Snow storm of Dec.'08

I know it's been so long and in the interest of getting pics up, here's a random collection. Sans narration.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Fuzzy Brilliant Fall

I don't really know why I wrote "Brilliant" above...I think cuz one of these days that's what the colors will be. But right now, it's not that brilliant. School has begun and I am back at work...only this time, it's 40/wk, thus the Fuzzy part. It is taking some getting used to. What else can I say. So that is why I haven't posted in a while...there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. I have some pictures to download off of the camera but where is that camera anyway? The little girls are adjusting to our new schedules...K gets to go hang with the big kids at school when I drop her and M off in the morning. It is pretty cute watching them walking in side by side, M with her 5th grade swagger and K with her backpack practically touching the ground behind her. Two days a week they hang out with the kids outside the building. One day they played Marco Polo and had a lot of fun. The other three days a week they go into the before-school care program. K is already growing tired of this arrangement...she wants to hang out on the sidewalk every morning. M is taking great care of K and getting her to class when the first bell rings before she heads off to her own...okay, so it pays in allowance, but who's counting! She's a good big sister. And K is absolutely stellar at pushing her big sister's buttons. She can really be a pain, I sympathise with M. But then again, M does get a little over annoyed. Oh the joys of sisterhood! And I mean that! I'm glad they have eachother. They will look back fondly on these times. And so will I.

I was challenged...

So, on a blog that I read, the blogger challenged those of us mommybloggers out there in the bloggy world to take a picture right at that moment of the condition of the room we were in right then. I took one look at my kitchen and thought, this is the perfect moment! Okay, in my defense, I just got back from the store and hadn't gotten all the groceries put away yet, (a job I hate...and I guess what's so humorous to me is just how long it took) and well, you know, it was a busy day! But you gotta love Snowy scrounging around for the corn nuts that someone had gotten into that had spilled on the floor.

Ha, ha! This is so great! Okay, it got picked up...eventually. Rockin' times!

More Playground Fun

More shots of our time at the playground. First you can see my dear, sweet AP getting ready to squirt me in the face with a water bottle. He's so proud of his timing here...just as I turned around to take his picture he doused me. Man! Every time I fall for this kind of thing!

This is M's new bike that our neighbor gave to her...their son has long since outgrown it and they were trying to make room in their garage for other stuff. Lucky for us!

She Ride's a Two-Wheeler!

This is the summer that K has become mobile. After much hard work...well, really, not a lot, the girl's pretty coordinated...she finally made the move from training wheels to sans them. We started by taking the pedals and chain off of this wee little bike (thanks for the tip, Vince) I found at a garage sale, and she pushed herself around and around and caught her balance. So once she decided she was ready to push the pedals on her bigger bike, it was no problem at all! Way to go, K, you're lookin' good!!

My bike.

Heading down the street toward the local school and open terrain.


Hey, hey, so cool!

No problem.

Got my wheels.

Covering some ground.

Makin' turns.

Outta my way!

Catching her breath.

It is just the cutest thing to watch. She now wants to ride her bike every day.

Going to Camp

We took M to camp on Sunday. She has really been looking forward to it...she had a really good time last year and figured this year should measure up. Especially considering that she heard they do even more horseback riding in the part of the camp she's in this year. I hope that pans out for her. In the meantime, we miss her and send her e-mails every day. The campers cannot respond to e-mails but do write letters the old fashioned way. And we got one of those yesterday! So sweet seeing her envelope sitting in the mailbox.

On our way in, M and dad.


Getting closer.


This is where we went to check in. It really is a lovely place, this camp.


Here's M with all of her stuff...pretty light packer considering she's going to be gone for a whole week. Ach, give her time! Soon she'll know the meaning of packing correctly for all that time away from home with who knows how many activities or necessary shoe changes or sudden mood swings that may call for a special something, which may take more than her little sister to help her carry.

But right now, K is only too glad to help.

K mentions every day that she misses M. She told me that "I really miss M in the morning time, that's when I miss her the most".

This is her cabin. She told us in her letter she liked her bunk better than last year, it even comes with her own light. And she was able to hang her scarf on the edge of her bed.

K has a serious case of camp envy...and bunk-bed envy.

M getting her things put away and ready for us to go.

Summer times!

Swimming Lesson

K lost her first tooth today!...and says to me, what a great day, it's a lost tooth swimming lesson day! Hooray! She's been pretty inquisitive about the whole tooth fairy thing and after the whole debacle with M, I found myself almost answering to questions like how does she know I lost a tooth, does she drive a car, how does she really know (all the while with suspicious looking stares), answering, okay, okay, she's not real! Suddenly it all seemed like such a deception. Especially when M just looks at me and shakes her head from side to side. Anyway, I decided not to tell it to her straight because, you know, the whole Santa thing, I didn't want to spoil that for her. But whatever happens, below are some pics of K's lesson today, this stellar lost tooth swimming lesson day.

Before it fell out...the one that's a little higher than the others...I had no idea she had such long teeth!

Getting ready.

Here we go!

Looking for the ring...

...found it!

Hey there you with the missing tooth!

Stellar times.