Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

WOW! That's about all I can say besides, "ouch," my back hurts from shoveling! ha! It started snowing last night at midnight and was done before noon today. We literally couldn't get out of our backdoor. I had to go out the front door and shovel around to the back. Our neighbor Bob helped us out by lending us his snowblower for most of it. Thank goodness because I was having a really hard time. It would've been a HUGE job for Steve and I to do by ourselves. I'm attaching a picture of the snow out our front door. Please note that this was not the deepest part!!!!! Goodness - and the first day of winter is tomorrow. I wonder what the rest of the winter will be like? I'm afraid to imagine.

Our latest ailment

We have been recovering since last weekend. Thank you everyone for your well wishes. Olivia is just finally starting to eat again and yesterday she came down with this rash all over her torso. I took her in and the doc said it is viral and there is nothing we can do about it. It's like nothing I've seen before though. It doesn't seem to bother her thankfully but it is EVERYWHERE. There is not a spot on her body where I can put a pinky tip and not be touching it. WOW! If you double click on the picture it will become bigger and you can see the rash.

As you can also see, Olivia is on the potty. She hasn't gone on the toilet yet but does tell me often when she is dirty and wants to sit on it afterwards. She likes to pretend to wipe and be such a big girl!

Is that weird that I am showing you a picture of her rash while she is on the toilet? Oh well - the life of a blogger! :)

Do you see what I see?

Braden's First Christmas Concert

This week Braden had his first Christmas concert for preschool. It was adorable. The parents were as excited as the kids and from an outsiders perspective could have been the ones to watch! Every other person had a video camera (us included) were standing up, waving franticly to their child and grinning from ear to ear.

My prediction was that Braden would be either the shy one who didn't sing a thing or the class clown that was goofing off with his friends. I was mostly wrong. He started the concert singing and smiling adorably. Just to make it a preschool performance though he added some humor to the mix. He saw my mom go up in the balcony at one point and waved and yelled out, "hi Nana." His friend Benjamin (this could've been the funniest thing I've seen) tried to take off his sweater during the performance. All of a sudden you can hear Steve on the tape, "Braden, don't you dare," as Braden quickly eyed up his buddy. His teacher defused this idea fortunately. He sang about half the songs and the other half he was fixed on something to his left. We aren't sure what it was but it must have been pretty cool.

It was awesome. I loved watching them perform and seeing how hard their teachers worked with them. I can't imagine corralling that many little 4 year olds. Jillian and my mom joined us - thanks you two!! Way to go Braden.

Seriously?

Some may say I am a drama queen and really, I do hold tight to the roller coaster of life with it's highs and lows - riding one as energetically as the next however... today has been serious drama at my house.

1. I am not getting into the whole story but I thought (yes, this really was a thought) that the painters from last summer who spent some time in my closet stole my jewlery box with my family jewlery and was in tears telling my mom about it. It turns out they didn't - thank God - but again, it's not worth getting into here.

2. You know the whole doctors office experience I wrote about earlier.

3. This tops everything... I am on the phone with Kristin, cutting up chicken for Olivia for lunch. Braden says his tummy hurts but then smiles so I am not sure what's going on. Olivia is whining but that seems to be a new hobby so again - didn't pay much attention. All of a sudden Olivia starts throwing up all over herself and the plate that I just put in front of her. As I am screeching into the phone that I have to go, I look up and Braden starts throwing up all over himself and the kitchen floor.

Seriously - does that happen to someone?

Yes - it does and I have never felt so helpless in my life. I actually said out loud, "Mommy is not sure what to do right now - wow!" I kind of stood in the middle offering consoling words to both of my children as they threw up on themselves at exactly the same time.

As quickly as it appeared, everything disappeared. I stripped both kids of their clothes, sent them into the living room with blankets to watch a show while I sanitized the kitchen, threw in a load of wash and then got them cozied up in their PJ's.

They are both napping now and seem to feel fine so perhaps it's a touch of the flu. Now let's hope mommy doesn't get sick too.

What a day!

Can you hear me?

Braden has a pain tolerance beyond measure. I took the poor child to the doctor this morning...not thinking he had an ear infection...but because he has had a hard time hearing me the last week or so.

"Yes," she said, "He can't hear you well and there is a good reason. He has a major double ear infection." She also said, "This would normally cause children quite a lot of pain so he must either have a high pain tolerance or after so many infections, his nerves are dull." My assumption is it's a little of both.

AHHHHHH - I feel terrible. I am not sure how long he has had this and how many times I've been after him lately thinking he wasn't listening when the sweet boy truly couldn't hear me. UGH.

I'm not winning mommy of the year award today that's for sure.

Girly Girl

The kids and I went to my friend Sara's for dinner last night. She gave me a few barrettes that her daughter Ava doesn't wear anymore. Here are a few pics of Olivia ... my little girly girl!