Valentine Prep

On a rainy (yes, rainy) day, Amelia and I did a bit of Valentine prep work.  She stuck the glue dots and made about 3 hearts then moved on to something else :)  I finished the decorating.

I am sure we will be making more crafty things... but think we have had enough of paper hearts. 

We did have one day where the temp was just cold enough to snow a couple inches.  We ran out and built a small version of the idea I mentioned in the previous post.  Will make a larger version when the snow and moisture content permit. 

It was back to rain the next day, leaving rocks and sticks where our snowman performed his miraculous feat.

Rain in January in Alaska you get ice skating rinks...everywhere.  Including our driveway, where you just reverse and slide down, studded tires leaving grooves where there was a hopeless attempt to stop you.  Today the wind is howling at a bearable 60mph and the warmth continues. 

A perfect day for a tea party.

Stay warm East coasters.

A Crystal Ball for the Snow Princess

We have been quite hooked on the movie Frozen lately...belting out the songs and stomping on ice whenever the mood strikes.  When I saw these one morning on Pinterest, we immediately filled some balloons we had on hand and headed outside.  Mind you...we should have used water balloons like the pin stated to make them even more round, but hey...we were excited.  So excited that once filled we threw on coats and boots over our pjs. 

We tried one with red dye and wayyy too messy.  Besides,  I rather liked the clear globes.  Now we just had to wait.  With  weather like this...shouldn't be long.

We waited 24 hours as it was about 10 degrees, but should have waited a few days as I saw that liquid was still floating around inside each.  No matter ... we had our crystal ball.

Unfortunately, we then had a warm up to 50 degrees yesterday accompanied by 85 mph winds.  Lovely. A warming like that makes the road coming down off our hill (picture above) ... a glare of ice.   Today was a bit better with just our driveway worthy of Frozen material.  Our globes, however, were gone.  Oh well...onto something else.

Valentine's Day.

Rob was away for a couple of days for work, so we kept busy.  Amelia loves those pre-cut foam stickers and I had a few extra large hearts left over from last year...so she went at it.  We made yarn hearts as well.  With an awl I poked holes and she "sewed" with a taped edge of yarn.   I made the small one and Amelia's is the pink on purple.  When asked if she would like to make another, she said "No. I'm done. Giving my heart to Dad."   Well said.

More Valentine's decorating next week. 

Beginning to Enjoy Winter

As I have said before, I have an Alaskan daughter who very much loves Winter.  That said, I think she would love Hawaii too!  Then again...maybe not.

Those of you who know me well, know I am not a fan of winter...except for Christmas of course, but I think I have changed.  Mainly due to a frolicking almost 4 year old who loves sledding, skating, snow forts, snowmen, snowballs and hot chocolate after all is said and done.

While the lower 48 was in the deep freeze, Alaska was enjoying a warm-up (usually the 2 go hand in hand due to that roller coaster of a jet stream), which allowed us to go out and frolic that much more.

We have a side wooded area that in Summer is almost impossible to get thru due to the speedy growth, abundance of cow parsnips that we stay clear of, and the potential for bears creeping up. But when the snow falls and bears are safely tucked away, it becomes our winter woods.  Forts, snowmen and endless dragon attacks keep us occupied for hours.  

Our snowman in the back was looking quite the Calvin and Hobbes masterpiece...until it toppled over after I took this pic.  Going to try something new that I saw on Pinterest when the wet snow returns ... will keep you in suspense until then.

I believe Christmas is now behind us, but not after celebrating Christmas morning over and over again with the barrage of packages that arrived after the 25th.  It was really quite welcomed as Amelia didn't want the present opening to stop.

Can always count on my niece Liz for the most unusual gifts!

Earlier one morning we had a My Little Pony Wedding...

and that afternoon her cousin Katie sent her this.  She was in heaven for the rest of the evening. 

Right before the holiday ended, we went to see Frozen. 

I took a picture of the parking lot, as it certainly did look Frozen and we were pretty much the only ones there for a 10:30 am showing.  

Definitely a must see for kids and adults alike, however, I was more enthralled with Tangled.  This was Amelia's second movie (Planes was her first) and this time, she was awake for it all.  Luckily we saw this AFTER Christmas, as her list would have been much longer. 

Finally, since we were home for Christmas, Amelia and I headed out to find a few Christmas buys and found this little advent cottage and a few other treasurers.  Amelia had been playing with it and a few other wooden advents every time we went to the store.  I wasn't going to spend the $50, but $3 I will :)

My New Year resolution (like I ever really make one) is to get our upstairs storage area organized...better get cracking.

Mary Melcher

We have been in non-stop play mode since Christmas.

Wonder why? :)

Amelia has played with all of the above several times since ripping the wrap off December 25th.  

We have watched "My Neighbor Totoro" about 25 times 

and have read every book...at least twice.  One being "Mommy, Who Does God Love?"

Which brings me to...

Mary Melcher.

I dug out a mug that was my moms for this post.  

My mom loved Mary Melcher cards.  I have several packed away in one of several big bins of "all things saved".  I still have a calendar that she gave me for Christmas that is missing a few pictures, no doubt used for a craft back in the late 80's...dang it.  These were still intact: 

 As I am typing this, I remember a notepad my mom had given me with a bear in a swing in the upper left corner.  I am pretty sure I saved a page and it too is included in that big box of saved things I mentioned ... I won't try to find it for this post :)  Yep...my mom and I were kind of obsessed. 

Then I didn't see our familiar bear for quite some time.   I actually remember searching stores...coming up empty handed.

Twenty-five or so years later, along comes Amelia.  

Like every new parent, I searched Ebay and Amazon for used books of ones I loved.  Being an older first time mom, books that I actually saved were a bit fragile to actually read again.

I searched for toys I remembered having.  I searched for favorite television shows (Bugs Bunny is one of Amelia's favorites).  I searched for artists and authors from my past.  

I found Mary Melcher!

I placed a comment on her Etsy shop on how glad I was to see those familiar bears.   I explained I was trying to harvest a bookworm and it seemed to be working...

She graciously signed "Puppies Count".  

I explained, although I have a potential bookworm, I also have a horse loving cowgirl.  

I framed the postcard she sent along with the print.

I also explained I have a girl who wants to be a mermaid when she grows up.  I asked if she had a print of what she calls her "Merbear" that I saw some time ago...somewhere.  It would be a perfect gift for Amelia's mermaid themed birthday in March. Mary said she would look.

I ordered Christmas Thank You's and Cards for Amelia and Rob in a recent purchase.  Mary said in a note that she included a gift to Amelia with my order.

I had nearly forgotten about the Merbear request.

In the package was this: 

Now appropriately hanging above her castle tent where she reads to her stuffed friends.

All are new treasures.  Someday...hopefully...in Amelia's box of saved things.

Thank you, Mary, for this post permission.  Will be in touch.