1)
Happy Saint Valentine's Day!!
All week I kept asking my kids who their valentines were, and Maggie would always answer "Jack!" and the boys would get all uncomfortable and say "NOBODY!" until they realized they could make their Mom really happy by responding "You!". So here are four of my valentines (and boys are awesome):
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| Xander photobomb. Be thankful it was only his head in this shot as he had gone completely cupid this morning. |
2)
Dunkin Donuts has these cookie dough donuts that sound equal parts amazing and disgusting, and the kids have been coveting them, so today was the big day they finally got to sink their teeth into one. The verdict was "AWESOME!!!". I gave them a glass of milk and a banana before we left home, so I could ease the guilt of feeding them junk for breakfast.
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| He's been doing his hair like this lately - almost 11 and starting to care about his looks. Sigh. |
3)
I entered myself in the Mom of the Year contest by making my kids these little love notes to stick in their lunch:
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| Linking up with Cari's Theme Thursday: Hearts |
4)
We had another earthquake this week! It was only 2.1 magnitude but it was in the town where we work. This is nuts!
5)
Have you finished your taxes yet? As a former tax accountant, I LOVE doing taxes (hate the pressure and deadlines, but love the actual work). I finished ours on January 31, e-filed them, and received our federal refund on February 10. Not too shabby, IRS.
I know in my accounting heart that I shouldn't be excited about getting a refund because it means I've been loaning the government my money interest free all year long, but there is still something so satisfying about getting a chunk of change to put towards debt/projects/into savings. We are trying to save for a down payment on the next house (3 bedrooms is getting a little tight for a soon to be family of 8), so into savings it goes.
6)
My parents are in Florida for the month, enjoying 80 degree weather, and these backdoor visitors:
Aaaahhh, I want to be them when I grow up. My parents, not the birds.
7)
You know what's really exciting?? When you buy perishable food that expires AFTER your due date! It's getting close, people!!
Have a wonderful Olympic Watching, Earthquake Avoiding, Snow Shoveling Weekend!
I did these squeeze and kiss Valentines for my kiddos too, I admit, I always do a big party, so I usually figure that is their present. Love your little 2 heart Valentines...might have to steal that one...as I felt guilty giving them those Kool-Aid full of sugar squeezes...I cringe.
ReplyDeleteI want to see nakid cupid.
I want to be your parents too.
That whole earth quake thing is crazy!
Have a wonderful St Valentine's day!
Too funny, as a kid I always loved when the milk expired on my birthday because I knew it must be close. Kind of the same thing as a due date really. You"re just excited for the new birthday! We got our refund this week too! Happy St. Valentine's Day Martin Family.
ReplyDeleteI have only 3 bedrooms with 10 kids ( plus one due in March)! No new rooms needed - just keep stacking up the bunkbeds - one of ours even has a trundle underneath it. Save the money for something fun - like a Honda?
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm....he's fixing his hair? He MUST have a Valentine other than you!
ReplyDeleteCan you come file my taxes por favor?!? Our first tax season married, we filed on April 14th (when I finally wasn't busy anymore). Also, my husband files them. Yep... my life makes total sense. Annnnnd now I want donuts. Happy St. V's day!
ReplyDeleteThis was soo cute! Loved the valentine's idea for the kiddos! So sweet!
ReplyDeleteYes, I only type with exclamation points!
Happy Valentine's Day almost 29 year old!
Ummm, wait, I forgot to ask what happened to Robbie? Who is Maggie's Jack?
DeleteI LOVE tax season! Although in some ways it's kinda weird, because the last 4 years we have gotten more money back (thanks to the EIC) than we actually paid into taxes. It's the advantage to being poor. LOL. I'm hoping that changes soon although we do love the huge refund!
ReplyDeleteColleen Martin, I just totally heart your blog. Even when I am not totally sure why, I feel happy and content. Keep on keeping on. (And I laughed so hard at your "win" on Mama Knows.)
ReplyDeleteLove the hearts in lunch boxes!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree on the big chunk-o-change back on the refund.
Okay I'll let you in on a long but not so well kept secret about our former 3 bedroom house. Once upon a time my hubby was single and he had this super cute 3 bed 2 bath house that happened to be on a 2 lane highway (where people fly by at 65 mph on good days). Perfect for a single guy who thought he would not get married (yes he did think this). Well along I came and then along came our first bebe. When I was pregnant with our second, I said okay what's the plan for sleeping arrangements?
1. I slept (and still do sleep) in the baby's room so I can nurse in bed and not worry about him rolling on baby and more importantly not wake him up
2. One of the bedrooms was a chapel / prayer room with 50+ icons in it
So I said, are you going to forego the chapel or sleep on the couch or sleep in our room with the baby?
I'm not sure which option was the least appealing to him because in between that conversation and before baby #2 was born we had successfully moved (3 weeks before my due date) into a 5 bedroom 3 bath house. (Houses are SUPER cheap comparatively around here so if y'all are up for a change-o-scenery come down to NC)
Moral of the story, when you marry a guy who is 31 he is likely to be (a lot) more set in his ways?
Oh man, John-Paul's hair... My John Paul "did" his hair the other day, but he used cooking spray and it didn't work quite so well...
ReplyDeleteAnd cookie dough doughnuts? I don't even understand how that would work!
I'm so with you on the perishable goods - I get really excited at the end of every year when I buy things that don't expire until the next calendar year! And I always get pretty excited when it means I'm that close to my due date, too (in no small part because it means, "Look! I can go at least a week after giving birth without having to buy more sour cream!")!
Haha! I measure my due date like that too. Especially when the milk's best before date is after my due date, then you know s/he's almost in arms!
ReplyDelete