Snow days

Just in case your wondering if the kids and I spent our two snow days last week frolicking through the beautiful snow, making angels, laughing as we worked together to build a snowman, etc. etc. etc. We didn't. Sam likes the snow but doesn't like playing by himself outside. Holly claims she didn't want to go out with Sam to play because she doesn't have snow pants or boots. Please. I grew up in Minnesota and I never had those luxuries...my mom put plastic grocery bags held on with rubber bands on my feet and we just wore like three pairs of jeans. I don't know what Katie's problem was.
Below is just a sampling on how they all amused themselves.... Sam played "soldier". This consists of donning a soldiers uniform (blankie tied around the chin, fire helmet, and a ukulele for a sword because his mom doesn't like real swords) and then guarding the entryway into a room. You must pay him money to get into that room but the money doesn't have to be real - he accepts pencils, junk mail, and kisses.

This is Katie. Holly thought it was funny to put her in her exersaucer and then put Sam's robe over her and waited until she screamed to take it off.

Here is Sam talking down the heating vent to his sister in the basement. This was actually cute until he started sitting on the vent and then screaming, "Did you hear my fart!"

Here they are shaking the Christmas presents.

Now here is some real family bonding time. Holly called John's nurse and begged her to come over and take her away. Thank you Kerri!

Only 89 days until spring.

Happy Dee is back

My good friend Denise just called me. She just called to tell me that in a month I should see buds coming up. As if that isn't encouraging enough, she also told me that in just three days the days will start getting longer again. I love that lady. I'll guess I'll stay here...although a slight reprieve to the state of Arizona in January may be in order.

My Holly is crabby now. She was really hoping they would have school today. Not actually school but all the fun things that happen at school the day before Christmas vacation starts.

Now she's expecting to be entertained. I wonder if she counts babysitting her younger siblings while her mom takes a long nap entertaining?

I have to apologize to certain members of my family - since I am not an everydayblogger, I am a bit behind on my birthday recognitions. On the other hand, I hope I've made my Aunt Jen and my Aunt Jan happy with my new blog background. They claimed they couldn't read it before when I had my funky Christmas design. I'm sure it has nothing to do with their eyesight (insert sarcastic voice).

Happy birthday Aunt Evelyn. People have always told me that I look like my Aunt Evelyn and I have always taken that as a compliment since she is pretty and skinny. However, unlike my Aunt Evelyn I have made the decision that grey hair is not a sign of wisdom and maturity and I hide it. He he he.

Happy birthday Grandma! My grandma is 87 years old now and still very feisty. I have many stories I could tell but I think this picture of the snowwoman she made in her front yard is story enough.

Happy birthday Little Pete. Little Pete is my cousin and I'm sure he started out little but he is not little anymore so I don't know why we all continue to call him Little Pete. In this picture he is showing me how to eat at Hu Hot. And let me tell you...he may look tough but he is such a sweetheart - once we sat down with our food and he let me try his and I liked his better, he gave it to me. What a guy.

Only 91 days until spring.

Dee is crabby

I can distinctly recall my husband saying these words to me just a few short years ago when we were discussing where we should live for the rest of our lives, "Yeah Dee, and in Washington, it hardly ever snows and when it does it hardly snows at all and when it does it never sticks around." I was tricked. I could have snow and my mom but now I just have snow. I hate snow. I am crabby. I don't mind the rain at all. It could rain for three months straight and I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't need to see the sun all winter if it meant we wouldn't have snow. Maybe I have the opposite of seasonal depression. Perhaps I am part mole. They have already cancelled school for tomorrow. What's that all about? Who cancels school the night before? I'll tell you who does...the state that "hardly ever gets snow". Yeah right.

On to more positive things....

Katie still loves those carrots.
This past weekend, Holly had two recitals in one day so we decided to get her hair done. She looked so pretty but a little too grown up for me! Isn't it pretty?

Here she is at her violin recital...

Here she is with Katie...

And here she is performing at her Children's Musical Theater recital...

I'm pretty sure she got her rhythm and dancing moves from her dad.
And here she is at her school orchestra concert this past week...

Thanks for the pictures Julie...what would I do without you? Sure wish you were around this afternoon when John and I were arguing about who had to go take a picture of Sam in the snow.

One of those mornings...

It's been one of those mornings. You know the kind where absolutely nothing is going right? I knew it was going to be right away. When I picked Katie up this morning she was soaked...wet from her neck to her toes which means that all her bedding which I just washed yesterday needs to be washed again. I wasn't planning on giving her a bath but of course I had to so after I got her out and lotioned and got her smelling good the first thing she does when I put her in her exersaucer is to spit up over everything. I spent well over an hour trying to upload photos to Rite Aid because Holly needs some pictures for a school project. I usually don't use Rite Aid because they are more expensive (and as my mom will tell you I am thrifty) but I was trying to avoid a trip to Bellingham. After I finally figured it all out and got them all uploaded it wouldn't let me pick up the pictures in Lynden...guess where the closest place was? Yeah, Bellingham. I opened up the fridge and one of the shelves in the door comes off and I have condiments spilled all over the floor. I am all out of eggnog coffee creamer. I have a ton of laundry to do. I am 14 Christmas cards short. It is raining and everyone says snow is on it's way. I am crabby. And then there is Sam and his puzzle predicament. Sam has been obsessed with puzzles for a couple of weeks now. Actually just with two puzzles because we only have two puzzles. They are 100 pieces each and he can put them both together in under 10 minutes. He has them memorized. Anyway, this morning a piece of the "Life Underground" puzzle is missing. He is going bonkers on me. He keeps asking me to help him find the piece. He keeps asking me to help him find the piece while I am bathing Katie, cleaning up pee and puke, uploading photos that I ended up not ordering, cleaning up condiments, etc etc. Needless to say, I am not being very receptive. Finally as I am heating up a cup of coffee because I thought caffeine may be in order this morning I give in and say "Sam, what do you want me to do?" He says, "I look everywhere. Maybe it falled under here" (as he is pointing to the stove). I gave up. I looked under the stove and didn't see it. "It's not there Sam." Sam says, "Maybe you need to try harder." I moved the stove. I believe it was sheer frustration that helped me move the stove. And guess what.....there it was. The missing piece. Sam was so excited. He got this huge smile on his face and starting jumping up and down. I gave him the piece and he gave me a big hug and said, "You finded it for me!" I no longer care that I smell like puke, have not even started the laundry yet, and that snow may be coming. Life is so good.

Life

It's been awhile. Life is busy....but so much fun. I remember when I first told my mom that I had started a blog. I believe her exact words were, "Why? What are you going to write about?" As if my life as a domestic goddess isn't exciting and thrilling enough for a blog. Anyway, since I am not doing a Christmas letter to go with my Christmas cards this year (since you should all know all about my thrilling, exciting life by reading this blog), I thought I'd update you on my family.

*John is still my husband. He is still a doctor although he threatens all the time that he's changing occupations on me again. Sam is hoping he becomes a street sweeper. He is changing offices sometime next month which means he gets new exam rooms which means we need to decorate new exam rooms. Any ideas? What would you like to see in your doctor's exam room? When he's not working, he keeps busy with church stuff and being a great dad. Currently (and almost unbelievably) he has no major home improvement projects going on.

*Holly is an on-the-go-all-the-time sixth grader. Her latest thing is getting a part in this year's high school musical, "Fiddler on the Roof". She is Tevye's fourth daughter. But don't worry...like she told her dad, "It's one of the daughters that doesn't get married." Lucky for us...she's growing up way too fast already. I just know I'm going to bawl when they sing "Sunrise, Sunset".

*Sam (following in his father's footsteps) has decided on a career change also. For a couple of years now he has told us he wanted to be Goliath when he grows up. The other day he was looking out the window watching the street sweeper in our cul-de-sac. Afterwards he came up to me and told me in a most serious voice, "I decided not to be Goliath anymore. David will just kill me and then I won't have any time to be a street sweeper or a dad or notin'." Smart kid. I think those cowboy boots have really got him thinking lately.

*Katie still loves carrots. She also loves plain rice cereal, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and pineapple (although John wasn't happy when I was letting her suck on a pineapple chunk). Basically, she loves to eat. She also loves her big brother and sister and the constant attention she gets from them. She rolls all over the place now and has two teeth.

*As for me, I love being a mom that gets to stay home all the time although I don't really like to stay home all the time. In addition to all my domestic goddess duties, I go to Coffee break, volunteer at school and church, scrapbook, occasionally get some exercise, and try to never pass up an opportunity to go for coffee with my girlfriends.

Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to get caught up with family and friends that I don't see often enough. I can't wait to start getting all your pictures and letters!



Holly took this picture of her and Katie the other night. She was suppose to be clearing the table and was stalling.

Here are two of my favorite people. It was Auntie Grace's birthday yesterday. I love that lady and I wish her many, many more happy and healthy birthdays!

Carrots

Guess who likes carrots?

It's December!

Wow, I just switched the calendar. Can you believe it's December?! I know this is the time of year when things can really start getting crazy but just a reminder to slow down, be still, and remember who we are celebrating and why we are celebrating. Jesus, leaving paradise to come to this sinful earth for the sole purpose of dying for us is definitely the greatest gift in my book. And just think...no cost, no lines, one-size-fits all, and it never goes out of style!

Here's my last gratitude journal entry, November 30: I am grateful for Christmas music. I know I got an early start so I'll be really tired of it in another month but for today it just puts me in a good mood.

Here's a Sammism to start out the month...
Sam takes after his mother. He is not a morning person. So picture this - he is sitting at the kitchen table in his jammies and cowboy boots...actually he is more slumped onto the table with his head in his arms. I am eating cereal. He says, "That crunching is really annoying."
Happy Monday!



This is Sam and Santa from 2006. He's a little frightening isn't he...Santa I mean, not Sam. Sam just looks like he just wants to get off this scary Santa's lap.