Niva is in her shedding season. Am I slightly losing my mind? Maybe! Our couches always have a thin layer of fur, I feel like I can see it in the air, and I can pull clumps of it off of Niva’s body all day. Jimmy and I finally got out our favorite undercoat rakes (yes, we have two!) and went to town on Niva one night this week.

The result was that we had enough fur to stuff a pillow. Hopefully that was the last of the shedding for the season?! Speaking of Niva, she and I did a therapy visit together this week at the school for Deaf children that we regularly visit. We love it there so much! Kids + dogs = pure joy.

See Mordecai in the photo above? That was before his hair cut this week. Below is the after!

We had taken him to a local salon twice, I have trimmed it myself, and then we heard about a salon just for kids. It was such a good experience! The seats were all vehicles (cars, trucks, planes, etc.), there were TVs, balloons, lollipops, and amazing staff. The staff was what made the experience so enjoyable.

Every hairdresser there was trained to cut children’s hair and we were in and out in five minutes! He got a quick buzz cut and some gel and it was cheaper than going to an adult salon. If you’re local to Pittsburgh, check out Cookie Cutters. I definitely recommend it 😊

Sadie and Mordecai did an out-of-the-house activity together for the first time ever this week! Usually, they’re just not close enough in age for, say, Mordecai to take swim lessons with Sadie, or for Sadie to sit at Babies and Books at the library (though she totally has!). I found an art class that was ages 18 months to five-years-old and signed them up!

It was such a fun way to spend a morning. The kids learned about painting with “found objects” like bubble wrap, string, sponges, forks, and more. They also did some coloring mixing and were encouraged to get dirty if they wanted. In classic Sadie fashion, she was covered in paint by the end! Mordecai hates his hands being dirty, so he tried to stay neat. They’re so different (in personality and looks) it’s hard to believe they’re related!

Sadie and I did lots of creating together this week. We worked on her birthday party invitations. I had her write her name on them and I filled in the rest of the details. Can’t believe she will be six-years-old soon! She went with a cat theme this year 🐈‍⬛

Another creative thing we got up to? A Kiwi Co. box! They had a deal running, so I signed up for a cooking-themed box. She had used and loved Kiwi Co. boxes as a toddler (Jimmy’s brother adorably gifted her a few months of them as a birthday gift!), so it was fun for her to try them again as an older child.

We made special s’mores and learned about ovens. We also made trivets out of clay. It was such a great activity to do during Mordecai’s nap time.

What did Mordecai create this week? A giant mess! The kids love going on mine and Jimmy’s bed and romping around. I had a basket of freshly folded clothes sitting on top of our dresser and I think it was a little tempting for Mr. Mordecai because he knocked the basket off the dresser. I was so sad for a minute and then I just had to laugh and take a picture. What else can ya do?!

Remember when Mordecai used to just lay on our bed as a newborn? How do children grow so quickly? My heart!

What did I create this week? Baked goods, of course! I ran into our mailman in the neighborhood while on a walk with the kids and he made another cool order. He handed me $20 and told me to bake him whatever! So I made chocolate peanut butter brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and apple muffins. I also had an order for more baby boy Oreos on Etsy.

Okay, two more pictures and then I’ll end this post because it’s already 708 words long 🙈

First, have you ever tried Luna Bars? I feel like they’re been around a while, so I did a little search on my blog and yup. I used to eat them way back in 2011 as a college student at Penn State! I hadn’t had one in years and saw a box at the store, so I grabbed it for old times sake. Yum! Perfect litte afternoon pick-me-up.

Last but not least, my mom came to our house this week and brought along my niece, Remi. We took the kids to the mall (which was chaotic and funny) and were walking around. Behind us, we heard a group of girls say “Oh, look how cute! I’d love to have twin girls some day.” referring to Sadie and Remi. They do look a lot alike, especially from behind!

What was the last thing you created?