Series of events...

I'm storing these away for my return to the classroom.
Story sequencing is a big deal in first grade!
1.

The sled didn't really work after the first day, but we made due.

2.

After repeatedly falling down and getting stuck like Randy in A Christmas Story,
Little Sister spent most of her snow-time asking to "holdjyou."

But she never wanted to go in, and if you ask if she had fun in the snow,
she'll say "Yep."

3.

Song for Sunday: like a winter snow...

This is a song from Chris Tomlin's Christmas CD, about the quiet & humble birth of Christ. I think it can really be about anytime God reaches out to us with a Still, Small Voice. I know I've seen God in the winter snow this weekend...

Winter Snow
by Audrey Assad

Could’ve come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could’ve come like a forrest fire
With the power of heaven in your flame

But you came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Could’ve swept in like a tidal wave
Or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things we’ve scarred

But you came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

No, your voice wasn’t in a bush burning
No, your voice wasn’t in a rushing wind
It was still, it was small, it was hidden

But you came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Enjoying the snow

Yesterday:


And Today:



We're keeping our fingers crossed for some more play-in-the-snow-time tomorrow too! They've already canceled church services because it's pretty certain the parking lot will be a sheet of ice, so as long as the snow holds up and our coats and gloves dry, we'll be heading back out!

Carpe Nivis. Seize the snow!

Aaaah...

... a real snow!

More pictures to come. We're too busy playing in it!

My husband is NOT Edward Cullen

If you've paid attention to pop culture in the last few years at all, you should have at least heard of Edward and his family of vampires from the Twilight Saga.

I actually googled "Edward Cullen" a while back, when I added the Pieces of Flair app on Facebook and wondered why every third button had to do with this Edward guy. Many of them said something like, "Edward Cullen is my boyfriend."

Internet search completed, I saw he was from Twilight. At first I thought, that teenage vampire fiction junk. Then, fast forward a year or two and many of my mommy friends have read the books. And, well, are mildly obsessed. So, I decided googling was not enough. I had to read and find out what the hype was all about.

The hype is that Edward Cullen is perfect. The stories are decently written, and there are twists and turns and even a love triangle. But the thing that sells the books- that makes everyone fall in love with Twilight- is that everyone falls in love with Edward.

I wish I could say I was immune, but I read the entire series in 10 days and then went back and started again. When I filled Hubby in about the premise, he was both confused, "So the werewolves and the vampires are enemies? And you're reading this because?" and concerned.

But, as perfect as Edward is, I was not one of those Twi-hard wives who compared her hubby to Edward. You know, because he is fiction.

But this morning, laying wide awake at 4:25 AM, I started to think... and compare... and wish...

Not for Hubby to have Edward's pale & perfect body- I find my husband perfectly attractive just the way he is. (Although, I think he might opt for Cullen's never messed up, perfectly toussled hair.)

And not for him to have the super-strength of the vampires Meyer created in her books, although it would make me worry a lot less about the sounds in our house at night.

I didn't wish for my husband to be able to hear thoughts, although it would prevent a lot of fights, I'm sure. (Of course, it might start a lot of new ones, too!)

Obviously, I did not wish for my husband to have the unique diet of the Cullen family, or to be frozen at 30 for the rest of time. I do believe he will live forever, but in a totally different way.

So why, this morning, did I begin to compare my wonderful husband to a fictional creature and object of many women's desire?

Simple.

As I listened to my husband thump out of bed, tiredly get dressed and ready to go to the hospital with other ministers before someone's very early admission for surgery, I held my breath and hoped he did not wake the girls.

I heard him step on noisy, squeaky step number one. And then number two. And a moment later, I heard a ginormous crash. Followed by some muttering, some (sort of) quieter moving around, and finally the loud opening & closing of the front door. I also heard a few sighs coming from the opposite direction- the baby monitor on our bookshelf.

And in that weird inbetween state, as I tried to fall back asleep but also soaked in every sound, I thought of one thing.

Edward could move extremely quickly and silently.




I love you honey! :)

Little Sister Speaks (more)

Little Sister is going to be 20-months-old this week.

I absolutely adore this age. She is silly and determined and incredibly smart (admittedly, I'm a little biased). But she really is learning and growing and changing quickly.

Just a few weeks ago, I would be in the kitchen or at the computer while she played and snacked, and suddenly I'd see her standing in the kitchen, cup in hand, half-bellowing, half-growling "MORE." Sometimes she might have her snack cup as well, and I'd have to try to figure out what MORE she wanted. (In fact, a few months ago, I realized that I was asking, "More what?" a little too often when one day she turned around in her high chair, held up her empty cup and said, "more what.")

Not any more. On Sunday, the child walked up to me, handed me her snack bowl and said, "Mom, I wanmorraisins." One reminder and she followed it with a cute "pweese."

Okay, darling child, you can definitely have more raisins. And pretty much anything else you want.

Not only is she great at making sure she has what she needs, but she also tries to take very good care of her Big Sis. One day at lunch, I offered Little Sister some crackers to go with her yogurt. She took a few and told me "thank you" and then she said, "[BigSis], youwanapieceacracker?"

She does this all the time. Just tonight, when she had a cookie, she made sure Big Sister had the opportunity to have one as well. So sweet.

And do you know what else is sweet? Hearing a precious child say thank you when all you did was tuck her in with her favorite blankets.

Or hearing her start to sing, as she looks at the bookshelf, "Jeee-sus wuv me." I asked her if she wanted to read her Bible and she continued, "Forda Bible tell me so." I wish I had it recorded, I would listen to that sweet little song over & over.

Those are my favorite things that Little Sis says. But what is her favorite thing to say? "Wook, Mom!" She shows me (or whoever is nearby) every single line or swirl that she adds to a paper. Or anything she finds interesting on television. Or anything she does differently with her toys. Or... anything, really.

Often, if I comment, she will repeat my compliments "I wike-it!" or "Neat!" Apparently, Daddy also says "awesome" because last night I noticed it was added to her repertoire.

It is bittersweet, really, to think about all of these cute little phrases and personality quirks. Because I know they will change and go, just as quickly as they came. There will be more precious moments, just like the ones with Big Sister now.

But this is SUCH an adorable age!

guessing game...

This only works if you don't already know, so some of you can't play...


I've been busy (since I got my big bottom out of bed) planning something special for our family. Here's a photo to give a little hint.

Can you guess what it is?


More hints to come- if you need them!

Song for Sunday: No more sleepy dreaming...

Nothing fancy here- I just heard this song on the radio before I fell off the face of the earth. This was the second concert I ever attended- after NKOTB. HA! My cousin sent me a video clip of the opening act for TFF on this tour, Ocean Blue just the other day. Ah, the memories.

Being sick and falling behind in everything, I have been sort of forced to "break things down" and to re-evaluate some of the many commitments I've gotten myself into...

Break It Down Again
by Tears for Fears


Break it down again

So those are my dreams
And these are my eyes
Stand tall like a man
Head a strong like a horse

When it's all mixed up
Better break it down
In the world of secrets
In the world of sound

It's in the way you're always hiding from the light
See for yourself you have been sitting on a time bomb
No revolution maybe someone somewhere else
Could show you something new about you and your inner song
And all the love and all the love in the world
Won't stop the rain from falling
Waste seeping underground
I want to break it down

Break it down again

So these are my schemes
And these are my plans
Hot tips for the boys
Fresh news from the force

When it's all mixed up
Better break it down
In the world of silence
In the world of sound

" No sleep for dreaming" say the architects of life
Big bouncing babies, bread and butter can I have a slice
They make no mention of the beauty of decay
Blue, yellow, pink umbrella save it for a rainy day
And all the love and all the love in the world
Won't stop the rain from falling
Waste seeping underground
I want to break it down

Horsin' around
Pray to power
Play to the crowd with your big hit sound
And they won't simmer won't simmer, won't simmer down
Play to the crowd

It's in the way you're always hiding from the light
Fast off to heaven just like Moses on a motorbike
No revolution maybe someone somewhere else
Could show you something new to help you
With the ups and downs
I want to break it down
Break it down again

Break it down again
No more sleepy dreaming
No more building up
It is time to dissolve
Break it down it again
No more sleepy dreaming...

Saltines and Sprite

I've been sick again. Like violently ill, little petechiae all around my eyes, lying in bed for two days sick.

I've developed a love/hate relationship with Sprite & Saltines. I'm so glad they stayed down (the third time I tried.) But I am really tired of them. Oh, and chicken broth.

I don't know if it was really bad food poisoning (but I don't think I can go back to that Thai place I had for lunch on Thursday) or another virus or my gallbladder. I hope it was food related so that it is 1) not a virus that is going to strike the girls, which would be ten times more awful and 2) never to return and incapacitate me again which is pretty likely if it is my gallbladder.

Before I got sick, I took Little Sis to the doctor because she was up off & on all night Tuesday crying out and even saying, "OW! EAR!" Sure enough, she had an ear infection- the doctor thinks her eardrum actually ruptured. I feel awful, because I had no idea until it was that bad. I worry and wonder about ear infections with my girls all the time, but usually I feel like I err on the side of hypochondriac parent. Not this time.

So, Little Sis is hurting and grouchy and miserable and has to be given antibiotics orally and via drops in her ears. And then I began "yodeling into the porcelain canyon" (as this crazy survey called it-check out their other euphemisms, some I've heard or said myself, and others are a little gross, even for me). And poor Daddy was left to take care of all of us.

And he did an awesome job. The house even looks okay. I mean, not that I'm surprised. It's just that when one of us is out of comission for whatever reason, it can be hard to keep up. But he did it. And he gave a feisty toddler her medicine and brought me crackers and made me broth and got everyone ready for bed (except I did have to go in and fix Little Sis's blankets and say the right things in the right order to tuck her in. That girl is beyond OCD, and she just started talking.)

Little Sis seems to be doing much better-sleeping through the night and barely touching her ear. We go back this week sometime to make sure the perforation is healing.

I've kept stuff down for over 24 hours now (knock on wood). I woke up yesterday feeling TONS better, but I am still feeling really weak and like I just had the stuffing knocked out of me. In a way, I guess I sort of did! But I am so happy to have gotten out of bed, had a shower, and watched my girls play.

I stayed home from church this morning because I'm still pretty worn out (and even though hubby says they look fine, I think all the broken blood vessels around my eyes are rather disturbing). But tomorrow, Hubs will head back to work and I'll be trying to jump back into things full speed ahead. Hopefully that will include blogging.

To review:

I both love & hate my Sprite, Saltine & Chicken broth diet as of late.

AND being forced to rest. Kind of nice, if circumstances were a little less throw-uppish.


I hate throwing-up.

AND ear infections.

AND looking/feeling like I got beat up.


I love my sick little toddler, my loving preschooler and my care-taking hubby.

AND my mom, and aunt, and friends who gave me advice on how to take care of myself and when to head to the ER (which didn't have to happen, thankfully).

AND the people who are still reading my blog after I take days of absence and return with a post about hurling. Why are you so good to me?

More confessions of a bad mommy...

Back when I first started blogging, and before I found MckMama's "Not Me Monday," I used to confess my embarrassing mom stories in a "confession" post like this.

Since it's NOT Monday (and, for that matter, since I'm NOT MckMama- even though I enjoy reading her blog and am very excited that she is now a Compassion blogger heading to Kenya in a bit- but just ME) I've decided to confess again. Anew. So here goes:

Last week my daughter's dance teacher told me that Big Sister needed new dance shoes. I think she told me this because the last time she needed new shoes, no one told me (even though Big Sis has been extremely verbal since she was, I don't know, exiting my womb) and I found out because the poor child was bringing home filthy tights from dancing without any shoes at all.

You would think that I would have learned my lesson and check the dumb dance bag every once in a while, or at least ask my child over & over if her shoes were pinchy until she caved.

But no. I had to be informed by the teacher that her shoes were definitely too small.

In my defense, I must say that

1. Big Sister's feet have just undergone a huge growth spurt. I saw it coming, and the dance shoes were confirmation. Time for new tennis shoes, dress shoes, everything...
2. Dance is an "extra-curricular" at her preschool. I am not absent-minded enough to actually drive my daughter to a special dance lesson each week, sit there with her while she practices (or out in a lobby) and then drive her home without noticing her trying to cram her feet into her tap shoes ugly-stepsister-style. I'm just absentminded enough to barely remember to send the dance bag with her on Tuesdays, and almost never check to see if the shoes are the right size...

But it gets better. Or worse...

I checked the consignment store for new, er, old dance shoes but had no luck. I planned on hitting Payless this weekend, but a stomach bug foiled my plans.

So last night I scrambled into the hand-me-down shoe bag and found my old ballet shoes and some too-big tap shoes. When I woke Big Sister to get ready for school this morning, I quickly slipped one of the shoes on her feet to be sure they weren't ridiculously ginormous, and then crammed them into the dance bag with the too-small shoes. I figured if she didn't have a pair that fit, she at least had options.

More embarrassing than being told by a near stranger that your daughter needs new shoes? Yes.

But it gets better. Or worse...

I was wiping down tables after snack while the Mom's Morning Out kids played outside, when my friend Megan stuck her head in the door and told me someone was looking for me.

It was the dance teacher. I was probably already blushing.

I can't really remember the conversation because I don't really want to. I know I told her something about being sick this weekend. And I think I even told her that the new/old ballet shoes used to be mine (why?!).

And then she said that she just wanted to let me know that the tap shoes I sent were both the same feet.

Apparently we had two pairs of the same size, and since I only tried on one of the "pair" I didn't realize it. I just shoved them in the bag before herding the girls into the bathroom to run a wet comb through their curls.

So, not only am I the lady who doesn't know when her kid's shoes are too small, or who sends her with hand-me-downs including a 25 year-old-pair of my own, but I am also the goober who sends TWO LEFT SHOES.

(Insert appropriate "two left feet" dancing joke here, but after what I just spent on Tap shoes, Big Sister better be twinkle-toes.)

Beautiful Day

The weather today was beautiful. After a morning filled with chores (Mommy & Daddy) and playing with the same old toys (Big & Little Sister) we all decided we needed to get out of the house!

So, we headed to the meadows.

The girls were super ready to hit the swings again.

And the slides too.

Little Sister even went down the tall slide by herself (with Hope, while Mommy took Big Sis to the potty. Mommy's nerves probably could not have handled it. Especially after Little Sis jumped up & down on the bridge.)

But her favorite of all were the swings.

Big Sister enjoyed them too. She is learning trying to learn to pump.

After playing for a while, we joined our friends for dinner. Grilled outside. In January. I just hope it doesn't get crazy cold again, because after today, I'm ready for Spring. Which, for someone who loves snow as much as I do, is saying a lot!


I hope you were able to have some time to relax with your family on this holiday, even if you weren't able to enjoy a three day weekend. I also hope you take a moment to remember the man and mission remembered on this day. I'm planning on reading the chapter about MLK in one of my favorite books, Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey. I highly recommend it.


"What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love." ~Martin Luther King Jr. in his speech "Where do we go from here?"

In the name of love, what more in the name of love?

(Ok, that's not the same u2 song as the title of this post, but it is a song by the same band, about MLK, and the ringtone for my phone before it went all crazy on me. So why not?)

Song for Sunday: this is all

For anyone hurting, or wondering where God is when bad things happen...

All That I Can Say
by David Crowder Band

Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark
Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me
I think I'll stop
Rest here a while

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give, that's my everything

Lord didn't You see me cryin'?
Oh, and didn't You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember where you sat it down

And this is all, this is all that I can say right now, I know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah, that's my everything.
This is all that I can say right now, right now, I know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.

I didn't notice You were standing here
I didn't know that that was You holding me
I didn't notice You were cryin' too
I didn't know that that was You washing my feet

And this is all, this is all that I can say right now, oh I know its not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.
This is all that I can say right now, right now, I know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.

yeah that's my everything..
everything...

Sign it ,share hope...

As I was reading more information coming from Haiti and the relief efforts, I came across this petition. It is asking US officials to rush visas to orphans in Haiti who have already been legally adopted by American citizens. Basically, these little ones are just waiting on either a passport from the Haitian government or a visa from the US, and we all know how tedious red tape can be. Adoptive American parents who have already welcomed a Haitian child into their families and hearts would like to bring them home. What easier way can there be for you or I to help one tiny person in Haiti to gain access to food, clothing and clean water than just to sign this petition and urge our government to move on this opportunity quickly.

Please click on the link above and sign your name. If you want to do more, or are skeptical about online petitioning, please contact your representative about the issue. For more information, here is the blog of an orphanage in Haiti (not in the immediate disaster area) where I first read about the petition.


I'll try to write about something "normal" later this evening. I think I have a stomach bug, so no promises. Yuck.

The whole world...

Tonight at bedtime, I sang and rocked Little Sister while Big Sis snuggled under her covers.

A few nights ago, I remembered that, when Big Sis was the age Little Sis is now, she loved to sing songs with lyrics that could include the names of our family and friends. So tonight, I sang the "Goodnight Ladies" song we sang at the end of Girl Scout campfires, but with the girls' names. Then I sang dozens of verses of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands."

Little Sister makes the cutest little Tarzan grunt (complete with poking herself in the chest) whenever she hears her name (or sees herself in photos, etc.) It is adorable, but not exactly conducive to soothing lullabies. Combine that with the fact that she would pick her head up off of my shoulder, call out her sister's name and point in her direction every time the song included Big Sister, and we were all getting a little tickled (and not very calm).

But it was one of those darling moments I never want to forget. One I'll miss in a matter of weeks- since Little Sis is changing so quickly, and the grunt is sure to be gone soon. My eyes welled with tears of joy in the moment, love for my girls, and gratitude for all that I have been given. Then I immediately thought of families missing simple moments like this- especially those in Haiti right now, and the tears came for more melancholy reasons.

The last line of the song was one I improvised. It was more of a prayer- a reassurance I needed to sing and a reminder I needed to hear:

"He's got the hurting and the hungry in His hands... He's got the WHOLE world in His hands."

Haiti Earthquake

BTW: If you wanted to kick Pat Robertson in the head as much as I did this week, you need to check out Donald Miller's blog post about Robertson's recent comments. It was good for me to read- before I found it I was pretty angry and planning on linking to Keith Olberman's thoughts instead...

Doing Something...

Sorry I've been a lazy blogger all week. Last weekend was a hectic one; the ministers' wives were responsible for the worship service at our church Sunday evening. We decided to make it a laid back "talk show" type atmosphere where we could share a little more about ourselves and our passions for ministry. A few months earlier, though, our pastor asked me if I would share the sermon message for the evening. So at the end of the talk show time, instead of answering questions, I tried to get up & preach teach.

I'll share more about that another time. I just wanted to explain why my blog-time was limited. Basically, after that, I kind of let my brain go numb for a few days. I've also been trying to spend more time with the girls, especially Big Sister, when they're awake. Again, more about that another time.

The other cause for some of my delay in posting is what I want to address. As soon as I heard the news Tuesday evening, I knew that I wanted to share my heart for Haiti. I just didn't exactly know what to say.

I still don't. There are very few words that could express the horrible devastation the earthquake in Port-Au-Prince has left in its wake. I think everyone who is paying even the slightest bit of attention feels compelled to help, or at least pray, for the hundreds of thousands of people affected. I heard someone call in to the local Christian radio station today, saying that she worked at a school and wanted to get her kids involved with the relief effort. But how?

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you know one of my passions is Compassion International, a Christian child sponsorship program with the aim of "releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name." Our family sponsors two children, Skarleth in Nicaragua and Emmanuel in Tanzania. But did you know that Compassion serves more than 65,000 children in Haiti? Many of them in the areas worst affected by this disaster.

When I think of the devastation and poverty I know to exist in Haiti prior to the earthquake, and then imagine it compounded with this terrible earthquake, I feel burdened. When I think of the sponsors who face the death of their sponsored child, I'm just sick. And of course, then I think of the parents in Haiti who have lost their flesh & blood children, and their homes, or the children who have lost everything and everyone, or even the families who remain intact but desolate and desparate. And I can't think about it anymore.

But I can't STOP thinking about it either.

If you're like me, and you want to do something right now that can make a difference, and you don't know of a trusted organization to receive your donations, please consider Compassion. They work through the local church and ministries in each Sponsorship area, which means they already have the advantage of being first responders- being able to assess and address the needs of their area quickly and effectively. They also have amazing financial responsibility, which is important as we hear from the FBI about fundraising scams. And finally, something I know concerns many of you, Compassion is a ministry. Everything they do is to show people the love of Christ.

To donate to Compassion's relief effort, click on the widget below.

Haiti Earthquake

The same night that I heard about Haiti, the Tennessee Volunteer fans I know were all hearing about the resignation Lane Kiffin. And that was all they were talking about. And I couldn't stand to be on facebook or listen too much to conversations at church Wednesday night, because more Christians were troubled about a football coach leaving than a country decimated.

I'm not claiming to be more pious or to care more about the poor than those friends of mine. I don't know how much they have been paying attention to this disaster or what they might have done to offer help. But I do know that we all have some pretty messed up priorities sometimes.

One good thing that might come from all of this is that people are beginning to step up and do the right thing. And they might begin to see the poverty and devastation that were a part of daily life in Haiti before this quake, and are a part of other countries all over the world, and do something.

If you want to DO something, and you're not sure what, please consider a gift to Compassion. And share Compassion with others you know who might be wondering what they can do to help, too. I truly believe that Compassion will use our money to serve the people of Haiti when we can not physically be there to serve them ourselves.

Guess what I heard...

... as I tucked Little Sister in (with her three specific blankets, in their specific order, for my very OCD specific child):

"Luf you mama"

I choked out, "I love you too!" and left her to rest.

And here I sit trying to capture how three little, garbled words can make my heart swell up so much that I can hear Boris Karloff describing it in my head.

It's eight o'clock and all is well

Okay, maybe not all...

Little Sister did keep us awake last night from 2:15 until after 5, and is currently still fussing and fighting sleep. She asked me to put her in her bed. I guess she changed her mind...


But almost all is well.

The van is back home, parked in the garage where it should be. Hubby walked down to get it this afternoon and watched a few other cars make it safely uphill before he drove home.

The streets are actually clear. No one thought they would thaw, but I'm pretty sure no one expected the sun to shine all day either. It did. I've had solar-themed Beatles songs running through my head all day.

Big Sister earned two stars on her Santa chart today. This was due to a combination of my trying very hard to find some positive things on which to focus, and a brilliant effort by Big Sis. The child even fell asleep during naptime, then woke up and went to the bathroom by herself, and then- get this- went back to sleep on her own! This is unprecedented.

The long naptime meant that I was able to shower and finish my sermon message for Sunday Night when the staff wives lead the worship service. And waste a bunch of time looking at LOLCats. Yes, I did just admit that. They're so silly!

We all ate dinner at the table at the same time tonight.

And I think Little Sister might finally be asleep.



Sigh.

All is well.

Why the South is afraid of snow...

All week, we've been hearing we'd get snow sometime this afternoon. Many schools went ahead and closed- even though weather.com only posted a 50% chance. Others waited until the first few flakes began to fall, and then immediately began sending children home.

Hubby and I rolled our eyes (he had the day off) and then got in the car. The girls go to the church Child Development Center on Thursdays, and the CDC follows the local school district. So we went to pick them up at noon. I was supposed to get lots done today, because I didn't have to work (but I did) and they were supposed to be in school all day (but they weren't). I have been longing for snow, but this was not the best day for it!

AND, by the time we picked up our kiddos, the snowfall was tapering off. Around 3 or 4 (when most of the kids would have been home from school, I might add) it started to pick up again. It began sticking to the driveways, and accumulating in the grass, and then finally dusting the roads. The girls were taking late naps, and Hubby and I started moving furniture. We decided we needed a bookshelf, and he wanted to be able to build them tonight.

I told him I wasn't sure. I said I had a bad feeling. But we are Northerners! We're not supposed to be afraid of a light snow! So after the girls got up & had a snack, we headed out. We got some great shelves for either side of our fire place, quickly picked up a few other things including some groceries for dinner, and headed home. We noted that we had the entire shopping center to ourselves and joked that it was the perfect time to shop. The roads by the mall and most of the way home were in great shape.

But getting into our subdivision is what worried me all along. People slide down our hill when it rains. Ice and snow would have to make it a little more difficult, right? But we've lived here for four years, and we've never had a problem or seen any reason to actually call off school. Like my hubs said, it's like the boy who cried "snow."Could it really be that bad?

Sure enough, when we turned in, there were lines of cars waiting to chance driving up the hill. We watched a few failed attempts, and even fewer successes. Finally, our turn came. Like the little engine that could, we chugged up the hill and made it... about halfway. We could go no further, and then we started to slide backwards.

I can think of only a few times in my life when I was more scared than at that moment- looking behind us, past my two little girls, out the rear window at an SUV who had parked on the side of the road. We were headed straight for it, but somehow Hubby (or God!) helped us miss it, slide down a little more and land almost gently against a curb. We pulled into a neighbor's yard (where three other cars were already parking) and tried to figure out what to do.

Eventually, we bundled up the girls, grabbed the groceries, and started walking. It was probably about a half a mile. At one point, Big Sis said her toes were "like Frosty." We got home, pulled off our wet shoes and clothing, made a quick plate of nachos for dinner and sat by the fire.

We discovered the difference between Ohio and here.

You ready?

SALT.

A neighbor told us that they don't ever come salt the neighborhood, or many of the roads around here. And that our van might be sitting right where it is until the temp gets above freezing- which won't be until Monday. MONDAY!

And THAT is why people around here freak out about a few flakes.

Seriously, there is not enough on the ground for us to make snow angels or even make snowballs. But we could be stranded for three more days.

We learned, the hard way, a healthy respect for snow in the South. I'm so thankful that we weren't hurt. I'm kicking myself that we could have put the girls in any danger. And I'm not completely distraught at the idea of all four of us being all snugly snowed in together, although Big Sis is still showing her ahem strong-willed side.

But mostly, I'm just mad nobody told me about the salt. Or lack thereof.

Or maybe I'm mad that nobody seems to have told the people in charge down here about it!

Big Sister and the Barbie Vet Set, once again...

I promise, this Barbie Vet stuff is going to be the undoing of me. Or at least my sanity.

If somehow you don't know what I mean, you can read about it here.

Or here.

Or here.

As I type this, Big Sister is in her room, reading. She has been confined there for the rest of the morning. Because a small squabble with her sister over a toy turned into time out, which turned into talking back in time out ("ARGH! How many hours?!" in her best 13-year-old girl voice) which turned into being sent to her room, which turned into screaming and trying to punch me. Yes, punch me.

Lots of time, a little yelling, several toys being taken away, and a few swats on her backside later and she is quietly reading in her room.

(Yes, I did just admit that we're spanking. I'm even reading Dobson, which is like Dobson reading Al Franken, but desperate times call for desperate- or at least thorough- measures. It is not without much debate and prayerful consideration that we've come to this conclusion. More on this another day.)

The truth is, the behavior at our house has not improved since before Christmas. Sure, she does a few sweet things in order to try to earn her new toy. But the attitude, the defiance, the hurting her sister & us- those things haven't changed much.

So now the question comes back again. Should she get this toy?

If we hadn't said from the very beginning that it was contingent on good behavior, the answer would be obvious. Why not keep it?

If she hadn't received numerous warnings about her behavior, including warnings about getting (and then earning) this toy from Santa, it wouldn't be a big deal.

If she hadn't had a fantastic day at school yesterday, making me realize that she can in fact behave in her wonderfully sweet demeanor when she feels like it, I wouldn't be writing about this right now.

But we have. And she has. And she did. And now I'm trying to sort out my options. I don't want us to be the parents who cancelled Christmas (if you don't watch Modern Family, you should, it is huh-larious.) But I also don't want to be the parents who make empty threats and have inconsistent expectations.

Today, when I reminded Big Sister about it, I thought it would help her to stop and obey. Instead, she began throwing an even bigger tantrum, jumping up & down and yelling "I want it" Veruca-Salt-style.

There is ONE big rule in our house about things we want: If you throw a fit or whine for it, you can't have it. Period. Big Sister has mostly obeyed- or at least understood- this rule for over two years now.

She isn't leaving me very many options to sort.

I never meant for this to be such a big deal. In fact, if we could go back & do it over again, I think we'd do it a little differently. But since it IS such a big deal now, I want to see this thing through. And I need some sage advice from my friends & family to feel good about it.

What do you all think?

Say cheese

I tried a little Mckmama style photoshop action on that last one. I've never done anything more than crop the pictures on this blog. I only have a point & click camera, so I just do what I can. This was my first attempt at real "enhancing," so be honest- how does it look? Is the background TOO blurry? Should I just leave it alone?