a week in mid-February

Now that I (finally) have my very own camera, I would love to be home snapping pictures of knitting projects flying off the needles, all the cute crafts my kid do, and the amazing food I throw together to feed this gang.

But, alas.

This week I worked on my report cards every night. I miss my kids. I'm almost done.

I turned forty on Wednesday and celebrated with a visit from my parents (and by opening a gift of handmade socks from my mom, and a Canon Rebel from my siblings, in laws, and husband...woot!). We ate homemade gluten free chocolate cake (my husband rocks), and my dad read stories to Violet.

On Valentine's Day, I made the table fancy and served the kids their orange juice in fancy glasses. It's the little things that count, right? Mind you, I didn't get around to writing a card for my husband, but we did spend the evening watching the first three episodes of Downton Abbey's Season 4 (if you haven't watched it yet, don't call me excessive...it's hard to stop once you start!). Oh my gosh, the third episode. Still processing that one.

My dala horse mittens are not exactly flying off the needles. They are a labour of love, in that I want and love them enough to labour over them slowly, when I find a few toddler-free moments. They are SO pretty!

This toddler. She has a naughty face that she wears when she tries to eat cat kibble or creeps up and shuts down the computer. She's gaining well and behaving like herself, which is definitely an upward swing.

And Margot lost her first baby tooth. I don't know why this made me feel sadder than previous tooth-losses. It's a feeling like grief, as I look at that big, bumpy adult tooth pushing its way up through her gum. Her baby teeth were/are so cute, tiny, white, and lined up like little duckies in a row. Not that I'm not dwelling on it or anything.

 I don't know if other parents suck as much as I do, but I woke up suddenly at 5:30 and realised that the Tooth Fairy hadn't come. I snuck downstairs and found a loonie (that's a one dollar coin for you non-Canadians out there) in Violet's piggie bank, and managed to sneak it under Margot's pillow without waking her up. I will teach them about keeping track of their money later. 

This happens every time one of them loses a tooth. I swear, the same loonie keeps finding its way under all the kid-pillows in the house. I promise myself I'll get a roll of them just for tooth-fairy duties but so far I haven't.

Tonight I'm heading off for a night of celebration with my sisters and girlfriends. A bunch of women in a cabin, with wine, food, and a wood stove...and knitting, of course. I'll admit, in true geriatric fashion, that what I'm looking forward to most is my first night of uninterrupted sleep in 14 months.

That's the weekly report.