quiet winter days

It’s been mellow around Chez Rust the last couple weeks.  We’re settling back into our routine of work and preschool, community group and friends-over-for-dinner, cleaning and laundry, ultimate frisbee, blogging and sabbathing (a new word!  in honor of my New Year’s resolution).  The holidays were good but it’s nice to feel that familiar rhythm creeping back in.

Fridays are “stay at home” days with the boys and this winter we’ve been spending most of those days indoors, working on play dough projects, race track building, and performing in our own marching band.  The boys opt for a bike ride every day, usually with Jason while I make dinner, but other than that, we’ve been hunkering inside where it’s warm.

We spent last Saturday afternoon over at the Ko’s, celebrating James’ 5th birthday.  Birthday parties are a major highlight for our kids, mainly because they know there will be cake or some sort of culinary treat, and this did not disappoint.

This was our gift for James.  My first-ever made-it-up-myself sewing pattern.  It needs a name… car clutch?  Hot wheels wallet?

Notice Isaiah in the photo above.  He’s holding the Ko’s old, broken alarm clock.  Where he found it, nobody knows.  He took a real shining to it, for unknown reasons, and asked Liz if he could borrow it.  He now sleeps with it every night – no joke.

And, of course, the after-party.  Jason had as much fun as Gryffin and Isaiah, chucking the Parachute Men over our balcony.  This went on for a good half-hour.  Great party-favors.

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Both boys have been fighting off the flu the last couple days.  Isaiah took his special alarm clock to the doctor this morning and we are essentially just riding this one out with his asthma inhalers and eczema meds close at hand.  Sleep for all of us has been sort of non-existent but so far Jason and I are still healthy and hopefully the boys will bounce back soon.

Have a good weekend, all.