day 50

February 19

When dad is home on a Saturday (a rarity), fun things happen. Doors disappear and blankets are hung in their place.

day 49

February 18

I spent today, replenishing ribbon onto my little lady's skirt, and reorganizing my chaotic craft closet. My bet is it lasts a whole week. Lucky me.

day 48

February 17

The only place dinosaurs can roam freely on the farm? Our front door, in Porter land.

day 47

February 16

One of the most opened cupboards in our home houses the diabetic supplies. It also happens to house the most expensive objects in our home: the freaking diabetic supplies.

day 46

February 15

Nothing says "I wish it was spring but its totally not", like fake flowers.

day 45

February 14

]

On the menu:  Tri-tip Steaks (thank you good weather!)

                       Caesar Salad

                       Garlic Butter Corn

                       Store made (but still yummy) rolls

                       Some kind of bubbly stuff with heart shaped ice cubes.

                       Chocolate covered strawberries

  The amazing news: Caleb ate!

day 44

February 13

A few weeks ago we started having our kids highlight Jesus' many different names in the scriptures, during our reading. Caleb, who doesn't read has really gotten into this. He spent all Sunday searching page after page for the one word he can recognize: Lord. 

Cute? We think so.

day 43

February 12

What's a Saturday without a little cookie dough?

day 42

February 11

This remote controlled, robot valentine box is ready to make it's way to Jonas' classroom for some love notes.

day 41

February 10

After dinner entertainment: strange acrobatics.

day 40

February 9

Where dad is, this child is also.

day 39

February 8

His addiction has reached critical levels. Time for an intervention.

day 38

February 7

Pizza and Blueberries for dinner....
AND toys were allowed at the table.

It was a special day for sure.

day 37

February 6

The baby's first haircut.
He didn't enjoy it.
But it was good entertainment for the rest of us.

Day 36

February 5

The dad was home! Unfortunately, the dad had to work all day on the computer. And even more unfortunately we were all came down with head colds.
Fortunately we have a TV and a Redbox nearby.
So we rented and we rented and we watched and we watched.
And it was fun.

day 35

February 4

These two have some magnetic pull towards me.
When I start to cook, they are here, crawling around my feet, squeezing their way through my legs. Climbing up me like a tree. Pulling on my shirt. asking for snacks, stealing bites of whatever is being prepared.
And normally I have the patience for it.
Normally I know this too shall pass, and I will actually miss it.
But today,
we are going on day number 5 without a dad,
and I can't do it.
So cooking is out of the question.
Tonight we are going to Wendy's.
And no, I don't feel a bit bad about it.

day 34

February 3

Look at this picture.
What do you see?
A purse?
A bag?
A handbag?
I haven't owned one of these for a few years, and now that I have one, I don't know what to call it.
Purse is so grandma.
Handbag is so... I dont know. It implies that I am one of those people that have 100 of these lying around and I pull a different one out to match my outfit.
So I just call it My bag.
Creative, I know...

day 33

February 2

One can a day.
Everyday at lunch.
I know I need to quit it.
And I will.
Soon.
Real soon.
I promise.
I think.

day 32

February 1

Today Porter and I spent all morning here, waiting patiently and examining all the tires. Wow, was that fun filled.

day 31

january 31

The only pet my children will ever get.

Okay, well not EVER.

But for like a LOOONG time.

day 30

January 30

When he comes at you like this, there is no hope for you.

None.

January 29

Day 29

Often times these boys are left in the dust. The dust of business that their big brother and sister leave. And this weekend was full of activities for the big kids, but not much for these boys. So to make up for that, we let them eat a snack dinner in the messy playroom in front of the tv. 

To them, life doesn't get much better than that.

day 28

January 28

Just in case any of you celiacs wanna get crazy and eat some shampoo and conditioner, know this: it's Gluten Free!

day 27

January 27

Today we went shoe shopping. I think it was a little over due.

day 26

January 26


Today at the kid's school they needed to dress like someone they admire. Jonas chose River's Cuomo (Weezer's front man) and Hailey asked me to make a shirt that said:

It was her try at humor, and while I thought it was funny, for me it was also true. You gotta admire any 8 year old who is so great  about receiving 6 injections daily and drawing her own blood every few hours. That's admirable to me anyway.

day 25

January 25

That's a four year old teaching a 32 year old how to play DS.

day 24

January 24

Don't you wish you could still sit like that? And if you can, don't you wish it was still comfortable?

day 23

January 23

Hailey is a little over enthusiastic about going to church...

day 22

January 22

The perfect Saturday according to Jonas:
A good sleep in (9:00am)
A little time on the DS (without his mom there to tell him to turn it off)
A basketball game (so what if they lost?)
A small "Man Vs. Wild" Marathon (OK, not so small)
and finally an evening spent reading Far Sides.

His life is good.

day 21

January 21

The DS... bringing sons and fascinated fathers together.

day 20

January 20

This is Caleb taking the whole Peter Parker thing to the next level. Peter Parker wore glasses before the spider bit him, did you know? Well, you certainly should.

day 19

January 19

I decorated!
For Valentine's Day!
And I don't even like that holiday!
Look at me and my domesticness!

day 18

January 18

My in the car, over the shoulder shot.

This is how Porter looks every Tuesday and Thursday as we wait outside Caleb's preschool for him to come bolting out. The moment he sees Caleb those tired eyes disappear and they sparkle with excitement and the hope of a good wrestle.

day 17

january 17

Over the weekend I crafted! I whipped up this super easy wreath for my front door. Hailey LOVES it. I think I found 25 pictures of it on the camera today.

day 16

january 16

Don't you hate it when you are trying to take a picture of your handsome boys and your handsome baby chooses to step in to show you what he is eating?

day 15

january 15

Reasons I love this picture:

The chocolate evidence on his face.
The banana in his hand. There is always a banana in his hands.
The fact that it shows my table of clutter. (this is where we dump stuff to be put away when we get around to it. Are we the only people that have that spot?)
Also you can see in the other corner my supply closet doors open with a stool there, evidence that someone needed some batteries, most likely for the wii remotes.
This picture is so our life.

day 14

January 14

The morning goodbye.

day 13

January 13

I love Amazon gift cards. I love being a hermit in January. Bring on the read a thon!

day 12

January 12

My parents Christmas gift to us finally arrived from South Africa. A nativity made out of banana leaves. Unreal the things people can do. I love it and I decided I am keeping it up all year.
Don't try to stop me.

day 11

January 11

This is our dog Porter, who likes to eat his morning bowl of fruit on the floor in the library. We love to watch him dig his face in the bowl and growl while he chews.

An no, I am not kidding.

day 10

January 10

This is my boy in late afternoon sunlight. I turned to see him standing there looking at me with that late afternoon tired look and I knew I needed to freeze his face in my mind with the camera, shadowed face and all.

day 9

january 9

Angry birds... bringing bored husbands together,  one smart phone at a time.

day 8

January 8

And then the day came. So proud of both of these people.

day 7

january 7

Conversations are being had about what to expect and what to do and expressions of nervousness are being expressed...

day 6

January 6

The anticipation is building...

day 5

January 5

This is a Swanson family first. Normally by January 1, our tree is down. Everything Christmas themed is packed tightly away. This year, I just can't bring myself to put it away. I mean, the tree never even got decorated. It will be down by the end of the week for sure...

I think.

day 4

January 4

ooohh, still pretty.

day 3

january 3

Porter's new obsession. This truck has a trunk! That opens! And you can put things inside! And then take them right out! Life doesn't get any better.

day 2

January 2

The current obsession in our house right now. Santa brought three of these bad boys. Cross your fingers that none of them break this time.

Day 1

January 1

Oooh, pretty.