The snow days came and went

He actually looks like he knows what he's doing.

Our first snowman. He was only two feet tall.

She'd just fall back into the snow.

Tracy, thanks for the boots. They were right on time.

Heard in our Home

On the way home from school, Leah told me that So-and-so is in love with So-and-so. I asked her if she was in love with anyone. Her reply made my heart sing.

"Mom, I'm not falling in love until I go to college."

FAST FACT FRIDAY #6-10

#6 (clearly I should have done this in February)

1.  Do you like Valentine's day? Sure, I can take it or leave it. I enjoyed it more this year because we made it fun for the whole family.
2.  What is one Valentine tradition you have? Matt and I do not buy each other Valentine's Day gifts.
3.  Who do you want to be your valentine? Matt, of course.
4.  What was the funniest valentine you ever received? (blank stare)
5. What do you want to get from your valentine this year? A whole lot of nothing.

#7

1. Do you collect anything? I used to collect teapots. I still have them, and I love them.

2. What's your favorite hobby? Reading. I don't know if you can call it a hobby, but it's what I like to do in my free time.

3. What is your style of organization? I'm a purger, first and foremost. That's my biggest key to staying organized, purging. Overall though, I'm classified as a Thorough Organizer. Meaning, I don't always get caught up in the (non)essential details of a project.

4. If you didn't have any limitations, what would you be passionate about? I hope I would be passionate about serving others. I hope. I let me get in the way of myself a lot though.

5. What hobby have you been thinking about trying, but haven't yet? I would like to sew. I would love to sew like my mom does, and if you know her you know what I'm talking about. I've tried a few small projects here and there, but I haven't taken the plunge yet.

#8

What is your favorite...

1. Fast food restaurant? Chick-Fil-A!

2. Casual dining restaurant? Probably Iggy's. 

3. Expensive restaurant? Melting Pot, definitely.

4. Restaurant that you could go to everyday? Maybe, Zupas. I really love soup.

#9

1. Where is your favorite repeated vacation place? Las Vegas
2.  How long do you like to go on vacation? I think 10 days is the perfect vacation time. Just enough to relax, miss your kids, let them miss you; and just enough to feel ready to go home.
3.  Where did you go on your favorite vacation? Disney World with my family when I was 17.
4.  Where was your most recent vacation? Was Trek a vacation? Technically it filled all the requirements (although it wasn't relaxing). Wait, nope, it would be camping with Tyler and Katy up at Red Fish Lake. That was awesome!
5.  If money were no object, where would you like to go? Western Europe. All of it.

 

#10

1. Do you like to cook? Yes, actually I do. It's a new thing though.

2. What is your favorite dish to make? I enjoy making Chicken Cordon Bleu. It's so satisfying when an involved recipe turns out wonderfully, and your husband eats it like he's eating a bite of heaven. Of course then your kids ask for hotdogs...

3. Do you like cooking for others? Outside my family? No. I do it, but it stresses me out.

4. Are you a baker- or mainly just a taster? I would hardly call myself a baker. I enjoy baking the few things I know will turn out. I do enjoy tasting, a lot. Brings back good memories from growing up in my parent's kitchen. Sneaking around to get a good snip from the bowl. 

5. What food will you NOT cook under any circumstances? I haven't found a food that I feel that negatively towards.  I do not like papaya, so probably that, although if a gun were pointed at my head...

This is Me - Challenge #8

The THIS IS ME CHALLENGES are designed to help you write about yourself. The woman started it as a way to get your personal history down. I like it. It forces me to detail parts of me that I don't normally write about. You can take the challenge to at THISISMECHALLENGE.BLOGSPOT.COM

I ADMIT IT

What are some addictions you have?

I don't know how to answer this. I've never had a serious addiction to anything. I'm addicted, but not to anything dangerous or life altering in any way. So, I'm taking a time of day route.

MORNING ADDICTION
I'm addicted to waking up to a clean kitchen sink in the morning. I have a hard time falling asleep knowing there's a pile of dirty dishes waiting for me the next morning, it just doesn't feel right. And if I have to do dishes while I'm getting cereal for the kids, it puts me in a foul mood.

AFTERNOON ADDICTION
I try most days to keep the computer off, it's only turned on if I really, really, really need it. If I happen to turn it on, for whatever reason, I can kiss my kid's nap times goodbye all in the name of PINTREST. Pretty pictures, false hopes, big dreams- whatever the pull is it's got me hook, line, and sinker. I once saw this analogy (probably via Pintrest)

Pintrest : women as Fantasty Football : men

EVENING/NIGHTIME ADDICTION

Prime Time TV. "New Girl," "Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," "Hawaii FiveO," "Terra Nova," "American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance." The end.

 

Parker

Parker's second birthday was this past Saturday. He's getting so big. I'm more nostalgic than sad about it though.

Parker is a fairly well spoken kid. He may not have the biggest vocabulary, although it isn't small by any means, but what he says is well enunciated and definite. Yesterday he had his two year well child checkup (yes he's still huge, just in case that was in question) and when the doctor asked where his ear was Parker replied, "Right there," pointing to his ear.

Parker is a busy kid, with little caution, unless your and approaching stranger. We've affectionately (if not out of exasperation) called him "Tank", "Bruiser", "Bulldozer" and "Terror"- for obvious reasons. However he's also earned the nickname "Snuggly"; when Parker slows down enough he almost always wants a good cuddle and a nice big hug.

Leah adores him and is constantly trying to get him to do new things. She's taught him how to do a somersault (something he's quite good at), whistle, snap, and I'm fairly certain his grasp of word coupling is due to her. Any time he can Parker grabs Leah around the waist and pulls her in for a hug where he usually ends up nestled into her side.

He also loves to throw snowballs, help me with the laundry, throw things in the garbage, read Junie B. Jones with Leah, watch and play football and basketball, talk on the phone, and play with any big kid around. Parker does not like feathers, or 'pedders'. He's pretty disgusted by them actually. I've seen him try to get over this by approaching a feather boa, crouching near it, and saying, "Hi pedders. Talk pedders." When you ask Parker who he is and how old he is, he says, "Parkah. Two!"

Basically, I love to squish his face and tickle his squirmy little body.