We are beginning to dream of the beach, and vaguely discussing some type of spring getaway. Maybe to Gatlinburg, TN? The girls have never been. Spring puts me in the mood for adventure, so there is no telling where we might end up in the coming months.
Jeremy and I did have a date night the weekend after Valentines Day. Dinner and a movie is always a treat!
Books I read: 3.5
Laugh with the Moon--I finished this one from January, and I really enjoyed it. It is written for younger teens, I think, and I will recommend it to some of the kids in my youth group who like to read.
Good in a Crisis--This was a memoir, by Margaret Overton, mostly about the years following her intense, mid-life divorce. I have a love-hate relationship with a lot of memoirs, and this one was solidly in the middle...I neither loved it nor hated it.
Exclusively Yours--A quick, fluffy romance. It feels very much like a classic Harlequin, which I do still enjoy every couple of months. It's nice to have a break between more intense, in-depth books that take my full attention and concentration.
The Flight of Gemma Hardy--Full review here, but easily my favorite book of the month. Actually, my favorite of the year so far, if you don't count Harry Potter, which was a reread. I recommend this book if you're looking for a story to get lost in.
Music
Mumford & Sons is still in heavy rotation. Adele has made a reappearance, and Addison is back to requesting "Rollin' in the Deep" on a regular basis. On recommendation from my sister, I added The Civil Wars to my Pandora rotation, and I really like their music as well.
Addison & Mackenzie are into the Fresh Beat Band, thanks to a 'Wizard of Song' special we watch at least three times a week. They have watched a few other Fresh Beat Band songs on YouTube, but the tv special is the clear favorite.
February also goes down as the month when the girls discovered Johnny Cash. I am not sure how long this phase will last, but right now, they are loving his music. They listen to it in the truck with their daddy, and I love to watch them sharing those moments. I remember listening to The Everly Brothers and Marty Robbins with my dad on the way to school in the mornings, and I still stop to listen whenever I hear any of those old songs come on.
Crafts and Projects
I made a skirt, painted a desk, and painted a frame to make a dry-erase board (picture soon!). I also made various fabric bookmarks while playing around with my sewing machine, which I think I might give to my kids at church for Easter. It was a good month for crafting in our house, and there are lots of ideas on tap for next month, mostly related to the birthday party coming up the last weekend of March!
The girls had a lot of fun making Valentines, both at home and at school. They are really into "gluing hearts", and are constantly requesting I cut out more hearts. I am happy to oblige that fairly simple request...I can cut out a mean paper heart.
Random/Notable Memories
Hmmm....apparently we had a pretty quiet month! One thing I can think of is that we had a couple of afternoons when, for whatever reason, the girls did not get a nap or had only a very short nap. Compared to the fiasco an afternoon without a nap would have been a few months ago, these afternoons were not so bad. I am in NO way ready to give up our standard two-hour afternoon nap, especially on the weekends, but it is nice to know that we are to a point where we can make plans knowing that a skipped nap is not the end of the world.
We have continued to have warm weather this month, along with rain and storms on a weekly basis. As much as I enjoy a few weeks of winter, it has been very nice letting the girls play outside a bit more than is usual for February. Last night, they even got to run through the rain for a few minutes--which was probably the highlight of their week!
A & M are getting very excited about their upcoming birthday. They have begun to answer "three" or "almost three" when someone asks their age, and we have to remind them they are still two for a few more weeks. We have also been talking about the big change that is coming up for A & M... they know that on their third birthday, we will be done with pacifiers. It might be a rough couple of weeks for all of us, but it is way past time.
Finally, I would call this the month of the library--we are on a solid two-week rotation for Saturday morning visits--and the month I realize I have to learn to say no sometimes. I am feeling very over-committed and overwhelmed with outside obligations, and it is stressing me out a little. The most stressful things will be over in a few weeks, and I am counting down the days. I am determined this will be a lesson learned, though. I like my free time, and if I have to turn down a few things in order to preserve it, then so be it.
How was your February?
First: I hope you and yours are all well and safe!
ReplyDeleteSecondly: I'm all over your playlists!!!
Lastly: I can't wait to see your party planning. Our ladies are all about parties but don't quite get that they will be having one. I'm lost for a theme, and everything else.
you are truly an inspiration for me. i NEED to learn how to use my sewing machine. there's really no excuse!!!
ReplyDeletesounds like you had a great month. i had a birthday and STILL didn't make it out on a date night! arg. we have to get better about that for sure!