SNOW DAY!!!!!!!

Woo hoo! It's a Snow Day! Being a teacher, I'll always have that joyous feeling to wake up to find that school's been cancelled due to inclement weather! Our school has a phone tree to contact everyone to let them know important information. I've always had to call people, but the list was changed this year, and the people on my list this year are different. I am in charge of calling the other 3 2nd grade teachers as well as the 2nd grade Title assistant. It was hilarious! Everyone was so thrilled when I gave them the good news, that I felt like the florist delivering flowers (you know how happy people are when they receive flowers)!

As soon as the kids woke up, they wanted to play in the snow. I bundled everyone up, and out we went. I took just a few pictures and then the neighbor girls were shouting for Rhett and Micah to come over there. I meant to have Rhett take some pictures with his new digital camera (Fisher Price) that he got for Christmas. Hopefully, there will be more snow this winter and he can capture some action shots.

First one to slide down the slope was Blair (alone). If only I had videod! When she got to the bottom, she tipped over face first in the snow. She sat up and Micah hollered, "She's eating the snow!" She didn't even cry! She loved it. After that, we decided that Blair could only go down if someone was with her. So Rhett and Micah took turns taking her down. She LOVED IT! Blair and I only stayed out about 10 minutes and I took her in. I didn't want her to get too cold. There wasn' enough snow to have a snowball fight or make a snow man, and it's already almost melted. Hopefully, we will have even more snow and the kids can make some snow angels, forts (Angela, remember the forts and snow ball fights we used to have????), a snowman, and maybe even snow ice cream! I hate it that Tony had to work! He loves it when it snows!

I also love snow days because there's nothing on my agenda. It's truly a DAY OFF! I have caught up on some reading, laundry, and since the house was cleaned yesterday, I don't have anything to do ... and that's GREAT! I've even had time to just sit on my couch (which I don't think I've done in ages)! So, yes, I've been kind of lazy, but that doesn't get to happen very much. I've had time to play with my kids(I've beat Rhett twice at Trouble), catch up on some reading, and more important for all of you out there in the blog world, to catch up on some posts.

I just put Blair down for her afternoon nap. Tony called and wants us to meet him at Quizno's for dinner before he teaches his class at Ivy Tech (oh yeah, he is officially an Adjunct Professor teaching an intermediate engineering drafting class). I think I'll go upstairs and fix myself some hot apple cider and watch a little bit of Oprah. What more could a girl ask for??? ;)

The Weekend Update

The title sounds like a clip from SNL (maybe it is?). On Friday night, we had Beth, Josh, Isabella, Brian, and Brooklyn over to hang out. Maria had plans with her mom. We all ate take out (that's a story in itself) and let the kids play. It was fun to watch Blair, Brooklyn, and Isabella play. They were together, but each was in their own little world. When Brian came, he sat Brooklyn down next to Blair. Blair instantly reaches for Brooklyn's pacifier (it looks exactly like hers) and took it out of Brooklyn's mouth and into her own. About 5 minutes later, Brooklyn did the same thing to Blair. Tony and Brian decided to put the pacifiers up until one of them "needed it." The highlight of the evening was watching Brooklyn cimb up our stairs (with Brian right behind her, of course). She's a pro! I know she had to have went up at least 20 times. By the end of the night, she had taught Blair how to climb stairs ... THANKS A LOT, BROOKLYN!! When Isabella left, she leaned in to give Blair a kiss, took out her pacifier, kissed her smack on the lips, and put her pacifier back in. It was one of those moments that you wished you would have been filming!

Saturday morning, Micah, Blair, and I met Tabby and Desiree at NWHS for a cheer competition. The JJ cheerleaders were performing. They did well, coming in 2nd place. However, of course they would have liked to have taken 1st place, but they were a little off. Your average spectator was stilled wowed by their performance, they are really talented! Good job to Karen and Chelli! I know they put in many hours coaching!

Saturday afternoon Rhett and I had "alone time with Mommy." He's been asking for some one-on-one time with me, so Tony kept the girls and Rhett and I went shopping for some decorations for his room. He was ready to get rid of all his "baby stuff" so we bought him a cool Superman lamp, a Transformers poster to hang on his wall, and a wall murel of the Fifty States (from Target, of course). We moved his bedroom furniture, and I cleaned out my stuff that I still had in his closet. Now it's officially "his room" and he LOVES it! Since Christmas, they have really been hanging out in their bedrooms. I'll post pics later.

Saturday night, my brother Damon kept the kids so Tony and I could go out. We went to The Summit and to TGIFridays. Of course, what's a date night if it doesn't end up at Wal-Mart?? I had to return something and I got Rhett a Poster frame for his Transformers poster. Damon had everyone asleep by the time we got back.

Sunday morning while getting ready for church Micah had an episode. She came and told on Rhett for calling her a baby, but Rhett insisted he didn't say it. After I was getting nowhere trying to figure out who was telling the truth, Tony stepped in and the truth finally came out. Micah had lied. He said her little face was priceless as she told him and a big crocodile tear came running down her cheek. She had to sit in time out and apologize to Rhett, him, and myself. During the sermon, Brian mentioned that you don't have to teach kids to sin ... even those sweet little girls who will tell a lie. Tony was on stage with his guitar and looked out at me in the pew. We both caught each other's eye and smiled at each other! So true!!

Sunday afternoon, we all went to McAllisters and Target and then came home for nap time. Rhett invited the neighbor boy over to play and Micah went to the other neighbor's house. After Sunday night church, a group from church went to Tumbleweed to hang out since there wasn't school the next day.

Monday I had a dentist appointment and then my mom and I took the kids to Clarksville for the afternoon. She did a little shopping, we ate at Cheddar's, and then I took the kids to her house while she went on to her physical therapist. It was the day that my house was being cleaned, so I didn't want to go home while she was cleaning. Monday night, I organized Micah's closet and invited the neighbor girls over to play. Oh yeah, I also went grocery shopping. That wraps up our weekend!

Bath Time With Daddy

Tony usually gives Blair her bath. It's their special time together. Last night, he put in too many bubbles, and then decided to have some fun with it. He yelled for me to get the camera, and when I came into the bathroom, this is what I found! Blair loved it! She is such a happy little baby! It doesn't take much to put a smile on her face.

Remember These Days?

"Self-Feeding" a cut up banana
By this point, there's smashed banana in her ear, on her forehead, in the creases of her neck, etc.

For all you moms (and dads) out there who've forgotten how messy babies can be ... this one's for you! What I had in mind was to give Blair a cut up banana so I could have time to straighten up the kitchen and living room before Sunday night Church. What I thought was an idea to save me time, ended up taking a lot of time (if you include the clean up of the smashed banana on the floor, her high chair, the seat, the back of the seat, her ear, her forehead ... you get the picture). I ended up having to give her a quick bath in the kitchen sink and washing a load of clothes. But boy did she have fun eating the banana all by herself! Actually, from the pictures, she looks a little bored. A day in the life of a mother of 3 little ones!! It's always an adventure ... but I wouldn't change it for the world!

Cleaning Out Your Toy Shelves????

As you are cleaning and organizing this January (since I know it's one of your top New Year's Resolutions -ha!ha!), if you have any indoor games that you do not want anymore, please send them my way! Since it's been too cold to go outside, we have inside recess at school. I can always use legos, k'nex, magnetix, coloring books, stencils, stickers, stamp pads, color pens and markers, board games, hot wheels, Barbies, etc. So look around your house, and if there's anything you would like to donate, I would greatly appreciate it!

New Year's Eve

On New Year's Eve we (Our family, Tabby's family, and Cindy's family) went and ate pizza at the Pizza King in New Albany, went bowling, and then came back to my house for snacks and games (Marcye's family met us later at our house). For some reason, I didn't end up with very many pictures. We had a lot of appetizers and snacks and we made our own "mocktails" (Julian, John, Devin, and Caleb were creating their own concoctions)and drank sparkling grape juice and sparkling apple cider! We played games (Apples to Apples) and watched the ball drop on TV! It was nice hosting a kid-friendly party! I hope to have more "Game Nights" in the future. If anyone has any suggestions for some great group games to buy, please let me know!

Tabby teaching the kids how to slide down my stairs ... will she ever grow up? ;)
This was taken at the end of the night, the adults were ready to crash after consuming too much sugar ... (the kids were still going strong playing in the basement on a major sugar high)!

"Teenager" shirts

I posted these because I wanted to show off Micah and Blair's matching shirts that they got for Christmas! Wow! I can't believe how big it makes Blair look!! Micah calls these shirts her "teenager" shirts- it must be the sparkles. (Micah's hair is so curly because she had slept in rollers the night before.)