What do You Call It?

Today after church as I was puttering around the house trying to dig myself out of the weekend chaos straighten up a bit I overheard Carolyn chatting away to herself in her room.
I stopped in to see what was happening in her little life...and she showed me her doll which was wearing a massive plastic diaper and an ace bandage.  Then she wove together her Sunday school lesson and some recent cartoons to explain to me what had happened.

Carolyn's Story

"Today....my little daughter had....what do you call it? Leprosy.  On her arm.  So she had to get a big bandaid? So then she broke her other arm and had to get a cast.  Then she was trying to hold on tight to her Daddy when they were jumping with a parachute but it was hard because she had a cast and....what do you call it?  Leprosy.  So she dropped her daddy and the parachute and she fell into the ocean and she was trying to swim super fast to her mommy...that is ME....but the shark was faster so it bited her in the arm...NOT the arm with the cast but the arm with....what do you call it?  Leprosy.  The bunny...that was her very cute pet bunny....tried to save her from that shark but it was not fast enough so it just couldn't.  So then my daughter got out of the ocean and a ladybug gave her a ride on its back but it didn't help her feel better so then the ladybug just took her to the doctor and the doctor fix-ed her broken arm but if he touched her arm with....what do you call it?  Leprosy...then he would have it too.  But I am her mom and I touched her and I didn't get....what do you call it?  Leprosy.  So she is ok now.  That's all."

Today

Today.
Today was a-NOTHER snow day.
Since the kids got out for Christmas break we have not had school for more than 2 consecutive days.  That's over SIX weeks.
Hmmmmm.
Perhaps that's why I got off of the couch today and realized I had NO idea where my socks had gone?  Or in fact... where my AFTERNOON had gone?
Hmmmmm.

Maybe school will start tomorrow. 

Then again....maybe I will find my socks tomorrow.
Either way....I win.

Wish That I Knew What I Know Now....

As I age---I mean mature----I realize new things every day. One recurring theme of my realizations is this: things that were really fun when I was...."younger"....aren't always quite as fun now.

First example: staying up late.

Then: awesome special treat night full of candy, pizza, movies and friends followed by sleeping in super late.

Now: night that may be super fun or just required followed by a morning in which your kids inevitably awake at the "crack of" and need many things.

Another example: Bublicious bubble gum

Then: yummy yummy yummy.

Now: ewwwwwwww.

Last example: sledding

Then: adrenaline rush as you tried to see how fast you could go with or without killing yourself.

Now: Fun until the end of the hill when you somehow manage to flip off the curb and hit a previously invisible metal trash can. Then you need tylenol for the next 3 days.

Really last example: spring break

I don't think I'll say anymore on that one.

Now this brings me to my topic.

Snow days.

Fun....but not quite the same kind of fun I remember as a kid

ESPECIALLY when there is not really all that much snow, and the schools are out for ice and super bitter cold temps that make it really hard to venture 3 feet out of your back door.

Well we have enjoyed our snow days this week, and our sick days and our too icy to go out days. Much bonding has occurred. Especially with RH out of town and the aforesaid bonding occurring between children, dogs and ME.

We have LITERALLY had 4 days of school since Christmas Break.

Happy kids....scattered mom.

Anyway, we did get in a little sledding before we entered the Arctic circle.....and it WAS fun (for the small lightweight ones)!

Notice how even though they plowed into the rocks there is NO crying! They may be made of some sort of rubber material.....

Then it's on to MLK day and (although I do think MLK was an amazing man and I do not at all begrudge him his holiday) another bloody day off of school!

Yea!

What oh what shall we do?

We've already baked heart and owl cookies....

And made some seriously wicked squirrel traps...

And played out roles as various barnyard animals.

What to do....what to do....what to do?

Hmmmmm. Maybe we can go bowling in Canada. I would like that, I think.

Thought for Thursday.....

Yup. She's a plumber's daughter.

I guess it's a good thing her daddy doesn't work for a pest control company. Or run a poop-scooping business.

A Small Change....

I started a blog 3 (and a little bit) years ago as my husband and I were heading down to Guatemala to bring our daughter home. It really helped our boys stay connected to us and allowed family and friends to be a part of the journey. It also helped keep me sane as we navigated the strangest "delivery room" in Central America!

Since then the blog has become....well....fun.
It keeps our long distance family in touch with our daily life (without making them come in person!)....
It gives my kids a record of the fact that we DO do fun things in our lives (even though they are sure I never let them do anything worthwhile)....
It gives our friends the chance to peek into our lives (often shaking their heads in utter disbelief of our life)...
And it allows us to (selectively!) live out loud. To share our faith...our family...our chaos and our wonderfully messy lives with anyone who has the crazy desire to dive in!

My last blog driver was not quite what I wanted to keep going with....so I've renamed and moved the blog to here. If you want the background....head over to Family of Five and party on.

Meanwhile....I'll try to make myself at home here. Check back soon....we'll chat.