Snow day

The kids were out of school again today and for the most part I really enjoy the days when they are home.  The day seems to just fly by.  Eric loves to play with them and we get outside quite a bit more.  Then there are the times when Will and Eric are pushing each others buttons and Eric is high pitch screaming at Will.  Fun times.  This morning it was still snowing and really windy so we went over to the big sledding hill with some friends and only stayed for a few runs.  Caroline and Will had a major crash with each other and both ended up crying and with bruised heads!  Caroline did a flip in the air and ended up with both lips busted and a scratch on her cheek.  She didn't sled after that!  This is after last week busting her bottom lip on the playground so bad that you could see the bruise on the outside.  Her teeth almost went all the way through her lip!  

Some of the icicles we have on our house.

Will and his buddy Miles.  He did have his head in Will's lap but moved it right before I took this picture.

Eric laying on the floor of Ella's house.  The snow suit is borrowed from her.  Eric outgrew his and I didn't want to buy another one and the only other size I had was a 5/6!  I just rolled it up and let him wear it.  I think he likes this much better.

On our walk this afternoon he was busy picking up the biggest snow chunks he could and throwing them into the street.

Justin had a full day of classes today and the kids return to school tomorrow.  Not sure what Eric and I will get into!

And a little more

Today we had another snow storm come through bring only about 5 inches more os snow!  It wasn't quiet as windy so it was more fun to be outside.  We spent lots of time outside too!

snow dude isn't quite finished but he has his Hawaiian shirt on!

Some of the new snow we had.  This snow was wet and heavy so it was really good for snow balls and snow men.

We had a little snow

I think this was after about 3 hours.

Wednesday around lunch time we got word that school was cancelled for Thursday.  We woke up Thursday morning and nothing was happening!  It started snowing a little after 7am and it quickly started piling up.  We ventured out in it but the wind was terrible (20-30mph) and we quickly came back inside.  It took us longer to get ready to go outside than we stayed out!!  

This was late afternoon after it had mostly stopped.  All told we got almost 9 inches!  So fun!

Friday was a beautiful day and the kids were off school again.  Justin had a 2 hour delay.  The big domed building in the center of the picture is the US Penitentiary.

Friday afternoon we went for a walk around the neighborhood.  It was hard work trudging through the deep snow.  Not everyone had shoveled their sidewalks yet.  Lots of kids had dig tunnels in the piles and Eric loved crawling through them!

Eating snow.

Will playing with some of the neighbor kids.

Miles loves the snow.  Notice the snow covering his head and nose!

The snow has melted some, not a lot.  And tomorrow afternoon into Tuesday we are supposed to get almost 12 more inches!!

A little painting

The kids were off school Monday for presidents day.  We had enjoyed being outside earlier in the day, like before 930, and then had had some good family time inside the rest of the day.  The winds shifted (and I was hoping for Mary Poppins) and it got really chilly and not fun to be outside any more.  We picked up the basement and had taken a nap (me!) and set up Will's electric car track.  We had about an hour or so before dinner and things were getting a little hairy so I made some paint.  Yep, made my own paint.  Google is a great thing and I found a recipe for homemade body paint (didn't tell the kids that part) and Caroline helped me mix it up.  It was super easy, only water, lotion, corn starch, and food dye.   

It got really quiet and they had fun painting.

 Successful predinner activity!!  They painted and I got dinner ready.

Caroline did this at school.  Their art teacher is great and the kids really enjoy going to art.

Will update

Thursday afternoon we took Will to see the allergist at Children's Mercy in KC.  They said he doesn't have allergies just intolerances.  The doctor said we had done everything right in figuring out what foods he was having trouble with.  So now we keep him on the prilosec for the next 2 years and eliminate all dairy, beef, and tomatoes.  After 2 years we pick a food and secretly give it to him to see what happens.  It is not too difficult to avoid those foods at home but eating out is quite the challenge!  

Plane body on a train!  So cool.

View out the exam room window looking at downtown KC, MO.

Boo him

Yesterday after lunch Eric was standing against the wall, covering his eyes, counting to 10, then jumping out and trying to scare the cat.  I tried to get it on video but below is what I got instead!  Please excuse me talking with my mouth full, I was finishing my lunch.  And excuse the messy counters, I hadn't gotten to the dishes yet.
Enjoy!!

Our Weekend

Friday morning after gymnastics Eric and I met a friend and her little girl, Ella, and went to a bilingual story time.  It was so fun!  They danced, read a story, did a craft, and had a snack, then danced some more!  

Eric and Ella being silly!

Busy busy!  He was so proud of his art work and wanted to show it to Caroline!

 Friday night Justin had class so the kids and I worked on making their valentine's to pass out to their classmates.  Justin also had class all day on Saturday.

Will thought this was FUN but Leo was not thrilled at all!

Saturday after Justin got home we went down to KC to eat out and go to a huge furniture store to look at outdoor furniture.  They kids had a blast sitting on every sofa, chair, and stool!  Will was pretending to be asleep.

Sunday morning valentine hair do!

Story time Sunday night.

They started getting silly when Eric put his extra paci in Will's mouth!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Having Fun

Eric is one funny 2 year old.  Well, most of the time!  He has his moments that's for sure, but he has gotten better about throwing tantrums and screaming.  Just watch out if something makes him mad.  He throws things!!  It's not pretty when he gets mad at the table.  His eating is improving too.  He is still pretty picky but he goes to bed without dinner if he doesn't want to eat what we are having.  We employed the "fist bump" strategy with Will when he was 3 and not wanting to eat his veggies and it works great with Eric as well.  It goes like this.  Eat this bite of ____ and we can do a fist bump!  It is amazing how something so simple works SO well with my boys.  Eric will take a bite and want to fist bump with each of us.  Will gets pretty creative with his bumps!
Eric talks more and more everyday.  Some days it feels like he talks nonstop!  We have had to ask him to stop talking so Justin and I could get a word in edgewise!  He has started singing the entire Johnny Appleseed blessing with us and not just adding the appleseed word in.  If something is hot he says it is "hot-luia" as in alleluia.  He still doesn't get his "L" sound right and either makes it a y or d.  He wants to sit in your yap and Caroline is Care dine.  He loves the cat, Leo and calls him Lilo most times getting the L correct then but not when saying yeo.  He loves to walk and is a runner.  His little legs will run and run.  He has run 3/4 of a mile several times!  He is still a pretty big cuddle bug and will ask for you to "yay (lay) a minute please" at nap and bedtime.
Sweet Eric you make us laugh so much!  We love you.

Aloha!

Justin found out Tuesday morning that our next assignment will be in Hawaii!!!!!!  We are so happy, thrilled, excited, overjoyed, and all those happy things!  It was first on our list of potential places and this is the first time in 12 years we have gotten our first choice.  Couldn't have come at a better time.  I am ready for some warm weather and lots of sunshine!
He is going to Fort Shafter and doesn't know his specific job yet.  We are going to try and get on-post housing.  We have also heard from several different people that the schools are pretty terrible so it looks like I will be homeschooling this fall.  I'm really excited and nervous about that.
This morning when Caroline and Will left for school Eric ran to the door saying, "Go Hawaii too!"  He doesn't understand that we have to wait until July to move.
So come visit us, we would love to have you all!  We will be there for around 3 years!

WooHoo!!!!!