Day 63

Nothing like waiting until the last minute! Travis reminded me that I hadn't blogged yet today and as I was scrambling to think of what to take a photo of at 9:30 pm, I saw the little guy in the hallway sitting by his door and so obviously not sleeping. I couldn't help but snap a photo of him! I don't think that he is going to bed anytime soon b/c of my quick photo op though. I couldn't believe that he was being that quiet (we were only a few feet away in the living room) and sitting by his door. He is pretty sneaky when he wants to be! And since he 'hates bed' (his words, thanks to Madi and Tanner), he is very sneaky when it comes to bedtime!

Day 62

Welcome to the world Johnathan Joseph!

Thanks for making me an auntie tonight! I love you already sweetheart!

And I can't help but give my sister tremendous props tonight too! This sweet little guy wasn't such a little guy, weighing in at just over 10 pounds and 21 1/2 inches long! She was amazing and I am so proud to call her my sister. Thanks Ang and Nick for allowing me to be a part of welcoming your son into the world!

Day 61

I have to be honest today. I love my kids so very much and although it is extremely rewarding, being a mom is such a hard job sometimes!
My oldest son, Tanner, is 6 and in kindergarten. He is very gifted in his ability to manipulate numbers and figure very hard math concepts out in his head. It is amazing and awe inspiring to watch (and since I am not the strongest math student myself, slightly intimidating). He loves working with numbers and excels when he is being challenged (which is already pretty tough to do). Travis and I are working with his teacher on challenging him, and as his first teachers we are trying everything we can to make sure that he isn't getting bored. He has started to show signs at home that he is bored (by acting out with us and his brother and sister) so the past few weeks we have been trying harder.
He is having fun tackling a fourth grade math workbook (and I am being serious when I say having fun), we don't push him. I am also creating new hands on math games and activities for us to do together and for him to do alone. He loves trying new concepts out and mastering them. I am feeling a little better about challenging him, but I am also nervous about the future. I hope that we are able to continue to foster a love of learning in him and not let him get bored and give up with school.
I am not trying to brag about him, at all. I realize there are a lot of parents out there who are thinking, what are you complaining about?! I am trying not to complain, I know there are many children out there who struggle, but for us, this is our struggle. Although having a child who is so advanced is great, it is also a tremendous challenge. Being a parent is hard work, any way you slice it. I pray that we can help all of our children reach their potential and be happy, productive adults!

Day 60

I have to begin by saying that I am extremely thankful that spring is just around the corner, it has been a LONG winter to say the least! I have many things to be grateful for in my life and I am so very thankful for each and everyone of those things!
But I do have something that I am not so thankful for, and in fact I have to complain just a bit...

This is the mess that we have to walk through each and every time we go anywhere...yuck. It is mud season here on the farm, and although I am smiling because I know it doesn't last long and there are BRIGHTER days to come, I am also cringing thinking about the mess our mini van and house are going to become! Thank goodness for rubber boots, we will be using them a lot in the following weeks!

Day 59

A Color of His Own. I love, love this book (and the very talented Leo Lionni). I was very excited to see this art project! I have to give all the credit to another fellow blogger, you can check out the original idea here.

It's been a busy Saturday at home for us, cleaning, laundry, dishes, ect. I had to stir it up a bit and add something fun to the mix of not so fun household duties. It made for a colorful end to our afternoon!

Day 58

a bath story...I will let the photos tell the story...

Tyson is learning how to wash himself, quite the independent little guy!

Day 57

Playing Duck, duck grey duck...ahem, let me just state for the record to all you native Minnesotans out there...this game should be called, Duck Duck, GOOSE! When I moved to this great state some 18 years ago and found that all of my friends were playing the game wrong, I was shocked! Ok, well, not really. But honestly I have always maintained my 'goose' stance with the game and tonight when my three little native Minnesotans were playing guess what they said?!
Ahh, you guessed it...Duck, Duck, GREY DUCK!

Day 56

For me, there is nothing better than seeing one of my children curled up on the couch, snuggled in with their favorite book and waiting for me to read it to them! And, as I gaze at this photo and notice for the first time after taking it, a handful of toys waiting to be played with sitting beside them is a fun bonus! These are the days that I am sure I will miss!

Day 55

Madi has been in front of my lens an awful lot lately, she loves to get her photo taken! Today she really loved it because we had another session in the studio with her baby dolls. I think I might have to shut and lock the studio door for awhile (I am getting a little burned out on all the baby doll sessions we've had lately!)
I thought this one was cute and since it is getting late and I am without a more creative photo, here she is...we are all waiting (not so patiently) for warmer weather to get here!

Day 54

Happy Monday! I hope this colorful bubble shot brightens your day as much as it did mine!

Day 53

Look who is having a baby!

We are so excited that we have a new little guy joining the Passanante family any day. Madi and Ty got to say hello and give their auntie Angela's baby belly a kiss. I am guessing that this is the last time they'll get to see the baby belly..the next time we see Angela, we are hoping she has the baby in her arms!

Day 52

Ok, so don't make fun of my attempt at making a barbie cake...she looks a little short right?! Well, thats because she is missing legs (Madi only let me take them off her if I pinky promised to put the legs back on and as of 8:30pm this evening, I am happy to report shorty Barbie has legs again!)
Today was Madi's 5th Birthday party and she got to invite two of her closest friends, they had a blast making princess crowns and putting on a fashion show/ dance party in the studio...oh, and along with eating my less than perfect cake!

Day 51

I swear that I could do a project 365 next year and only showcase this little guy...

he gives me a reason to take my camera out every single day! Today was no exception, he was so excited to get a cupcake for desert after lunch and decided that this was how he wanted to eat it...licking all the good stuff off the top!

Day 50

There were so many things that happened in our family today but I had to choose the biggest one to post on the blog. I am now a parent to a 5 year old girl! Happy Birthday to my sweet and sassy little Madi...

Do you see what I mean when I say that?! We did a super quick, very impromptu little session in the studio in between me putting together two meals (once again, that is a story for another day my friends, but I will say that it involves some very picky eaters!). These are the two photos that caught my eye.
When she came into my life 5 years ago, I couldn't have been more excited or thrilled to be a mommy to a little girl! I have had dreams about being a mom for as long as I can remember and they have always included having at least one daughter. So to say that I was thrilled when the doctor placed her on my tummy on this day five years ago would be a huge understatement! She has brought us a lot of love, joy, and smiles, and I wouldn't be truthful if I didn't add drama to that list! She is a girl in every sense of the word and I knew that I was in for it when the nurses brought her back to me that first night after she was born (can you tell that she was the second born?? I really wanted a couple of nights of sleep before the crazy reality of having 2 kids under 19 months in the same home hit me). They told me that her screams were keeping the other babies up and that they couldn't calm her down...{sigh}, those were the early Madi days. We ended up getting to know one another very well, which was mainly her telling us exactly what she needed and when she needed it!
Fast forward five years later and we still deal with drama on a daily basis but I cannot imagine my life without this amazing little girl! She is so strong and I know that this attribute is going to take her very far in life.
Happy Birthday, my girl, I love you to stars and back!

Day 49

This little guy has given me a lot of joy in his short two and a half years in our family and I thank God for him and his brother and sister everyday. And I can't help but smile so BIG as I post this photo!

Tyson is now officially potty trained! I am so happy (and surprisingly even a little sad) that my baby is growing up. This is one moment, however, that I couldn't help but document! Tyson is very proud of himself and every time he finishes on the potty, he gets off to flush and waves good bye before he closes the lid. No one has taught him that, but it is definitely something that makes us smile! Thanks 'T' for helping me find the joy in the little things!

Day 48

The past week or so has been a productive one for me. I have been doing a lot of spring cleaning and boy, oh boy does it feel soo GOOD! I am not one to hold onto items and used to pride myself on being organized. Well, with a husband, myself, and three kids 'stuff' seems to accumulate by the truckload every year. I thought that this would get better once we moved into a bigger home, but honestly who am I kidding?! We just have that much more room to store more STUFF!
I organized an entire cupboard that is only devoted to art supplies, pencils, markers, scissors, glue, ect. The kids now have books in baskets in every room in our home (as a former elementary teacher, I feel that giving my kids a print rich environment is one of the greatest gifts I can give them!) and the toys are semi-contained to boxes and bins that were once labeled and held the items the labels stated (that pipe dream went out the door when our third baby was born). Who has time for that?! It felt good to drop boxes off at the thrift store, in fact, I am planning another trip there soon!
For me, when our home is cluttered and unorganized I feel like a mumble jumble mess! Well, I am starting to breathe a little easier...things are looking up and my mind is clearing along with our home.
So, today, I wanted to post a bright and colorful photo, here are some of the colored pencils that are now organized neatly in our art cupboard (we'll see how long that lasts!) This photo makes me happy and is making me itch to draw a colorful picture!

Day 47

Today the kids thought it would be a fun idea to play horsie on the armrests of the couch...I did set this shot up a little bit b/c they were on two separate ends and I asked them to play together on the same arm for a few minutes. Before the all out war ensued, I captured this fun shot. They do have a lot of fun playing together, and it's always fun for me to watch them interact with each other!

Day 46

As the snow is softly falling outside, I am dreaming of sunnier, warmer days just like the one in the photo. It is March 6, and I am so completely over wintertime and snow! Can it please end soon?

and just in case you were wondering this is me in Hawaii in 2005, ahh, I miss that place!

Day 44

So when I started this blog, I always said that I would post the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, the way my day went today, I am getting the chance to post the 'ugly' or not so 'organized' part of my life. I spent the entire day attempting to organize drawers and empty boxes (from our move almost a year ago, yikes, I can't believe that I am admitting that!). With two very enthusiastic helpers, I have to say that it didn't exactly go according to plan. Each time I emptied a box or tried to put something into our 'giveaway' box, one of my little helpers was there to discover hidden treasures and take it away. It honestly felt like I was taking one step forward and two steps back! So completely frustrating! I was in the basement for a good portion of the day and the kids were up and down. When I came upstairs this evening to start supper, this is the way our table looked. Madi was in her glory amidst all of the arts and crafts supplies she had found and had most of them strewn about the table. I knew it would be my photo for the day, this is the way most of my day looked! I did get a little bit accomplished and I am planning on sneaking a bunch of boxes out to our van this evening to take to the thrift store tomorrow...I am not sure I am going to miss this someday, I miss being organized!

Any volunteers want to come and help me clean?!? :)

Day 43

So, I was going to post a photo today of a chalk mess that was made on our kitchen floor by none other than the little boy you see in the photo below. Plans changed, however, when Madi and I were in the studio having a session with her baby dolls (that story is for another post, but let's just say that she is one lucky little girl to have a mama who will have two sessions in as many days of her beloved daughters baby dolls!). While I was waiting for Madi to get her baby 'ready', I turned around and saw my two year old doing this...

It was the sweetest moment and one that I don't want to forget! These days are fleeting and the little moments like these where he is looking so sweet and innocent on the floor playing with his 'choo-choos' are some of favorites! I am so glad that I turned around when I did and had that camera in my hands!

Day 42

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
— Dr. Seuss

Day 41

Happy Late Presidents Day! Check out these adorable, lifelike, Barack Obama portraits a kindergarten class at our school created. Aren't they sweet!? They caught my eye and I wanted to share them with you. Some of them are actually pretty true to life, I love how the artwork at our school brightens the halls, it makes me smile.