Warming Up?

Like I've said before, it's been a looooong winter. I am now recovering from a perforated ear drum and severe ear and sinus infection.....lovely! But, we are counting down the days to warmer weather -- Even if we have to wear winter hats, we will STILL be outside -- as long as that sun is there to greet us.

The kiddos are itching to get out too -- Little Brother begs and begs and BEGS to go play golf....but, when it's really cold, we make him play in the garage.....poor thing, huh?

YES -- we are ready to grill! "I cook" as Little Brother says.

The things that I look forward to these days...

It's been a LONG, LONG winter and the little kids in this house have been sick ALL winter -- maybe a total of 5 days (not in a row, of course) that they've been without runny noses, fevers, coughs, green boogies, congestion, wheezing, etc. It's really starting to wear on my very last nerves. Now, I know I shouldn't complain -- I mean we've known families this winter that have had 5 bouts of strep throat, a girl at school hospitalized with pneumonia, lots of people with pink eye, bronchitis, laryngitis. We've only had ear infections -- just 4 for little brother and 2 for big sister....not too much to complain about. Maybe I'm just in a rut, I need some fresh air running through this house, some warm sun on my face and some nice juicy watermelon -- that will help me in ways that you can't imagine. But, until that happens, I sit here and look for things in my life that currently make me happy. Yes, this is a materialistic list of external factors -- TV shows for that matter -- that really should have no 'pull' on my happiness...but, on long winter nights it will have to do for now:

1. DWTS Yes, I like to watch professional dancing and imagine myself out there dancing....

2. Off the Map a very fun medicine show -- set in the jungle -- maybe it's the medical side of me, but I like watching this mind-numbing show

3. Castle --this is an intriguing mystery show -- kinda like those CSI shows (I'm assuming, since I don't want those other shows) -- where someone dies at the beginning of the episode and then you spend the next hour trying to figure how the 'who done it'. It's actually quite funny at times!

4. of course the wonderful Wednesday night light up: Modern Family, Cougartown (which is currently on hiatus?)

5. can't forget the new fun show: America's Next Great Restaurant. We didn't have a plan to start watching this show, but if you know anything about my husband, you know he lives and dies for CHIPOTLE....so, now we are hooked!

I usually pride myself for not watching a lot of TV -- I am usually too busy with laundry, cleaning, washing dishes, preparing lunches for the next day, etc that I don't have time for TV.

But, like I said, it's been a long, LONG winter.....

Science Fair

At our wonderful little private school, Big Sister was able to participate in the Science Fair this year! Well, actually K-10th grade were required to participate -- K-3rd grade are given the topics and were instructed to create the experiement and then make a display board.

the project: How many pennies will sink a foil boat?

making foil boats -- she made a triangle boat, flower boat, kitty cat boat and circle boat.

results: the kitty cat boat held the MOST pennies -- 57 pennies before it sank into the water!

A Golfer is Born?

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!