Spring Egg Nest

My dear Internet, why have you been hiding this from me?

I stumbled upon this precious snack on Kelle's blog.

I don't know her.

I wish I did.

She has impeccable taste. And, not just because she named her first child, Lainey. Do check out her blog.....admire her photography, drool over her doting husband, and notice the way she dresses her girls. Perfection, in my opinion.

Here is the simple recipe for these little nests......she mentions how she made them......but if you're like me, you need it spelled out in detail.

We made them on Sunday and it almost seemed like spring.....despite the 12 inches of snow on the ground!

What. The. Hell.

Cannot stop watching this video. Found on my beloved DListed....Michael K does a fantastic job of commentary.

From The Bad Mommy Files

I braved Disney on Ice this morning with the kids. Next time, I'll bring reinforcements.

Here is Lainey post-show in her princess dress, throwing a mega tantrum because I wouldn't allow her on the ice to skate with the fairies after pleading, "My turn!" in her sing-songy voice all through the show.

Just before she hit the floor, my friend Jillian suggested we ice skate another day......Lainey promptly told her to "Shut up."

Good times.

Seriously, Jillian call me. I know you want to get together again!

You Tell Me

Forgot to mention last week's winner.....of the bath tub shot with Lainey in her pjs.

Melanie at The Timmons Times:

Lainey: And they wonder why I've got Third Child Syndrome! They don't even take the time to take my clothes off for baths :)

She has a photography blog, too. Check it out here.

****As for how Lainey ended up soaked in the tub..... The kids' bath in our Colorado house was upstairs adjacent to their bedrooms. My routine was always to throw both kids in.....put away laundry or such since their doors were steps away......I could return to watch them while I worked. Then, I would get Lainey out first.....dried off, sweet and clean. Back to get Jack. I remember grabbing his pjs out of his room, hearing a thud & and splash and returning to find that Lainey dove into the tub, pjs and all. Stinker.

And, this week's:

Jack and Lainey, circa 2008. Brighton, Colorado

Caption it, please!

Life In The Midwest

****First, I'm happy to report that Caroline left ICU on Monday morning, is in a regular room.....took a shower and walked yesterday. Huge progress for my brave sister. We should all be lucky enough to have her strength! I'm immensely proud of her. Please keep praying.

In 2009, I wrote about Colorado. You can check out that post here. I compared our lives there to the South. The Midwest has a lot of similarities......and some differences, too.



The leaves have to be the greatest change. I have never seen such a beautiful Fall.

And, once most of the leaves have fallen, clean up crews take care of the mess. Our association dues include 2 sweeps of the neighborhood....November and then December...huge trucks come out to remove the leaves from the ground and people are hired to clear the roofs and gutters.

It's all very exciting to a 3 year old.


Snow falls......seems like nearly as much in Colorado this year......and toys sometimes get covered. Jack found this tractor a couple of months after playing with it. It had been buried in the snow.


Geese usually signify a change in season.......coming or going.......and they're everywhere.

They're at the zoo, in the neighborhood, in parks, and cruising through parking lots.

And, we're not supposed to feed them.


We wear lots of boots. And, when we come in, the snow melts in these rubber mats to save our wood floors.

This part of the house looks like a mess half the year. Boots, scarves, coats, sweaters, vests, hats.....we're constantly layering and preparing for life outdoors.


One of our smartest purchases ever......Weather Tech mats. They're custom fitted to my car so that the carpet is protected from winter effects. 3 kids in slushy boots will stain your carpets in no time. I actually recommend these for any part of the country. Love them.




We learned (the hard way) this year to let the snow thaw before removing Christmas decorations. Never happened in Colorado......but lots of our lights and lawn pieces broke due to the cords freezing and breaking upon removal.

But, don't worry. Tacky plastic Santa is safe. I know you were wondering.


We cover sidewalks with sand or ice-melt to prevent slips and falls. Luckily, our neighborhood plows the driveways and streets......so our little stretch of sidewalk is all we have to maintain.


The snow comes and goes and we keep moving. Stepping in the snow seems like the most fun.


We ski here......yep, not just in the mountains.......there are resorts throughout The Midwest to feed our cravings. It's entirely more laid back and perfect for kids to learn. So happy to have the option here.

Lots more rentals here than in other areas......because people ski here less. Grateful we bought our gear while we lived in Colorado. To outfit all 3 kids for one day of skiing is over $100. And, that doesn't include lift tickets!


I know I've left out plenty.......one thing that is common in Colorado, too......is that many houses don't have fences for their back yards. Coco didn't understand this as we drove through suburban KC. Our patio is fenced in, but not the yard. Some don't even fence their patio. Add that to the wood construction of houses, people staring at our massive jogging strollers......and Coco's pretty little head was spinning. I think the slow style of the South suits her better.

So, that's The Midwest. We're loving it. And, wondering where we're off to next. Time will tell!