What's the opposite of doghouse?

So you know the Doghouse video that's been going around? The one with all the guys in the dungeon/doghouse for getting their wives practical gifts instead of jewelry?   I'm all about practical gifts.   Especially when they are as impressive as the Christmas gift Kolby gave me early, knowing I'd want it with all this fun we're having being snowed in.

It's this gorgeous little camcorder that I didn't know I wanted and needed:

It's smaller than my cell phone.  We have a camcorder, but it's such a process to film something and then get it to DVD, so we rarely use it.  But this little thing is so slick.  It works just like you'd hope:  I push that little red button and it starts recording.  Then I plug it into my USB port on my computer, and it uploads my videos.  Making this video took minutes.  

I'm already wondering how I survived this long without it.  

Yet another reason to love the internet

Look what my newest Facebook friend sent me last night.  

Once  Madeline recovered from seeing Grandpa without a mustache, she said, "Awwww!  Your mom is so pretty!  And your dad is so cute!"

Kelly and I were trying to decide when this photo was taken.  It was before 1977...I'm thinking that Mom might be pregnant with me or with Jodi in this photo--not that she looks pregnant, but I think the only time I've ever seen my non-mustachioed dad, it was in a photo when he was holding one of us as a newborn.

How cute are they?!  

  

Kelly just sent one more to me...this sweet one of Grandma and Grandpa.  Got me all teary...I miss them.  

Seeing these pictures with their house in the background reminds me of the times when we were all there and the cousins would be playing in the basement and we'd reach that point of gleeful hysteria that only kids can reach.    

Seriously, I'm so grateful for Facebook and family blogs!   I feel like I'm getting to know my cousins again after so many years of not seeing each other.  And these pictures have probably been buried in boxes in Kelly's mom's basement for 30 years.  I'm so glad she's unearthed them for us.

Not quite sugarplums

Last night when Kolby was wrapping up the bedside concert series with Poncho and Lefty, an old crowd favorite, Amelia mumbled very sleepily, "I was just thinking about what Poncho and Lefty looked like.  Poncho was the blue one."  

Kolby said, "Ya mean he had blue eyes?"

"No.  He was the blue fuzz ball."

"The blue fuzz ball?"

"Yeah.  And Lefty was the green fuzz ball."

I love that moment of fading into sleep when fuzzballs makes perfect sense.  

The Red Coat

"Can we go out and play?  Can we?  Can we?"

"Really?  Okay, whatever.  I'll put on my coat first."

"Yeehaw! So what if I'm wearing this stupid coat she got off the clearance rack for 99 cents at Old Navy."

"Oh my gosh. It just tastes so good on my nose.  I can't get enough of it."

"It doesn't get much better than this.  I hope it's like this all the time at this new house without a real yard." 

"I wonder if I could qualify for the Olympic dog sled team if she let me train?  I think I'm meant for something bigger." 

"I'm so exhausted.  If those kids climb on me right now, I swear I'll bite 'em." 

Judgement Day

Report cards arrived today. 

Kolby gets an A+ for patience.  I have a much lower tolerance for kids climbing all over me. (There's about 242 similar pictures before this one.)

Mia is proud of herself.  (See that shy smile?) She's doing great!  She's learning to read, good at math, making lots of friends, and getting more confident in public speaking.

Madeline is a great reader (just finished the 4th Harry Potter!), good at math even though she doesn't pay attention, gets along famously with all the kids in class, but needs to work on the paying attention part.  (Not new information.) 

Sibling Rivalry

While I can't outdo my sister on the quantity or quality of snow, I can outdo her on something else.  This message was posted on the school district website this morning:

All district schools are closed today, December 17, because of uncertain weather forecast and safety concerns for students and staff.  

That's right.  We might not have gotten one new snowflake, nope not even one,  since our HUGE winter storm you saw this weekend, but today we're staying home out of FEAR of more snow.   Yesterday Madeline came home and said her teacher told them if there's snow they might be out of school until January 5th.  The school closure this morning makes me think that's a very real possibility. So HA!  Beat that!

Wait.  Why was I gloating about that?

 

Too much noise

There's a book Kolby loved as a kid called "Too Much Noise."   The story is about a man, Peter, whose house was too loud--the floors creaked, the wind blew, the teapot hissed, etc.  So he goes to a wise man and the wise man tells Peter to get a cow.  And then a goat.  And then a dog. And it goes on.  And of course, the house just gets louder.  Then the wise man tells him to get rid of the cow, goat, dog, etc. and when it's all gone and just him and the house, he realizes his house isn't so loud afterall.  It's actually quite nice.  The floor makes a lovely squeaking sound.  The wind blows melodiously threw the trees.  His teapot hisses joyfully.  

Kolby and I were talking last night and decided we're feeling like Peter.  After living with a cow, a dog, a donkey, a hen, and all other manner of worries for the last couple of years, it just feels so blissful to return to normal--going to work, cleaning the house, working out, making dinner. All that stuff that seemed so painfully mundane a few years ago, and now it just feels so quiet.  And peaceful.  And lovely.  

Although to be honest, I can't imagine I'll ever really enjoy laundry.