SNOW. SNOW. MORE FREAKING SNOW!!!

So, we got more snow. Did we ever get it. We woke up and just about died thinking about shoveling the driveway. I think w/ the snow from the day before the total was over a foot. Or more. Or something. Anyway-it doesn't matter. It was alot!

So the boys have been bugging me to help them make a snowman. Well, Eliza hates being out in the snow, so I finally did a demo in the house w/ no snow. And somehow it helped. This kid was DETERMINED to build one. He tried and tried for almost an hour but they just kept falling apart. he even came to the door and said he was coming in, then changed his mind quickly. he's no quitter. And he finally did it! Hooray! And then he had to build a family member. He was later so annoyed he hadn't built them closer together. If they're related snow-people then maybe they're better off w/ some distance...
And on a side-note:I'd given the boys a carrot for the snowman and after an hour of trying, while ty was still trying to build one, I watched from inside as Chase quietly crept over to the head that fell off, looked around for any watchers and snatched that carrot. And ate it as quickly as he could. Weird.The next morning:Here they are conquering the deck. It was soooo deep!

Don't those trees look awesome?!?! their first stop was to the covered snowmen where they both promptly ate their carrot noses. 9:30 am-frozen carrots. GROSS!!!

They went in the front to see the neighbors cutting down their tree that had broken in half. Once they were bored of that they started making their "fort." It was so nice to see them outside for so long! Hooray for longer attention spans! I think a large part of it is Chase's incredible imagination. He can turn anything into anything.

Six Flags is a great motivator!

Ty came home w/ a challenge put out by his school. Read for 6 hours and get one Six Flags ticket. He immediately took the challenge and charted each and every reading session. He read the 6 hours in 4 days! We were so impressed b/c it seems like overnight he's become this awesome reader! And he's reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid and loving every minute of it. He's so cute laying in bed reading out loud for hours. We're finding we're telling him he has to stop reading and go to sleep! Who knew?!? Oh, and please note the digital bookmark Santa brought him. It's really the coolest thing and helped him keep track of his reading time.

Kidstowne USA

Snow. We've had tons of snow. Holy cow the snow. So b/c Ty had a snow day he was supposed to go to school on Martin Luther King day. Can I just mention that I grew up in the south and that would pretty much be a sin!??!?! We'd already made family plans so we let him stay home and went to this little hidden gem-right here in Hamilton!

This was the tools room. All 3 kids loved every single little room.
The grocery store room. Ty doing some scanning...

They were discussing which items to put on sale.

She walked all over the place w/ this cart. So darling.

Phil followed her all over. We didn't get pics, but she's looking at this huge climbing gym w/ slides. The kids had a blast in it.

We paid extra for the boys to do some rock wall climbing. Look at Chase looking up at that wall. He was nervously excited.

There he goes! his first time doing it ever.

Tyler heading up. He was an eager beaver. Chase was having so much fun climbing up then dropping. It wasn't until he'd done it several times that the girl said that we'd only paid for one climb and that technically the first time he fell he was supposed to get off. Woops!

This is as close as Ty got to the top. He tried and tried, but his little legs were shaking so bad b/c he got nervous and psyched himself out. But he still had a great time!

Tiny pink cookies

I watched my friends daughter last minute b/c of a hair-coloring mis-hap (who hasn't had a home coloring incident?!?!?) and she left us w/ these delicious pink frosted shortbread cookies. These 2 girls were just darling munching away. My friend Amy also has 2 boys and then had her daughter and we both are having so much fun w/ the "pinkness" of it all!They just looked at each other and giggled.

Parents of the year...will not be rewarded to us

I'll try and keep this short. We put the kids to bed a little later than usual. So when Chase came down 20 mins. later naked we were annoyed. He'd had an "accident" in his pull-up and so I told him to get a new one and GO TO BED! So he says "there's one tiny problem. Ty is stuck." Well, this is not that unusual around here. They joke around and say they're stuck, lost, etc. Yea-really funny. So we told Chase to go to bed-whatever Ty is doing he can get out of it. So for the next 1 1/2 hours I was downstairs watching t.v. and could hear Ty talking but assumed he was reading out loud b/c that's what he's USUALLY DOING! So like I said 1 1/2 hours later I yell up and ask why he's still awake. And yells back..."I'm stuck!" So Phil and I look at each other perplexed and book it upstairs. And sure enough he is freaking stuck. My 7 yr. old has tied himself w/ his PJ shirt around his waist to the footboard of his bed. So he's been there for 1 1/2 freaking hours cold w/ no shirt on unable to lay down. His brother-his hero-is dead asleep on his bed next to him. He did say Chase gave him his pillow before he fell asleep-but Ty couldn't lay down so it was a bit useless. Ty is crying b/c you could just see the relief in his eyes that we were there, I'm crying b/c come on-I felt like crap! And Phil is totally confused and is asking him why the heck didn't you yell for us? Ask for help? Call 911-SOMETHING!!! His answer was that he didn't want to wake up his brother or sister and didn't want to get into trouble. The talking I heard was him saying "mom dad" in his normal voice. He said he was hoping we'd go to bed early so we could hear him as we came up the stairs.
I see alot of issues that need resolving here I guess. It reminds me of animals that are trained to never leave their pen-so when a fire starts they don't leave b/c they're trained not to leave.
We need to work on that. And give that award to someone else. Probably for the rest of our lives. As if we were EVER in the running!!!

Dear Primary

I have made teaching you singing much too complicated. This ends today.
Thanks-
Sister Barno

SNOW DAY

We have a great sledding hill right around the corner from our house. Before the "big storm" hit we headed over there unsure of what we'd find. This is how it looked on one side and we were disappointed.Man down!
But the further over we walked it was nice and snowy. And ICY. These kids were cruising down the hill. I may have bit it w/ my baby in tow and ran over the top of her and filled her mouth with snow. Not my shining moment as a mom.


But luckily I redeemed myself by having brought hot chocolate along.

This is how my weird son looked the whole time. You can't see-but his hat is full of snow to cool his head off. I can't see how we're related.

Chase is such a clever kid and finds the best hiding and resting spots.

Then came the STORM!!! And the kids had a snow day and I had to get creative so it wasn't boring. So naturally we did a tea party. Naturally it was hot chocolate. Or in Eliza's case water filled w/ peas (her own doing). Now both Eliza and I are girls so I think it's okay to make the boys do girly things, right? She plays trains and trucks and such. We had Zach over so his mom didn't go postal. We tried for Lexi-but she already had plans. Social butterfly she is.

Then they made bread dough creations. They enjoyed making them more than eating them. Mine was delicious-AND it wasn't made by a runny-nosed kid! We also did movie theater and had delicious cookies and treats. The day flew by and they weren't at all ready for school the next day, but oh well kiddos!

It was all because of them

The snow day that is. Tyler was told by someone at school-(actually maybe on the bus-I swear the information he gets on there scares me) that if he wore his PJ's inside out and slept with a spoon under his pillow it would snow so much that school would be cancelled. So naturally b/c it all worked out-he thinks he's genius. He's getting to the age (i hope!) that he shouldn't still believe in that, right?

Happy New Year!

Lexi rang in the new year in these awesome shades.We did an early mock New Years for the little ones and off to bed they went!
Out of order of course, that seems to be a theme going, but we had ALOT of yummy food!

There was confetti. And continues to be thanks to some ungrateful party-goers. It's in my fridge, freezer, every drawer, cupboards, etc. Payback people. Payback.

And of course it was an ugly sweater party. Tyler took this picture which explains heads being cut off. But there is so much about this picture I like. Trav looks like a pedophile, Phil looks like Mr. Rogers, Mike-well he didn't do it so he just looks funny looking normal, Josh looks so prim and proper w/ his hands just so, Jenny-holy 80's, me-teddy bears? I got it in an Alabama thrift store, Suzee-she said she used to wear this sweater which I love even more, and Amanda's sweater-you can't really tell-is a half sweater and oh-so golden.

The funny-face picture just got better.

There was a prize-and Jenn won. These are glasses she actually used to wear.

Bubbles!

Oh, back to the confetti. Evil evil confetti.

Woo hoo!

And the parting shot shall be this one of Amanda. Not sure what's happening-but we're all hoping for a great 2011!!

Hope for a better New Years

I don't really have much to complain about 2010. Phil's job is going great-he HAS a job! Our kids are healthy, we have a house w/ heat, my kids are happy, we have the gospel. My only thing I'd like to change is my Dad's cancer. We just found out this week that his PSA levels have doubled and they're talking about the next course of treatment. My hope for 2011 is that my family, namely my parents, will have the courage to deal with this. That we can make it through and come out stronger. My little sister blogged about it and said exactly what I'm feeling. I'm tired of this adversity. But I know I'm not above it either. I just don't like it anymore. So I'll just continue to pray for him and know in my heart that there is a plan and I just don't know what it is-and I have to learn to accept this.

Snow Day

While we were in Alabama NJ got a pretty big snowstorm. Luckily we just missed all the airport problems and made it home pretty easily. My poor sister got stuck alone in Atlanta for a night and most of a day. Yikes! So anyway-the day after we got back the kids were dying to be outside. i tried w/ Eliza, but she wasn't loving it. So I tried to think of something to help keep them outside w/out me. This is what I came up with.I filled up medicine syringes w/ washable paints dilluted w/ water adn they spent almost 45 minutes painting the snow. I stood by ready to refill and it was a hit.

A little Christmas down in Alabama

I think this picture is a good start. All the guys in camo ready to do paintball guns in the backyard woods. And Doug is showing that he was hit in the hand and that's blood, not paint, and he's pretty happy-even proud of it. Yes, this picture is a good start.Phil-pre-Wal-mart shopping for his own camouflage clothing. Alot of these guys are wearing women's b/c that was all that was available. I mean-why do women wear these?!?!?!

Jeff-you are so tough.

So here are the kids in the trailer. Did I not mention that yet? My parents had all of us there, so that's 27 people total, and while their home is large, it can't sleep that many. So they borrowed a trailer and we slept in it in the driveway. I didn't think it was that bad and the boys LOVED it. Losing heat on Christmas eve sucked, but other than that it was good. It was quiet and that's what I love!

My parents have a zip-line set up in teh backyard. Here's Noah flying by!

The 3 amigos ready to catch the next rider.

There goes Stacey and Jackie!

With that many people we spent alot of time in teh gym of my parents church. Here we are doing the nativity. Eliza was an angel-of course :)

Chase was-well maybe a Wiseman? But to me he's a Babushka. he even appears to be dancing as one!

Hannah and Rylee narrated-it was super cute. Then Eliza went up and joined them.

Jackie taking aim. So my favorite part was when we each had our husbands whizz by on the zipline while we shot at them w/ the paintball guns. I got Phil pretty badly directly on the nipple. It was swollen for days. I say lucky aim, he says ouch.

We had a "Talent-less Show." Here's Chase showing how long his tongue is.

Dad did some coin trick that Phil couldn't beat him at.

Ty did a magic card trick.

Of course Ben and Jessy did the classic high kick. I missed it b/c I was getting ready for my talent. You may have seen the video on my facebook. Jackie, me, Phil and Doug performed the song "sisters."

Afterwards we enjoyed a counter full of caramel corn. YUM!

This is Christmas Eve. We always do a white elephant game. It was really great.

Look how excited Chase is opening it.

And his dismay at finding out what it is.

Jeff-you kill me.

All the kids in the PJ's mom MADE them! Well, not the 5 girls, but all the rest! How cool is that?

Jackie reading Twas the Night before Christmas. I didn't realize Eliza was up so close in front of everyone.

How cute is that?

The kids all listening intently

It was as if it was exclusively for Eliza.

Christmas morning! Don't they look hammered?!?!? Oh, and besides losing heat, this was the ONE night in a million years we forgot to put a pull-up on Chase and he peed all over the place and had to change his new jammies. Le sigh...

A barely awake girl

All ready to come down the stairs.

This part was complete and utter chaos.

She can barely handle all of this madness.

Mom opening something really exciting.

The boys proudly showing the gifts they each got for each other.

Aren't we pretty? I'm opening the gift Tyler got me at teh school store. A "gold and diamond ring" that, "only cost me $2 but should be like $300, right mom?" he was so proud of himself-so stinking cute. Trying the paintball helmet on for size.

Christmas afternoon. I've never ever had her pass out like this in teh family room w/ a million people in the room. This was one tired girl.

Christmas night we went back to the gym and played a funny cookie game. You start w/ a gingersnap on your forehead and have to get it to your mouth w/ no hands. I have about 25 pics from this and they are all so funny and ugly, but couldn't do all of them. It was so funny to watch!

Close Ben-but it's going down your shirt!

It took me forever.

but I got it!

Tyler struggled as well.

Another night we did some volleyball.

Well, some peeps did. I hung out w/ my girl in the foyer w/ nursery toys. much more my speed.

Chase was a wild animal when we played Sardines through the church.

All the girls in teh cute outfits my mom made them. Darling!

And here's our home away from home. Missing are pics from our "Sisters" performance and the very competitive Survivor/Amazing Race style game my parents always set up for us. Our team pretty much rocked the first day. not so much the 2nd day. It was fun and very intense! Thanks mom and dad for making this trip so awesome!! I love you guys!