January

It finally looks like January outside! Minnesota, like most of the country, has been experiencing a "La Nina" winter which in this case, means all the snow and cold weather has been stuck way north . Today, we got a light dusting of snow, and the temps are suppose to drop today below the freezing mark. I, like most have enjoyed the break from winter. However...there are a few things I have missed and didn't know I would miss:

1. My walk in freezer! In Minnesota, the garage is doubles as a freezer for many months of the year. I can buy extra milk and bread for example...leave it in the garage and save me some trips to the store. Not to mention winter is a great time to make freezer meals, and save some time in the kitchen.

2. The feel of my flannel sheets and electric matress pad. Several nights this past week, I woke up HOT! What is UP with THAT..its January!

3. Fires. We have a fireplace, but who wants to cozy up to a fire when the kids are still outside playing in the 50 degree weather? Not to mention it is currently a little over full of finacial papers that need to be burned. January = clean out files time, but who wants a fire?

4. Snow toys. The girls have gotten their skates and scooters back out. Will the sleds get any use this year? Will the summer toys lose their luster with year round use?

5. Sweaters...probably not a big deal, because you could use your sweater as a jacket the last few weeks, but today I put on a sweater AND a shirt, and it just felt cozy!

6. Homework and music practice. Hello! This has been SUCH a battle. Who wants to do that when you can play outside! I think for kiddos in places like Florida, they get used to, and assume that the weather will be good day after day. Around here, everyone is waiting for the weather to change to normal...so day after day its, well, I HAVE to play outside while I can. And its hard to say no. Today? Its going to be to cold to play outside for long. I'm excited to get homework and music practice done promptly tonight, especially because Wednesday is the busiest day of the week.

7. Winter foods....we've been grilling out quite a bit lately. Did you get that? Grilling out! Hubby made a briquit on the grill this weekend. Time to get back to soups, oven casseroles, roasts. You know, winter food!! I'm a seasonal eater, and tend to prepare things with that in mind. I'd never make potato soup for example in July. Its been tricky to know what to make, or be hungry for when its 50 degrees in January. I'm now, picky and weird.

8. I can now find my keys....they are in my winter coat pocket! The coat I've worn all day! Hooray!! Do you know how much time this saves???
So, call me weird. But I'd like to say, "Hello January, I missed you!"

ITS THANKSGIVING PEOPLE!!

I am writing this post using many of my 4 year olds thoughts. Which I think give great validity to the point.

The title of this post is a direct quote from her. She has become extremely disgusted with all of the Christmas decorations she has seem up the last two weeks. She shakes her head and mumbles under her breath, its Thanksgiving people...come on!

She asked me about a week ago how we were going to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I explained her that there was about a month between the two holidays and we would celebrate both. She was just that more upset. Come on then people its NOT Christmas!!!

We got a Christmas card in the mail yesterday. I hid it from her.

We passed a yard yesterday with a giant blow up Turkey. She YELLED Bravo!!!! while wildly clapping. I'm pretty sure she would have shook the owners hands. Probably hugged them too. She also chewed out another yard that had a blow up Santa. Wow, the angst!

I promise I have done NO COACHING on this subject with her.

So, one has to ask.....if the 4 year old gets it........

So, HAPPY THANKSGIVING PEOPLE!!!

CIADD

Its November, which means its time for me to blog daily. Its an annual thing,and as I'm not very good with annual, its good practice for me. I hate to mess it up. I'm a bit competitive, so it is going to bug me insanely that I missed yesterday. I'm chalking it up to a severe case of CIADD. Never heard of it? I'm not surprised, and then again I am. I actually googled it before I came here, thinking surely by now someone has named this affliction that effects most mothers. Perhaps someone has named it something different, but I can not for the life of me think of a better name for it. I'd spend more time brainstorming a name for this condition but I was just now interrupted to help cheer on Dora. (dang interactive TV shows)So I'm going to stick with what I know it to be and see if you agree.

CIADD = Child Induced Attention Deficit Disorder

Yesterday I had a bad case of it. I woke well rested and ready to start the day. 3 kids ready for church, and me, Sunday school, church, breakfast, chores, homework, snow, music practice, nap time for one, and about 100 teeny tiny things to minor to mention that prevented me from blogging even though I sat down here 3 different times to do so. (that I recall anyway) I also never got a grocery list made so this AM trip was a total wing job. I am not going back there either...we will eat whats here and thats that. Nah.

So, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

First Annual

This weekend the "boys" went on a hunting trip with most of the male counsins and uncles on Brian's side of the family. A two day adventure, part of it guided. Motel, male bonding. The works. They are having fun even if they are freezing their, well, pretty much everything off!!

Sooo.....whats a bunch of girls to do?


Well, we decided to get out of town too. We headed north an hour and stayed at a hotel, went shoppping, went to a movie, went out to eat. We drove home through the first snow of the year, and now we are all snuggled in bed watching Judy Moody's Not So Bummer Summer. (side note, Judy reminds me a bit of Sophia.....) warm and safe.



Will these first annuals become true annuals?

Time will tell!

Interview

Interview with Gabbie 4 years 11 months and 13 days



1. What is something mom always says to you?
Don't touch (which I guess I do....germ patrol)

2. What makes mom happy?
Having her favorite candy!

3. What makes mom sad?
When people are mean to you

4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?
Tickle me

5. What was your mom like as a child?
just like me!

6. How old is your mom?
Um, I don't know....um 40????

7. How tall is your mom?
60 feet

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Talk to my kids

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
do lanudry and run errands

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
You would be a rock star!!! LOLOLOLOL

11. What is your mom really good at?
Folding socks (everyone has to have a talent I guess)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Balancing clothes on your head (um....OK....)

13. What does your mom do for a job?
DO the luandry

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
hamburgers (um, no)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
When I try to jump on the trampoline

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Super Grover!! (HIGH praise!!!!)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
go to the doctors

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We both have blackish hair

19. How are you and your mom different?
You have glasses and I don't

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
because she kisses me a lot!

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
because he buys you presents

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
The grocery store (then we had a discussion because I made a face. she came to the conclusion that I just like to go "places").

Thank you Make a Wish!!

There really aren't words enough to thank everyone who supports MAW. Gabbie's trip was truely magical in all ways. She had an absolute fabulous time. It was soooo wonderful to have so many things to do and think about besides cancer. Special life time memories. Just so fantastic!

And so, with that, a few pictures that I have recieved from various locations in the last few days, to wrap things up a bit.

This is inside the Gingerbread house where we ate breakfast every day, and quite a few suppers. It was a fun place, although all the dolls looking at you while you eat is a little freaky. Just a bit.
The Gingerbread house! Fun huh?
Ol' Elmer, man Gabbie loved that tree. EVERY SINGLE time we went by it, and we had to go by it to get back to our villa after leaving pretty much every event.....she would yell, "WAKE UP ELMER!" He just kept on snoring. ;)
Inside the ice cream palace. Many a good sundae was had here! YUM YUM YUM!!

This was a fun little climbing room. Crickets would chirp, bee's buzz, little doors when opened made all sorts of noises. It was fun! I didn't take a picture of it, but GKTW sent me one! They are beyond cool!
TA-DA! I got the picture finally! Gabbie, Jacob and Brian, Tower of Terror Conquers. Yes, the ride is in that building behind them and yes, they went up and then crashed all the way down. Take. The. Stairs.

Last day. Sigh

YAWN!!!!!!!!

Tired. Thats how I remembered that day. We had gotten back from MK about 10 that night, a little wound up, so, some showers, and a little TV and a snack had us in bed about 11. Apparently A week of traveling and doing doing doing was all we could do. No one was jumping out of bed.





(yes, Jacob is in there somewhere, I promise.)
But we did get up and got packed. Made our way over to breakfast for more of those delicious waffles and THEN over to see Mickey and Minnie! Woo-hoo!! They also graciously signed Gabbie's Mickey doll. How cool is that?
And look who we found outside after meeting M and M? Hooray! Pluto was fun to meet!
This is the fabulous limo that picked up the weary travelors and delivered them to their truck. The driver chuckled about driving us all the way home. Shoot. Ah well. Brian was a champ and drove us home. He had a tiny nap on the plane, well sorta. He drifted off before the safety briefing, and Gabbie woke him teasing him about falling asleep in 1 minute, after which she promptly crashed and slept until we landed!


Isn't this a sweet picture? Our wish child had a fabulous time and truely enjoyed every single minute. We stopped and ate on the way home, and got home about 8:15. All of us were asleep before 9pm. We worked HARD having so much fun!!