tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82790412024-03-13T14:29:08.215-04:00The Life of MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.comBlogger842125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-92107571087590291102017-10-01T17:09:00.000-04:002017-10-01T17:09:07.922-04:00Cadence is 9!YOU GUYS. I have a 9 year old. It is great that she is becoming more independent everyday. It is also hard that she is becoming more independent everyday. Cadence is so full of thoughts and ideas and questions. Here's her answers to the annual birthday questionnaire. (And <a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2016/09/cadence-is-8-interview.html" target="_blank">last year's</a>, just for fun.)<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite color: Turquoise</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite book: Dolphin Tale and Warriors: Into the Wild</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite food: pizza</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite dessert: ice cream</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite song: "I have a lot! Okay...Safe and You got me and Roar and Fireflies and Can't Stop the Feeling...okay...that's all."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite subject at school: Reading</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite place to go: "The porch so I can play with Pumpkin and the aquarium and the beach house."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite toy: All of them</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Show: How to Train Your Dragon and Ever After High</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Movie: Dolphin Tale</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Bible Story: Esther - "she's cool."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Restaurant: Chik-fil-a</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">What do you want to be when you grow up?: A dolphin trainer or a vet</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">What is the best thing about being Cadence?: "Oh! Um, this is a hard question. There's so many good things about being me, but none of them are like the best thing. Okay, that I live here. And I have a pet cat. And a zipline."</span></span></span><br />
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Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-1566106860032584322017-08-27T21:13:00.001-04:002017-09-11T18:57:42.640-04:00Piper is 6!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPsgleEVqrmRkkTzMWzqUHSJZmA1RkYVV2na5nXQnd45JpjT4XRg-pfSpggQtHIopGToKyFCd9HgaLjVTnPZM3B89GbyXSVx44qodAGw22Htfe9mH96Cb7po4BiC9ifRcnUCb/s1600/IMG_20170827_132532741%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPsgleEVqrmRkkTzMWzqUHSJZmA1RkYVV2na5nXQnd45JpjT4XRg-pfSpggQtHIopGToKyFCd9HgaLjVTnPZM3B89GbyXSVx44qodAGw22Htfe9mH96Cb7po4BiC9ifRcnUCb/s320/IMG_20170827_132532741%255B1%255D.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really, it's a shame she has no personality. Geewhiz.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Piper is 6. Wow! Time flies when you are having fun, I suppose. She just started at a new school this week, the school where Matt and I work. All summer, she was not happy about it, but now she seems pretty cool with things. Piper is great at sharing, expressing herself verbally (seriously, SOO expressive), and being super imaginative. She loves animals and making unusual fashion choices. Here is her birthday interview. And her past interviews : </span><a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2016/08/piper-is-5.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Five</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2015/08/piper-is-4.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Four</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2014/09/piper-is-3.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Three</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2013/09/piper-is-2-now.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Two</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite food: Fried Okra</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite dessert: "That is hard. Ice cream."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite animal: Cheetah</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7VScRQRtcXU6kBXpfEEj6nM7CLXqx5ZSnig9oGGAHrJCp-fA6u9XD5xAX7fIoJm-QfGgmlLCE0-143NDMZwNM7DVOTIWIQbTIZD_RfJf9kMuLRyfZibkpf7i7OBiu1khOh4L/s1600/IMG_20170826_153456647_HDR%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7VScRQRtcXU6kBXpfEEj6nM7CLXqx5ZSnig9oGGAHrJCp-fA6u9XD5xAX7fIoJm-QfGgmlLCE0-143NDMZwNM7DVOTIWIQbTIZD_RfJf9kMuLRyfZibkpf7i7OBiu1khOh4L/s320/IMG_20170826_153456647_HDR%255B1%255D.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite show: Lion Guard</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite Movie: Lion King</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite book: Animals Around the World</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite song: Roar </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What do you want to be when you grow up? Giggling - "I don't know!"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Where do you want to live when you grow up? "In R-----, still. I need somebody to move out so I can live here. Unless there's any empty houses...I could live next door to you when I grow up." #boardingschoolkid4ever</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite thing to play: Be whatever you want</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite Color: Purple</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is the best thing about being Piper? "That I'm in kindergarten."</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVb1Nz3v5zzHzfCDZb5EJgsJYFC59eOAOCpSGQgDZRTlsk57zuwSe7etBM5Wk-Gi8SSuRTP7ZZBZiq5oiYJHsDx5KtSUsbGpD8ho5vDwMFgBf-NqzNb4aVlTuO10oTQ_V6s9-/s1600/IMG_20170827_190554075%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVb1Nz3v5zzHzfCDZb5EJgsJYFC59eOAOCpSGQgDZRTlsk57zuwSe7etBM5Wk-Gi8SSuRTP7ZZBZiq5oiYJHsDx5KtSUsbGpD8ho5vDwMFgBf-NqzNb4aVlTuO10oTQ_V6s9-/s320/IMG_20170827_190554075%255B1%255D.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is also very excited about her new backpack and matching lunchbox and dance bag.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-80265972574360923892017-02-01T08:36:00.001-05:002017-02-01T08:36:06.952-05:00what we're loving now {january 2017}Here's what we've been loving in January:<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/GoNoodleGames" target="_blank">Go Noodle</a> - I'm not totally sure how to even describe these videos. Many are intended for indoor recess, so we have fun with those when we've needed to get some energy out and it's too cold or rainy for outside play. Others are educational, like my favorite: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjtPMiumixA" target="_blank">Don't Read Like A Robot</a>. Other favorites: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUb-ZxbRXKU" target="_blank">The Llama Song</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPCGfa44bF0" target="_blank">Peanut Butter in a Cup</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00VIGWOEU/ref=sr_bookseries_null_B00VIGWOEU" target="_blank">The Kingdom of Wrenly books</a> - Cadence just started these but the pace at which she is reading could accurately be described as devouring them. An 8 year old prince and his friend Clara have adventures and solve mysteries. There's dragons and fairies, so it's exactly in C's wheelhouse.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXaH20eIS38bZQwg9kNg6PHYufF4V3eCp" target="_blank">Moana Soundtrack</a> - We saw Moana during Christmas break and really enjoyed it. Sooo nice to have a female protaganist who is not in any way involved in a romance. Anyway, the songs are fun and catchy and we've been listening to the soundtrack on YouTube while we color or clean.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-12044289697987862482016-12-17T10:16:00.000-05:002016-12-17T10:16:00.914-05:00walking on water: the beginning of a story about love and foster care<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders...let me walk upon the waters…wherever you would call me.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just over three months ago, we were blessed to add a precious girl to our family through foster care. It's hard to explain what this process has meant and felt like, except it is the closest thing to walking on water that I have ever done. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be honest, I’ve never really related to Peter. When I’ve read the text of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:22-33" target="_blank">Matthew 14:22-33</a>, I mainly connected to the part where the disciples on the boat are scared when they see Jesus on the waves. Because I can do scared like nobody’s business. But Peter, he always seemed brash, implusive, and uneducated to me, and those are some things that I am not. I always thought if he just took a minute before he got out of the boat, maybe he would have thought things through a bit and he wouldn’t have started sinking. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, though, I get it. Peter knew his Lord. He knew who was in control. He knew he'd been called to live a life different than the one he'd imagined, and he was just trying to be with Jesus. Then things got hard and scary and there was nothing he could do to control the situation. But Jesus caught him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, goodness, if that isn't my life everyday now. I've been hanging out with Jesus for a long time. But most of that time, I've been in the boat. (There was <a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2015/02/5-years-ago-in-which-i-finally-process.html" target="_blank">that one time</a>.) It's pretty safe there and there's Bible studies and worship music. All that time though, in the boat, there was this growing feeling we had that we were supposed to do this: welcome a child, a stranger, with baggage (not literally, she came with her school backpack and a bike). And love her dearly and help her feel safe and remind her and ourselves that we have a good, good Father. And He was walking on these waves before we showed up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's hard. There's days I feel like Jesus is holding my head just above water because I've totally lost sight of His sovereignty. There's days I try to take control and my worry and frustration spirals. In that though, there's generosity and love, family and friends who have been so supportive, prayers felt, two sweet girls who have loved and shared so much with their new sister, and a truly beautiful and brave little girl. </span></div>
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Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-78427169557073961722016-09-15T21:51:00.000-04:002017-09-11T18:56:41.764-04:00Cadence is 8! An Interview<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">It's very hard to believe we have an 8 year old in this house! I love this age where she has so many ideas and plans and can execute them herself. Cadence is tenacious, sensitive, and curious. She's obsessed with dolphins. We gave her a lego set that's just all sorts of bricks so she could build what she wants. She was very excited to answer these yearly interview questions because she feels like she has so much better answers now that she's older.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite color: "I have two. Blue and silver."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Time-Bed-Mem-Fox/dp/0152010661/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473989240&sr=8-1&keywords=time+for+bed" target="_blank">Time for Bed</a> and Snow Babies. "They're so cute!"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite food: Pizza!!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite dessert: Ice Cream</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite song: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTJVNUSkFcM" target="_blank">"Safe" by Westlife</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite subject at school: Science and art.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite place to go: "To the dining hall and to school. So I can see my friends."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Favorite toy: My Dolphin Tale Set</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Show: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4049416/" target="_blank">Lego Friends</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Movie: A Dolphin Tale</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite Restaurant: Chik-fil-a</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">What do you want to be when you grow up?: "I want to work at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium because Winter is there."</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">How many teeth have you lost?: 8</span></span><br />
<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-10616672853975034922016-08-27T19:55:00.002-04:002016-08-27T19:55:37.265-04:00Piper is 5!<br />
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Today we are celebrating 5 years of Piper! She is a totally fun kid who loves stories, animals, taking fashion risks, and playing with her sister. We're so proud of her for going to school all day and working so hard. Here are her answers to her birthday interview, which are not that different from last years' answers. (Just for fun, here's the interviews for <a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2015/08/piper-is-4.html" target="_blank">4</a>, <a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2014/09/piper-is-3.html" target="_blank">3</a>, and <a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2013/09/piper-is-2-now.html" target="_blank">2</a>.)<br />
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Favorite food: Fried Okra<br />
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Favorite animal: "Every kind of big cat. But my most favorite one is a lion."<br />
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Favorite show: <a href="http://pawpatrol.com/index.php?loc=en_na" target="_blank">Paw Patrol</a><br />
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Favorite book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Immis-Gift-Karin-Littlewood/dp/1561455458" target="_blank">Immi's Gift</a><br />
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Favorite song: New Annie Songs<br />
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What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know yet."<br />
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Where do you want to live when you grow up? "Somewhere here...no, wait, somewhere with lots of animals."<br />
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Favorite thing to play: Puppy Park<br />
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Favorite Color: "I'll tell you my least favorite, because I have lots. Black."Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-81288267650700247202016-07-13T14:41:00.001-04:002016-07-13T14:41:29.654-04:00Breathe...<p dir="ltr">Sitting on the porch at the beginning of a thunderstorm. I LOVE rain with a love that has been passed down through a couple generations. Somehow this summer has often felt like a big to-do list, and right now I'm ignoring the list and making myself sit for just a few minutes.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0NpuOjhF2lLAe-biAwSpcdueaN5fxc1fUlQJumWG2a9DxLaNI7iNoKo92c0U3MMs12NlixIeyUgWS15Qr3HIT9YLMYOW2BGm6V-OUExh8KMzejGeeL_OonGwo_Mmp98_llHQ/s1600/IMG_20160713_143753418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0NpuOjhF2lLAe-biAwSpcdueaN5fxc1fUlQJumWG2a9DxLaNI7iNoKo92c0U3MMs12NlixIeyUgWS15Qr3HIT9YLMYOW2BGm6V-OUExh8KMzejGeeL_OonGwo_Mmp98_llHQ/s640/IMG_20160713_143753418.jpg"> </a> </div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-20651373471191135902016-07-03T19:32:00.001-04:002016-07-03T19:32:24.196-04:00what we're loving now {June 2016}Here's what we were into in June:<br />
*posting late because of internet problems<br />
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Making headbands! - My friend Stephanie came over several times this month so I could help her learn to sew. I haven't sewn in FOREVER and this reminded me that it's fun! I made myself two cute headbands using <a href="http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2015/06/easy-elastic-headband-tutorial.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Animal-Hair-Salon-FULL/dp/B01874NYPI" target="_blank">Animal Hair Salon</a> - The girls like beautifying jungle animals with this free app. I think it's a little weird, but they take turns happily.<br />
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Visiting Nana, Dadder, and Uncle Mattie- Since Matt was gone to Asia for almost two weeks, the girls and I went to visit my family for a few days. My brother is living with my parents while he goes to school, so it was extra fun to be together. In the pic, we went to a farm to buy a bag of fresh peaches and eat peach ice cream. Yum.<br />
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Smoothies - I've long put spinach and shredded carrots into smoothies, but this month I found out that you can put frozen okra into a smoothie with cocoa powder and it totally disappears into the chocolately-ness. <br />
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Blackberries and fireflies - summer essentials, both currently available in our yard!<br />
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Currently Reading: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Mothers-Women-Raised-Nation/dp/006009026X" target="_blank">Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts</a>. Inspired by listening to the <a href="http://www.hamiltonbroadway.com/" target="_blank">Hamilton</a> soundtrack and celebrating The Fourth of July.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-54695555037500058062016-06-11T21:41:00.001-04:002016-06-11T21:41:25.985-04:00Sandbridge 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our annual family beach trip was so great, as usual. We had amazing weather and did some fun things that are possible now that the girls are older, like driving down to the Outer Banks and seeing the wild horses and riding the Ferris Wheel at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. (I don't have pictures of that though!)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went on a tour to see the wild horses down in Corolla, NC</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More wild horses</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and the girls made a giant castle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Angel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding to GrandNana's shell garden</td></tr>
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<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-71071519548440700672016-05-31T16:28:00.001-04:002016-05-31T16:28:18.607-04:00What we're loving now (May 2016)Summer Break! - That's right. May has come to an end, the girls have been out of school for a couple of weeks and I do not have to be at work everyday (although I still have some tasks to finish up). We are enjoying sleeping in a bit and lots of play. For a loose schedule, I came up with some helpful alliteration - Breakfast and Bible Story, Lunch and Learning time, and Snack and Silent Reading. We have these tent poles in our day that so far are helping. I'm still figuring out how to not run our tiny dish washer 2-3 times a day (oh, dining hall, I miss you!) and how to not be overwhelmed by the shoes, toys, and papers strewn all over the house.<br />
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<a href="http://www.liveandlearn.com/ravensburger/mysterygardenbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.liveandlearn.com/ravensburger/mysterygardenbox.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Ravensburger-Mystery-Garden-ChildrenS-Game/dp/B004KZ74OQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464724934&sr=8-1&keywords=mystery+garden" target="_blank">Mystery Garden</a> and <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Disney-Frozen-UNO-Card-Game/dp/B00M4KLXDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464724969&sr=8-1&keywords=frozen+uno" target="_blank">Frozen Uno</a> - Mystery Garden was handed down to us a year or two ago, but now we are really into it. It's actually a pretty level playing field - Piper is really good at it! Dassa brought Frozen Uno when she came to visit and Cadence is super into it. She even strategizes against you and will slap you with a Draw 4 card faster than I thought possible.<br />
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400886035l/20708771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400886035l/20708771.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Princess-Black-Shannon-Hale/dp/0763678880/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464725097&sr=8-3&keywords=princess+in+black" target="_blank">Princess in Black</a> by Shannon and Dean Hale - I read about this fun, easy chapter book and knew it was perfect for Cadence. I've enjoyed Shannon Hale's books for older kids and adults and the idea of a princess who is also a superhero was very appealing. Sure enough, when she returned from camping with Nana and Dadder, she read the whole thing immediately. We've got the next two on hold at the library.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cnn.com/shows/the-sixties" target="_blank">The Sixties</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/shows/the-seventies" target="_blank">The Seventies</a> - Matt and I have been enjoying these CNN documentary series on Netflix and learning a lot about the decades before we were born. We've finished The Seventies and we're watching The Sixties right now. The one about the JFK assassination may have sent us down some conspiracy theory rabbit holes...<br />
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<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80045811" target="_blank">Popples</a> - Speaking of Netflix, apparently reboots of shows/toys from my childhood are popular, and Netflix has a series about Popples. Piper came home from the camping trip obsessed with my old Popples nightgown (I've had to stop her from wearing it on outings!) and Cadence remembered seeing the show on her recommended list, so now we're 4 episdoes in. It's zany fun about friendship.<br />
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pinkaliciousfun/charmkins/" target="_blank">Charmkins</a> - These are also an 80s throwback. I had a lot of these tiny, adorable, wearable toys and while Cadence has played with them in the past, now she LOVES them. Doesn't want to put them away. We found the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uRPS7S7oE" target="_blank">half hour TV movie</a> on Youtube a few weeks ago too. Thank goodness for my mom who can't throw anything beloved away. (But she did let me sell all of my My Little Ponies at a yard sale.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2015/01/how-to-make-crockpot-sweet-potatoes.html" target="_blank">Crockpot sweet potatoes</a> - This couldn't be easier, so you're welcome. No need to turn on the oven in the summer if a crockpot is handy.<br />
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<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-942350351008564292016-05-30T20:17:00.001-04:002016-05-30T20:17:20.756-04:00{this moment}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifCsrY8v0Q8Mm9PY6uu_E0_R_h0hlLdp7T7TZnI-uhekxL70YZKPnko1eOZ9UXWymdpExoJPSkQ29-MX-1ghxntfkJZw67xaNLMIaFamhGOLNuSk8QuHnEVyJ93ASqi_VRBU2/s1600/IMG_20160530_164905767%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifCsrY8v0Q8Mm9PY6uu_E0_R_h0hlLdp7T7TZnI-uhekxL70YZKPnko1eOZ9UXWymdpExoJPSkQ29-MX-1ghxntfkJZw67xaNLMIaFamhGOLNuSk8QuHnEVyJ93ASqi_VRBU2/s320/IMG_20160530_164905767%255B1%255D.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-38200908421879423822016-04-18T19:25:00.001-04:002016-04-18T19:25:28.670-04:00And now we are raising caterpillars...<p dir="ltr">Meet Spike, Edie, Annie, Sadie, and Beau. If we do this right, we will have some painted lady butterflies in a few weeks.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9WgkeGSF2w-Vpzj3NQgJnOPtXsV9CZFqEe_r0xnXJOarbZT1FTI1zC7L5OJBqjebdpibbAPbi59_Kc-jyGFqjEsQXtm3SFgsCASx-7zAXUy_R7tDVtCSbISUk9w69F2zsU5R/s1600/IMG_20160418_192335024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9WgkeGSF2w-Vpzj3NQgJnOPtXsV9CZFqEe_r0xnXJOarbZT1FTI1zC7L5OJBqjebdpibbAPbi59_Kc-jyGFqjEsQXtm3SFgsCASx-7zAXUy_R7tDVtCSbISUk9w69F2zsU5R/s640/IMG_20160418_192335024.jpg"> </a> </div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-40184141338948204842016-04-01T19:46:00.001-04:002016-04-01T19:46:37.168-04:00what we're loving now {March 2016}<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Witch-Wardrobe-Chronicles-Narnia/dp/0064404994/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</a> - I got the idea to read out loud a little to Cadence on the bus when I am the afternoon parent chaperone. I enjoy my current job, but I miss the magic of read-a-loud we all enjoyed back when I was doing storytimes in public libraries. I did not expect how much the other kids would get excited about the story too. Narnia! Narnia! We only have a few more pages to go, and then we have to pick the next book I'll read to them. Cadence and Piper want to have a Narnia birthday party this year, and that will lead you down a wonderful Pinterest rabbit hole, let me tell you. (I had a hard time keeping my composure when I read the passage below before Easter.)<br />
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<a href="http://pbskids.org/oddsquad/" target="_blank">Odd Squad</a> - I felt like this live action PBS kids show would really appeal to the girls (two secret agent kids seek to solve odd problems with math), and they finally got into it on our way back from Virginia at the end of spring break. It's math (Cadence's favorite school subject) and offbeat humor (Piper's life). Matt and I giggled some too. <br />
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<a href="http://www.walden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ramona-hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.walden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ramona-hero.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493949/" target="_blank">Ramona and Beezus</a> - We picked this up from the public library on a whim for our family movie night and loved it. It's a sweet adaptation of several of the Beverly Cleary Ramona books.<br />
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<a href="http://www.noondaycollection.com/PWS/homeoffice/store/AMUS/product/Cow-Horn-Hoops-Small,1763,397.aspx" target="_blank">My Noonday Cow Horn Earrings</a> - Matt and Piper got me these for Christmas, and I've been wearing them, well, A LOT. I get a lot of compliments - in fact, I wore them today. I love <a href="http://www.noondaycollection.com/pws/homeoffice/tabs/purpose.aspx?tab=17315430360256638312173920523" target="_blank">Noonday Collection</a> and its support of third world artisans.<br />
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Happy April!<br />
<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-72835742995551439472016-03-27T14:34:00.000-04:002016-03-27T14:34:11.324-04:00Happy Easter 2016!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-73602750114996119142016-03-01T13:52:00.001-05:002016-03-01T13:52:23.802-05:00What we're loving now {February 2016}<div dir="ltr">
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Some of the things we enjoyed in the month of February:</div>
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<a href="http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/rainbowmagic/images/9/99/Nicole%2C_beach_fairy_USA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/rainbowmagic/images/9/99/Nicole%2C_beach_fairy_USA.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.scholastic.com/rainbowmagic/books.htm" target="_blank">Rainbow Magic Fairies books</a> - Cadence has been reading these for her independent reading homework each night for a couple weeks now. There are fairies, and jewels, and some girls who become friends with the fairies, and she loves them. <br />
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<a href="http://www.pbs.org/food/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2015/01/2015-A-Chefs-Life-Header2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.pbs.org/food/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2015/01/2015-A-Chefs-Life-Header2.jpg" height="74" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WGZEGPC/ref=dv_web_wtls_list_pr_6_ba/ref=dv_web_wtls_list_pr_6_ba?ie=UTF8&redirect=true" target="_blank">A Chef's Life</a> - I watch this PBS show on my Kindle when I run on the elliptical in our garage. (Which I don't do as much as I should, so I'm still in season 1). It follows chef Vivian Howard and her restaurant in the eastern North Carolina town where she grew up and swore she'd never return. Each episode focuses on a quintessential Southern ingredient (sweet potatoes, rice, collards) and she visits farms and family friends while also using the ingredient in her restaurant. Part reality show about running a business, part cooking show with recipes and demos, and part homage to life in the South, it's really fun. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peaceful-Parent-Happy-Kids-Connecting/dp/0399160280" target="_blank">Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Laura Markham</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Wholehearted-Child-Captivating-Extravagant/dp/0310340845" target="_blank">Parenting the Wholehearted Child by Jeannie Cunnion</a> - God's been doing some work on my mama heart, rooting out my desires for perfection and control that come out in unfortunate ways. I finished the first book last week and am currently reading Cunnion's. I'm not sure I agree with everything, but the focus in both books on connection and grace is very helpful to me. I've been thinking about how misbehavior can signal a need for love and connection and an opportunity to deal with big feelings. I think this is so often true not just of my girls, but the "big kids" that I work with. Some of the most negative and unruly students are in need of someone to notice them and build a connection. <br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41UMVWlD3yL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41UMVWlD3yL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<a href="http://mustangattitude.com/cgi-bin/specialmustang.cgi?year=1969&model=Grande&smod=&optn=&name=Mustang%20Grande" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://mustangattitude.com/cgi-bin/specialmustang.cgi?year=1969&model=Grande&smod=&optn=&name=Mustang%20Grande" target="_blank">1969 Mustang Grande</a> - After almost 6 years as a one car family, Matt bought a classic car for a hard-to-argue-with low price. He's excited. Whatever.</div>
Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-18586740726750014792016-02-28T18:09:00.001-05:002016-02-28T18:09:09.442-05:00{this moment}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuMD5dStk_ZIYSG7iDOVnjYgYzoMfwZoK9FDk67Q_L47kRY7dfU-8tlFtMBRbUg_10Q3zzCdvv1q6ak9SUG-jWO_wu1gFQ53OCaC64HuO02fIFAhSolf9oUGCF-4YJpYkaJks/s1600/IMG_20160220_104451943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuMD5dStk_ZIYSG7iDOVnjYgYzoMfwZoK9FDk67Q_L47kRY7dfU-8tlFtMBRbUg_10Q3zzCdvv1q6ak9SUG-jWO_wu1gFQ53OCaC64HuO02fIFAhSolf9oUGCF-4YJpYkaJks/s640/IMG_20160220_104451943.jpg"> </a> </div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-9452586214833959682016-01-31T20:52:00.000-05:002016-01-31T20:52:03.909-05:00What We're Loving Now {January 2016}<div dir="ltr">
What we've been watching, reading, eating, living:</div>
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<a href="http://disneyjunior.disney.com/sofia-the-first" target="_blank">Sofia the First</a> - the second season of this show went up on Netflix recently and the girls' just finished it. "I'm finding out what being royal's all about..making my way, it's an adventure everyday." The theme song is REALLY catchy, but Piper won't let me sing it. </div>
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Bunk Beds - Cadence may not always be super excited to have her little sis in her room, but the bunk beds have none the less proven to be a lot of fun. Piper figured out how to hang blankets from the top bunk in optimum fashion, so...</div>
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<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/" target="_blank">Downtown Abbey</a> - You know, it's been a lot of ups and maybe more downs with this show, right? I'm watching on the pbs website since we don't have TV, so I'm at least a day behind. I'm really glad that Carson and Mrs. Hughes are married and that Edith has such fabulous headbands.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KniqB2rFrBa4aoiTDeonyiTf0fD1cWLdkQ6vv9GKT2iU1yTCj5Xv9DkNeewsLwrepoBTIWaWmBB7nG2sU_3UV4NRIb4mV_sNEF2s_iR-PkbgFql7UQW56C3CcuFwW0fGzYMN/s1600/IMG_20160129_145830497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KniqB2rFrBa4aoiTDeonyiTf0fD1cWLdkQ6vv9GKT2iU1yTCj5Xv9DkNeewsLwrepoBTIWaWmBB7nG2sU_3UV4NRIb4mV_sNEF2s_iR-PkbgFql7UQW56C3CcuFwW0fGzYMN/s320/IMG_20160129_145830497.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Homemade popcorn - I can't eat microwave popcorn anymore; I just can't. We eat my homemade popcorn frequently and it kinda saved the day during the snow extravaganza. I've developed my technique: popped in coconut oil, sprinkled with kosher salt. Or <a href="http://www.tajin.com/" target="_blank">tahin</a>. Or popped with coconut oil and sugar, then sprinkled with salt, which is kettle corn-y perfection.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_4_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454291398&sr=1-4&keywords=the+life+changing+magic+of+tidying+up" target="_blank">The life changing magic of tidying up</a> - I already wrote about <a href="http://curlymo.blogspot.com/2016/01/were-tidying-up.html" target="_blank">this</a>. It feels really good to be letting go of things that we can send to a better home. Or the dump. The bookshelf in our living room has never looked so good.</div>
Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-17226228984512888592016-01-27T21:36:00.001-05:002016-01-27T21:36:57.388-05:00We're tidying up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the end of December, I read <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453946791&sr=1-1&keywords=the+life+changing+magic+of+tidying+up" target="_blank">The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo</a> and got very excited. There are some crazy parts of this book, for sure, but I loved Kondo's thorough methods for going through your stuff and paring down to what sparks joy. The amount of stuff in our house had really started to bother me - it was hard to clean and hard to put things away. We have only sporadically decluttered after moving here, and we still had stuff like we lived in a much bigger house.<br />
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She recommends going through each category of item in your home and looking at them all together and touching each one. So, that's all my shoes. (Clearly, I owned two many pairs of shoes.) It seems like a simple thing, but gathering all the things makes it much easier to see what sparks joy and what's just a duplicate and what I actually forgot I had in my closet.</div>
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This is all our cups on the kitchen table. There are 4 people in this house. I don't believe we've ever had more than 8 people eat a meal here. I had no idea we had so many until I pulled them out of the cabinets.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwu5SFypSfW9hfdY1Y18P9pZEZ2Cx_V7ErP8PD8Ro7V5vgBGEuvEA_IwEuQQphFXEhlUIs2J2cDM8jK_Je6ujIcor5sCJ8Qdm7OBA68zgz-WIi4g0_jz3xw5-9nEmz05iLe36/s1600/IMG_20160109_142148008%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwu5SFypSfW9hfdY1Y18P9pZEZ2Cx_V7ErP8PD8Ro7V5vgBGEuvEA_IwEuQQphFXEhlUIs2J2cDM8jK_Je6ujIcor5sCJ8Qdm7OBA68zgz-WIi4g0_jz3xw5-9nEmz05iLe36/s320/IMG_20160109_142148008%255B2%255D.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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13 bags/boxes have left our house so far. Matt and I have done clothes, books, and papers, and started slowly on the miscellaneous stuff, like DVDs and cups. We haven't even started on the rest of the kitchen cabinets or the girls' massive wardrobes and toy collections!</div>
<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-59539086989709505012016-01-24T07:40:00.001-05:002016-01-24T07:40:07.396-05:00{this moment}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B1kkxW7N2-Z4z_HXAMH41pq7lsLUqDI7BLcrkX5e_NH1dbtMbfSTDF1Pol3TXCpy0kAPfB8hXzoP_aV57ctVKYorCmw2dWBLrB88OR1AlXQNBDq9hYgSrDh0_CZ0BN_xOjEC/s1600/IMG_20160123_111754041_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B1kkxW7N2-Z4z_HXAMH41pq7lsLUqDI7BLcrkX5e_NH1dbtMbfSTDF1Pol3TXCpy0kAPfB8hXzoP_aV57ctVKYorCmw2dWBLrB88OR1AlXQNBDq9hYgSrDh0_CZ0BN_xOjEC/s640/IMG_20160123_111754041_TOP.jpg"> </a> </div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-47513284539445413772016-01-20T14:40:00.001-05:002016-01-20T14:40:36.506-05:00First Snow 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is just the first taste...it's still coming down!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWCmPXVJ7DunQPVn1R1e56-_GnJpq1e7Ghjv__HZOazcW1zRnb07a2-UZ_ZmWYkYTh_aEbVU6H3wEsv_zW9I-42sEzwtEFih6tTp7DGXPQyqR5qfMTLbAfowFYilqs-0HNIk2/s1600/IMG_20160120_141818764_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWCmPXVJ7DunQPVn1R1e56-_GnJpq1e7Ghjv__HZOazcW1zRnb07a2-UZ_ZmWYkYTh_aEbVU6H3wEsv_zW9I-42sEzwtEFih6tTp7DGXPQyqR5qfMTLbAfowFYilqs-0HNIk2/s320/IMG_20160120_141818764_TOP.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-6111998347441220182015-12-26T21:30:00.000-05:002015-12-26T21:31:09.344-05:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Here's a bunch of pictures from our Christmas celebrations this year. Actually, this is just pictures of the opening presents part. We DID, in fact, eat several nice family meals and read the Christmas story and light candles and listen to music and many things that had nothing to do with stuff.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Piper got a giant stuffed horse!</td></tr>
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Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-58571467973598295292015-11-22T13:34:00.001-05:002015-11-22T13:34:47.977-05:00{this moment}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipEHrnC5rTqPiaGdE_bSUcQSZXWvFlyoaY1wQDfgfXMsTLD9LtxqPrKLznaKVtYBY4LWvK7CTDIy1Sid7HYVBouw0lLmu3d1Bvx41gyWyPhyelEPhPdVswnbHRM5i-VDBcP6A/s1600/IMG_20151116_170339681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipEHrnC5rTqPiaGdE_bSUcQSZXWvFlyoaY1wQDfgfXMsTLD9LtxqPrKLznaKVtYBY4LWvK7CTDIy1Sid7HYVBouw0lLmu3d1Bvx41gyWyPhyelEPhPdVswnbHRM5i-VDBcP6A/s640/IMG_20151116_170339681.jpg"> </a> </div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-35154866821976558392015-10-31T22:07:00.000-04:002015-10-31T22:07:09.031-04:00What We're Loving Now {October 2015}*Downtown Greenville. We got to go for a few hours a couple weeks ago and loved it. Clean, and pretty, and there was a free trolley. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROgR4fHy2BvOCVHRAY9i6W5LgvapxO6Nf9YtCkEUaou3D1XOjCXwRAJ4PNwRdZDJ4W4ezyxF4PI8E9RsV8nw4nDDuclRAp_apd79QrUL9en-dVMMItiyoR2F3Y81JiOj9qwjR/s1600/IMG_20151017_141944872_HDR%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROgR4fHy2BvOCVHRAY9i6W5LgvapxO6Nf9YtCkEUaou3D1XOjCXwRAJ4PNwRdZDJ4W4ezyxF4PI8E9RsV8nw4nDDuclRAp_apd79QrUL9en-dVMMItiyoR2F3Y81JiOj9qwjR/s400/IMG_20151017_141944872_HDR%255B1%255D.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cadence on the trolley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3b4owbLcBjbyq7Meg4p4KgJsjhiZQXwe_VL87WQN7cMyzBToYDVPKpsmlRVp0lZcMKpfQ6fHN9Eh7BnweG9BhgtqrkYz81jW2RZW7bkUkHKklk0uGUwaI2nKDtVWnxK6qv51/s1600/IMG_20151017_141956870%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3b4owbLcBjbyq7Meg4p4KgJsjhiZQXwe_VL87WQN7cMyzBToYDVPKpsmlRVp0lZcMKpfQ6fHN9Eh7BnweG9BhgtqrkYz81jW2RZW7bkUkHKklk0uGUwaI2nKDtVWnxK6qv51/s400/IMG_20151017_141956870%255B1%255D.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piper on the trolley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Falls Park - so lovely</td></tr>
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*<a href="http://www.hgtv.com/shows/fixer-upper" target="_blank">Fixer Upper</a> and <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/jane-the-virgin/" target="_blank">Jane the Virgin</a> on Netflix!<br />
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*Visits from Aunt Pami and Nana while Matt was SUPER busy with work<br />
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*Speaking of Matt, he made a cameo appearance as <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_679925317"></span>Doctor Who (Matt Smith)<span id="goog_679925318"></span></a> in the school Cirque show this year, and was charming and hilarious<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt in costume, in profile<br />"I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool."</td></tr>
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<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-19854987495736140512015-10-31T21:22:00.000-04:002015-10-31T21:22:18.234-04:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This year, Cadence was Felicity, the discontinued American girl doll. (Basically, a colonial girl). I made her whole costume, which I came to regret a little bit, because while it turned out great - it took a lot of my precious free time this month.</div>
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Piper was a unicorn. This was a super easy costume. I made a felt horn and attached it to a headband, then made a mane and tail with ribbon and yarn attached to felt. <br />
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<br />Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8279041.post-2119286379011567842015-09-30T20:51:00.001-04:002015-09-30T20:55:03.118-04:00what we're loving now {September 2015}*The American Girl movies. We've watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0846308/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Kit Kitteridge</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412366/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Samantha: An American Girl Holiday</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828151/?ref_=fn_al_tt_6" target="_blank">Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460793/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Felicity</a>, thanks to a 4 DVD collection from the local library. They are a little complicated for Piper, but the history is appealing and not too scary. Also, they prompted some interesting questions about serious issues. And, Cadence decided she wants to be Felicity for Halloween.<br />
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*Cinnamon apples. Piper will eat apples that aren't cut, but ever since her first loose tooth, Cadence won't. I'm finally able to send them in her lunch due to this super easy trick - simply cut an apple and sprinkle the slices with cinnamon. They are delicious and any browning is unnoticeable. I got the idea from Foodlets <a href="http://foodlets.com/2015/08/10/5-so-simple-ways-to-make-school-lunches-special/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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*The bus that takes the girls and their friends to school. Honestly, I don't know that the girls are so excited about the bus, but they haven't complained. Mainly, I LOVE having extra time, especially in the mornings. I can drop the girls off, eat breakfast in the dining hall if I want, or head home and get some chores done.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piper on the bus!</td></tr>
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oreo-Seasonal-Pumpkin-Sandwich-Cookies/dp/B00NTBMDA2" target="_blank">Pumpkin spice Oreos</a>. We bought a pack last weekend and we all loved them. Thankfully it was a small pack; we polished them off quickly and now they are out of our system. Maybe. Let's hope.<br />
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*<a href="http://www.amazon.com/For-Love-Fighting-Impossible-Standards/dp/0718031822" target="_blank">For the Love by Jen Hatmaker</a>. It's making me laugh out loud, it's making me think. There's just nothing like grace.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04385382465284492074noreply@blogger.com2