The simple joys of our week...

Happy Valentine's Day! We hope it was filled with love and laughter!

Holden made Valentines for her classmates, signing each one. She can now write her name perfectly!

We have a GREAT library! And I'm not just saying that. We've visited many libraries throughout our county, and neighboring counties as well, and really, our library is quite wonderful. We can spend whole afternoons in the children's section--doing puzzles, creating with legos, lounging in bean bag chairs, admiring art work, and yes, reading books!

We love books! We love the library!

Another good rainy day activity in our house is coloring. Iona hasn't had much practice at this, mostly because she insists on eating the crayons, but I keep trying.

What are these? They seem familiar. Hmmm....

Never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

Big sister loves to help. 

And then coloring turned into a game of Twister.  :)

These two know how to smile. 

Wednesday brought us some sunshine, so we strolled along the harbor and explored the nearby beach.

A favorite activity during low tide is to find sea creatures under the rocks. 

We were able to catch this little one.

The girls were quite taken with our new friend.

Daddy and Holden couldn't quite turn this rock over but we're sure there was treasure underneath!

We're thankful for our small town, surrounded by water and trees. 

We're thankful for our girls, who find joy and adventure in simple things. 

What we've been doing...

Michael got to go skiing!

The snow conditions were not perfect, the weather this last week has been a bit too balmy for ideal skiing, but it was beautiful!

The sisters continue to dote on each other. It's not all rosy all the time or anything (there are daily meltdowns regarding sharing, or the lack thereof), but we certainly catch glimpses of what we hope will be a loving, respectful relationship between these two strong-willed, energetic girls.

Soccer 101

We've been trying to get outside at least for a bit everyday, even if it is just in the yard to play. Luckily Papa works here in town and often swings by for visits in the afternoons. Having him over gives me a much needed break and the girls love running around with him. By the time afternoon rolls around, Mama has no energy to run.   :)

This week we also attended Mini-Explorers, where Holden learned about food chains. Interestingly enough the first example they used involved people eating cows. Well, we actually don't eat cows, or any other animals. Holden thought it was hilarious that anyone would even consider eating a cow, like perhaps they were joking. Class went much better when the discussion focussed more on the food chains happening within the sea. Well...until Holden brought up mermaids....  

The staff at Padilla Bay Interpretative Center always do such a great job teaching the kids using different methods. For this particular class they incorporating a short video clip, a song, a simple craft, a story book and a felt board interactive game. All within the hour! 

Holden has been very much enjoying coloring and drawing pictures lately. I'll try to take some photos of her creations for another blog post. Until then, peace and joy to you!

Beautifying our patio...

Swirls within swirls, the head of an artist!

Pose! 

Sisters sharing, yay!

Thankfully there is no rain predicted for the next several days! 

:)

For the birds...

This morning we made treats. Amazingly enough they were not for us!

But for the birds!

Holden was super excited to make the birds some birdseed muffins! We followed a recipe I found online, which included her favorite ingredient, honey. Of course she had to consume several "honey spoons" in the process. Thanks to Auntie Barbo and Uncle Johnny, we're supplied with delicious honey from their farm! Lucky us! Lucky birds!

After we lightly toasted the muffins in the oven, we poked a hole in them and threaded them on some ribbon to hang on our tree.

This is our bird-watching tree. We have an excellent view of it from our living room.

Now the waiting...

And waiting....   (little one is impatient)

More waiting...

Ah ha! A bird!

It perched next to the rock on the stump to check out the muffin of birdseed.

Finally! 

The girls were delighted to watch the birds enjoy their treat!