Searching for their Valentine's

This year Deke and I decided to create scavenger hunts for each of the kids inside the house to find a little valentine's treat.  I had to also add a picture of one of the things Deke got for me.  I of course like most women love flowers and I have also always loved gummies.  Gummy bears, gummy strawberries, you get the idea.  Anyways Deke got me a bouquet of yellow and red gummy roses.  Aren't they cute?????  They were also really yummy.

We made up clues for the kids and then taped their first clues by the front door to greet them when they got home from school.  We also placed all of their other clues in their spots.

Then put their goodies in a final location for them to eventually find....

When the kids walked through the door we told them we were going to do a scavenger hunt.  We first had Emma do her turn.  Her clues were really simple like, "Go to the place where you get clean for the day."  Then she just had to find them.  She really likes playing hide and go seek so she was loving the finding part.

She followed her different clues which eventually led her out to her bike basket where her snack was.

Next it was Ave's turn, here's a couple of pics from her hunt.  Her clues were all rhymes.

A couple pics of Hunter's turn.  His clues were all riddles to solve.

It was really fun to go as an entire family around as each person took their turn on their scavenger hunt.  The kids loved it and it was fun for Deke and I to do for them.  Now off for more Valentine's fun and yummy treats for the rest of the day.  Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Sweet sisters

These two love each other a whole lot.  They have so much fun together and play together so well. It is really fun for me to watch their sweet sisterhood continue to grow.  I feel so lucky to have them and they are so lucky to have each other.....

He is so wearing that bowtie.

My friend/neighbor made this adorable onesie for Hudson.  It makes me smile.  He looks like such a little old man with his belly hanging over his pants, the bowtie and his balding head.  He is so scrumptious!!!! This little guy is so much fun, he is so alert and smiley and has started giggling.  I love having a baby in the house.  I LOVE having a baby in the house!!

Valentine, you're fintastic!

Having an older brother and sister it is interesting to see how Emma thinks she needs to be doing all the things they are doing.  So naturally when we went shopping for their class valentine's and some treats for their parties, Emma was quickly asking what she was going to get for her nursery friends.  I realized that this would probably be a good year for her to give away some simple valentine's to some of her nursery friends.  So we picked up some goldfish cracker packs (rainbow colored of course :) ) and made some simple little valentine's.  I cut stuff out and then let her stick on the little goldfish and heart stickers.  We sat together and made her valentine's and talked about going to nursery the next day.

She was so excited to give them to her friends.  That night she asked if the crackers could sleep in their box next to her on the floor.  Sure kiddo :)  The next morning she carried it around all morning until church then her teacher told her she could hand them out at the end of class.  I sneaked out of relief society the last five minutes to watch outside the nursery window just in time to get to watch her hand them out.  "Here you go, here you go" she was saying as she handed one to each kid, just beaming.  Then once they were handed out she looked in the box and said, "Is there one for me?" looking a little worried.  She is still two of course so sharing is fun as long as she can still be included.  It was really cute then the teacher had everyone say "thank you Emma" and she got embarrassed and looked down at the floor.  Oh my sweet Emma helping you deliver  your first class valentine's was a lot of fun!

Note to self....

Avery.  She kills me.  After spending an hour or so making valentine cards for people I started cleaning up the supplies.  Avery was still busy working away on a card so I waited for her to finish.  She came in and asked if she could have some tape to put something on her door.   The scotch was long gone now used to embellish many valentine's from three sets of busy little hands.  So I handed her a piece of duct tape and asked if it would work.  "Yeah that's fine" she told me and then hurried off.  I was intrigued and went to see what she was hanging.  As I came around the corner towards her room she hit me with instant explanation, "Mom since Hunter has Riley for a Valentine and Emma got a valentine card from Andrew no one has given me a Valentine sooo I made one for myself."  She looked at me grinning with sheer self approval.  "That's neat Ave" I said as I walked over to see it.  I couldn't stop smiling as I read the words and had to stifle the laughter that kept threatening to come out.  She had made a valentine to herself.  It is sort of hard to read but this is what it says:  To: Avery From: Avery, Happy Valentine's day and have a great time this year.  I hope you have a fun time.  Top right: Love everybody.  Top left: you are here always, arrow pointing inside a heart.  Um.  I am dying right now.  This is so Ave.  Love her.  So while Avery was making valentine's notes to herself I made a personal note to keep an eye on my almost ten year old who is professing his affection these days in form of written word as well.  For awhile now Hunter has talked about a girl in his class named Riley.  It started with telling me "Mom she is so nice, she always says hi to me and dresses nice."  Soon it was they would play tag and chase in a group and Riley would always tag him to then one day coming home and telling me he liked her.  A couple days later he asked me how he should let her know that he liked her.  He asked if he should write her a note and slip it in her desk as they all headed out to recess.  Oh boy, I thought to myself he is really thinking about this. He asked me not to tell Deke, I think he was worried Deke would tease him.   I told him not to worry about girls and just be their friends and worry about other things.    Well that didn't really work.  Later that week I was bathing Hudson one night, Deke was working late and the girls were already asleep.  Hunter was supposed to be as well but I saw his light on and heard him working on something.  He soon came in and said, "Mom, I  made this for Riley and I'm going to slip it into her desk tomorrow.  It's a Valentine."  He handed me this.......   

A vase of roses, a portrait of a girl whom I am assuming is supposed to be Riley, birds, clouds, hearts with arrows and then up top in cursive my favorite part...a quote or a statement: Love is not just in one place.  Again I was dying.  My mind was racing wondering how to respond to this.  Thoughts speeding through my head. He's only nine years old, why is he using the word love, chill out MeKell it is sweet, yeah but I really don't want him getting this interested in girls yet, and a million other things.  "You did a nice job Hunter, the roses are pretty and your handwriting looks great."  I started.  "I am glad you are friends with Riley and it's okay to like her."  "Just remember though that you are nine and right now it's not time to be worrying about this kind of stuff.  There will be time for girls and right now is time for Nerf guns, hanging with your friends, working on your bike tricks, scouts, and other fun stuff."  Then we talked about how it is okay to like people but that we didn't need to be holding hands or talking about love that he can like Riley and just be her friend and hang out with her.  Then I gave him a hug and said, "Hunter you are such a sweet guy.  I know that when you get to be sixteen and start going out on dates that you are going to have so much fun and do so many cute, romantic things when you get older."  He gave me another hug and said "night mom" and then headed to bed. I tried to absorb what had just happened and looked down at my little Hudson looking wide eyed at me from his bathtub.... 

So many wonderful years ahead of me of moments like this. Parenting can feel so intimidating to me sometimes.  Knowing how to guide them through all these new experiences, trying hard to know the right things to say to direct, support, and teach them.  Worrying about doing it in a way that is best for them as an individual.  Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed in trying to do everything right for them or at times not knowing exactly what to do or say.  I guess I just keep trying my hardest, praying to know how to meet their individual needs and loving them every step of the way.  I hope that my boys are always sweet and romantic and kind to the girls that they will date and eventually marry.  That they will do cute things like Hunter did and write them love letters. I hope that my girls are always so confident about who they are that they can feel okay in those moments where they don't receive certain affirmation from other people.  That they will always love who they are like Avery does now.

We've got that lovin feelin'

Over the weekend had some fun making Valentine's for family and friends.  Love watching the kids busy working with crayons and stickers to create something unique.  Hunter made this picture in art class.  I usually hate things on the front of the fridge but this one makes me so happy every time I see it that it has been up on the fridge for over a week.  He did a great job on it.

Had a craft night again with my cousins and we did two crafts, both from the wonderful world of Pinterest.  This wood plaque with vinyl saying...

and this cute argyle wreath with yarn.  We spent all afternoon crafting, eating yummy mexican food, socializing and letting Zeke and Hudson play.  It was a great time.  I am loving this getting together every three months or so.  It is fun to actually do some of the crafts that I have pinned.

Igloos

 Emma had been talking about going to play in the snow for days.  We were getting ready to leave the next morning to head up north.  That morning she was so excited to watch a Curious George episode about snow where George builds an igloo.  She loved it and kept talking about it.  I jumped in the shower and her and Hudson were just sitting there playing when she said, "Yook mom! Yook what I made."  I peeked out of the shower to see this.  I started laughing.  "What is it?" I asked her.  "An igloo mom, I made it for me and Hudson to sleep in."  "No more talking mom, I need to go to sleep now."  Okay Em, enjoy your snooze in your tp igloo.  Crazy kid :)