First Haircut

Before:  Shaggy little boy who has been called a girl by strangers, multiple times.

After:  sweet little boy with a great haircut.

Snowy Day

Wow!  11 inches is a whole lot of snow!  The kids enjoyed sledding, running, shoveling and snowballs.  Unfortunately it wasn't very good snowmen snow. 

Right now all the kids are currently suffering or recovering from a nasty cold.  Let's hope everyone will be feeling better soon!   

It was so nice to see Daddy again, we've really been missing him during the week.  Hopefully all this will change soon.

Ninja Carter - Awesome costume plus keeping cold air out of his lungs.  Poor kiddo. 

This little guy had a major change this weekend, more to come!

Fresh Air

When the weather is 41 degrees and sunny in January it is a MUST to get some fresh air. 

Our very first semi-successful car wash.  The only screamer was Dawson.  But do you notice that they are holding hands, awww.

This kid was up and down, up and down, all over the playground. 

Her favorite was the red slide and having Mommy push her on the swings, of course.

Carter is on the red slide, boy does it seem high in the air!

I'm sure the snow will be coming, but I'm going to live in my happy little bubble until then!

Transition

Right now we are in the middle of lots of upheavel and change.  Everybody is having difficulties.  Ava has completely given up any shred of being potty trained and has had about 3,245 accidents in the last three days.  In fact I asked her "doesen't it feel cold and wet when you have an accident?"  She told me, "nope it feels naughty.  I like it."  Trouble, trouble, trouble she is.  Dawson has decided that naps are for babies and he isn't a baby.  As in no naps ALL DAY LONG.  This makes for an extremely cranky baby by the afternoon.  Carter seems to be taking everything in stride, but he's had a few moments where he has asked to go back to preschool or to play with his play group friends.  Then he will get a little emotional, and we just hug. 

But, things are starting to look up.  Right now I managed to get all three sleeping (including Dawson.)  So far Ava has only had one accident this morning (with potty treats.)  We hope to be putting an offer in on a new house soon.  We have a wonderful support system, we couldn't do this without you! 

I really am an optimist at heart.     

We might need to spend a little more time explaining to Carter the nuances of life/death/heaven.  Here are two funny conversations we've had with him lately:

I was explaining to Carter that his Grandpap Shadle was a train engineer.  Carter said, "Oh, can I go to Home Depot and get a ladder.  The biggest one that they have, and I will climb up to heaven and talk to him."  Although I'm not entirely sure that Mike didn't plant the idea of buying a really tall ladder in his head!

Then today Carter and Mike were looking at bikes.  Carter asked Mike if he liked the bike and he said yes.  Then Carter told him "Well, you are too big.  But when you go to heaven, then come back as a little kid.  Then you can have this bike."  Not really sure where he got the idea of reincarnation from, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't from us!


My little conversationalist (Ava) has been cracking us up lately with her drawings.  She is starting to draw faces with arms and legs.  Then the stories start coming.  "This is Jenny Joppy, she is friends with my mudder.  She has babies little Carter, little Dawson and big Mama and Big Daddy."  She is hilarious and makes us laugh a thousand times a day. 


Then my little Dockie Doodle.  Boy, does this kid HATE the car.  Putting him in a car seat can involve screaming, crying and trying to buckle stiff as a board baby into the car seat.  Then comes the screeching, screaming and yelling.  All these upcoming trips are going to be a blast!  

We have quickly learned a staged house is no place to live with kids.  Mike is still enjoying his two week vacation, so today we decided to take the kids to Boonshoft in Dayton.  Currently there is very little for the kids to play with, so its difficult to keep them entertained.  Also, it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep the house spotlessly clean when they are around.  Boonshoft is a natural history museum for kids.  Mike kept mentioning over and over how much fun it was.  For the kids, of course.  He really is a big overgrown kid in the best way possible.  But anyways, here are some pictures we took today.

Digging for Dinosaur Bones

We considered sending them to the moon, but I thought i might miss them.

Mission Control

During our time at the museum, Mike determined Dawson had a future career as a truck driver.

Meerkat Dawson

Meerkat Ava

Dawson also took a stroll with a little help from Ava and I

Helmets with flashlights on top

  Can you tell they had a blast!  Then we all came home and enjoyed a two and half hour nap!!

Welcome 2012!

Welcome 2012!  This is going to be a challenging year full of changes and upheaval, but certainly worth it in the end.  We spent our New Year's Eve childless, thanks Mom and Dad! The kids had a two night sleep over at Meme and Grandpap Bob's house so that Mike and I could clean, paint and declutter.  Although it was not all work, we also spent time with friends and enjoyed a delicious dinner downtown.    

Here is what the kids learned from Meme and Grandpap Bob:

• Dawson yells for Eddie the dog "Eh-ye," very cute to hear!
• When Grandpap Bob asks Dawson "Who loves you?"  He says Bob Bob!
• Carter learned the term "dropped a log."  Thanks for that.
• Ava's first words in the car were "What the heck!"  Pretty sure that she's never said that before. 
• Oh, and Dawson got to enjoy his very first chocolate milk.  Apparently it was very well recieved. 

I must say, it must be nice to be a Grandparent.  Happy New Year!