The beginnings of the box saga

This summer it seemed like I could post about something everyday.  There was so much going on, so many new things and experiences to share!  Well, January in Pittsburgh is sort of bleak and so ALL of our adventures have been happening within these walls.  Luckily we love our home and with 3 kids and homeschooling life can never get too boring.

Tyler is in this terrible spot in school.  The end (rotations) is so near and yet still so far away.  We are trying to keep our spirits high and cramming in as much vitamin D as we can find in order to fend off the seasonal blues.

Last week we hit a creativity high.  We filled some balloons with water and food coloring and made giant frozen marbles.  These were great outdoor decorations until it warmed up to 45 on Saturday and they melted.  The kids were pretty mad.

Quinn is testing her limits.  She has made it up exactly 1 step, and still prefers eating garbage, hairballs, and old peas to real food.

Tyler has made an effort to be around more this semester.  The girls have enjoyed being able to see and touch Daddy more often.  He has been great to include them in school when he can.

We have found new ways to enjoy the great indoors and are growing pretty attached to our box friend.  We have been able to capture a photo a day this last week of all our box adventures.

I've enjoyed practicing my photography skills and making fun pictures.  While I strive to make the finished pictures polished, here you catch a glimpse of what "the process" looks like in creating a box masterpiece.  I'm fairly proud of my backdrop- rigged from a baby gate, a shower curtain rod, some paper clips, rubber bands, cushions and a bedspread.  It's a lot more difficult than it may seem to get 3 kids sitting still, with proper lighting, in the confines of that bedspread backdrop.

Quinn is the sunshine in our days.  What would we do without her?!

She is easy to please and loves pleasing others.  This picture catches her extra happy because I gave her free reign over a tube of puffs so she would sit still.  She was excitedly shoveling handfuls into her mouth.

Alex and Heidi are my actors.  Very dramatic, excited to dress up and and willing to pose for me.

Quinn Usually photo-bombs me while I set the stage.  Creeping up on the couch while I set the camera up just right.

The girls get into it right away and I love eaves dropping and being a part of their games.  We start out imagining the scene and then they figure out costumes and get going while I set up our backdrop.  I remember not long ago when that dress was too long!

These pictures make me smile so much my face hurts.  I think it's because they help me remember the moments, which are a blast.

This is SO Heidi in character.  She has some serious theater skills.

Perhaps Quinn does as well.

Despite the cold we've been having some fun.  The girls and I made a pie on Friday and forgot to eat a slice before bed.  I really wanted some for a midnight snack but couldn't cut into it without them there.  Tyler came up with a great idea/ some fall guys that made it easier.

The girls are skeptical.  We also put a map under the plastic tablecloth on our table.  Our table is now 100x cooler than it was.

Quinn Photo bombing my set up, again.

I do have to pat myself on the back, sometimes I struggle when it comes to pictures- trying to make things "just so".  So far we have been able to keep the pictures 100% fun (well, 99% sorry Quinn.  This was the last picture) and lighthearted, balancing the pretend game and my desired results while still getting the money shot.

Saturday we went to our Pittsburgh Grandma's house to bake cookies, play games and have a tea party.  Grandma Sue is one of Tyler's teachers who we have bonded with and adopted as our own.  She is wonderful and Grandmotherly and patient with my kids.

She took us to the park and gave us an old cast iron muffin tin that makes sleeping cat muffins.  I imagine myself turning out something like Grandma Sue, I think that's why we get along so well- she's an older version of me.

Sunday Quinn sported her first pigtails (donkey ears) to church.

Monday it snowed and so we put on some makeup and played cats.

Last kitty left.