Valentines Day

Oh boy was there excitement for Valentines day this year.  The kids were able to do an actual class Valentines party, which they had a blast at.  On Valentines day we started out waking up to our presents that the Valentines Chicken brought.  That's right we have a Valentine Chicken visit us every year.  It's so much fun.  He always does a scavenger hunt and the kids had been wondering for weeks if he could pull it off in such a small space.  The answer is of course yes.  The Chicken is not one to disappoint.  

After we found our surprise we were off to the dentist.  We were visiting a new dentist and the kids loved it there.  It was Lily's first time and I was pretty sure she would freak out so of course I told them this when we got there.  She of course proved me totally wrong and did unbelievably well.  You know kids, totally unpredictable.  

That afternoon they all received money from Nana in the mail so we had to head to Target to spend it right away.  No sense in letting that money sit around in a piggy bank.  I like to try and make a special dinner, so it was heart shaped pancakes and sausage. With a little box of candies.  

This kid fell asleep well before bedtime, she partied too hard I guess

The kids had a fun day and they always tell me Valentines is one of their favorite holidays.  We like making it a family day and not necessarily a romantic holiday.  We think it's really meant to show all the people you love how special they are.  My mom made it that way for my family when we were growing up so I hope that is what we are doing for our kids.  

Lots of Love,

Stacey

A Day Inside

Ever wonder what a day in the trailer really looks like?  Well Saturday was just that.  It was snowy and cold out, and not the nice fluffy snow you can play in.  So we hunkered down and stayed in ALL day.  My biggest problem with this isn't being cramped together in a small space, it's that my kids want to just sit on their tablets all day.  So we decided to work on their Valentine boxes for school.  One of my worries with homeschooling was that my kids would miss out on things like class parties and exchanging Valentines cards.  This was a huge draw back for me, as I know it is for a lot of home school parents.  It seems silly but it really is a factor in the should we home school discussion.  Since we signed up for a co-op this year, my kids go to an activity day once a week.  So this year they were able to participate in a Christmas party and now a Valentines day party.  So it's a win win.  They are so excited.  Kya has asked me a million questions about how it all works.  I love it.  So we worked on their cute boxes.  Charlie made a Pokemon character and Kya's is a collage of stickers.  
I let Lily make one too.  She just wanted to put the stickers on everything but the box.  

Look how cute they turned out

While we worked on the boxes Brian was changing the breaks on the van.  Poor guy ended up working in a snow storm.  He was a trooper and got it done.  They kids liked taunting him from the window.

Lily had seen someone make barbie shoes on YouTube.  They used a hot glue gun and when she saw mine in the craft box, she insisted we try.  So this was our attempt at making barbie shoes.  It took a long time and after I finished them lily told me she hated them.  Kids! No appreciation.  I mean they weren't pretty but they did fit Barbie perfectly.  

Already disappointed before I even start.

We wrapped her feet in plastic wrap and then covered them with hot glue

Barbie seems to like them but they needed color

So we painted them with blue nail polish

And they are done.  They looked more like house slippers than the tennis shoes that Lily had hoped for.

So after a full day of crafting do you wonder what a small RV looks like?  Well let me show you.

Yep, that is totally real life.  I got behind on dishes and there were toys and craft items everywhere.

However when people ask me what I like most about living in a tiny house, my answer is always the same.  The house can go from this to this in less that thirty minutes.

Even the kids are better about helping because they know it's quick.  I spend so much less time cleaning and it makes the messes not feel like a big deal at all.  I have to admit that when it is messy it feels like the walls are caving in.  But just a quick clean up and everything feels much better.  We lived in a three story house before and after a day of crafts and playing, it would have taken me closer to two hours of cleaning to get the house clean again.  So I am always thankful at the end of the day that my time is much better spent now.  

So that is how a day inside goes.  We do a lot of crafting, play dough time, puzzles, really anything to keep us off electronics.  I will be so happy when the sun stays up later and when it's warm enough to go out and play.  

Lots of Love,

Stacey