I searched online for simple Valentine Box ideas that Michael and I could work on together. I presented him with 4 choices: a birdhouse, a cat, a robot, or a butterfly. He selected the cat. We finished this project in less than an hour.

Supplies you will need:

• An empty upright tissue box
• Construction paper for covering the box and for details
• Pipe cleaners for whiskers (we used the sparkly ones left over from our Christmas ornament project)
• Markers and a sharp pencil

...

I know what kind of day I'm going to have when this happens: I pick up the blowdryer to dry my hair, and a silverfish blows out of it onto my head! I brush him off, and the little guy is still moving! I caught him, crawling across the bathroom floor.

Actually, that was the only bad part to my day. (Nowhere to go but UP from there?)

I got my first freelance assignment, setting up some payroll benefits for a corporate customer, in their accounting system. I may...

I made this casserole for dinner. Can you think of anything better on a Sunday night?


It was delicious! We weren't sure whether we would like turnips, and we did. (The kids would not eat it.) It was also fairly quick to prepare. I used brie in place of the Gruyère, and regular plain yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt.

The recipe is from Cooking Light.

Rösti Casserole with Baked Eggs...

Over the holidays, I decided to look for a new job (again). This time, the search did not turn up a new position so quickly and easily as in August when I left my previous job.

I started to get discouraged, so I bought a book on Amazon about how to be more optimistic, "Learned Optimism". (I just know it will work! )

My positive thinking (or something) has led to a new opportunity for freelance work. I'm so excited! I have given up my "day...

The temperature has been in the 30's for a few days. Yesterday, it was rainy and just above 32 so we hoped for snow. We had a rain-ice mix and took the boys outside to see it, where we found REAL ICICLES hanging from the bushes. I encouraged them to touch and taste the icicles.

Do you remember doing that when you were young?

Michael is having his tonsils and adenoids removed next week. We are a little nervous about whether it is the right thing to do, but we hope...