Yay for snow!

I didn't grow up with snow. I always loved the concept of snow, but didn't get to experience it until we moved here. My kids love the snow, and I always encourage them to go play outside when it snows. I always look longingly at them playing outside, but never quite make it outside myself. Why? I wonder? Maybe it's because I don't have any snow clothes myself, and I'm a wuss about getting cold, maybe it's because Tom is always outside with them so I don't need to be, maybe it's because I've spent so much time being pregnant and sick in the winter that I haven't had very many opportunities, maybe it's because someone always has to stay inside with the baby, maybe it's because they come to me for hot chocolate and dry clothes and how would I provide that if I was cold and wet too. Well, whatever the reason, I don't play in the snow, and it makes me a little sad because I really want to. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our snow storm, and it was nice to have Tom at home for a while. I think he didn't enjoy us quite as much as we did him though ;)

Long story......as you all know, Nana is still playing percussion this year, and her teacher is working on a complicated piece of music for the percussion students. It's called Ground Rhythm/Ground Breaker. He compared it to the movie Drumline, so naturally I had to rent it for Nana, and while she was glued to the screen, Tom and I sat discussing how unrealistic Hollywood's depictions of black people are. I was teasing him about carrying a pen in his PJ pants pocket and I ended drawing him a 'thug' tattoo, and although it doesn't fit the stereotype, he was very proud of it and had me take a picture. 

This was taken mid Saturday of our back deck. Those lumps are our tomato planter totes. 

Tom, Rayzel and Jack suit up to go shovel and play Saturday afternoon. Calvin was still doing his homework and Nana wimped out. She did change her mind and go out later though.

 

Getting outside was the hard part, now the fun can start!

 

Rayzel makes a snow angel

Check out the look on her face!

Off they go, leaving the snow shovel and all thought of helping Dad completely behind.

Jack decides to make a snow angel also. But it looked more like he fell and was having a seizure.

He got kind of stuck, and just sat there in the snow for a while.

Check out how deep it is there...wow.

 

Meanwhile, I check the turtle tank to make sure they are warm enough and this is what I see.........anyone know what's missing?

A turtle.

An hour of frantic searching later we find him hiding behind the table in the dining room. I can't believe he survived the fall.

After the storm....Calvin's icicle farm

 

Path to the shed

Neighbors back steps 

(we used these a lot because our washer broke a week before the storm hit, and the repair guy was supposed to come Saturday but canceled and our neighbor was nice enough to let us use her machine :)

More Pix to follow!

Make a Smilebox greeting

After The Feast But Before The Gingerbread

Some cute pix of James in his fuzzy bear coat. It's a little too small, but he's so cute in it, and it's so warm I don't want to retire it yet :)

 We got a free fake tree after christmas last year, and this year we tested it out. It's really nice, but huge, so we only decorated the top of it ;)

James was helping too!

Calvin puts our star on top

We only had three half-strings of lights out of like 10 that worked so I guess we have to get more lights next year, cuz neither Tom or I wants to mess with it. Our tree looks great nonetheless!

Winter Festivities

Tom playing with James

Tom playing with Nana

James trying to eat the candy off the house that had soap on it

Tom taste testing the bacon wrapped dates

Winner of one of the three awards given, and tied for another one

Their glue gun wasn't working, so they used gum that they chewed themselves

As you can see their mystery item was a large potato

This one didn't win anything, but we all thought they should have. They got the sleigh to balance on the roof, and their mystery item was a bar of soap that they carved into a tree, and used the extra as snow! The outhouse was cute too.

This is the house that Tom worked on. It didn't win anything either :( I personally thought it was very creative. Their item was a container of play dough, and all of it had to be used. Tom worked on building the pyramid.

The pyramid was pretty good sized, too.

Our mystery item was a fork. We totally couldn't figure out to do with it, so we just dressed it up like a person and stuck him under the train.

This is the one I worked on, it was a pain, but it turned out ok. We won one category, and tied in another. It's a train, in case it isn't immediately obvious.

I love gingerbread houses. They are a long standing tradition in my family. My aunt Barbie made the most beautiful gingerbread houses when I was little. So when my friend said that she was having a party with a contest to see who could make the best house, I was super excited. There were approx 16 adults and 24 kids there. The adults made the houses and the kids were the judges. So much fun! There were four groups and each was given a mystery item to incorporate into the house design. The houses were totally inedible, being made with graham crackers and hot glue, but we had fun eating all the candy, and there was way good appetizers too! The kids got to take home some of the leftover candy too, which made them happy!

More Thanksgiving Fun

Dad and Sam

Sam and Nana playing

Nana and James

Mom and Dad

Jack and his leaves

One Jack a-leaping

Mom and Rayzel

Sam playing with Rayzel and Nana

Sam and Calvin

We went to my parents house in VA the day after thanksgiving, and stayed for the weekend. My brother Sam was in rare form and spent a lot of time playing with us. We went to the park, watched the Food Network, went with Grandma to do some Christmas shopping in town, played board games, and ate yummy leftovers! We didn't get to see my brother Allen much, he was busy working his 2 jobs. He worked like a 20 hour day on Black Friday. Tom got a few naps in, the kids made cookies with Grandma, and I did my nails and gave myself a pedicure. Good times!

What have I been up to?

James loves pie, especially pumpkin. He ate 3 pieces on Thanksgiving! We spent it with Tom's family this year. Fun as always!


Calvin hadn't done any homework the whole quarter, so naturally he was failing all his classes. Well, except the ones he liked. So we spent Thanksgiving break cleaning out his backpack and binder so he could find all the work, do it, hopefully get some credit for it, or just plain practice it, cuz he's so far behind he NEEDS the practice! He was sad about missing out on the festivities, but I think he learned a valuable lesson!


James playing with my socks! He's so cute.


Cousins in the tub! James and Evie after a messy dinner! They had a blast playing in the bubbles. I think Evie got tired of watching him play with himself though.


Calvin's 13th birthday I only got the one picture :( We didn't do anything big because of his grades, but we did have some family over.


Lets see...Primary stuff 5%, Calvin's schoolwork 40%, Baby stuff 25%, Christmas stuff 15%, Tom's stuff 50%, general household stuff 35%, Jack's drama 10%, Nana's drama 10%, wow, that's like 190%! No wonder I can't find time to brush my teeth!