Snow Days

We are on our second Snow Day here. It's really pretty, but now I'm getting stir crazy and want to go to the store. My grocery list is short - but hey - any excuse to go play in the snow is a good one!

I sent Caleb out to shovel the driveway this morning. Then I felt bad and so I went out and helped too. We did a pretty good job between the two of us. The driveway itself is wide enough for two cars to park side by side. We managed to get one and a half lanes cleared. I have a feeling I will be sore later, but it felt good to work up a sweat and do some physical labor.

In the meantime, here is a view out my front door this morning:



And here's my cat - discovering the Triops:



He is completely fascinated with them and meows to them constantly. I have to wonder how many times he will paw at the container - after about 15 times you would think he would figure out that he can't get to them. But he keeps trying. And trying. And trying.

I'm old now

Ok - I'm now another year older, but I'm not supposed to be feeling it already!

I just spent my evening playing 3 games of Guess Who?, 1 game of Clue, 1 game of Life, and 2 games of Sequence with my daughter. We also changed the water for her Triops that we hatched. (Those things are really cool, but kinda creepy too.) Anyway - I think I must have spent too much time hovering over the game boards or something because OUCH! My back is not happy with me right now. Geez - I must be WAY out of shape. Or can I still blame it on the flu??? Ok, maybe not but it was worth a shot!

I honestly wasn't ignoring my son - he was at the neighbor's house. We are all hoping for a snow day tomorrow. If the forecast holds true, then chances are good. But I don't want to get hopes up too much, so I kept bedtime within a half hour of normal. Now it's time for me to go to bed too (so I can stretch out my back) and so I can be cozy under the covers while watching the snow.

And while I'm cozy, Jim will be working until 11 p.m. - so say prayers for all the public servants who don't get snow days. They deserve gratitude, but usually get complaints instead.

Better days

I'm finally over the flu and feeling better. Tamiflu ROCKS!

We got more good news yesterday. Conner had a visit with the doctor to check her kidneys and all her test results were good. No new kidney stones! I cannot even begin to describe how relieved I am.

Jim's mom came over today and delivered early birthday presents for me - including the Mamma Mia movie. So tonight - I get to watch it again and sing along with all the songs! My kids will laugh at me and I won't care.

I am a statistic

It's been a long weekend and week at our house. Jim got sick on Friday and was diagnosed with the flu on Saturday. I went to the doctor yesterday and guess what? Yep - positive on the rapid flu test. We are now two more statistics to add to the pool of influenza misery.

And in case you were wondering - yes - having the flu really stinks. I've been living in my comfy socks and my robe for three days. There is a pile of Puffs Plus tissues in every trash can in my house and my nose is STILL red and chapped.

I'm exhausted but I haven't been able to sleep because I can't get comfortable. I was up and wandering the house at 2:00 a.m. this morning. I got a book from Caleb's room and I've already finished it. I tried working for awhile but I kept forgetting what I was doing (in the middle of doing it).

So for now - I'll continue to curl up on the couch with my box of tissues, my sore throat lozenges, my Diet Pepsi, and my various medications - Ibuprofen, Sudafed, and Tamiflu. And next year???? I'm getting a flu shot.

When did that happen?

I took Caleb out shopping for new shoes last night. Somehow in the past four months, his feet grew a few sizes. Say - from a youth size 6 to a men's size 8. I don't know how he could stand having his old shoes on his feet. If he keeps growing at the current rate, he is going to be taller than me by the end of summer.

Really it isn't a big deal that Caleb will be taller than me soon. Actually, it will come in handy. Right now it really stinks when I go to the store alone because I can't always reach the stuff on the top shelves. Do you have any idea how embarassing it is to wait in a WalMart aisle for some stranger to come along so you can ask them to get down that green box of Always Ultra-Thin? Seriously.

(although I'm getting a chuckle out of imagining the expression on Caleb's face when I ask him to do the same - and by then he will be old enough to realize what I'm purchasing - can you see the mortification??!!)

Here's Caleb on his birthday back in December -



And here's a shot of all the kids at Christmas -



Seeing their smiles is the best Christmas present ever.

ABBA, BeeGees and Disco OH MY!

Ever try explaining Disco to your kids? I tried to explain it last night. All I could come up with was fun, funky, and feel-good music.

We got on the topic because we watched the Mamma Mia movie over the Christmas/New Years break and I've been singing the songs ever since. One of my first ever favorite songs was Dancing Queen by ABBA. I didn't realize how many other great songs they had until I watched the movie. So anyway - the kids were asking about 'old' music and why the people were dressed so funny at the end of the Mamma Mia movie.

Which reminded me of John Travolta and the Saturday Night Fever movie. Remember when John wanted to strut? Everytime I hear the Stayin' Alive song, I think of that walk....

">

It's her thing

Conner has always had this thing for getting into things. Literally - IN to things. I need to dig out more pictures - but here's a perfect example. Alicia's birthday was early in December. One of the gifts came in a large bag. After presents were opened - guess what happened? You got it - Conner was IN the bag. Yes, she easily fit inside it.



I think I have pictures of her from just about every occassion - sitting in boxes, in bags, in the big ice cream containers, and when she was little - she would sit in the crock pot.

It's just her thing. And it completely cracks me up.

New Year

I'm making just one New Year's Resolution - to spend more time with family and friends.

We had family and friends over for New Year's Eve and had a great time. Nothing spectacular or huge, but lots of great conversation and a crowded card table all night. I was actually still awake at 2:30 a.m. I think the last time that happened was 12 years ago when I was in labor with Caleb.

My BFF Pam came over with her family - including husband, children, and parents. My other BFF (and neighbor) came over with her husband and kids. Jim's mom and step-dad came over. And another of Jim's friends came over with his wife and two of their kids. We had a ton of food and snacks, plenty of alcohol and kid-friendly drinks - and lots of fun.

Maybe I can use my birthday as an excuse to have another party later this month. I think Jim will be all for it because he has already been talking about getting everyone together again. Time to go hunt down his work schedule so I can start making plans now! (and if I tell everyone it's for my birthday - I KNOW they will show up!) I already know what the kids will say - WOOHOO - mom wants to have another party! It's their opportunity to run around and be crazy too. Plus they get to laugh with me (at me?) when we start swapping stories about all the crazy things we did when we were younger. Like the time when I was learning how to drive a motorcycle and accidentally ran into (and up) the slide on the swingset.

Yeah - I have lots of hidden talents like that. I also ran into a few trees and a fence or two. And there was the time when Pam and I almost set the house on fire because we wanted pancakes. She told me she knew what she was doing - and I actually believed her! Hope my kids will have good stories to tell when they are older. I can't wait to hear them!