first job

Emma Jane is crazy about cats!  This is why she was over the moon when our next door neighbors asked her to feed their outdoor cat, T-Rex, while they were out-of-town this past weekend.  Don't let his name fool you, he really is a sweet kitty.  Poor Emma Jane will never have a cat of her own while she's living with her mom and dad.  I am terribly allergic to them, but so far she hasn't held that against me! 

birds on a wire

My very first Pinterest "pin" was this adorable "birds on a wire" that you can also see here.  I have been wanting to make something similar for months and finally got started a few weeks ago. 

I bought a custom frame without glass at Hobby Lobby for around $14.  (It was 50% off.)  Of course, I forgot to take a before picture, but here it is with a few coats of "Tahiti blue" acrylic paint I had in my stash.  When Emma Jane first saw it, she said, "That sure is blue, Mama!" and she was right...

I then painted it with a few coats of "vintage white" and sanded it lightly on the edges and over the details.

I bought cute wooden birdies at Michael's for $0.50 a piece.  Using scrapbook paper I already had at home, I traced the outline of each bird on coordinating papers and cut them out.  I mod-podged the paper to the front and back of the birds. I hot-glued the ribbon used to hang them on the back of each bird.  I also hot-glued paper flowers and buttons to each bird for a little extra sweetness.  Paul attached some wire to back of the frame and I tied the birdies to it. 

And here is the final product...doesn't it make you want to give a little whistle?!?

We hung the birdies in the reading corner of Emma Jane's room.  She really seems to like her new artwork.  When I asked her what she thought of it, she exclaimed, "I think it looks awesome, Mom!"

  

Don't worry, Vivian's room has also recently welcomed some new artwork.  The Saggy Baggy Elephant pages I framed have found a home on the ledge above her bedroom door.  Even though they are up high, Vivi noticed them right away.  She frequently points to them and says something that sounds a lot like "elephant"!

table for two

Emma Jane and Vivian have a new table for their playroom. Our friend Scott gave us a table with "good bones" a few months ago and Paul has spent the past few weeks refurbishing it in his free time. I wish I had taken before pictures, but Paul already had the table taken apart and sanded down before I knew he had even started the project. He rebuilt the sides, but the rest is the original table. After completely sanding it down, he used "moss print" green to paint the legs. He stained the top of the table in a dark walnut and then applied several coats of tung oil. I think it turned out beautifully and the girls agree! It's the perfect table for puzzles, crafts, train tracks, and more!

little gardeners

We have two busy little gardeners who don't mind getting their hands dirty!  Earlier this week Emma Jane helped Paul plant some veggies in our backyard.  She  picked out her very own tomato plants and has been taking very good care of them...so far!  Let's see how patient Farmer Emma is when she realizes that the pretty red tomatoes won't appear overnight!

She actually "talked" to her tomato

plant before putting it in the ground!

She asked it, "Are you firsty?" 

Then said, "Don't worry, we'll give you wots of water!"

Vivian was too busy having a snack...

but she did watch intently from the back porch!

Proud to be finished with the planting!

Sheesh!  This watering can is HEAVY!

Vivian was ready to help today!

Don't drown the tomatoes!

Vivi has her own tiny watering can and

 did a pretty good job watering the squash!

Hopefully their hard work (and Paul's!) will pay off soon! 

lucky day

Lucky for us, the weather was perfect for Saturday's St. Patrick's Day parade in Five Points.  The girls definitely had fun taking in all the action.  Emma Jane became especially interested in the parade when she realized that the participants had goodies to hand out.  She scored some green beads, green bracelets, green stickers, and a few pieces of candy.  What luck!  Throughout the parade, Vivian gave us her usual "I'm just happy to be here" attitude.  Paul and I felt pretty lucky to have two cooperative girls on our hands! 

We were also lucky to run into some

friends when the parade was over!

A few more pics and we were off to lunch!

Lots of fun for the Street family this St. Patty's Day!

apple battle

We took advantage of the beautiful weather this week and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the capitol grounds.  

Emma Jane loves apples.  She eats at least one a day.

Vivian has always had trouble biting and chewing apples,

so we've never given her a whole apple. 

Emma Jane decided to let Vivi try her apple,

 but Vivi did NOT want to give it back!

She held onto that apple for dear life....

even while the girls explored the grounds...

and she refused to give the apple back until it was

virtually down to the core and I had to take it from her!

I guess there are worse things in life than

having to pry an apple from your child's hands!