SNOW!!

We had some crazy snow right before Christmas. It snowed on the last day before Christmas break, so the kids school ended up closing a day early. The timing of it was perfect and the kids were in heaven! Of course it melted before Christmas so it didn't actually mess up our holiday plans.

Cabinet

I've been looking for a small cabinet with doors. The kids love to spread out, and do their homework on the dining room table. That means pencils and felts and books and binders, in addition to the usual toys and paper airplanes. So, I needed a cabinet where I could quickly stash things out of sight and here it is...
(I don't why the mirrored doors look flawed in the picture)

Christmas decor

Christmas came full-fledged to our house on the weekend. I love it!

Growing too fast

Joonas turned 6 today and Emmi turned 15 months. Time sure flies!! My favourite saying for this time of my life is that the days are long but the years are short. Some days seem to last forever: the boys fight, Emmi won't nap, the house is a mess, there's nothing for dinner...But looking back, the time has gone incredibly fast. It makes me sad that I no longer have a baby. And that Joonas is such a big boy, let alone Matias. That's why I am trying my hardest to slow down and make time for them. Tonight, Joonas asked me to lay beside him when he was going to sleep. I didn't really want to, but I did. There will be a day when no one wants me to sleep next to them. I dread that day.

Today's inspiration: lights and candles

When it gets dark and dreary, I love to pull out extra candles and lights around the house. I filled this vase with lights years ago and it usually comes out in October when it starts to get dark earlier, the rains set in and my fireplace starts getting a lot of use.

Playdates

I know I've written about it before, but we are very lucky to live in a townhouse complex where there are lots of (nice) kids. It is so rare nowadays for kids to be outside for hours in their yard playing with children from the neighbourhood. (I have lots of friends with kids who have to schedule playdates in order for their kids to have someone to play with). All I have to do is look out the window, or send my kids out into the yard and more often than not-instant playdate!! It really is something to be thankful for.

My inlaws visited for three weeks at the end of the summer.