February 25

This morning we woke up to about 8 inches of snow. The ground was beautiful. Sometimes it is hard to go back to snow when we have been enjoying spring-like weather. I must say though, it is beautiful, and for the past few years, I haven't gotten tired of it.

I'm still feeling under the weather. I spent the morning loading the dishwasher. I didn't do that yesterday as I laid in bed all day. I hate it when I do that as it makes it much worse the day after. After I got the dishwasher loaded, I blended some apples and put them in the dehydrator to make apple fruit roll-ups.

Once I finished my project, it was off to bed for me. I can't stay up for too long without feeling like complete dirt. I read more of President Monson's biography, and then I slept off and on for a while.

At 11:30 I got up and fixed me a bowl of soup, then it was back in bed for me. Even the soup didn't help me feel any better.

I got to talk to my dad today. I love it when he calls me. We talked about his mission, and his new calling as the ward mission leader. I love my dad. He is a wonderful man.

I need to take more pictures of my family and what is going on around me. It is another thing that I have put on my list of things to improve.

Looky There

So much for my every day posts. I'm not in the habit. Bare with me.

Last night was our Blue and Gold Banquet. It was our last B&G as a family. Ryan will move on to Boy Scouts this year. I can hardly believe it. I am proud of Ryan he is a good boy.

I made a campfire cake for our cake contest. We won Judge's favorite. That's the 2nd year we have won. I think it turned out well, and I'm glad I'm done making these too. Last year we did Burger's and Fries. This year it was much less involved, but took an extra cake mix because the first one broke.

I went to bed last night feeling like a cold might be coming on and sure enough. I woke up this morning not feeling well. I have been in bed all day. Hopefully this is a fast moving cold and I can be back to normal in no time.

The Road to Hell

One of my mom's favorite sayings (at least it seemed like a favorite to me) was "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

I had such good intentions for Valentine's Day. Pink waffles, with a heart cut out of the middle. Valentine's at the school for the kids -- Visiting both classes for class parties.

Then the day arrived, and NONE of that happened. I woke up to Ryan needing a pair of underwear. Unlucky for him, they were still in the washer - wet. I knew I had a pair in the van so I went to get them and I didn't have a set a keys. A short note to Brett, and the realization that HE had my keys and figured I would have an extra key in the junk drawer. A half hour later, and  a small prayer, I found the spare key - not in the junk drawer. By now, there wasn't time to make the pink waffles with the heart cut out. Regular waffles had to do.

I spent the morning cleaning the house and then at 11:30 I got a phone call from the school. Ryan had an accident on the bus and he needed an extra set of clothing. I got them together and headed to the school. Poor kid. The mess was big enough that he needed an extra shirt too. I came home and picked up the extra shirt, then I headed to the store to pick up the treats I needed to donate for Ryan's class. I'm not generally a last minute person. I don't like the stress of last minute, but I didn't want to buy treats that went stale, so I waited until the day of. Throw all of the rest of the events of the day into the mix, and there wasn't time to get Valentines to take to the kids for their classroom. Donuts and conversation hearts had to do.

So, as I look around at all of the fun traditions that others have, I feel bad that my kids missed out this year. Maybe next year...

He Named Him Shaun

Some time during the end of December / beginning of January, our family was introduced to the marvelous world of Psych, a clever, clean, funny, psychic detective show that airs on a channel that we do not have. Lucky for us, we have Netflix. We are almost caught up on all 5 seasons.

Many gigs of bandwidth later, we are now saying things to each other like "Brett, don't be this crevice in my arm."

and

"Mom, don't be an old sponge with a hair hanging off of it."

I've even got clever and started my own sayings like - "Brett, don't be a dehydrated mushroom." (I dehydrated mushrooms yesterday.)  I'm so awesome!

Anyway, we laugh a lot with the one-liners that are on this show. Before Ryan went to bed the other night he told me that Shaun's (the main character in the show) mom calls him Goose. I call Ryan Goose. I have since he was a baby.

Ryan now thinks he is cool.

Because Shaun is cool.

Today, before school, Ryan wanted to play on the computer. He had finished getting ready so I let him. I overheard him talking to the computer "Oh, hi little buddy. Are you hungry? Did you miss me?" He has a new virtual pet. It is a mouse. A mouse that is going to stay on the computer screen. (phew!)

He named him Shaun.

She Ran Away

I've known for a long time that my daughter is a LOT like me. Today she proved it even more so.  After dinner we were cleaning up and she got mad because I had told her that she could play today and then it just didn't work out. She left the room and I told her that she needed to come in and help clean up the kitchen. She went back into the kitchen and Brett told her to sit down at the table to drink her milk. Of course she took her sweet little time (totally something I would have done). I gave her 'the look' and she started crying "Dad told me to drink my milk, and you told me to clean the kitchen -- I can't do two things at once!!"

Ahh...another thing I would have said.

I made her even more mad because I started laughing.

She stormed down the stairs and packed a bag.

A few minutes later she was going to run away to the park.

Brett made sure she had shoes on (she was going to leave barefooted - snow on the ground and everything). He also made sure she had a coat.

We told her we loved her and we watched out the window as she walked away.

Brett stared worrying that she wouldn't run away to the park, or that she wouldn't come home if she did so I went to look after her. She was walking by the fence and when she saw the car she put her little blanket in front of her face so that I couldn't 'see' her.

I laughed.

I passed a neighbor and a second later I had a text telling me that she had just passed Sydney and she was crying. She thought that maybe I was driving away and I hadn't seen her. I told her the situation.

I came home and Syd was back on the porch crying. She stood outside on the porch for a good 1/2 hour. I asked her to come in several times but she wouldn't. Finally she decided that she would like to have warm hands so she came in.

She ignored me for almost 2 hours. It's ok. That's what I do to people when I get mad too. I just need my time to get over it.

Sydney is definitely made out of my mold. She needs time when she is mad, she is overly sensitive, and she ran away. I ran away when I was her age too.

I didn't make it very far...

February 5

- Syd woke up with a migraine and low grade fever - Day at home for her
- Finished watching Care Bears with Sydney
- Took a little nap with Sydney
- Watched Toy Story 3 (Thanks Aunt Lori)
- Took Brett to get a hair cut and sampled some amazing shrimp fried rice...mmm
- Played School with Syd - she's feeling a little bit better
- Hanging out for the rest of the day.

- Great way to end the week. Happy Friday

February 1

Wow - February already! As Ryan would say (when he was about 5) - what in the heck? That is now the new catch phrase. It embarrasses him, but it is funny. Everything was what in the heck.

I welcome February. Today it is freezing - or rather below freezing with the highs in the 20's. Ryan isn't feeling well so he has take up camp in my bedroom. Poor little guy.

I used to hate February. February meant Valentine's Day. I hate that holiday. Well, I used to hate it. Now, I have decided that I will make it special for my kids. My mom always made it special for me, and I love that. I've decided to pass that on.

So, welcome February. Here's to taking more pictures of the ones that I love, and loving life a little bit more.