Coping and toasting....

Okay, so different people have different coping mechanisms. Some people cope with food, others exercise (my personal fav), and others try mentally escaping to a happier place. I like to use all 3 methods when it comes to coping with Winter and it's brutal elements. I have mentioned numerous times on this blog I despise Winter and as much as I try, I really do try to have a good attitude about it but... I am really starting to lose it. Especially now that the holidays have come and gone and we have been couped up with colds. Anyway, we are making an effort and having a lot of fun in the process. I thought I'd share some of our ideas in case any of you are feeling the Winter blues. PLEASE feel free to leave some of your own ideas to share.

Some of our latest attempts have included :

~A camp out in Lillie's room one night with flashlights and fun songs

~Sheet forts using 4 queen size sheets, 2 quilts, several other blankets and a rearrangement of the living room furniture

~ Easter egg hunts. We were unpacking a box and discovered about 50 plastic Easter eggs. Well, the kids had a blast hiding them all over the house and searching for them. I am still finding them in the freezer, trash cans and shoes!

~ Pirate treasure hunts. This is a good one that definitely relys on teamwork. I draw a map of 5-6 different places/clues in the house and in each spot I hide a few gummi fruits. The last clue is where the BIG treasure is hidden and the kids get to choose something (a favorite game to play, a video, snack etc...)when they arrive. I love the squeals and hi-5s when they find it together!

~ Roasting Marshmallows. The kids absolute favorite. At our old house we had a big ole' fire pit and the kids would love when we would have bonfires and toast marshmallows. Well, here at the new house there is no fire pit. So we have had to improvise a little.. ok, a lot. We now toast marshmallows over candles. I cannot believe the pure delight the kids get out of this. Something so simple, yet when I announced a Marshmallow roast the other night, they were besides themselves. Check it out!

Birthday girl!

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY LILLIE-BEAR!!!!

You continue to be the sweet, good natured, snuggly, thumb-sucking little girl we brought home from the hospital. Your life is a blessing and you bring so much joy and calm to our house! God gave us such a wonderful gift when He gave us you. (He also gave us lots of pink, purple, princess-y stuff but we understand that comes with little girl territory) We love you Lils!!!!

Fire Procedures 101

We recently had a small fire incident involving our toaster oven. We were making a simple piece of toast and the next thing we knew there were flames shooting out of it and black smoke everywhere. I yelled for Trev, who thankfully was home at the time. He took my dishtowels (new ones by the way.. but that's a small detail) and in a heroic action he grabbed the toaster oven with them and carried it to the deck. All the while we could see the kids running in chaotic circles and rolling all over the livingroom floor. When the fire died out and calm was finally restored, we asked the kids what in the world they were doing? Parker's reply, "Well, there was a fire and we were stopping, dropping and rolling like you told us too!"

Guess we failed to mention that is proper procedure for when a person is on fire not a toaster oven!

*On a more serious side note... the kids actually ran upstairs and hid in Parker's closet at one point and when we questioned them about that, they said they were "hiding from the fire and the loud noise (the smoke alarm)". It is natural for children to run when they are scared, but please remind your kiddos that if there is ever a fire, to run outside immediately!

A shave for 2

Bathtime fun with soon-to-be Uncle Cash

Bumps ahead

Usually I blog about the funny one-liners from my kids... but my husband gets the prize this week)

While driving in the car yesterday, Trev kept trying to put his very cold hands on my neck. Already chilled to the bone, I swatted his hand away. His reply, "You know... 10 years ago that would have been flirting. Now, it's just annoying heh?"

awww... I still love the flirting. I just prefer flirting that gives me a different kind of goosebumps:)

Girly-ness

All of our friends with daughters have told us that pouting and sulking happens regularly in their houses. Parker being a boy, just doesn't pout or get real sulky. This is new territory for us. She does look pretty cute but we will never ever ever tell her that!

Moon struck!

We were driving in the car yesterday afternoon and I could see Parker looking seriously out his wondow. After a few minutes, he goes, "Mom, I have a really good question for you (his latest preface to all his questions). I was just wondering... are there two moons? Sometimes I see a 1/2 smiling moon and sometimes it's full. Are there 2 moons are is it just one that looks different sometimes?"

He really thinks a lot and his thinking is leading to some great questions. I often have to remind myself he is only 5 years old. He has only been on this earth for 64 months! That's all. Of course there seems like there are 2 moons! Oh, to have the curiosity and inquisition of a preschooler!

Dribbling for Jesus

Okay, so not exactly dribbling. It's more like bouncing a ball off your shoes and then chasing the ball onto the court next to you:). Parker has caught the basketball bug (it's kind of hard not to this time of year in KY). We found a great church league for 4-6 year olds that is real low key and all about fun (and Jesus too!).

(If you need help finding our kid in a crowd, just look at the legs... (distinctively Willis.)

take a look at that determination....

If you're thinking Parker will thicken up in a few years, you

haven't seen Trevis's legs lately. They are about as

thin as Parker's...He is the only guy I know who has lost

weight in 10 years of marriage:)

Photo shoot...

I think we may have a budding photographer in the house. Parker grabbed my camera the other night and just started snapping away at Lils while I was making dinner. I just downloaded them and couldn't believe his work! I don't think a professional could get her to look at the camera and grin like he did!

You decide...

What is going on in this scene?

a) A shady terrorist operation is taking place
b) Two guys stunk up the livingroom after a chili dinner
c) Blindfold Connect Four


If you guess A, you watch too much CNN
If you guessed B, any other time you would have been correct
If you guessed C, you must also be married to a guy who reinvents old games ALL the time!

Sister serenade

After a full day of running around and playing, I suddenly hear quiet (always a cause for concern around here) and then I hear soft guitar strumming and Parker singing. I peek in his room, and this is what I found... a very cute sibling moment. To this day I stand by my words that "every little girl needs a big brother like Parker". He is awesome!

On a wind and a prayer

Some say God speaks in whispers, some say it's more like a wind.. today he spoke to me in a wind (literally).

One of those days... You know the kind where you wake up and you can just feel that something (or many things) are going to take place before your feet even hit the floor. Not necessarily good or bad, just things. Today was one of those days. Nothing big and awful, just little and inconvenient and by the end of the day all those little incidences just build up and you cannot wait for the day to end and a new one to begin. That would be today. Here's a glimpse of one of the more humorous things...

As I am pulling up to the house from dropping Parker off at school today, I notice some "debris" flying around. Upon further observation I realize that this "debris" looks rather familiar. An Arby's wrapper stuck on the neighbors bush, an empty Capri Sun drink stuck in some mulch, and several dinosaur paper plates strewn across our other neighbors fence. As I pull into the driveway, I have the sudden realization that OUR garbage is everywhere!!! I mean like flying in the air, all over our yard, and everyone else's yard for that matter. It was almost 70 degrees here today but super windy and so as I am muttering and whining under my breath, I let Lillie out of the car so I can go track down all the trash. As I am running after an empty container of peanut butter I see out of the corner of my eye, Lillie getting the mail out of the mailbox. In the next instant I see our mail blowing out of her hands and flying down the block. She starts hysterically crying (not sure if she felt bad, was confused and overwhelmed or just plain scared b/c the wind was whipping all 28 pounds of her off the ground) as I start chasing after the fliers, bills and coupon packs (all the while Lillie is now scream-crying in the middle of our court). There is one last piece of mail that needs to be retrieved and wouldn't you know it lands in the yard of the big black boxer with the electric fence (It's his. I wasn't willing to fight him for it. I'm hoping it wasn't anything important like a jury duty notice or something).

I head back toward the house (out of breath and exhausted) to scoop up Lils and assure her things are A-OK. We drag the garbage cans into the garage (I wasn't willing to risk another messy adventure) and close the garage door. Suddenly Lillie starts giggling and leans her head in my shoulder and I hear her say, "Mommy, mail go bye bye." (more giggling)...

Yes, the mail went bye bye but not our sense of humor. Right girlie!

My prayer: God, thank you for speaking to us in both whispers and gusty winds! I need both! Thanks for using my children to reveal the humor in all things! AMEN.

Ahoy Matey!

Poor Parker. He is surrounded by Lillie's princess dresses, tiaras, tutus and play makeup and jewelry. What's a guy to do?

...try and steal all the princess booty of course!

The name game revisited...

Parker: "Mom, remember how we were talking about calling you by Nicole and I'm not really supposed to do that right? Well, I also don't call Jovey "friend". I call her Jovey. I also don't call Sara or Maddie "friend" too. None of this makes sense to my brain. I have lots of good questions you know."

His poor brain... if he only knew what was to come in the next oh 20 years or so...

New year - Old friends!

We were blessed to bring in the New Year with our bestest friends, The McFarland Family~ They spent the night at our house and we woke up to (another) Christmas morning and then a day of food, football and friendship (oh, and let's not forget Wi!!!)! We could not think of a better way to start 2008!

Sweet Laney Belle- the most content baby EVER!

Christmas cookies!!!!!!
Parker's favorite past time
BFF's
More Laney time!
The Mommy's
Dress up!
The Troublesome Trio

The name game~

Parker (in one of his pondering moments): "I call you Mom not Nicole but you call me Parker not son. Huh. It would be funny if I called Lillie sister whenever I needed her (cracking himself up at this point). It would be funny if you called her daughter instead of Lillie. I still don't get why I can't call you Nicole, Mom."