SNOW DAY!

There's a blizzard upon us, a storm so wide-reaching and dangerous that even MSUM closed campus for the day (that hardly EVER happens)! So, all five of us--mommy, daddy, Grant, Ross, and Hope--are home together for a real, honest-to-goodness snow day. What fun! Don't get me wrong, we've already had a little drama this morning; Grant threw a tantrum over not understanding how to play one of the games for his Nintendo DS, so the DS is on break for the day. But overall I'm optimistic. We can play playdoh, make puzzles, build with Legos, bake cookies, and maybe I can even spend 30 minutes on the elliptical and get a few loads of laundry done. I'd also like Kris to hang some pictures and wall hangings. In our family, only dad does that...because mom doesn't enjoy that. I'd rather be the one deciding if it looks straight while Kris actually pounds the nail.

I hope all of you stay warm, stay safe, and stay put!

My Sister

After reading all the action on her blog over the weekend, I want to tell all of you a little about my sister, Bonnie:

1. She is an amazing mother. She is firm, loving, fun, and so so patient! Four children is a lot to balance, and she does so beautifully.

2. She loves to travel and is really talented at planning and executing trips. Whenever I need to fly or plan a long distance trip, I turn to her (although she will tell you that hardly ever happens since I hardly ever go anywhere). :) If she ever walked away from teaching, her natural enthusiasm for travel would make her a wonderful travel agent.

3. She teaches high school social studies, most often History and Sociology. I have never observed her teaching (although I would love to!), but from what she describes I think she makes the study of people and events fascinating and personally relevant to her students.

4. She isn't afraid to take time for herself. I am impressed--and admittedly a little jealous--that she is able to put herself on her priority list.

5. She is the life of the party whenever our families and in-laws get together. She really is a wonderful conversationalist, always showing genuine interest in whomever she is talking to.

6. She's a great writer! I didn't realize this until I she started blogging--she's so FUNNY! I love it when she makes me laugh out loud.

7. She has a fabulous sense of style--casual chic I would call it. Her wardrobe, hair, and makeup always look clean and hip, even when she says she's thrown herself together in 20 minutes.

I admire Bonnie and look up to her. I'm blessed to call her sister. Love you, Bon!

Ross is THREE!!

Ross turned three years old on Sunday, March 1. It's hard to believe my "tank" is already closing the chapter on toddlerhood. We had a marvelous party with family--grandmas and grandpas, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Ross relished being the center of all the attention, and all the kids had a blast together.


Pizza-coated fingers...I'm three!



Ross loves his baby sister and cousin Brady, and he LOVES being older than they are.


Ross and "Wivia," or, as I affectionately call them, Frick and Frack.



Ryan, Kori, Paige, and Piper couldn't make it, but the cousins who came had a blast together. Aren't they adorable?





And what would a birthday party be without cake? I think Hope enjoyed her slice more than anyone.

Cutie Patootie

Here's Hope with her first hair clippie. Her hair is just barely long enough to support the clip.

And here she is wearing her new Reebok activewear. We got this as a gift when she was born and Kris put it on her for the first time today. So cute!

Toy Swap?

Here's what I SHOULD be doing right now: brushing my teeth and herding the boys together to leave the house. But I'm in a blogging mood. So I have an idea--does anyone out there want to participate in a toy swap? My kids are tired of their same old toys, and frankly, so am I. We've got baby toys, toddler/preschooler toys, and games and older kid building toys. If any of you would like, we could meet at my house (or I could come to you) with a laundry basket and swap some toys. Of course, we would return toys to the original family after a particular time frame, but in the meantime our kids would get to play with perfectly good, "new to them" toys without anyone having to pay a dime! Okay, gotta run--full day ahead for all of you, I'm sure!

What's on your nightstand?

Wow, it's been forever since I posted...a combination of being sick, busy at work, and not really having much to say. I just read Bonnie's post about possibly giving up Grandpa Wayne's "medicine" (i.e. candy) for Lent (as a family), and I think it's a great idea. I'll have to talk to Kris to see what he thinks. I know it would be really, and I mean REALLY, hard for all of us. Pretty sad, I know. I can already hear the whining from the boys.

How do you unwind? For me, it's reading celebrity biographies. I recently finished Tom Cruise's unauthorized biography by Andrew Morton (the same biographer who worked with Princess Diana to write My Story back in the early 90s), and wow, did I learn a lot about Scientology. What an odd and bizarre cult. Now I'm reading Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher--SOO FUNNY! Her style is to talk right to you as if you were hanging out together. It's hilarious. I'm also in the middle of Here's the Story, the autobiography of Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady. Next up after those two is SToriTelling, by Tori Spelling. I know, impressive, right? I can't remember the last time I read a work of fiction--I just don't stay interested in a novel unless it's really compelling. I'd much rather read about real people, and when I don't want to think too hard, a celeb bio seems to be what I'm drawn to. I remember reading bios about Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe in high school; the OJ Simpson trial when we went on a cruise years ago, Motley Crue's autobiography (yes, the band actually wrote their story--and what a vivid, sometimes stomach-churning story it is), and even one about Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. I suppose my colleagues are all keeping up on their professional reading while I deepen my knowledge of pop culture.

So, I'm curious...what's on your nightstand?

Making it all better

Yesterday was one of those crappy days at work...back to back meetings, complex issues that take time to resolve--but there literally isn't enough time in everyone's schedules to work on the issues, economic dire straits, and to top it off I have a raging sinus infection that was leaving me feeling clogged up and exhausted. So when I got downstairs to pick up Ross from his classroom it was such a relief to see his smile. I told him, "Mommy's had a really yucky day. I need a hug." Ross gave me a big hug. "May I have a kiss, too?" I asked. He kissed me on the cheek, and then I said, "Is there anywhere else I get a kiss?" I figured he would give me a peck on the lips and we would get coats on and go. As I kneeled in front of him, Ross did kiss me on the lips...then he took my face in his hands and said, "The other cheek (kiss), your chin (kiss), your eyes (kiss), your eyebrow (kiss), your nose, (kiss)." In his gesture of affection, my sweet little boy calmed me down, warmed me up, and made everything all better. Thank you, Ross. I love you, too.