another birthday bites the dust...

I've never been much of a birthday person -- it's just another day for me, I often forget throughout the day that it's really 'my' day -- until someone reminds me!

But, after having children and as they get bigger, I realize that celebrating my birthday is more about them than it is really about/for me. I want my children to want to feel special on their important day, I want them to want to celebrate another year...so, in order for them to want it, I have to demonstrate appreciation on my day too.

My birthday fell on the same day as the "Blizzard of 2011" -- a day we won't forget!

Little Brother was sure excited about these candles - can you guess how old I am this year?

Celebrating my birthday is much more fun with these 2 little kiddos!

Happy (late) Valentine's Day

I had these pictures saved for a special Valentine for Big Sister's school party and I sent extra ones out to family, so I didn't want to spoil the snail-mail surprise by posting the picture here....but, then time got away from me and I never got around to posting it at Valentine's Day -- so, here it is -- late!

Urgent Care

With 102 fevers, barking, hacking coughs and no appetite....this is what you get when you go to urgent care on a Saturday morning:

One worried little brother...

One thrilled big sister (thrilled to get LOTS of attention and begin to feel better),

and 2 little monkeys......."monkey see, monkey do!"

Toothless Wonder

The Tooth Fairy strikes AGAIN! Big Sister worked and worked on this tooth -- despite me telling her to "stop wiggling your tooth!", she of course did it anyway. Why? Because she's almost 6 years old and you know that 6 year olds know just about everything, right?

She has lost 3 teeth on the bottom, this was the first tooth she's lost on the top. Ya know what? She's starting to look like a big girl and not my little girl anymore -- I think it was losing this tooth that made me realize it. That gap up there looks like the gap I see in big kid's mouths, not little kids. When she talks -- a little air escapes out the front of her mouth and she sounds different, not like my little girl. Where did she go? On Sunday morning, she was my little girl and by 3PM she was a big girl....it happened that fast, I swear!

Blizzard, 2010

Over the course of ~2 days, we received ~18 inches of snow -- no school for 2 days and lots and LOTS of snow!

Trying to find the steps to our back porch....

After being plowed out my our wonderful neighbor, "Bobcat, Bob"

The prestine snow drifts before being plowed or walken on....I do love the look of freshly fallen snow with no people or animal tracks...there's is just something amazing in the beauty.

Our driveway -- no, we did NOT shovel!

Big Sister couldn't even stand in the snow in some areas -- it was too deep, so here she is on top of the picnic table!

A day in photos

The "Blizzard of 2010" passed through our area this past week and what do you do when you hvae a snow day? (note: I remember snow days as the BEST days when I was younger....as a parent of 2 young children -- let me tell you, it wasn't as fun as I remember...)

Well, we played in Little Brother's crib,

'played' in the snow -- open the windows (a little fresh air won't hurt) and make a snowball -- what could be more fun?

"Want some mom?" No, thank you though -- I don't remeber the last time I've cleaned those window sills!

"Skyping" with Grammy -- Big Sister isn't too thrilled I was interrupting her computer time with Grammy!

Trying to shovel a path to our neighbor's house to deliver cookies --not sure how far we're going to get with this sandbox shovel?

Making snowmen....a MUST on a snow day, right?

Look how deep the snow is in some places of our yar? It's up over her knees!

At the end of a snow day in which you are closed in the house all day, no escaping since the car is blocked in the driveway with a large snow drift......everyone gets a little crabby at the end of the day.

Well, maybe not Big Sister -- she's just happy to be able to watch extra TV and have mommy's attention most of the day!