Day 31 of 365

Long day at work today. Should have cleaned my desk, but I found plenty of other things to do. It was dark and snowy when I left this morning, and dark and snowy when I came home tonight. I'm dreaming of spring...

Day 30 of 365

My aunt made the girls these adorable jackets. Despite her efforts over the years getting me to sew, it's one skill I do not possess. I tried getting one photo of them together, but, as usual, that didn't work. I can't wait until we can be outside again without full winter gear, they're much more cooperative outside.

Day 29 of 365

The girls made bead necklaces today. Lillian loves to copy McKenna, so when McKenna spelled out b-e-s-t-f-r-i-e-n-d-s on her necklace, Lillian decided she needed to spell something, too. The end result was l-z-m-i-l-x-z-o. Grandma will love it, I'm sure.

Day 28 of 365

We just bought the kids' version of "Just Dance" for Wii. Lillian loses interest pretty quickly, but McKenna really gets into it. The first time I played I ended up being sore the next day. How sad is that?

Day 27 of 365

A colleague introduced me to these delicious flavored oils from a winery in Wisconsin. They have everything from garlic to jalapeno to orange. Tonight I made roasted carrots and potatoes with the garlic oil. The house smelled fantastic! I love roasted vegetables.

Day 26 of 365

After the recent frigid temperatures, today felt almost balmy! While the kids played outside I scraped some of the snow/ice from our driveway. Another month without snow and I might be able to clear the entire driveway. Is it really only January?

Day 25 of 365

We took out the few Valentine's Day decorations we have. These blocks are my favorite, a gift from my thoughtful Aunt Barb. Spread the love, friends.

Day 24 of 365

Home. Alone. On a Monday afternoon. This is unheard of. The power went out at school today - no lights, computers, ventilation or working toilets. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on one's point of view), it was a staff development day so there were no students in the building. I was able to enjoy lunch at McKenna's school and I now have two hours to myself, alone at home. Aaahhhhh.

Day 23 of 365

I love to read. Unfortunately, once my first child was born I couldn't find the time (or energy) to read. Now that the second child is 3-1/2, I am finding more time for it once again. My current read is "Little Bee" and I was able to read much of the book while driving to and from Fargo this weekend. I crave uninterrupted hours of reading, but instead I get small chunks of time between the many interruptions of daily life. I'll take what I can get. If I can stay awake, I might just finish it tonight.

Day 22 of 365

These boots were made for walking...

It was a hard day, going through my mother-in-law's things. I was reminded how much we had in common - our love of clothes (she put me to shame with the sheer volume of them), shoes (how I wish I could still wear a size 6) and jewelry (such beautiful pieces, and oh, so much of it)! Not too mention the crafty streak in us both. Her guest closet looks like a Michael's store. I even heard a few new Gullickson stories that somehow had escaped me over the past 15 years. How Barb would have loved to see Lillian wearing my boots. I can just hear her exclaiming "Oh, Lil!"

Day 21 of 365

We're in Fargo for the weekend to help my father-in-law organize and clean his apartment. The highlight for the girls is swimming in the hotel pool and seeing cousin Gunnar. I didn't think it could be much colder than the -20 degrees it was in Maple Grove this morning, but, apparently, it can be. BBBBBRRRRRRRRRRR!

Day 20 of 365

Stir fry is a family favorite. I love the flexibility of using whatever happens to be in the kitchen. Tonight it's broccoli, edamame, red pepper, pineapple and chicken. Serve with some brown rice and dinner is done!

Day 19 of 365

Three-year-olds are very particular when it comes to bedtime. This particular three-year-old must first do pajamas, followed by brushing and flossing, then choosing a book. We then read, tuck her in (which is also a process, since the layers of blankets must be in a particular order), give kisses and close the door. She then proceeds to get up multiple times for various reasons - going potty, getting a drink of water, needing a hug, being scared. By the time she actually falls asleep I'm usually in bed myself (getting my blankets in just the right order).

Day 18 of 365

Lillian's favorite book is Pinkalicious. We read it almost nightly. So, what better to do on a weekend afternoon than make pink cupcakes with pink frosting and pink decorations? Lillian finished off the last of the cupcakes today. And they were, as you would guess, pinkalicious!

Day 17 of 365

I took McKenna to Hyland today; compared to Elm Creek the hills are "huge". She had fun until our last run - a black diamond that resulted in a huge wipeout, complete with tears. I did quite well, considering I haven't been on skis since Clinton's first term in office. Since when have ski tips been round?

Day 16 of 365

Grandma and Grandpa came over for brunch this morning. Kenna and Papa played a loooong game of Trash while Lillian and Nana "played" Blokus. I'd like to say we had a productive day once they left, but it was another lazy Sunday - Kenna played outside and the rest of us napped. I'll need the extra sleep; I'm taking Kenna skiing tomorrow. It will be my first time on skis in 15+ years!

Day 15 of 365

I'm breaking my rule of one photo per day and posting two instead. The sun finally made an appearance here today and the temperature was in double digits, so the girls got some play time outside. I can't remember a winter with so much snow, and it's only January!

Day 14 of 365

McKenna finally got her new karate uniform! She's now officially in the "Black Belt Club," working toward that lofty goal. She likes her swim classes, but I've never seen her so excited about an activity before. Watch out!

Day 13 of 365

About a year ago, our desktop PC imploded and we made the switch to a MacBook. This machine gets more use than my oven. I love it.

Day 12 of 365

The first hour after arriving home usually involves me opening the pantry, fridge and freezer multiple times, hoping for dinner inspiration to hit. I love to cook, but dealing with teenagers all day seems to suck the energy right from me, so that by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is dirty a bunch of dishes and cook a meal. Soup counts as dinner, right?

Day 11 of 365

My plan was to photograph Lillian right after I tucked her in, but the major meltdown that just occurred changed my mind. The dog was much more cooperative. Libby is 10-1/2. She's in pretty good shape for an old girl, but I noticed tonight how gray her eyebrows have become. Sometimes I get annoyed by her constantly being underfoot (I've tripped over her on more than a few occasions), but she really is the sweetest dog. Plus, she never talks back or has throws temper tantrums.

Day 10 of 365

The girls love to play games on my phone. Lillian told me she was having "alone time" when I took this picture. I wonder what phones will be able to do when she is my age.

Tooth update: McKenna FINALLY lost her front tooth at school today. Glad I took that photo yesterday.

Day 9 of 365

It's always good to come home after a weekend away from home. I was hoping McKenna's front tooth would have finally fallen out in my absence; loose teeth really gross me out. For some reason, she wants this one to fall out naturally. Not even grandma's offer of $5 to pull it out could persuade her.

Day 8 of 365

One of my favorite parts of scrapbooking is the paper. I am a bit of an addict. Coordinating papers are my favorite; I try to incorporate a variety of them on each spread. Much is being accomplished here at the Sunflower Stuga in Stillwater. The 2009 album is almost finished and then I'll be caught up within one year. Back to work, the girls will want to see progress when I go home tomorrow.

On another note, I made it through the first week of my 365 project!

Day 7 of 365

Thank you to my cousin, Sara, for one of my favorite Christmas gifts. I am always cold, always. I wear slippers all four seasons. These are by far the warmest slippers I have ever owned. Love them.

Day 6 of 365

I'm not even one week into this blog thing, and I've already had to resort to using my phone's camera. I've got my DSLR with me on my scrapbooking weekend, but forgot the cord at home. Good thing my neighbor is joining me tomorrow and can bring it along. I love having neighbors who can be trusted with the garage code. Looking at this stack of paper, it's hard to believe I would ever have to borrow some paper, but sometimes I just don't have quite the right shade.

Day 5 of 365

My wonderful parents bought me a Keurig for Christmas. I am in love. Tea, cocoa, coffee. It can all be mine in 60 seconds.

Day 4 of 365

I have recently started buying brown eggs. It was not a deliberate change, but rather one of convenience. I was at Costco, needed eggs and the white eggs were sold only in 36 quantity, which was more than I needed. So, I went with the 24 brown eggs. I'll admit I had to google why some eggs were white and others brown (apparently it depends on the color of the hen laying the eggs), but now I'm a convert. There is no taste or nutritional difference, they look the same on the inside, but for some reason I like seeing brown eggs in my fridge. Sometimes it's the little things that make me happy.

Day 3 of 365

Lillian loves swim lessons. Most days when I pick her up from school it's a battle to get her to leave, but not Mondays. She races me to the car, knowing that once McKenna gets home it's off to swimming we go.

Day 2 of 365

McKenna has become an avid reader. I love watching her read; she didn't even notice me taking pictures tonight.

Day 1 of 365

It was a lazy day around here today; naps were had by all. Not a bad way to start 2011. Lillian rediscovered the paints during bathtime and decorated the tub. There is no better scent than that of a clean child.