A Snow (or should I say ice) Day!

It is almost 12:30 and I have to admit that all three of my children are still in their pajamas! Is it ok to admit that? They are currently taking every single book off of the bookshelf and packing them into 6 drawers (that they have already dumped all of the toys out of) and going on a trip to "another world" that is located upstairs. Braylee informed me that they are not going to live there, they are just going to spend the night there. And here I am, sitting on the computer. I guess I figure 30 minutes of them entertaining themselves and playing together without fighting is worth the hour it will take me (with their help, of course) to clean it all up later! :) We are planning on making some cookies a little bit later so maybe that will give them some motivation to pick it all up!

Brecca asked me this morning what happens when Santa dies. She acted really concerned about Santa's health and how he was able to survive delivering all of those presents to all of the kids througout the world. Then the truth came out - if Santa died, she was afraid she wouldn't get presents anymore! I explained to her that Santa is magic and lives forever. That satisfied her. She was no longer concerned about Santa or his health!

Braylee asked me a couple of days ago if I knew who her favorite person at Disneyworld was. I asked her if it was a princess. She said, "No, she is a mermaid." Hmmmm? Wonder who that could be? Maybe her clue may have been a little too helpful! She seemed suprised though when I guessed Ariel on the first guess!

Brax has a new word - probably. Except it comes out pwobley. I asked him today if he wanted jelly on his peanut butter sandwich and he said, "pwobley no." I asked him if he was going on the trip with the girls (to the other world!) and he said, "pwobley yes." Birth to 3 came to evaluate him the other day and were really impressed. She gave him some sort of speech assessment and he scored really well. She is going to call us with his actual results but neither one of them thought he would need more assisstance after he turns three. It was cute because she was showing him pictures in a book and asking him what they were. Anytime he wasn't sure what the picture was he would turn to me and say, "I want you to say it." It was like he already didn't want to admit he didn't know it and was like "I know what it is but I want you to tell them." There was a picture of a girl swimming and when they asked what she was doing he said she was laying down. It did look like she was laying down! Being Birth-3, they can only work with them from birth until the age of three (imagine that!) and since he will turn three in April, we need to determine if he will need speech services elsewhere. We can set up a meeting with the preschool and they will evaluate him and see where we go from there. He had all of the age appropriate speech sounds but our concern is what if he falls behind again and we aren't aware of it. It was just nice having them come every three months and reassure us that he was on target. So anyway, I guess the next step is setting up a meeting and seeing how they think we should proceed.

Well, the kids are upstairs visiting "another world" so I guess I better go check it out. It seems quieter there! Maybe I'll leave them there for awhile! :)

Does Brax need a haircut?

I put a poll on here to get opinions. I honestly wasn't meaning to let his hair grow out. He has just gone so long without a haircut that now I feel like he is halfway through the bad stage. I really have no idea so I am seeking opinions! Please vote!

You are warned!

Just wanted to warn you that although this post is funny, it might not be something that everyone wants to read! :) Braylee just came out of the bathroom and she said, " Hey Mommy, everytime I go to the bathroom and wipe, it kinda smells like that poop smell." I said "Well, did you go poop?" She says "Yeah, poop and pee." Well Bray, that explains why you smell the poop smell! :)

It was so nice out today! It really reminded me of Spring and made me wish it would hurry up! We took the kids out to Nate's parent's house and let them play outside. They played on the swingset, then rode their bikes, and hit some golf balls. It started getting dark and cooling off so we headed back into town. It was so nice to be able to get outside again though. I guess a day like today every now and then will get us through until we have nice weather every day!

The girls had an Open House at dance this week. Parents normally have to sit in a waiting room and can't see a thing so this week the instructor opened it up to parents. Their dances were so cute! Braylee did a really good job and knew all of the right moves. We also got to see pictures of their costumes and hers was adorable! I can't wait to see her in the recital. Brecca's dances were really cute too! Sadly though, I can't honestly say that Brecca knew all of the moves! :) I will admit that her danc is a lot more involved than Braylee's and that Brecca wasn't the only one who wasn't quite with the rest of them (ok, didn't have a clue!). I am keeping my fingers crossed that a lot will be gained in the next 5 months! For anyone who would like to put it on your calendar, the recital is the last weekend in May. I am sure it is going to be a night to remember!

As Nate was getting Brax out of the bathtub tonight, he (Brax, not Nate) said, " Hey Mommy, Daddy always call me buddy." It was cute. Maybe you had to be here to appreciate it!

Brecca lied to me tonight about who rode her bike out to the swingset. She said it wasn't her but everyone knew she had done it. I did a bad, bad thing! I told her that Grandma and Papa had a camera on their roof that recorded the swingset so they could see if anyone played on it when they weren't home and that I was going to go inside and watch the tape. She immediately admitted that it was her who had ridden the bike down there. As a punishment, she had to go up to bed at 7:30 instead of 8:00 tonight. It just so happened that Snow Dogs is on TV tonight and Braylee and Brax are watching it while Brecca screams from her bedroom. I feel really guilty but lying is definitely not something we want to happen around here and she needs to learn her lesson! I just have to keep telling myself that. Sometimes (ok, a lot of the time) I think the punishment is harder on Mom and Dad than it is on the kids!

A Sad Day!

Last week one night we were cleaning up after dinner. The kids were playing upstairs and the doorbell rings. It was a young couple who says to Nate, "Do you have a cat?" I knew immediately what they were going to tell him. I don't know how I knew but I just did. Nate followed them outside and came back in a few minutes later. Our cat had been hit by a car! Nate did his fatherly duties and took care of it. He buried him in the backyard. We were actually really upset by this. We had just gotten Max last summer but had gotten pretty attached to him. We decided to not tell the girls and to let them think he just ran away. I know, we took the easy way out! Except, it didn't turn out to be the easy way out! They kept searching for him and calling for him. They thought he ran away because he didn't like it here and because Brax was mean to him. We decided to go ahead and tell them so that maybe they could have some closure on the situation. I told Braylee on Friday while Brecca was at school. I explained to her that Max had been hit by a car. Apparently she didn't understand because she said, "Where is he?" "Well, he died Bray. I'm sorry," I said. She though about it for a minute and says, "Well, Mom, I think maybe we should have bought a smarter cat." She was as serious as she could be. She wasn't making a joke or anything like that. She just honestly though we should have gotten a smarter cat! You crack us up Bray!!!

Brecca didn't take it so well. We had decided to wait until Friday after school so maybe by Monday she wouldn't be so upset and it wouldn't affect her at school. To say she was upset would be an understatement! She cried and cried and cried.... for hours! She drew him a picture of her holding him and we took it out to the backyard and put it over where Nate had buried him. We explained to her that God loved cats too and he needed a nice cat in Heaven. She kept saying, "I know God needs nice cats in Heaven, but why did he have to take OUR cat?" It broke my heart to see her so upset! She went upstairs and curled up in her bed and cried. My mom came over and took her home with her and she cried all evening over there too. Poor girl. She has a slight sensitive side!

Football, Baseball, and Wrestling

I think Nate may have had his proudest moment as a father the other day! He was watching the National Championship FOOTBALL game as Brecca was taking her bath before bed. She gets out of the bathtub and comes into the living room, looks at the TV and says, "Awww, Dad, Why do we have to watch baseball?" Keep in mind, it was not baseball, but football that was on the TV. He says, "Brecca, look at the TV. Is that baseball?" She looks at the TV again and says, "Well, why do we have to watch wrestling?" Nate looks at me and says, "You can tell she's a real sports fanatic!"

A Few More Farm Pictures

Our 6th (and final) Christmas

It was really nice to have a break for a week to just hang around the house and play with our new Christmas toys! But now, it was time for some more! My Grandma Finley's Christmas is always fun because she shops all year round and picks up a little here and a little there. I am always anxious to see all of the neat stuff that she has accumulated throughout the year (not only for the kids - but also for myself!). My Grandparents had 5 boys and between the 5 boys, they had 13 kids. About half of the grandkids are married and most of the others are in a serious relationship so usually there are several spouses/significant others there too. Plus the 6 great grandkids. Usually there is quite a crowd! We started with dinner - all sorts of sandwich meats and cheeses, yum! There was also some Chili, plus some other sides (pasta salads, chips, that sort of thing). It was delicious but for me, a ham and swiss sandwich is way up on my list of favorites! We all gathered around the presents and they started passing them out. The kids were opening so fast it wasn't until we got home and I sorted through it all that I really knew what exactly they had!

The biggest hit of the night was a farm set for Brax. As soon as we walked in, the girls pointed out to Brax that the biggest present of all was for him! He didn't want to leave it's side all evening. He was telling everybody, "That my present." He was very excited when he was finally able to open it and it didn't let him down. He loved it! I would say it may be his favorite present of all. He also got a really cool puzzle that he loves too.

The girls, of course, got some neat stuff too. Brecca got a stamp set that she couldn't wait to open and a Hannah Montana sweatshirt. Braylee got some accessories for her dollhouse, a couple of movies, and a game. All three of them got some new pajamas.

Christmas is a busy time of year for us but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know better than to take for granted all of the wonderful, loving family that we get to spend time with and honestly, we thank God everyday for them! We may have 6 different places to go and a hectic few days but we are so lucky to have that! Our kids are SO fortunate to not only have a mom and dad to love them, but also grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins who love them as well! Thanks to everyone who helps to make Christmas, and every other day, a special one!

Don't pay any attention to the dirty floor!

I have just a few minutes because I am supposed to be getting ready for church so I'll make this short and sweet! We had Christmas with my dad on Saturday. We were actually supposed to do Christmas with the Finley's today but my grandma got sick and was in the hospital so we postponed it until the next Saturday. Papa Randy and Janis came over around 3:00 and the kids were still very excited to be opening yet more presents. You would think the appeal would slightly diminish when you are on your 5th Christmas but for some reason it just doesn't happen! Papa had ordered each of them a piggy bank and I think he was as excited about them as the kids. They are really hard to explain so I won't even bother - let's just say they were a hit and so was the bag of coins that came with them! They also got the kids a trampoline (plus some really cute clothes!). It has the enclosure too so they can't fall off. That was a requirement from mom and dad. No trampoline injuries at this house! The kids wanted to put it up immediately and had a hard time understanding why the have to wait until it warms up. I am sure they would jump on it when it is 30 degrees out but somebody has to supervise and I definitely didn't want to volunteer for that job every day! After we opened presents, we all went out to Kenny and Monica's. The kids played inside while the adults hung out in the garage and played games and visited. It was a little disappointing that we couldn't all get together for my grandma's Christmas today so it was nice everyone got to see one another. Now, I gotta get ready for church! :)

We're still going!

Still doing Christmas posts! I really need to get caught up. I have several funny stories but I feel like I can't write about them until I am caught up! I know you don't really need to hear details about every Christmas but I am using this blog as a reference when I eventually get around to making some sort of scrapbook so I have to jot down enough here so I can keep it all straight.

Friday evening we went to my moms. Chelse and Tylee, Lance and Erin, Nate, myself and the kids, and my mom. It was nice being all together in the house we grew up in. Even though it was the 26th and in the evening, it still felt a little like it used to feel when we woke up at my moms on Christmas morning. We had soups and sandwiches so it was a nice change from the "traditional" Christmas meal (although that would have been good too!). The adults drew names this year and did gift baskets and that was fun. Once again, the kids got way too much stuff but they're not complaining! My dad called and we even invited him over for awhile (our parents divorced when we were small) so he was a nice addition. The kids got a little wild playing around with Uncle Lance and Papa Randy but I guess that is what uncles and grandpas are for, right? I think I can honestly say a good time was had by all!

Here we go again!

It was about time we headed to Nanny and Poppy's so we got on the road about 12:30. Chelse and Tylee came up from Parsons and Lance and Erin came down from Kansas City (I had to put some thought into that UP from Parsons and DOWN from KC thing!). Uncle David and Maya also came down from KC. It was good to all get together again. We ate first out there since everyone was starving and then started on presents. Once again, the kids got way too much but they had a lot of fun! The girls love spending time with Maya and Poppy is one of Brax's favorite people so they were good to go! Actually, the girls ended up spending the night out there (which happens very frequently). We stayed pretty late though and played games and just enjoyed the company. Christmas day at Nanny and Poppy's has always been a tradition in our family so it felt good keeping that up. We had a little break the next day until 5p.m. when we were heading to my mom's house to do Christmas with her. We were looking forward to sleeping in!

Did Santa come?

This is almost unbelievable but we had to wake the kids up on Christmas morning at 8:00 a.m. so we would have time to do our Christmas here before going to Nanny and Poppy's! Brecca and Brax jumped right up but Bray was a little slow to warm up the idea of getting out of her cozy bed. They were all excited to see that Santa did indeed visit us and that they had all gotten what they had asked for! Yaaaaa! They must have been good this year! There were a few times I wondered. :)

So, Brecca got her American Girl Doll, Mia. Braylee got her dollhouse and Brax got his train. They were all excited but I have to say Brax was the most excited! He said, "My Diego train!" as soon as he saw it and didn't stop playing with in until we made him get in the bathtub. Grandma Ann came over before we got the kids up so she got to witness all of the excitement and Papa Randy and Janis and Papa Dave and Grandma Julia stopped by too! We had to be at Nanny and Poppy's at 1:00 though so we didn't have a lot of time to play and then we were off again!

IT"S BEEN AWHILE

Sorry for the total randomness of the pictures. I have issues getting them uploaded in the right order!

Wow, it seems like forever since I have updated! Actually, it has been over 2 weeks and a lot has happened in those two weeks. I think the easiest way for me to get started would be for me to just do each event in a seperate post and get started, so here goes.....

Let's just start with our first of several days of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we went to Nate's parents house. Julia had bought stuff to make Christmas cookies for Santa and the kids were excited about that. We gave Brax his cookie to frost for Santa and the next time we looked, he had eaten over half of it! The he said "Where my cookie?" We gave him another one and he ate it too! Apparently, he wasn't too concerned about having cookies for Santa!

All 5 grandkids got new bikes so that was VERY exciting. We ate dinner out there and then the kids made reindeer food to sprinkle on our lawn when we got home. We went out about 3 and didn't get home until after 9 so the kids were tired and went right to bed when we got home. We tracked Santa online and he was in Canada :) so they knew they had to hurry and go to sleep so he could come. Up next - Did Santa bring everything they had dreamed of???????