the best day ever!" I love to hear that. Best day ever! When I tucked you in tonight you told me, "I love you to bits and pieces." Needless to say, my love tank is full. :)

Thankful

 It's such a magnificent day. The sunshine is intoxicating and the earth is radiating color, seemingly drinking in it's good fortune and bursting with deep blues, browns, greens when usually it shivers in stark white. It's so much fun when God gives us a surprise like this - beautiful, warm weather in winter in a city so accustomed to lots of snow and cold. January is usually one of the hardest months for me to get through. February is significantly better because it's our anniversary and Valentine's Day, of course. So today I'm feeling thankful ... that's all. 

{ear rings - Anthropologie (gift from mom), blouse - J Crew, vest - H&M, pants - Old Navy, boots - Steve Madden from DSW, purse - Anthropologie (gift from huz)}

What today has looked like so far. 

 Dragged myself out of bed way too early for my taste - 7am - though that's the norm around here ...

 but looked out my window to see this view ...

 and soon after, little E and I went for a walk

See what I mean? So magnificent. 

Another Snow Day

As I mentioned before, we were all home together today, enjoying the snow day blown our way. This is how things played out ...

 (We stayed in our jammies for most of the morning.)

 (Yesterday Elliot tripped and fell head first into the edge of his bookcase. It was a nasty owie seconds later.)

 (At lunch time we went to Grannie and Papa's house.)

(Little Charlie - 5 months (with my sister Daena))

 (He likes to practice rolling over and belly creeping across the floor.)

(He's also very, very ticklish!)

(After the cousins came in from the snow ...)

(Mr. Dylan Robbie)

 (Monty's not mad in this photo, he simply said, "Hey dad! Take my picture" and posed like this. I think he feels like a rockstar.)

(Parker chilling while his red cheeks turn to pink.)

As a side note, the man behind the camera seems to be feeling quite collaborative of late. So while I prepared the previous "fancy fur" post, he secretly created a new header for me and when I went to preview my post, there it was! It was originally in black and white and quite dismal (told him it reminded me of the "nightmare before Christmas"). So he changed it to something "very girly", he said. And there we have it. He said the blog needed a change. I told him that I loved that old tree. He said it needed a change. Fine.

:)

Fur Collared Coats

 My world is white once again. So my latte and I are cozying up to the fire whilst the trees outside start to look tired under the weight of snow. More than that, they've become icily enchanted once again and I'm sure that a pale ice queen will be pounding through the snow in her glistening sleigh at any moment. I must just keep watching. 

This weekend I remembered a vintage coat that I've had stored away for a while now, and so I took it out for spin knowing that it would keep me nice and warm in this revival of winter. I wish I could tell you how wonderfully comfortable I am in the snow, how I adore making snow angels and building a snow man with the kids. Sledding down the nearby hill and snow shoeing through long, aching fields. But I'm not. I'm completely un-"romantic" in winter. I've been skiing a few times, so it's not necessarily for lack of trying. I'm just not a snow bunny and I'm not sure I ever will be. It's sort of sad really, don't you think? Or maybe not ...  I just really, really love to feel roasty toasty. Perhaps it's just the simple fact that I have the warmth of a South African sun running through my veins and I'm not capable of sporting in a wintry heap without melting (wait, that doesn't make sense). Anyway ... that's what I married a Wisconsin boy for. He can go play outside with these little men - go get 'em babe! 

{coat - Deco to Disco (Tulsa), ear rings - Loft, dress - Forever 21, belt - Gap, cardi & tights - Express, shoes & ring - T J Maxx}

Remix - Day 14 {french riviera on a budget}

 Back to the business of what I love best, clothes! I'm pretty sure that my look today is perfect for a spring break vacation to the French Riviera, don't you agree? Must be the combo of the stripes and scarf, in a navy, white and khaki palette. My outfit today was inspired by the accessories I'm wearing and they were all thrift finds at Goodwill. Have you ever picked through the little baggies of jewelry at Goodwill stores? They're delightful! I have a friend from Stevens Point who was the queen of Goodwill jewelry finds, coming back with the most gorgeous pieces. Those little bags of jewelry remind me of the lucky packets (candy/jewelry/tiny toys) we loved so much when we were little. You never knew what you'd find inside, but you knew it would be good. On this particular thrifting occasion I picked up 3 "lucky packets" ($1.50 - $3 each), this scarf (.99 cents) and this purse ($5.99). A pretty successful day, I think. 

 The snow is starting to melt, though it may not look like it. And I was only just a little chilled outside which is very good news for spring (though some would disagree. i have a friend who adores the cold and wishes for feet and feet of snow! she has even made an ice rink for her kids in her back yard. incredible!).

{scarf, necklaces & purse - Goodwill, jacket & jeans - Gap, tank - Forever 21, boots - South Africa}