edible.

we can't get enough of someone's head full of blonde curls around here lately. they don't last all day, but are edibly cute after a bath or a trip to the pool. the pictures don't even do it justice!

weekend breather

we're taking a much needed breather this weekend and kicking back, having pancakes for breakfast, going for walks, and not making big plans. it feels like the winter hibernation is (maybe) coming to an end and just as quickly the faster pace of spring is right around the corner. work is picking up for both of us (ok, phil's always busy at work!), including all the little life details that revolve around having more things to do and more deadlines to meet. we're enjoying seeing what spring has in mind for the new house (and yard!) too. i personally cannot wait to have a big old shady yard with green grass and lilacs in all directions. yes please.

but in the meantime we're getting the ball rolling for upcoming travel-- the spring break canyons trip, in particular! after some planning and consideration, we're making the trip a little than previously planned. we're adding a conference on the front end for phil, which means the rest of us get to hang out in a cushy hotel and enjoy the big city for 4 days before we head to utah for spring break. not that anyone is counting the days or anything, but all that goodness is less than a month away... woohoo!

heavy hearts

our little community has had a day of unspeakable sadness. this morning, a three year old girl lost her life in the parking lot of the city pool. it was a tragic accident. this is a small town, with a close knit community, and the thought of something so horrific rattles everyone. we did not know the little girl, nor were we close to the family of the driver, but the reality of that kind of loss is heavy just the same. we've been in that parking lot with our own girls countless times and can't help but feel that it could have been us or anyone else we knew. it is the kind of fear and sadness that literally takes the breath away, that makes you wish that it were possible to turn back time and somehow change the outcome. or if to no avail, atleast to find some way to fill the void that is the loss of a child.

our thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved, from the family of the little girl, to the driver and her family, to those who witnessed it, to the first responders and medical staff, and everyone else who held their own children extra tight tonight...

hooked on phonics

sorry, but i can't get that ever-present 1990s commercial out of my head... Hook on Phonics worked for me! did any of you ever try hooked on phonics? did it work for you? just curious.

anyway, today's post is all about phonics, or atleast the beginning reader. i think we mentioned a few weeks ago, but isa went through a weird week or so of being really fragile and cranky and generally out of sorts. in isa's case, this usually means that her brain is working extra hard on something and when she finally snaps out of her grumpy phase there will be some big development leap to show for it. as predicted, this was the case yet again. in the last few weeks she's been really interested in sounding out words! fun! we knew she was pretty good at identifying letters and all their sounds, but this is the first we've seen of her motivating to string those sounds together to actually read individual words.

so now we're on the hunt for the best way to keep her interested and developing her early reading skills. i've seen flashcards and what not, but something about having your kid memorize words seems like it defeats the purpose... you know, memorizing the sight rather than actively sounding each syllable out? but what do i know? i am far from a reading specialist. but we've got our best people on it (including asking her teachers for their recommendations) so we will let you know what we find and keep you posted on the progress!

p.s. thanks gramma and pop pop for the new books-- they are well loved already.

the clean up

it seemed only fitting that there be evidence of the clean up after today's mudfest. unfortunately those cute little khaki pants will take more than a nice bubble bath to get clean, i think. speaking of baths, ours have been pretty epic lately (and i mean that in a good way). i am starting to think that we should eat dinner a half hour earlier just so these two fish can take their sweet time each night in the bathtub. honestly, they can spend over an hour in there before they willingly get out, and that's after a good deal of coaxing and warning. the same goes for showers-- they stay in there together until the hot water completely runs out and their teeth start to chatter. if it weren't for the fact that we live in the high desert, we might have to make this a twice a day thing, for the sake of entertainment alone.

muddy buddy

the first day of march seems to be the first day of mud season as well. or atleast for now? i am sure we aren't totally done with the snow, it's far too early for that, but i would like to think that the winter-long snow/ice pack in the backyard will be melting off for good here soon. mud season obviously has it's downsides (thank you, oxiclean!) but it's pretty darn amusing too, atleast if you're two and four. and if it means hours of happy playtime in the sunny backyard... i'll take the dirty laundry.

Girl's Ski Weekend

we got a last minute invite on thursday for Isa and I to head over to the Tetons for a (mama and big) girls ski weekend. it was a great idea and perfect timing so we packed out bags and got ready for a little getaway. we had been planning a ski weekend for the following weeks, but this trip seemed like too much fun to pass up. and isa and i haven't had a fun getaway, just the two of us, since before sylvi was born. it was definitely overdue.

the entire trip was a blast! the girls really enjoyed themselves and ate up every minute of the fun and distraction and general getaway of it all. we headed out early saturday morning and made our way over Togwotee Pass and into Jackson. after some thrift shopping adventure (thrift stores in jackson are like no other!) we headed to Snow King to play on the tow rope/bunny hill. this proved to be alot more work and alot less adventure than we had in mind. wrangling little ones on a not so steep (i.e. slow) slope and a fast tow rope is more work than it's worth! so after some slogging back up the bunny hill for a lackluster ski down, we decided it was time to hit the lifts. this wasn't exactly in the plan, but it was more than worth it! it was isa's first time on the ski lift and she couldn't have been more thrilled-- the lift ride itself was enough adventure to keep her happy! Snow King isn't the most ideal place for young beginners, but it was still great. isa did awesome on her first big girl run down hill, and even though it was tough at times, we both had a blast. i am guessing this will be the last year that she needs any help from us to make her way down. to no one's surprise, she was pretty fearless and i was glad to be able to keep her in check (actually, in a ski harness for some parts)!

as with most getaways, the hotel and hot tub proved to be just as enticing as the actual skiing. after a really long day, it was nice to settle in, go for a soak, eat some "big city" food and pass out by 8 pm! suffice it to say that there were three completely exhausted little girls that night!

on sunday, we took our time getting up and going and enjoyed the morning around town. there isn't a ton to do in jackson on a sunday (winter) morning, but we found plenty in the time we had! we were pleased to find that the roads were much better on the way home, which helped with two exhausted little girls who really wanted to get back to see their daddies and sisters. all in all, it was a near perfect ski weekend and we hope to be able to do it again soon! as for phil and sylvi, they had their own fun here at home-- including a trip to the pool, pizza with friends, and ice cream too :)

p.s. the big camera wasn't included on the trip up the lift, but stacy took hers and got some action shots, so we will post those when we get them!