And a happy Monday, March 2nd to you!  Yesterday we welcomed a new month with yet more snow, enough to delay school this morning by 2 hours.  That’s always fun.  By fun I mean “fun”.  Caleb had sore muscles so after seeing him walk around like an old man and almost crying, I spoon fed him some liquid Advil in the kitchen while making eggs.  Sarah and Seth kept trying to play together, resulting in Sarah yelling at the top of her voice for Seth to “stop it!!” To deal with this situation, I put them each in their rooms to play alone.  Grace felt as if she was getting a cold, so I had her mix up some Emergen-C, and then she needed a container to put it in so she could sip it all morning at school.  She took it in a travel mug.  Ethan put on his boots and went to the chicken coop for me, taking them a bowl of discarded people food and a pitcher of water.  David was told to shovel the walkway and Rich had to “encourage” him in a loud Fatherly voice that “work is supposed to be enjoyable.”  The end result was a wonderfully shoveled path.  Jacob did nothing notable.

Once the children went to school Rich and I went downtown to the coffee shop.  Rich dropped me off at the door and I said, “I’ll leave Sarah with you, you can manage her.”  He told me that as they drove away to park she asked her Dad nervously, “What does manage mean?”  I think she was afraid.  As I waited for them I almost took a chair away from the table to make way for a high chair!!!!!  Slowly it is dawning on me that I no longer HAVE babies, for the first time in 18 very busy years but apparently I still have some ingrained instincts.

The coffee shop always has artwork on the walls featuring a great variety of artists and their work.  This week it is nature photography and as I studied them, I thought, “I take better pictures than this.”  Some of them have sold, 200 dollars worth, in fact!  I know that sounds so prideful, but I don’t mean it that way, I mean it in this way, “I never thought about selling my photos but seeing these pictures sell makes me believe I could do it, too!”

I love the way Sarah turns her markers and crayons into people and tells stories makes up games with them.

“I used to live here at the camp road, but now I live here at the camp-camp-camp!”  

“I like to hear your stories, Sarah.”

“Mom it’s not a story, it’s a game!  A coloring game!”

She’s also trying to figure out what we should do next.  So far she has come up with “play ground”  “thrifth store” “Barnes and Novel”  “Somebody’s house” or the “movies.”

I already drank all my coffee, it was a caramel latte.  Sarah requested a hot chocolate and Rich had a coconut caramel flavored coffee.

Sarah went outside to play the other day….she found the picnic table.

Sarah’s bike next to the mammoth snow pile.

 

In spite of the rock in the middle I very sadly later found this pot saucer broken in the snow.

Caleb and Seth found their helmets which reminded them of a favorite activity, so they brought their bikes up out of the garage.  I love how Seth is holding the handle bars with his hands in his sleeves.  When you get stir-crazy enough you ride your bike even in frigid temperatures.

This was such a precious moment.  Jacob showed Emily his baby book for the first time.  The thought of him showing his girlfriend the book was not in my mind when I worked in it all those years ago.  I was 21 and smitten with my new baby, filling the pages with photos and milestones.  Emily enjoyed it and went home with a page photocopied out it.

Mike messing around with one of the boys (Caleb).

Another winter activity!  Who knew that playing with Daddy’s tools would keep the little ones busy for over an hour?

Mike and Jacob played Phase 10.  That container on the bench is full of jelly beans, and the tissue box was never far from Jacob’s side as he dealt with his wretched cold.

We worked on a puzzle Saturday night while listening and singing along to iTunes.  (Grace, Zak, and Seth)

Sarah on Sunday, in her church dress.

more snow!  (that blue speck is our newspaper down the road buried in the snow pile.) lol

All I did was go outside to get the paper and take a couple of pictures but two of the children worried and greeted me back in the house with, “MOM where did you go?  What are you doing?”

Sunday was awesome, I spent the morning with Jacob, Grace, David, and Sarah.  We went to church, then Wendy’s drive thru, we got the giggles in the car, drove to an antique store where I left them in the car eating while I quickly walked around looking at things (I bought some little gifts for my MOM, and three small fiesta plates for my collection; all vintage– gray, light green, and yellow).  We drove home and found Ethan and Seth back home from their wrestling event.  Ethan coached Seth to a 2nd place victory but Seth hung his head and was sad that he didn’t get first.  Then we were all together except Rich and Caleb, who were at States.  Caleb placed 7th out of 11 kids in his weight class.  (which is why he was so sore this morning).

Brother and Sister cats.

Doesn’t it look as though Sherlock is smiling?

Seth (not on purpose) made us so sad.   When I decided to write his name on all his wrestling medals I couldn’t find them.  He told me he took them to school and when his “friend” Bryce asked for them, Seth GAVE THEM to HIM (all but one!)  He gave away his metals!!  This situation is still being resolved.

completed puzzle

Not happy about this.  Grace was doing her nails and put the nail polish remover-soaked paper towel directly on the coffee table!!!!!!!!!!  The remaining paper towel is stuck and dried in the table terribly!

Last night the bunny watched “Death comes to Pemberly” with Grace, Ethan, and me.

It was kind of boring.

Bunny scratched me and Grace, scared the cats, and bit some holes in the blanket.

7:00 am sky

A few hours later.

Since we were all hanging around each other for an extra 2 hours and all……my grown up babies!

I took some pictures this morning on the way downtown

of the snow

and ice.

I said, “Rich slow down by that house so I can get a picture of the ice.”

HE SPED UP. and then LAUGHED.

Rich took this picture from across the table.  He wanted me to see what he saw.  Our adorable little girlie, thrilled by the chocolate syrup drizzled on the top of her whipped cream and hot chocolate.