We're building a fort - part two

We continue to tear away at the brush (slow but steady). Scott dug out a couple of stumps last night while the kids and I focused on vines. We've got enough of the big stuff out of the way that we can start to visualize where the fort will sit. 

The other day the kids spent the afternoon drawing up plans and thinking up details. Two story, with a slide down from the top. Open front, big windows on the sides. Flags. Built-in hideouts and shelving. We'll call it Ezurc Fort.

I finally made one for us

For months now I've been making this pillow for other people. Always in the back of my mind was the notion that I'd make one for our family room couch someday. The stars of time and effort finally aligned and our home just got an extra dose of love...

(better light in the dining room for a photo)

I love this pillow. I love it in my home for the same reason I assume other people wanted to have it for theirs. A visible but subtle reminder. Seeing it one hundred times a day works on the subconscious of the whole family to make an effort for every word, action and intention be infused with love ... even especially when we don't feel like it. Love is spoken here. Always. As a standard. Even when someone unwraps every piece of your gum and licks it. Even when you never get to pick which show to watch. Even when someone broke your stuff. Even when someone decorates the clothes she's wearing (extensively) with a black marker. Love.

yeah, this was totally staged..."Sit on the couch by the new pillow and hug!"

I think that's enough love for now.

More good writing from school

This time from Josh. He received a paper with a picture of a kangaroo explaining that he is getting ready to do his morning exercises and instructions to write a story that tells about the exercises the kangaroo does during his workout. Here is Josh's interpretation of that compelling theme (note: Josh's favorite Pokemon is named Shellcraft)...

"One morning Jack decided he'd work out at the gym with Shellcraft, his best friend. So he got into gym clothes. He went to the gym. He met Shellcraft there. Shellcraft asked, did I ever tell you the story when I went into a cave? Yes said Jack (Shellcraft forgets stuff a lot). So they did push ups, they jumped, and they did jumping jacks. They went home after that."

We're building a fort - part one

Welcome to a new feature here on The Real Cruze Family.

Building some sort of treehouse/fort thing in the back yard has been an idea that's been tossed around for the last couple of years. I don't know what triggered the shift from talk to action over the weekend -- perhaps the realization that these kids just keep growing up and they're never going to stop, perhaps the wonderful 60 degree weather that came on Saturday, maybe we just needed a reason to do something big together -- but action was taken.

The first step was clearing the brush that's been in charge of the back 15 feet of our yard ever since we moved in. A mess of vines, weeds, poison ivy, small half-dead trees, twiggy jumbles. Photos don't do justice to the change in the landscape, but here they are anyway...

We initially looked into having someone come bobcat it up, but estimated it would cost us about $500. No thanks, we'll just take advantage of the chance to fine tune our work ethic.

Stay tuned for updates, probably over the course of the rest of the year. This is not something we plan to finish anytime soon. Maybe by the end of the summer. Maybe by Christmas. Of 2012.

Original idea-lady and how-to HERE.

Have you made your Valentine's collection boxes yet?

Josh has.

(did you know he likes Kirby?)

What Ben would think if the power went out

Ben wrote this little scenario for a writing exercise in school the other day. I'm glad I know his teacher and she knows I'm normal.

If the power went off for a day I would be very sad. I would miss my Wii the most. I can watch movies on it. That lets my mom cook. I get to watch a movie while she cooks. That makes it so she can cook dinner. If the power went off, I would not be able to watch TV, and my mom would not be able to cook. That's why we need power.

I hope the power stays on, otherwise we'll be bored AND hungry.

Valentine's Day Cards

These weren't my idea, but I wish they were. 

All the way last year, I bookmarked this blog post that I linked over to from somewhere (can't remember where now). Then in mid-January snapfish offered me 99 prints for 99 cents. Like it was meant to be.

If you want to copy too there's still time.