Snow!

Yesterday we got ready for what was hopefully going to be a snow day today.  Norah wore the essentials - a hat and all her bling :)

She kept looking outside for snow and would walk around saying snow all day. Which is really funny to me because she doesnt remember snow last year.  But she heard us hoping and talking about snow so she kept repeating it.

And thankfully my weather man was right and we got some snow.  And a snow day off from school. I think thats the best part. Although they have already taken back a planned day off friday and making the kids go to school but thats in a few days.  We are going to enjoy today. 

The kids were out bright and early.

So this is what snow is...

Norah kept saying "Help" at first but then she warmed up for a little.

I made the kids sit on the sled for some pictures.

Colin kept eating snow and Joel just didnt care

Then we walked to our sledding spot with our neighbor and her little girl.

This year there were already a lot of kids playing.  It was funny when the kid next to Colin recognized him. COLIN IT IS YOU! haha since they were all bundled up and some kids you could only see a litte of their face.

Then Norah was done and kept repeating home so I brought her home and I'm pretty sure woke up the whole neighborhood with her screaming.  She didnt want the gloves on anymore so she took them off and then her hands got "boo boos" but she refused to put them on again.  Screaming and throwing her body around.  I think its safe to say she wont be going outside to build a snowman later.  But you never know she might try it again. 

The boys stayed out another hour and then I heard Colin rush into the garage yelling for me.  He had blood all over his face and had busted his chin while sledding.  But after cleaning him up I dont think he needs stitches.

We're inside now to warm up and get some lunch and then are heading back outside some more.  Well all of us maybe but Norah :) 

Joels' imagination

 There are two things lately that Joel only wants to play. Hero Factory and Lego Star Wars.  But its all things he's imagined.  He's made our people from his hero factory guys and he has it all planned.  My hero is Belize and he protects his best friend Queenie but bad hero factory guys keep arriving to take over our planet. 

 This day a giant frog came and tried to destory our homes.

 Mine is the one on the right. He's had to earn his weapons and at this point I'm very proud of all the weapons I've gotten :) 

 Then he will switch to lego star wars. With all his lego figures but his own play.  One day Jabba the hut came and took the lego girls to his house (kinda like he did leia in the movie) and my clone troopers had to go save the girls.  Although sometimes I get the clone troopers confused with the storm troopers and get corrected very quickly. 

 Its getting very detailed and we just start off the next day from whatever battle we left off the day before.  Its fun to see his imagination.  But I do admit that there are days when I try to bribe him with tv or the ipad because mommy just needs a break since we've already been playing hero factory for hours and norah just went to sleep and mommy needs a few minutes to rest and not have some bad guy attacking me. That only lasts a few minutes and then he' ready to play again.

And then sometimes Norah wants me to play in her room with her and this was Joel's face when he realized that Hero factory or lego star wars game was going to have to wait until a cooking session was over.  I mean really to a boy is there any comparison? 

Expressions

This girl has the best expressions.  

Dinner Guest

 

 

Technology

 Technology....

Sometimes it brings you closer together :)

winter

I happen to love our winters here. I'd love actual snow once in a while but I love the fact that the cold doesnt stay around for long. A week ago it was 9 degrees and poor Colin wore tons of layers to go to the bus stop. Of course the kids wanted and begged to go outside the days it was freezing. So we went outside.  But today I dont know if Colin even needed a jacket. I'm just hoping for a few snow days off from school but the rest of the time can stay mild and warm like today.    

dog baths and food

 The play kitchen is getting played with daily.

 Oh this is so much fun!

 Sometimes dogs need a bath in the sink

 You must always keep on eye on them in the bath while you are fixing their dinner. 

Basketball

George mason came back this year to play ODU so we joined the Mason alumni for the VIP section and sadly watched GMU lose. None of  Brents teams have been doing too well the past few years. Poor guy. But it was still a fun night. 

Colin was very excited about the game. Colin just loves basketball. Joel asked to go home at halftime. But he sat and watched the whole thing and had fun. 

Norah did great. She sat in my lap the whole game. She kept waving to the monarch lion and then started imitating the guy behind us with his yelling. Thankfully it was all repeatable :) 

No snow

It got cold yesterday and sadly we didn't get the snow everyone else seems to have gotten.  

She dressed herself. There are leggings under those shorts and you can see her faithful doggie shirt sticking out.

Norah protested the fact that when it's cold enough to snow it should produce something. Or at least give us a snow day from school. 

But today it was warmer and the boys were running around the backyard without coats. So I guess it's not all bad. 

New Years

We rang in the New Year with Colin watching a Duck Dynasty marathon :)  And he is just like his grandpa because Colin was up bright and early the next day.

I asked the kids on New Years Eve some questions about 2013 and here are their answers.  I asked Norah too and she wasn't swayed at all by her brothers and I was impressed by her answers

Favorite food of 2013
Norah: Dada
Joel: Pepperoni Pizza
Colin: Ramen

Favorite Color of 2013
Norah: Dada (again) but brents been asking her who her favorite is and teaching her dada for the answer so I think thats where this is coming from
Joel: Blue Yellow and Red
Colin: Mostly blue then black then gray...and red.  I forgot to say red.

Favorite book of 2013
Norah: Dada
Joel: Yellow Gas (I have not seen this book or even know if it exists)
Colin: The Hobbit (one of his christmas gifts)

Favorite Lesson Learned in 2013
Norah: monkey (she says that when she climbs trees so maybe that was what she was thinking)
Joel: Open Gangnam Style
Colin: How to shake up a soda bottle

Hardest thing learned in 2013
Norah: Gas Dada Poop  (she loves to gas and then laugh hysterically which the boys find hilarious too) But these words in this order from Norah was what the boys laughed about the rest of the afternoon. 
Joel: Its hard to poop.  (poor thing and so true. we go on monday for more tests and indepth ultrasound. Then  few more appointment to figure out how to help him)
Colin: How to make a real 3pt shot in basketball

Favorite Memory of 2013
Norah:  Fishies (she has the fish brents raising in the rain barrell literally eating out of her hand)
Joel: Getting a lego set on christmas
Colin: Sleeping in the bunk bed at Great Wolf Lodge

Loved about 2013
Norah: Doggie Shirt
Joel: Playing Legos
Colin: Going to the redskins game

Looking Forward to in 2014
Norah: Dada (it was close to him getting home)
Joel: Going to school
Colin: watching the Hobbit movies (he has to finish the book before he can watch the movies)

We spent New Years in Yorktown eating our fill of black eyed peas.  We are all going to have good luck this year. 

 Colin ate 4 bowls and after the 3rd stretched out in the chair and said "I'd like a 90inch plasma tv now for my room"  ha!  He got good luck confused with wishes. 

 But Sarah and I and Brent ate collard greens so we're hoping for wealth combined with lots of good luck this year.  It will be fun to see what 2014 brings. 

photo booth

 our church had a photobooth after the christmas service since its really hard on christmas morning to get a picture of everyone - let alone everyone looking at the camera. 

This last one is my favorite :)