Power Sledding

Remember how all the stuff that didn't fit in the PODS or the storage unit when we moved out of our old house was parceled out to relatives around the valley? (We have a lot of stuff.) Well, after 3 months of snow, Brian finally went around looking for the sled today. Lo and behold, it's been in our garage this whole time.

So, he tied the sled to the back of the four-wheeler and the boys jumped on and away they all went through the slushy streets. The streets were completely covered in snow this morning when Brian planned this activity. Can you believe we've actually had a sunny day so things are finally starting to melt? But there was plenty of snow left for a plastic sled and a few boys determined to take it for a ride.

The question: who had more fun, Dad or kids?

Puddle!

When they fell off, Nathan and Matthew laughed and scrambled to get back on--arguing over who got to sit in the back out of the snow spraying from the four-wheeler tires.

And then Brian high-centered in a snow bank. Luckily Grandpa Swings had come to watch the fun and helped dig him out.

The boys were soaked from falling in puddles. I think that was half the fun.

It was funny to watch Sparkles trying to keep up with the four-wheeler--her ears flapping up and down and her tail going ninety-miles an hour.

Matthew and Nathan: two very happy boys.

Sunshine, Here I Come!

I'm going to Florida, baby.

When I heard that my mom and sister, Sariah, got plane tickets to visit my other sister, Tori, in sunny Florida it just about killed me. I want a break from the snow, too!

So, just to torture myself, I looked up the price of plane tickets. What do you know, Southwest is having a big Wanna Get Away promotion right now...

Ok, so I called my doctor thinking he'd say, "No way can you fly across the country 6 weeks before your baby is due." Except he didn't say that. His nurse (who I actually spoke to) said, "Go for it!"

Grandma said, "Sure, I'll take Matthew to kindergarten." My generous neighbor said, "Sure, I'll watch the boys after school." Brian said, "Actually, we have a free plane ticket with Southwest. You could use that."

Which made me realize I could bring Maggie very affordably--we could take a mother-daughter trip! She's very well behaved when she has your undivided attention. And I wouldn't have to feel guilty about leaving behind a two-year old drama queen for someone to deal with.

Bring out the sunscreen, tennis shoes, and maternity capri pants because in two weeks I'm taking a break from all this snow!

I bought Maggie some polka-dot flip-flops today.

Matthew's Tooth

A few days ago as I was talking on the phone, I became aware of Matthew leaning on me. Now, Matthew is a loving, snuggly child although he sometime makes me feel claustrophobic in church meetings because he has to lean on me, or sit on my lap, or have some sort of physical contact the entire service and usually I have Maggie squirming on and off my lap as well and then there's this growing belly that doesn't leave much room for two other children...

Anyway, the other day I discovered Matthew leaning very heavily against me as I sat on the floor, talking on the phone. When I asked him what the matter was, he got all choked up and told me he had a loose tooth. This is his first loose tooth so I tried to congratulate him, but it turned out he was really worried about it because he was afraid it would hurt when it fell out. I assured him that it wouldn't hurt and throughout the day he got more and more excited about his tooth, wiggling it constantly and asking every half hour if it was ready to fall out yet.

Well, I kind of forgot about his tooth after that first day until this morning. Matthew was sitting on the couch watching Sponge Bob with Maggie (a daily morning ritual) and suddenly announced, "Mom, I can't feel my loose tooth!"

Sure enough, it was gone. And it was nowhere to be found: not on the couch, not at the table where he'd just finished breakfast, not in his bed... That tooth had mysteriously disappeared--my guess is that it went down with Matthew's cereal this morning. So, we'll write a note to the Tooth Fairy and I'm sure she'll understand the situation.

The best part, though, was when Matthew said, "Mom, you were right! You said it wouldn't hurt when it fell out and I didn't even feel it fall out...!"

It's always nice to be right.

Snowy Day

We woke up this morning to snow blowing sideways past our house, drifted against the doors, and stuck to the windows. Church meetings were canceled which was a good thing because I won't be able to get my four-wheel drive Explorer, let alone the other car, out of the garage until they plow the alley (which will probably be...Tuesday?). So we all got our winter gear on to help Brian dig us out of the snow. Ok, Brian did most of the work while the kids played and I shoveled the front porch. Yes, shoveled the south facing, covered front porch.

Look at the snow drifted along our fence.
That's the gate latch in the foreground of the first photo...
and yes, those are Christmas lights still strung on the fence.
I suppose we won't be taking those down anytime soon.



Our back door and front porch.

Nathan built an igloo on the back patio.
Matthew demonstrated how deep the snow was in the front yard (past his knees).
Maggie got some snow pants out of the closet for Daddy while I was taking a nap--we call her bubble legs. At least she was warm.

They learn to tattle so young...

Maggie coming up the stairs, crying: Mooooooom, Nay-nay threw meeeeeee...

Me: Did you get hurt?

Maggie: Yeeeeeeees...

Me: Where does it hurt?

Maggie: Cooouuuch...

Since it appeared that her feelings more than her couch were really sore, I prescribed an immediate nap.

A Birthday List

How to celebrate your 29th birthday when you're great with child number four:

1. Give up doing laundry because child number three desperately wants you to sit and watch cartoons with her and you don't feel like arguing with two-year olds who always win anyway.

2. Give up trying to make yourself a birthday cake because you really should do that laundry and you'd just eat the whole thing yourself.

3. Drop the kids off at Grandma's house to go on a hot date with husband: ordering cabinets for the laundry room and apartment (question: will new cabinets suddenly help the laundry do itself?)

4. Wander rather painfully around the mall for an hour while you wait to get your buzzer to wait to hear your name called to wait to be seated at the Cheesecake Factory. (Brian was wondering why my birthday had to be on a Friday. And we were both wondering who shells out $228 for a shirt at Nordstrom.)

5. After a very delicious (and being pregnant, well eaten) dinner, order a slice of Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake for your birthday cake. Yum!

6. Stop by Home Depot to pick up some Fresh Pink paint for the girls' nursery and come home to hear husband say, "I didn't do it." Uh huh, and where did most of my Chocolate Tower Truffle birthday cake go?

7. Climb into bed at 10:30, realize how achy your swollen body really is, and look forward to cashing in your birthday present from a wise but dessert-hogging husband: massages at Massage Envy! Ooo, that'll be nice... (And did I mention he brought me tulips? My favorite!)

I think I'll go make a chocolate birthday cake now...

Matthew's Project

Matthew finished his polar animal project for kindergarten on Wednesday. After a couple of days of tinkering with it, carrying it around the house and showing it off to everyone he could, Matthew can finally bring it to school today. Hooray!

Matthew's project is about the arctic hare and comes complete with cotton batting snow, white rocks (they're covered in snow, you know), bits of rose twigs for bushes, and a frozen "tiny river" and waterfall. Nestled in the middle of his frozen wasteland of a pizza box you can find a rather large arctic hare made from cotton balls and googly eyes--Matthew insisted on the googly eyes although he gave up trying to get me to put feet on it.

The paper in the background, written in Matthew's best handwriting says:

NAME: Matthew Matthew
[Matthew thought it would be cool to write it twice]
Arctic Hare
1. It tucks in its ears and tail to sit in the cold wind.
2. In winter it is white with black eartips.
3. It digs in the snow with strong claws and teeth.

And now you know all about arctic hares.