SOCIAL MEDIA

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

A Morning with the Little Guy

I have a  confession to make, I am not a morning person. This does not mean I do not get up early sometimes, it just means I prefer to have as little human contact as possible until about an hour after waking. Growing up, my father was always a "go getter" in the morning. This is probably why he has always been so successful. Anyway, he used to wake us up for school by flipping the overhead lights on, and singing his original version of one of our favorite Christian rock songs by Degarmo and Key, "Are You Ready". The lyrics were "Are you ready, are you ready, to sit by his throne? Are you ready, are you ready, not to be alone? Someone's coming to take you home if you're ready He will carry you home..." but dad would sing "Are you ready, are you ready to go to school..." and so on. This was followed by a quick removal of the covers and a barrage of good morning kisses. Now, don't get me wrong, I adore my daddy, I am forever a daddy's girl, but I began to fear this morning routine so much I would drag myself out of bed as soon as I heard him down the hall at my brother's room, crawl to my own door, and lock it. I kid you not. Can you believe I did it? Shameful. Then I would crawl back in bed under the covers with a sigh of relief.

Years later, I wake up every morning to my 3 yr. old, almost 4, the ultimate morning person. Yes indeed, he puts my daddy to shame. 

I open my door and it is non-stop conversation Little Guy style from the minute I come out until he has a fork in his mouth eating his eggs. "I am looking at the antelopes, mom. The antelopes have to have their dinner. They have to eat animals for breakfast. Wart Hogs like to eat lunch, mom. Lots of animals eat in their holes. (The Little Guy) needs to eat breakfast with the peoples, mom. Can you turn on the lights mom? It's a little dark in here and I can't see em. Oh no mom!! Booty's in trouble! Booty the pirate is in trouble!! Guess what mom? Dad and I saw squirrels! Yeh, dad and I saw squirrels and roosters, and it was so much fun. (have to ask daddy about that one). Mom, we need to get ready for (big brother)'s birthday. What are we going to do for big brother's Star Wars birthday mom?! (big brother's birthday is not any time soon) We have to get streamers, mom! Will you help me get ready for his birthday mom? Can you get the baby, mom? I want to do something with the baby mom.." (yea, I wonder what)."

We also have a tradition of cooking together. Well, he gets my spatula for me and I cook. He watches eagerly until it is on the plate. He is pretty good company honestly, and what would I have to write about if he wasn't waiting for me every morning with lively conversation?


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snow Day

I had great expectations for this day. Everyone outside for hours, me sitting inside with Angel Boy, peacefully reading, or something. All I have to say is, snow is great, snow is beautiful, amazing even, but thank God it only comes once or twice a year.

The night it snowed, the level of excitement in this house can not be understated. I kept trying to get a picture of them all at one window, but there was a different child at every window every other second.

 The Queen takes charge of the blinds.
Following this everyone speedily ate breakfast, must faster than say, on a school day, when everyone seems to be hungry for "just one more egg". Today there was very little lingering for extra servings. Then the assembly line begins. 2 layers of clothing, 2 pairs of socks, hat, gloves, coat, off you go. After about 20 minutes of every one being outside, however, it went a little something like this. Knock, Knock, Knock, child enters dumping snow everywhere, and strips all wet items, sits by the fire, requests some hot chocolate, runs to the dryer to recover wet items, gears back up, goes back out. Knock, Knock, Knock. snow, strip, drink, dress, exit. Knock...well, ok, you get the picture. The dumping grounds was by the door.

 
This picture tells a story in itself though, doesn't it? What if there were no boots there? What if my hallway were spotless, and it was an ordinary quiet day? Makes me tear up just thinking about it. And in 10-15 years, there will be no boots there. But maybe some grandkiddies if I am lucky. Whoa, mama, jumping ahead just a tad.

Most of the day I remained inside making hot chocolate, drying clothes, wiping noses, helping people with socks and boots and the like. My health condition is also worsened by extreme heat or extreme cold, so, I really wasn't supposed to go out anyway. Don't feel sorry for me, I was perfectly happy in the comfort of my heated, dry house. :) Daddy went out though, did some sledding and took a few pics.
Sledding with our next door neighbors. Mer and the younger little girl being pushed by her mama.
So much joy for this little boy.
I was told that some mean ole' grown-ups kept hitting them with snowballs. "Good for them." was my answer with a smirk.
Apparently this did not slow The Queen down though, she loves a good fight...
Most normal children build a snowman. Mine build a gigantic snowball...man.
 After a while, I coaxed them into working on REAL snowmen in the backyard, and could not resist getting some close-ups myself, so I braved the cold in the end, so worth it.
I believe this fellow's name is "Snowy". 
The Queen's beloved "Timmy". She even made the committment to me later, that she would rebuild "Timmy" every year when it snowed. Hope I can find those goggles next year.
One of my favorites, The Eldest teaches The Little Guy how to build his first snowman.
And that snowman's final debut. I say final, because immediately following, The Little Guy knocked it down, and ate the carrot and blueberries they used for his face. Ah well, better to have lived than never lived at all. 
The sleds our cousins gave us for Christmas got much use. Snowsurfing, this is right before the bust.
 

I felt so bad, but poor baby boy didn't make it out until the second day, mama got too cold, and baby got too tired. So, day 2, I brought him out. This is one of the rare moments he wasn't falling on his cute little face.
After about 5 minutes of plummeting face first into the snow several times, he was in tears and ready to go back in (I don't blame him! It was dang cold!) But before this, The Queen gave him a few moments of glee on the sled. Sweet sister.
Poor baby, he even falls over while sitting and being held. 
I leave you with this. The Little Guy having a snowball fight with the storage shed.
I am pretty sure he won. He usually does.


Thursday, January 6, 2011

Christmas Craftiness

 Sorry to disrupt anyone's sense of order, but we are still celebrating Christmas. It's kind of fun actually, the 12 days of Christmas? It's like we have our own little secret, "Shhh! nobody knows it's still Christmas!! hee hee!!" or is it, ho ho? Anyway, I began a tradition a few years ago of making gingerbread houses with the kids, so that's what we did this week. It began with much laboring on my part over homemade gingerbread....
I know, ha ha. I did make homemade gingerbread the first 2 years, then I got practical. But we still call it gingerbread houses, cuz well, graham cracker houses sounds cheap, and we are NOT cheap around here! Anyway, next we cut out the bases from the Eldest's StarWars boxes from last year's Christmas, yes I did say, last year. There are some packrats around here not to be named. 
4 Empty slates! Oh the possibilities....
 I helped build the base for them and they added on to it. First base is up! I have to comment. As I was building the first one, The Queen, my extremely intuitive child, asks "Mom, are you ok?" "Yes, sweetie, it is just a little nerve wracking." (Did I seriously just say that!? you are gluing graham crackers together, get a grip!) The Queen says, "Don't worry mom, just trust God, it will work out!" Well I am feeling sheepish. It did work out actually...
The Eldest built what he calls "Camp Yum" complete with beavers, a tent and a peppermint river...
Princess did something cutesy like herself of course.
The Queen created "Snowy Fun" with a beaver who unhappily got snowed on, according to her. Here's a close-up of the beaver...
and the house....

  I was kind of surprised that The Little Guy got so into this, I expected him to bolt after about 10 seconds.
He didn't last long though. He got so far as to add the path you see and a pile of chocolate chips. 

And the whole Family village....
Wait a minute, weren't there 4 houses built? Yes indeed. The Little Guy badgered me about every hour for 2 days about eating his house, and it was consumed at a rapid rate. So that fourth house is now in his tummy. 
Here's what Angel Boy did with his time that day. Ok, he was actually napping DURING this process, but, we got these pictures that night, and I had to end it with this, you know?


See ya, bye bye.