Some People Call this Roughhousing

I call this "getting the kids worn out before bedtime so we can all get a good night's sleep."

The first indication that something is brewing: Everett catches a glimpse of Monster Papa.

RRRRRrrrevenge is sweet.

Very sweet.

But not permanent!

Now is when I step in and offer a few stories in order to calm these hooligans down. And do they sleep well? Oh yes, they do.

Guests

Spiderman and a Princess were our breakfast guests this morning.

We don't have our TV hooked up yet, so in place of cartoons they watched Cinderella. (It was the princesses turn to pick the movie, much to Spiderman's disappointment, as he was set on our Duck Tales dvd.)

It was this princesses first time watching it that she can remember.

Spiderman, as you can see, was not too thrilled.

I hope he comes back to see us again after all this girly stuff.

Angry Eyes

"I'm packing you an extra pair of shoes, and your angry eyes, just in case"

--Mrs. Potato Head, Toy Story 2

Ashley is a sweet heart, but she sure can give people a look of death.

She has also started giving Everett a very loud growling yell when she is mad at him.

Sunset

Our backyard looks out onto an empty, golden field. Today the sun is just starting to set and I snapped a few pictures.

I don't think I'll get tired of this view.

Daddy's Girl

Everett recently learned about the whole concept of having a best friend, and has since gone around and announced who is is best friend. This changes on a daily basis and is not limited to friends; family is part of the puzzle as well.

Ashley absorbed all of this and decided one day that papa was her best friend.

It has been a few weeks and she has not budged. "Papa is my best friend!" she will announce, all day, every day.

She wants to sit by him at dinner and she wants to play with him all the time.

If I am so bold as to suggest that I might be her best friend, she immediately sets me straight with words and an angry expression.

"NO! Papa is my best friend."

It's hard to say, but I think Joel kind of enjoys it. . .

Snow Day

On Saturday we had our first snow of the year. The kids were disappointed that the flurries only left an inch or two on the ground, but they wanted to go out and play in it anyway. After I spent too long finding their snow gear amongst our move-in chaos, the kids were ready.

Ashley was thrilled with her snow pants. She kept telling me how fancy they were. Both kids wore their snow pants for the remainder of the afternoon. "Aren't your legs hot?" I'd ask periodically. "Nope!" they'd say, shrug their shoulders, and return to their business.

The complete package, minus Ashley's gloves which she refused to keep on. She was persuaded to put them back on after she had her bare hands out in the snow for a minute or two.

The kids liked playing on our porch.

We've had some nasty, windy days lately so this was the first day they have really been able to explore the backyard.

Leaving many footprints seemed to be the activity of choice, as always.

Friday night we looked at the forecast and saw that it was supposed to snow, so we figured now was as good a time as any to buy a show shovel and some salt for the driveway. Joel was eager to go out and shovel, even though there was practically nothing to shovel. The next day we noticed that none of our other neighbors could be bothered to remove such a small amount of snow, but we (read: Joel), in our new homeowner's excitement, had been looking forward to one of our first chores.

This will get old fast, but for now I think we'll enjoy it.

Even though I gave the kids a snack before they went outside, and they only stayed out there for a few minutes, Ashley decided that she deserved another snack for all her ventures.

Seeing as it was a greater undertaking for me to round up all of her snow clothes than it was for her to go prance around outside, I told her she couldn't have a snack.

She was only mollified after I pointed out the hot chocolate I was stirring on the stove top.

It was a fun day. It is snowing again, and maybe this time the kids will have more snow to play in.

Moving: A Story in Pictures

We are loving our new house and look forward to settling in.

Everett's favorite thing: that he can choose between one of three bathrooms to use.

Ashley's favorite thing: that she gets to sleep in the same room as Everett.

William's favorite thing: the stairs

Elise's favorite thing: whenever she sees something she doesn't like, she realizes that she owns this home and can do whatever she wants to it!

Joel's favorite thing: the fireplace.

More pictures to come when I find my organization (it's got to be in a box around here somewhere).