Hearts and Flowers and Taffy, oh my!

February is always full. 

Mr. Perrin is very helpful, especially when he can sneak a few chocolate chips.  😋

These three wanted to "help" clean out the closet-o-random-things.  They mostly just got in the way and took pictures of themselves. 

Some days it feels like the only word anyone knows is "Mom."  And the majority haven't figured out that they don't have to preface every sentence with it, nor do they have to use it multiple times before forgetting what they were going to say anyway.  *sigh*  I picked a day and counted.... I was awake for about 16 hours and someone said, "Mom," 320 times.  That works out to about once every three minutes.  I'll have to count again on a Saturday.

It warmed up and rained and they found a puddle. 

The Zoo often has 'donation days' in late January/early February and when the temperature was going to be in the 50's on a Sunday afternoon I took some of the kids.  We met cousins there and ran in to several other friends and acquaintances... great minds think alike. :) It was hard to be patient waiting for the Brakers to arrive.

                                        

Then they pretty much ran from one animal to the next.  :P 

Perrin was pretty excited about all the animals.

The monkeys were pretty active, and the amount of loud shrieks and high pitched giggling coming from our crew was.... a lot.😆

"I foun' him! I foun' a turtle!!"

 

Snacks outside and loudly letting us all know that that truck has a 'potty on it!'

After five years of getting to work from home, Bob has to go back to the office most of the time.  Which is a bummer for me, especially since I've been scheduling appointments and things for when Bob would be home to watch extraneous kids.  Perrin had three different babysitters the first week... he did much better than expected.  He wanted to go back to Nova's house the next day, and he liked hanging out with Megan.  😋

Cecily and I dropped Perrin off at Thalia and Elodie's house and went to the conference spelling bee.  She did pretty well, we're not sure what her exact placement was, but she got out in the middle of about 30 other spellers. 

It's sap season again! 

They are really very capable.  😀

Even Buster Brown helped hang buckets.   

Such fun... we've only collected a little bit of sap these first two weeks. It got too cold again. 

Poor Cadence came down with a fever and spent two days laying around watching cartoons.  Perrin took full advantage of any extra screen time.  

We got out the Valentine decorations and supplies and they spent hours making Valentine's.  😍

Such a little mister. 

They were predicting more, but we only got a dusting of snow.  Oh well, it makes my sap buckets look even more picturesque. 

Valentine's Day was a busy day.  Perrin and I went to co-op in the morning.  He has to come with me on days that Bob's at work now.  mur.  He did really well though, so that was good.  Then the school kids had a half day and came home with so much candy and junk.  Cecily went to Kenna's for a 'gal-entine's' party and the rest of us went skating.  We got there late (certain of the kids were mad at me that they wouldn't have enough ice time) and I decided not to skate.  There weren't many people there and Miri had no one to push her on the ice so she decided she didn't want to skate either. 

Emmy and Cadence had fun!

And Perrin and Miri were perfectly happy playing on the bleachers.  😋

So. much. valentine. junk.

We delivered several valentine's and then Emmy set the table fancy and we ate heart pizza, red jello, and pink applesauce for supper.  💘

Trying out the all ages edition of Charty Party on a cold day.

We went to the farm for Elodie and Perrin's birthdays. 

And we had a taffy pull!  It has been years since I've made taffy, so thankfully it turned out ok.  We taught the kids how to pull so it wasn't quite as airy as it could have been. 😉

Train up a child and all that.  😁  Brings back so many memories of Paul and Fred and Grandma and Pearline... "ya don't need to butter your hands if ya cook it right!"

It was always so exciting when it started stringing and we would all run to get under it and carry it out side to the tables.... 

Mom got out their Friendship Quilt from their wedding to show the kids.  I love sentimental things, and I think it's super cool, and I won't donate it to the local thrift store someday.  ha. 😉

The '24 hours before you have to share your birthday gifts with your siblings' rule kind of went out the window... everybody thinks kinetic sand is cool.

I let them paint in the basement.  At least one pair of pants was ruined.  mur.

Mr. Perrin said he wanted 'a tractor, anna wagon, anna combine inna field' on his birthday cake.  Unfortunately I waited too long to order anything and Walmart, Farm and Fleet, and the other area Ag stores didn't have any 1/64th combines.  

So I printed one out for him. 

Cecily had an orthodontist appointment so Perrin got to come along to that on his birthday. 

Then he fell asleep in the middle of the day, which is unusual.  And woke up feverish.  Poor buddy.

He didn't want to eat any supper, but he did let us sing Happy Birthday.

Bob didn't want him to blow his germs onto the cake, so he got out his air duster.  That made Perrin smile a little bit.  Happy 3rd Birthday!

But he spent most of the next two days on the couch, poor boy. 

Or on the floor in random spots.   He didn't sleep well and must have been having bad dreams.  I'd hear him wake up and get out of bed and he wouldn't want to go back- "sharks in my bed!" "naughty guys in my bed." 

The girls wanted him to open presents even though he was still not feeling great. 

And by then Miri was home sick with fever too.  

Miri was down for two days, then Perrin was feverish again so Bob and I traded services on Sunday.  😜
As much as I like winter, I think I'm ready for it to warm up a bit, and at least be sap season if not spring.