Monday, March 1, 2010
Dear Sun - From Allie
Dear Sun,
I would love you if summer would come. It would cheer me up if you come really quickly. Please summer give the letter to the sun please.
Love,
Allie
It seems I'm not the only one pining away for Spring and Summer and sunny, hot days!
Allie's Unsafe Shoes
I'm not sure if I should be annoyed or upset or have a good laugh. Allie came home from school today with an orange light for being unsafe at school. The sequence is green, yellow, orange, red. Apparently with about an hour of school left, she took the laces out of her tennis shoes when she was bored in math.
(the offending shoes)
Her teacher gave her an orange light for being unsafe. I get that, no problem. She could trip, fall and get hurt. Here's the thing though...if it's so unsafe to walk around without shoe laces in her shoes for an hour, shouldn't someone have helped her lace them back up??? I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do about this. Maybe ask the teacher to help her lace them back up if it's so unsafe as to bring home an orange light. I'm just annoyed by the whole thing - I mean she took both laces out. That's a lot of time for her teacher to not be paying attention to what's going on in her classroom. Then again, Allie is sneaky. For today, I think I'm choosing to laugh and not send her to school in lace up shoes again (at least not until her sweet teacher is back from maternity leave in a few weeks).
I enforced our orange light punishment and she spent quite a bit of time in her room. I decided to commute her sentence a little early though since I do think the orange light is silly.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Let the (War) Games Begin
Today was a good day actually. I had plans for my 2 1/2 hours of free time while Caden was in preschool, but the darn phone rang at 5:40 with a message from Terry Cranfeld (I bet she has the most hated voice in all of our county) telling us today, once again, schools will be closed. Today was snow day #9. At this rate we either won't get a spring break or we won't get ouf of school until July. I don't understand why they cancelled school. We were on the very edge of this latest blizzard. We got lots of wind, but maybe 1/2" of snow on the ground with 2" snow drifts. After the week of back to back blizzards, that's nothing. I took the kids to the library to stock up on books and movies and then I spent a quiet afternoon reading a book while the kids played and watched TV. After dinner, we played Mario Cart on the Wii. I was so against having a game console, but I must admit, I enjoy racing with the kids. Jaelyn and Caden like it too. Allie, well, she always loses and it really upsets her...sometimes to the point of tears. It's not always the most positive experience when she plays with us.
The kids are tucked in bed now and I'm hoping to have a quiet evening. We'll see...the night is still young :p.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Clean House Makes Me Happy
Last night I told Dan that I've never understood the need for a formal living room and a family room. I do now. I want a formal living room or maybe just a study that's mine. There's going to be a sign on the door that says "Kelly's Club - No One Allowed!" Ha! It's going to be clean and organized and everything is going to be in it's place. Dan wants a man cave so why can't I have a girly version?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Exciting Things in Store This Year
First, my parents are coming to visit. I'm beyond excited actually!!! We love having company. My parents haven't been since last June which is a really long time for them, but they more than made up for it was 5 or 6 visits while Dan was deployed. They are going to drive their motor home up so we've been making calls to find someplace for them to dry store it while they are here staying with us. We've found 2 definite possibilities so they are making their plans rather than buying plane tickets. They are also going to get to be here for a flexible two or three weeks because they can bring their cats in the motor home. I told Zac last night that his cousins are coming to visit. He twitched a whisker, but that was the extent of his reaction. The kids aren't going to be so thrilled when I tell them mean old Sebastian is coming to visit, but I can't wait. I hope he'll let me cuddle him. He seemed to have forgotten me at Christmas.
While they are here, we have two things to plan. The first is a visit to the "Sweetest Place on Earth" to camp and play. That's Hershey Park encase you didn't know. The plan right now is to let the kids sleep in the motor home and Dan and I will sleep in our tent. It's a 37' motor home. I know we could all squeeze in. It just doesn't sound fun, though. I'm looking forward to camping again especially since we can cook in style and save a little money on restaurants. It's going to be a great weekend.
Dan and I are also planning on getting away for one or two nights to Berkeley Springs, West Virginia for our anniversary (14 years!). It sounds like the perfect place. We can hike, relax and enjoy the hot springs. After 2 days with the kids, my parents might need to plan a stop there on their way home :p.
In the fall, we are hoping (keep your fingers crossed) that Dan's schedule will allow for us to take a trip to Disney again. I'm putting away part of our tax refund just encase. My parents want to come and camp along as well. Anyone else want to meet us down there??? Caden did not enjoy it when he was 3, but I think now he would eat it up and be so entranced with all the magic that is Disney. And of course, the girls are ready for all the fairy tales and fun.
Let's see, what else...if it's warm enough around spring break, we'd love to plan a camping trip to the beach over Allie's birthday. We could take our bikes and have a ball. The kids also really want to go back to Wolfe Lodge...maybe early December?
And in the middle of all that fun, we are still thinking about selling our house this summer as things pick up and moving into a rental. It makes so much sense on so many levels, but the though of moving ourselves...that doesn't excite me.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Two Things Off my To Do List, Kind Of
They turned out great (if I do say so myself), but unfortunately, I didn't think about the pattern or the pattern of the other pillows on the couch. Too much pattern! For now, the pillows will live in other chairs and I'll continue my hunt for plainer material. Or, I'll buy fusible interfacing and see if I can fix the original pillows.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Blogged Out
I don't think I'm blogged out, just busy. Dan came home on Saturday and while we love having him home again, it's an adjustment. I try to stay off the computer...at least when he's looking ;). Monday, was my escape day. I left early and had lunch at Don Pablos. It's one of our favorite places from way back in Dayton and we rarely eat there now so it was a treat. My massage was wonderful, but the spa was just okay. Jen and I have spent too many days escaping to Destin and Serenity. Nothing holds a candle to it in my book. I missed the steam rooms, sauna, whirl pool and of course my spa buddy.
Tuesday was our last snow day and thankfully, the kids went back to school today. We are on a 2 hour delayed entry the rest of the week and then hopefully things will get back to normal. Dan's car has been in the shop so I've been chauffeuring him back and forth to work. We picked it up tonight and Volkswagen assures us this is the final fix for the problem they've "fixed" two times already. At least they were honest and only charged us for the part, not the labor. We'll never own another Volkswagen.
Today I sewed 2 new pillows for our couch to replace the ones that are falling apart. The new pillows are beautiful (if I do say so myself), but they don't work on the couch. I'm so disappointed. The pattern, while pretty, is too busy with the other patterned pillows. I think they'll look pretty on my bed instead. I also turned Jaelyn's favorite jeans into shorts. She wore holes right through both knees and was very unhappy when I told her she couldn't wear them anymore. She was happy tonight though and can't wait for warm weather to try them out.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Last of the Snow Pictures...Maybe
Allie had boot problems. She couldn't walk through the snow without leaving a boot behind.
And the Digging Out Begins...AGAIN
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Electricity is Under-rated
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Always Be Prepared
Giant was a mad house. Oh my goodness. People were parked all sorts of crazy ways so parking was horrible. We had to walk from the street practically. Once inside, is was just as bad. At least they have their scanner system so I could scan our food as we went and then go through the fast easyscan line. People were grabbing things off the shelves as fast as the stockers could put them out.
We also returned out overdue movies to the library and I picked up a new book to keep me occupied tomorrow. The forecast is still saying 10-20 inches of snow starting this afternoon. I managed to get Dan's car unburied with the help of anothe neighbor. I bought 3 bags of chocolate chips today so I can take cookies to everyone who's helped us. I've decided Dan can dig it out the second time though. That was hard work.
Monday, February 8, 2010
We Escaped
I let the kids spend a little more of their Christmas money. Allie bought a new Polly Pocket. She's definitely not ready for our winter. She came with 2 bathing suits and sunglasses among other things.
I think we are totally ready to be snowed in for 2 more days. The warning has been updates...now it's 10-20 more inches of snow. We have new boots, the last pair of snow pants in Target (so everyone has a pair now), 2 puzzles, kleenex with lotion for my nose, and caramel hershey kisses for my stress chocolate cravings.
Newest Weather Warning
As soon as the sun gets up a little more and starts to melt the snow and ice packed around the tires, we are going to TRY to get out. If we can get out of our parking place, we'll be fine now that our neighborhood roads have been cleared. I'm having major cabin fever. My goal isn't far...just up the road to Walmart or Target and maybe Chick-fil-a.
A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
* PRECIPITATION TYPE...SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS...POTENTIAL FOR 5 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW.
* TIMING...MID TO LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON.
* TEMPERATURES...TEMPERATURES AT OR JUST ABOVE FREEZING AT THE
ONSET TUESDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE MID
TO UPPER 20S TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
* WINDS...LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS TUESDAY BECOMING NORTH-
NORTHWESTERLY 15 TO 25 MPH WEDNESDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE LATEST FORECASTS.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Newer Snow Pictures
Jaelyn helped clean off the cars