Spring is Finally HERE!

We still have snow on the ground, but it's slowly melting and will hopefully be gone for good in a few days.   Today it's supposed to be 54.  I almost can't believe it, I was figuring we'd be covered in snow until July.  And then I think back to last year's Easter weekend and I am amazed at how late spring is coming.

LAST YEAR:

THIS YEAR:

 Our bulbs are just coming through the ground, and we still need winter coats and hats when we go outside.  BUT!  It's around the corner.  Warm weather is almost here.  ALMOST!

Phones Are Great, Just Not For Blogs.

My mother in law asked why I hadn't updated the blog lately and I realized it's because I am never down in the basement on my computer anymore, I'm always doing things on my phone.  Which is great, but I haven't been able to post anything here from my phone.  SO...here we are.  Brendan is off today and the kids are up coloring Bubble Guppie pictures and I snuck away to the computer.

 

So what has been going on lately?  Last weekend I took the kids to my sister's.  We played with cousins and saw Gramma Pam.  We ate at Russ' which is a kid favorite, we thrifted at Bibles for Mexico which is a mama favorite.  It was fun!  The kids were awesome on the four hour drive and Chicago traffic was smooth sailing both ways.

 Other than that, not much has been going on.  Same old life of school, thrifting, sewing, and playing.

Ooh, wait, no, we got new appliances, thats's fun!  We had ordered a stove from Home Depot and when they delivered it, it was damaged.  Two weeks later we still didn't have a new one, and then it was a hassle to get my money back, it was just such a pain in the ass.  Finally we ended up going to Sears Outlet where they have all the scratch and dent ones, where we found our new stove AND ended up getting a refrigerator because they're such low prices, why not?  So we still ended up with dents in our stove, but we got it for way cheaper.  Ha!

 And...we got a new vacuum.  Life is good.

Art, Sewing, Shiners.

Coloring.  Chalk, markers, crayons, whatever they can get their hands on.

 I got some sewing done, with some help from Otis and baby emma the doll.

 We played cars.

Otis ran smack into the door jamb and got himself quite the bruised face.

 It looks way worse now than when it happened, as it has now turned purple, yellow, and green.  He looks like he's wearing eye shadow.

 He got sick on Friday and has been very clingy when sleeping.  He's been in our bed the past two nights, and his nap yesterday was like this:

 Ingrid decided all their coloring needed to be in an art show, so if you're in the Milwaukee area, be sure not to miss the Ingrid and Otis Art Show now at the Liddle Gallery. 

Oh!  And this morning, Ingrid and I went to see Mary Poppins!  There is a small theater that has matinees on the weekend of classic kid movies.  It was her first time going, she liked the popcorn and thought the seats were funny.  But Mary Poppins is long.  And some of it gets boring.  And it was nearing lunch time.  So we bailed right about the part where there's the bird lady singing about tuppence.  We still had fun! 

 

Broads with Bunnies

When I moved back to Milwaukee a couple years ago, I started a Facebook group for local moms, called Broads with Babies.  It was originally intended to be a way to get together for play dates.  Little by little it grew, and now it's at 700 some moms!  Obviously we don't all get together, but there is a good core group that is always on there, and it's nice to have a place to ask a question and get some good answers.  Don't know about you, but I usually hate online mom's groups.  People get so judgy and bitchy!  Luckily these ladies are pretty rad and no one gets too preachy.  So far it's been a good experience, and I've met a lot of new friends through there!

Anyway, yesterday I had two baskets full of stuffed bunnies I'd finished.  I thought "boy, I sure don't want to have any of these things left like I did last year.  God knows we don't need more stuffed animals in our house."  So I posted a picture on my Broads with Babies group, seeing if anyone wanted one. 

Within a few hours I had sold all of them!  And now I have a list of orders to make more!  And people had gone to my etsy shop and asked to buy bibs, too.  It was completely overwhelming! 

I am so thankful that I can sit here in my basement with lovely fabric and sew things people actually want.  I am so thankful that Otis will sit here with me and let me do this.  I am so thankful I get to buy more fabric when I want, lol!  Today is a good day, despite the 5" of snow that is supposed to fall.

Sickies

This winter is taking FOREVER to end!  We got so spoiled with last year, where it didn't snow and it was spring like weather most of the winter.  And then this year we are hit with tons of snow, and everyone is sick, all the time. 

 

Otis has had a cold for...ever?  I don't even know how long.  It never really goes away, poor kid.

 

 To add to this fun, Otis has given up naps.  It's been four days.  Four long, tired, tear filled afternoons.  He's fine until about 3:30, then he hits a wall and nothing is right, he cries at everything, and I have to make it until 6pm when I can put him to bed.  Why do my kids think naps are optional?  THEY AREN'T!  Everyone needs a nap. 

 

Ingrid got a stomach bug this weekend, so she's been pretty much laying on the couch since Friday.  My poor girl, usually so full of energy, she's just so lethargic. 

 But it's March!  Spring is right around the corner and with it will come more fresh air, and hopefully less germs.  Stupid winter.