Random...

So ready for the weekend.. Friday is finally here!

Tyler has a sleepover birthday party on Saturday, Sunday of course will be whipping up some fun appetizers for the Super Bowl and finally getting to watch some football again! Amazing.. I'm sad when the seasons over.

Trying really hard NOT to get excited.. or get my hopes up for the potential "big winter storm" that may or may not blow through NC. Expected to hit the mountains.. but could push further east in which case we would actually have the possibility of getting hit with some serious snow! (LOVE IT!)

Forecast now is only showing a chance of mixed snow on Tuesday.. but I'm secretly hopeful! Shhhh! Don't tell anyone! (And I'm not buying snow boots Amy! Promise! It worked last time!!)

Funny thing is... sorta craving Spring, just so I can get back to wearing my beloved flip flops! I have WAY too many of them.. my husband hates them (to him, they are NOT shoes! LOL) But I am simply obsessed with flops! Have to get a cute pair of the slipper flops for around the house..

Dyed my hair yesterday.. figured I needed a change. (as if my growing belly isn't enough.. right!) Just tired of keeping up the blonde.. because obviously being born blonde means nothing anymore. You have to work to keep that color.. so I've matched up my roots and my hairdresser likes to call it a medium blonde.. I call it brown! If it's not blonde, it's brown. There's no real in between for me. But I'm liking it. For the moment.. all who know me, know that I change my hair color WAY to often. But I think this has been the longest that I've been blonde in a while.

This is about the color it is now (much longer now though).. this picture is from April of 08.. So I almost made it a full year being blonde.. that's a long time for me!
Now I'm on a mission to grow it out.. at least 'boob' length! LOL I guess I could have said chest length.. but whatever! It's been a good couple of years since I've had really long hair....want it back!

Anywho.. hope everyone has a super weekend! :)

Temptation...

Ummm... sweets! With every turn onto a new holiday's approach.. the kids beg to go to the section of Target where they display all the goodies! With Valentine's Day a little over 2 weeks away... everything in site is red and pink and there is candy galore!

I decided to get a head start with buying Valentines for the kids to pass out early. You know, before the 3 hour crying fit that they are sold out of the ever popular Hannah Montana and Cars cards. I wouldn't dare consider having my kids forced to pass out the .99 cents cards with puppies and kittens on them. LOL

So, as always we usually buy some sort of treat to attach to each card.. this years pick: individually wrapped bags of Conversation Hearts!

"But these are to pass out Mom" said Tyler

"Yes, that's the point!" I replied

"But then we won't have any to eat at home!" said Tyler

"It's a bag of 48! You and Nathan combined don't have that many kids in your class, there will be left overs" I said.

"But what if I want to attach 2 bags to each card.. then Nathan will too.. and then they'll be gone!" Tyler says.

"Well, if you want left overs you won't be attaching 2 bags to each card.. will you?" I reply.

"But.. " she continues.

"Oh, alright.. for the love of god.. get another bag and we'll fill the candy jar at home!" I snap.

(something about that word BUT drives me looney... BUT (LOL) the real truth to this was that I knew I'd be craving some of those little nasty Conversation Hearts myself! So I ultimately gave in. Score one for Tyler. Score negative 100 for Mom!)

Only so many from the bag would actually fit into the jar at home.. so the rest of the bag sits here with me at work.. open.. with the sweet smell of confection sugar lingering through my office!!! I've only eaten 8-10 of them.. honestly..

But then again... it's only noon! :)

Popcorn, Apples & Cheese...

Weird combo.. sure. But it's surprisingly good to eat together. I was catching up on Ali's blog and came across her 16 things post where she mentioned that she loves making popcorn and eats it about every 2-3 days.. but many times she's considered popcorn, apples and cheese a meal. And while at work today.. I just so happened to have those 3 things, and pretty much nothing else to eat. So that's lunch! Gonna have to make it work! Besides.. it's better than last night's dinner.. I had 4 dill pickles and 2 pancakes! (Don't ask!)

Well, I've been MIA because... now, sit down for this one.. I've been 'Snowed In'. Well, NC's version of snowed in anyways!! At home on Monday for MLK Day with the kiddos.. fully expecting to get back in the swing of things for Tuesday.. but it SNOWED! About 5 inches!! Yippee!

So, we had a fabulously fun Tuesday playing in the snow.This is my favorite picture... Nathan had pulled a bar stool up to the window to gaze at the falling snow while waiting for breakfast to be made. He's seen snow in the movies, and we may have had a dusting since he's been born... but nothing worth playing in. He was on cloud nine!

Wiping the slide clean.. love the action shots!
Now, time for the snow angels!!

Tyler performing gymnastics in the snow.... she's doing handstands, cartwheels, splits... you name it constantly! Nathan's version.. LOLHe couldn't get enough snow! And of course.. Dad's favorite part... Again.. love the action shots.. and here's one of Tyler (check out the size of that snowball..) You'd think this one pegged her square in the face, but she actually dodged it... this time! And Big Kitty decided to come out and play (he LOVES the snow!)And then the 'green truck' had to make an appearance.. actually got better traction that I thought!Simply just for the proof that I do exist (mostly always BEHIND the camera..) but I was there too!

We made the always popular Snow Cream! Yum-o!
And this is what you look like after playing in the snow 5 times throughout the day.. and had to be dragged in at dark to get warmed up enough to eat dinner. Boy was he pooped! Look at those cheeks! Needless to say we all had a blast and enjoyed the snow. Probably won't see it again for another 5-6 years... so I figured I'd share some of our mini winter wonderland pics!

Chicken #3

Well, yesterday was the big day... we found out we are going to be having a little girl!!! Adding one more chicken to the coop! We are all so super excited. Both of the kids were wishing for a sister and so they are thrilled!! :)

Now I can start tearing apart the playroom (that the kids NEVER play in) piece by piece and get it all planned out for the newest member... arriving in June!

Here are some of the ultrasound pics they took..we were lucky enough to be able to get some in 3D, which you usually have to go elsewhere and pay for those. Nathan thought it was cool that the baby could suck her thumb if she wanted to. :)

So precious!

I surprised the kids with chocolate dipped oreos with little candy baby faces with pink bows, and pins that said "I'm going to be a big sister / big brother".
Tyler was funny, she actually went down to the main office at her school about 1:30 in the afternoon and called my cell phone b/c she couldn't wait any longer to find out!!

I've been eyeballing some way to cute stuff for babies.. the hardest part is to not go overboard on all the cute clothes and stuff everywhere! Wish me luck!

To the Men in Black

This morning while dropping off my daughter at school (late) I noticed an unmarked police car pulled to the opposite side of the street with his lights on.
Just assumed something was going on at that particular building... and went about my business.

That is until I parked in front of my daughter's school and proceeded to get out to walk her into school.... noticing that the unmarked police car was also unloading children with backpacks.

So I thought to myself (as speaking out loud at the exact same time, very loud mind you)
"NICE use of police lights there... yup, and illegally parked too... super job officer!!"

What I really wanted to say as the gentlemen and his 2 children entered into the school lobby behind me was:

"Everyone, please applaud (as clapping myself) for the city's finest right here in our very presence... Remarkable! Not only did he turn on his police lights to illegally park on the curb but he then proceeded to "jaywalk" with his 2 children across the street to school. Fine display of how to use your authority to your own personal benefit! Love the values that your children are collecting just by a morning walk into the school, 15 minutes late. I know I, myself will rest at night knowing that our city is being protected by double standard officers like yourself!"

So I'm wondering... if I were to install blue flashing lights on my minivan and dress in a Party City police costume complete with plastic badge, would I too be able to speed while not wearing a seat belt, use my lights to fly past the little old ladies that drive 20 miles under the speed limit or perhaps to park in a fire zone at Target just to run in and grab a hot dog! Or even better, like the Sheriff who passed me (simply just to pass me) on a double yellow line in a 35 mile/hour zone doing at least 60 (we both ended up in the same fast food drive through... but he got his burger first!)

I KNEW I shouldn't have quite the force!!!

so it's 2009 huh?

Officially made it through yet another year... with it of course, brings changes.
Next Wednesday I get to find out the sex of the baby! Super excited... I don't really have a preference because we are so lucky to have a girl and a boy now. Around the house.. Dad votes boy (surprised? LOL) and Tyler and Nathan (for once in their lives) agree that they would both like a girl!

Anyone placing bets?

So... totally bummed that the Project 365 KOTM sold out lightning fast! Assuming they will put it back into production, as they did with the School's Year Kit.. (which, now that number 3 is coming along, bummed I can't get my hands on another one of those too!)

Have a couple more pages to finish up on my DD album.. will try and post the completed album soon.

Not much else going on around here.. same old really. Ah... but I do have a random thought of the day:

Wondering if anyone else is disturbed by the (what's seem to me as very frequent) displaying of www.ready.gov commercials on TV? So now... let's be frank, IS there something we should be getting READY for government?
Check it out... b/c a normal family emergency kit doesn't usually include the suggested plastic sheeting and duct tape (pre-cut and labeled to fit each window and air duct in your chosen room) to prepare a "shelter-in" as they call it in case the air is contaminated. While they try and sugar coat most paragraphs by claiming this type of preparation is necessary even in natural disasters, they also like to use the word ATTACK. Hum...