During my savor-the-little-girl-times around here this summer, I was in search of a small picnic table for the yard. For the little people to sit at. Yes we have a big picnic table that works just fine, especially to hold the masses. But since the little people are dwindling (getting bigger) around here, I really […]
Welcome Home Zinser 5! With a backyard shindig
Our friends/neighbors we visited in Norway came back home this week, after living a year abroad. It sure is nice having them back! As a thank you for hosting us in their Norway home for a week, we promised a big welcome home party. Turned out there were a host of other people in our […]
Snapshots and simple thoughts from summer
It seems there just hasn’t been time to blog lately. I’ve been opting for sleep instead of late nights at the computer. During the day my girls screen time is very limited, I feel I have to set a good example by staying off my computer and not be constantly checking my phone. It just […]
Our Summertime TV Rules
The last two summers we had a No TV Summer. This is because it’s easier for me to say no than it is to police who gets to watch when, and deal with the whining when the answer is no to the TV. Instead I posted a sign over the TV armoire that said No […]
Our Daily Summer Board and Summer Fun List
I’m not a big planner. But kids like to know what’s happening when. So I pulled out our art easel and put it to use in our mudroom, to display daily plans and choices to keep the girls busy and informed. Or course, they don’t always need a plan, or choices. There is still loads […]
Transforming play spaces for Summertime
When the summer heat hits and the bugs bite, we take refuge in the basement while the girls spend many hours and days playing at home. It was especially out of control after living through a year of home renovations, with the basement serving as a landing zone for stuff while every room in the house […]
Our no-schedule summer
I’ve been eavesdropping a bit on folks about their summer plans. I hear a lot about camps, vacations and relief by moms who have their whole summers scheduled, week-by-week. When I hear this I feel liberated. We have no plans. Zero! No camps, no trips, and not even a single piano lesson. Today I finally […]
Snapshots of Summer
We are enjoying many moments of summer around here. In our backyard there is always a gaggle of girls, and almost everywhere we go. My oldest daughter and I were indoctrinated into the world of Dollywood. We went with friends, just us two moms and these two girls. It was a first for everything that […]