Meager Attempt at Valentine's Day

Woke early to a sick baby, fed baby, changed diaper, put baby back to bed...

Contemplated exercising...didn't do it!

Stuffed baggies with Valentine's candies.

(I am naturally a procrastinator, but this was entirely due to a weekend of nothing but the flu...ugh!)

Got the boys up to write names in papers...had boys stuff papers into bags while I...

Cleaned bathrooms!

Fed kids.

Woke baby for car ride.

Maya drenched in vomit...gave an extremely fast bath to a very happy sick baby!

Drove boys to school...decided to keep Aiden home at the last minute...still sick!

Went crazy at home with Liddy's new found desire to pull every item out of it's place.

Exclaimed gratitude to Lydia for every burp cloth and receiving blanket we own.

Took a deep breath and tried to ignore the extreme mess.

Took a few pics.

Held screaming girls who refused naps.

Drove screaming girls who refused naps around town for an hour.

Silence in the car...relief.

Picked Connor up.

Kids home, bathed, doing homework and eating candy for dinner.

Boys decide they need some real food...cereal and bagels it is! (French toast was planned, but nothing goes as planned these days!)

Lydia continues to eat candy...lots of candy...for dinner.

Say goodbye to Daddy...the Valentine's nurse this year.

Open package from Grandma Fultz--children thrilled with Zwahlen's shirts!

Connor exclaims, "Grandma has a yellow, blue, pink and green one!"

Look at Connor's report card...straight E's, which is straight A's!

All is well that ends well! Happy Valentine's Day!

My boy and I will celebrate Wednesday...our only night off together this week! The weather's getting warm, but we may have to turn up the AC and cuddle under fuzzy blankets...so efficient!

Fine Lines and Wrinkles!

Okay, so I admit, I have recently googled treatments for fine lines and wrinkles. That's not my only issue with the 30's: it now takes extraordinary efforts to lose weight, my wardrobe consists of over sized sweatshirts and lounge pants, and my hair is starting to feel brittle (ugh). I have not seen a gray hair yet, however!

But, those fine lines have come from good sources....

Watching my son read at the end of the day and find joy in each chapter accomplished brings a huge smile to my face!

Seeing my youngest crawl for the first time amazes me just as much as it did with the first child!

And then leaving her with a pop-tart while I fixed her "real" breakfast, then turning around to this only moments later makes me laugh....deepening those fine lines greatly!

Maya, you are one of a kind!!!

As for those wrinkles...

Walking into Lydia's bedroom after Daddy insisted she take a nap this morning, and I followed it through with ignoring her while I took a bath...only to find her stark naked in the end....well, that produced wrinkles followed by fine lines!

Our Newest Friend!

Connor is such a good and handsome boy--always polite, very reserved, and finding the joy in small and simple things. A few days ago he was saving his reading time so that we could sit on the couch together and read our books at the same time.

Today, Connor came home from school with his candy bar that he bought with his very own dollar. Yesterday, I scrounged up enough change in the Ford only moments before the bus swept my kids away. I lectured them to hold onto every coin because one lost one will not get a candy bar. They came home with chocolate bars and smiles. Today, as we were driving home, Connor stated, "I wish I saved my chocolate bar from yesterday...then I would have had two today..." As soon as we pulled into the driveway, he bent over to pick up his back pack off of the floor and spied a bag of fruit snacks...."I found fruit snacks! This is turning into a really good day!"

Daddy built us a snow man with the remnants of snow on Monday! The kids...already showered and getting ready for bed....peeked out the window in awe!

Yesterday, Miss Lydia snatched up the tootsie rolls from our friends mouth...the ones that had fallen, and unwrapped each one, eating it's delicious contents! When we drove up to the house Tuesday morning, she stated, "I lie is hat! I lie is arms!" (like his) Lately, she has been obsessed with every little body part of hers, mine, and Daddys! It's a game she randomly plays as she approaches us saying, "Mommy's nose (touching it), my nose, Mommy's ears, my ears...." She also loves hats and has a cute little sorrowful phrase she repeats over and over again as she played with Woody one day. In her little imagination, Woody lost his hat...and she would toss his so that his hat would literally fall off. Then, she would pick him up again and with a pouty face and voice exclaim, "My haaaattt...my haaattt!"

In case you were wondering how I get my boys to follow through with tasks...it's simple and clear...just how they need it to be! Enjoy, once again!

Surprise Snow Day!!!

(Video at the end...PAUSE the music and turn on your speakers...I know they're off!)

There's my baby! No, I would never call a vehicle my baby until today! When I woke this morning and realized that the boys school was the ONLY school not following a 2 hour delay or cancellation, I took the liberty of packing all four kids into the car (as I do every morning) and driving them to the bus stop. The end of our drive consists of climbing a hill to a stop sign...

As I approached the hill, I noted my surroundings--as any good mother does! There were three big trucks ahead of me, the first one was a tow truck! Yes, I was safe--tow trucks are a symbol of safety right? White tumble weeds sat to my left and right, and in the middle and top third of the hill there were two cars sitting (1) on the side of the road, and (2) in the middle of the left hand lane (yet facing a right hand lane direction!). I stayed 10 feet from the third truck I followed and watched each vehicle like a hawk. In an instant the tow truck (just 15 feet from the top of the hill) started sliding back while simultaneously turning 90 degrees, by unintentional means, and then 180 degrees. The truck behind him slid back uncontrollably, and the third truck put on his brakes and came to a stop. I was in no mood to be hit by three large trucks, so I did what no man thought I could do....I put the Ford into reverse and drove like Mater, all the way down a long icy hill...tapping my brakes like NO OTHER driver present did! The boys were almost speechless...until I decided to back into the deep snow on the side of the road and turn around...then Aiden screamed, "No, don't turn left Mommy...don't turn left!" (I was turning right!!!) I assured him we would be okay! A car just turning onto the hill quickly stopped once they saw my skillful backwards driving and headed home! In a few minutes, I saw 5 cars driving backwards down the hill....following my lead! HA! Who says a woman can't drive?

When we got home Aiden looked out the window and spotted an interesting scene...in his words...

"That is a funny little yellow man with a striped hat! Where did he come from?"

Dear Aiden, you always bring a smile to my face!

There's my handsome Connor! He played multiplication BINGO, the Wii, Operation Toy Story, and so much more today! I think he even snuck in some reading!

Aiden...being Aiden!

And Lydia wearing my new gloves, hat, and scarf...oblivious to how ill proportioned they were on her tiny hands!

And...of course...a horse is a horse...of course, of course! ENJOY!!! We sure did!