Snow!

I knew it would happen. I was sooooo dreading it...a snow day. I started watching the news last night and was SO excited when they cancelled the winter storm warning. Woohoo! No snow day?? You see, the reason I was so worried was because Thursday mornings are my "mornings off." Jackson has preschool and Sawyer has Mother's Day out...both from 9am until 1pm. So, today I had a doctor's appointment scheduled at 10am. That would give me just enough time to drop the boys off at school, maybe get myself a decaf Starbucks treat, and head to my doctor's appointment.

Being the super organized person that I am (ahem!), I woke up early to get myself ready before I woke the boys up. Checked the school closings. Nope. Boys' school not cancelled. Suh-weet! Home-free! So, I got the boys up, fed, and everyone piled into the car for school. As we trekked out into the crazy snow...my cell phone rang...at all of 8:58 am. "Sarah?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes," I said...rather nervously. (A random person calling my cell phone is never a good thing.)

"This is Mary, from Good Faith Baptist Church." (Names have been changed to protect the innocent...or not so innocent.) "All of our preschool and mother's day out programs are cancelled today, due to the weather."

"Oh. Thanks," I said politely...getting off the phone....when really I wanted to go off. Seriously? Really??? This storm was predicted days ago. It started snowing at 3 am. SCHOOL STARTS IN TWO MINUTES AND JUST NOW YOU DECIDE TO CANCEL? WTH?

I had to break the bad news to the boys that there would be no school today. They were crushed. "Well, just go anyway, Mommy!" Sawyer kept saying. "Puh-lease!!" he cried, with tears in his eyes.

I kept trying to explain to him that nobody else would be there...and at this point I almost had tears in my eyes...now realizing that I would be carting two children with me to my doctor's appointment! Fortunately they were so excited about eating their boxed lunches that I used that as a threat...er...uh...promise...that if they were good boys we would have a picnic in the living room and eat our boxed lunches.

Fortunately it worked! We survived the one hour drive to the hospital (which is usually a 20 minute trip), read books in the waiting room, and made it through the appointment and a blood draw with two happy boys. The doctor even commented on how well behaved they were! (Thank goodness. All I need is for everyone to think geez lady, you have two crazy kids now...why are you having more!?! Seriously, the thought of people thinking that I'm overpopulating kinda' freaks me out. It's that same feeling you get when you are checking out at Wal-Mart with 2 screaming kids and a pregnancy test in your cart. So not good.)

Anyway! After surviving the morning and our "picnic," we ventured outside to play in the snow. Fun! (And this is why I get to blog...the boys were so wiped out that they are BOTH taking naps.)

Of course the first thing you have to do is make a snow angel...and get completely covered in snow!


Sawyer quickly realized that being covered in snow is really only fun for about 2 seconds. You also have to make snowballs.And throw them!

And I know you're digging Sawyer's crazy orange retro-something-ish snow pants. Boy, those black ones sell out quickly! Oh well...you know what they say...ugly orange snow pants are better than no snow pants at all!

This one had fun too!

He's still thawing out in the laundry room.

The best part is...we'll all sleep well tonight!!

Is it big news??

As some of you...well...probably most of you have heard...I'm pregnant!!! Yes, believe it or not, we're expecting number 3!! It seems like most of the people I talk to think we're crazy, but really...I have no control of my children now, so what's one more??

This is why I haven't been updating the blog much. I have been sooooo sick. I mean, praying to the porcelain God kind of sick. Fortunately, things are looking up as I've moved into the 2nd trimester. Shew! I still have off days...but at least it's not every day! So anyway...official due date is June 22nd. However, because both of the boys were early (and thanks to my history of intrauterine growth restrictions) they don't think I'll make it that long. Hopefully all goes well this time around!

As for Christmas...it started off in typical Jackson fashion. The little bugger woke up sick and cranky!! He did not want to get out of bed and was yelling things like, "I don't care if it is Christmas! This is the worst day ever!" After he was finally convinced that Santa came (although at this point I think Santa was ready to turn his sleigh around and pick all of Jackson's toys back up), things were ok. What a day! Toys, toys, toys! Now, if we could just find somewhere to put them!

I'm going to use the old cop out that "a picture is worth a thousand words" and just post some photos...rather than blabbing. After all....I'm still exhausted and it's almost naptime! All in all, the holidays were great -- but I'm glad they're over. Happy 2010!

Christmas 2010

Brrrrrrrrr!!!

Ok. To start...yes...thanks to everyone for the harassing emails. I know, I know. Lately I stink at blogging...and in a couple of weeks, I'll fill you in on the reason behind my absence.

In the meantime...seeing as it is 20 degrees outside...I thought I'd share something that has been keeping us busy lately! (Not to mention extra cold!) Ice skating! Yes, Jackson is taking ice skating lessons...with the hopes of trying out ice hockey. (No, not figure skating. But with Jackson, you never know.) He has been taking lessons now since September and is absolutely loving it! I wouldn't say we have a "natural" on our hands...but he is learning.

He's getting better at not falling down...but then, we all know Jackson is not a dare devil and avoids risks at all costs. However, falling is inevitable.

Such is life. Now we have to working on falling and not getting an attitude afterwards!Oh well. It's all part of the fun!

So...hockey player? Figure skater (gulp!)? Actually, I don't have my money on either one. Now all he talks about is wanting to play soccer. Sigh.

Boo!

Well...haven't blogged for a while because we've all been sick! Fevers, runny noses, coughs, sore throats. Yuck! The only one who didn't get it was Brad. He says he's a "machine" and that a virus would never mess with him. (See what I put up with???) I guess that is for the better...because we all know how men are when they are sick! Anyway, I got to hang out with this for two weeks:

This was Jackson's ingenious way of not having to blow his nose all the time. Just stuff that kleenex up there and it absorbs for you! (This tactic was all well and good until he woke up one night crying...certain that he had stuffed his kleenex clear up to his brain and would have to go to the doctor to have it removed.)

Anyway, aside from being sick, we've been doing the typical fall stuff...pumpkin patch and all. To make a long story short...the boys got to "look" at pumpkins (I mean...why spend $20 on a pumpkin patch pumpkin when you can get a perfectly acceptable pumpkin at "the Wal-Mart" for 4 bucks???), they rode a pumpkin train, and got to enjoy other games.

And check out those scary Halloween costumes! Ha! For the big day, Jackson went as Tony Stewart (which I personally find very frightening that my child wanted to go as a NASCAR driver...thanks, Brad.) And next to Tony is our little chicken. Aren't they cute??

Our neighbor asked Jackson if he was a race car driver...his response? No! It's just a costume! Goof. So yes...we survived yet another Halloween (my least favorite holiday...bah humbug! There's just something about spending $50 on candy, sitting on the porch for 2 hours freezing my ass off...and handing out candy to people I don't know. Fun!!)

The best thing about Halloween...it's over!! Let's bring on Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Which...btw, I officially started wrapping Christmas gifts and listening to Christmas music!!) Now all we have to do is polish off the 30 pounds of candy the boys got and life will be back to normal.

Hope you all had a great October! I'll post some more pumpkin patch pics in a few days. (Promises, promises....)

A weekend in Madison

Well, Brad had his annual "Mancation" this past weekend. You know...when he and his college buddies hang out, smoke cigars, drink beer, and play poker. Seeing as the event was hosted at our house...the little boys and I got the heck outta dodge.

We headed down to Madison, Indiana with my folks...and had a great time! On the way there, Jackson wanted to know where Madison lived...so we had to explain that Madison is a town...not a girl. That boy never stops surprising me with the things that come out of his mouth.

Anyway! All the cute little shops that I remembered as a child are not there anymore. But we had fun eating on the water...and feeding catfish that were as big as my children. (No, really.) I also got to play around with my camera a little (imagine that). You can check out more pics by clicking here. Ok...so some of the pictures were taken at a park around here...but the ones by the river and the fountain were in Madison.

Enjoy! I'm off to take a nap. We all have colds and I am exhausted! I really don't know if I am more tired from the cold itself...or from watching the boys run around in circles because they are all hopped up on decongestant. Either way...it's naptime!

Flickr anyone???

Just a quick note to let everyone know I am on Flickr. I know...welcome to the times! I thought this would be a good place to post some pictures I take...when I don't feel like filling my blog up with them. (Not like I have anything else to talk about!)

So...head on over to Flickr and check out my pics. Some you've seen. Some you haven't. I'll try to update them as they flow in...although my kids are getting tired of modeling for me, so I may need new victims...er...uh...subjects. Anyone want to volunteer?? Price varies with experience. So...your current rate is...free!

Friends

I was reading a friend's blog the other day and she had a picture of her girls' most treasured "friends"...a.k.a. their "lovies." Call them lovies, blankies, animals...whatever. She had written an entire post about how important these things are to her kids.

It got me thinking about our house. In our house, we have Boppo, Froggy, and Monkey. Froggy and Monkey belong to Jackson. We have no back-ups for these guys, so it is very important to know where they are at all times. Jackson is to the point where his guys mostly stay in his bed for sleeping purposes...but if we ever leave the house for an overnight visit, then these guys are a must. And if we ever forgot them at someone's house, they would be one of the few reasons we would turn the car around. Sawyer, on the other hand, has Boppo. Boppo is a hippo...and that is how Sawyer said "hippo" when he first started talking....boppo. The name just stuck. Fortunately, by the time Sawyer was born I was smart enough to figure out I needed a backup for the dearly loved blankie he would sleep with. (I actually tried to get a backup Froggy when Jackson was little...but I waited too long and he rejected it. Now we have one original Froggy and two brand new reject Froggies.) Anyway, I wised up with Sawyer and did the ol' switcharoo with Boppo at an early age...you know...so I could wash him. It worked! (But please don't tell Sawyer because he doesn't know there is more than one.)

It is funny how kids "bond" with certain toys. And it's nice to know that they can find comfort in these little things when they need it.

I don't even want to think about the days when they are too big for their "friends." It'll never happen.