What a Handy Dandy Helper!

I was sitting on the couch looking for some tax receipts as Gabe was playing in the floor. He went away for a second and when I turned around he had gotten some paper towels under the kitchen sink to clean up where his sippy cup had leaked in the floor! I guess he really does pay attention. Joni, I will have to teach him to used a real towel instead of the paper towels!

Projects

My swiffer and mop on the side there NEVER leave that spot!

Finished!How much can I eat?

What we started with - plus some major glue gunning!

We have been working on several things this week. Jude had a project to turn in that required us to make a snowman out of two paper plates. We bounced several ideas back and forth but eventually came up with the "Sweet Snowman"...you can see why.

Also, house projects - I finished my "what if I" Modge Podge a poster sized picture on a painted canvas project. In the picture it looks like you can see where the Modge Podge ended...in "real" life you cannot (well mostly cannot). I also made Gabe a cover for his high chair. I forgot to take a picture of it but it turned out better than Jonathan had thought it would. - ok, better than I thought it would too. Ella's new bed is half sanded and primed. I will post some before and after pictures when there is an after to post...also her desk is now primed. All of her bedding came in but I think I am getting in over my head with what is manageable to do in her room and what I want to do!

oh and we did this

there she goes

peeking out

crazy hair on the trampoline


We broke out Ella's Christmas present from Aunt Kathy and Lori. They had fun rolling around the yard in the Gigi ball.

What we have been doing....

Apparently Gabe is not happy about My Special Day....
Barnyard instead of cake.

How yummy....and they came with a bow - I didn't really wear it out.

besides being sick. I think I lost a week of my life....or two. The first was dedicated to the stomach virus then somewhere along the way Gabe never got over his and ended up with an ear infection and bronchitis as well as being dehydrated. He went for his "well" visit on Monday - which I moved up a day because he was still throwing up. His weight was 20 pounds which left him in the 3rd percentile. They didn't give him his shots because he won the "sickest kid of they day award" and so I had to take him to Vanderbilt for a chest xray...cost yet to be determined but I am not looking forward to that! Anyway, 3 days of visiting Dr. Keith and Gabe is on the mend...he played outside today so we may be back this week. He actually does have an appointment with an ENT on Friday.

So, back to turning 34...that is what else we have been doing - or I have been doing. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family that make me actually think birthdays (without the wrinkles) are fun! Thanks everyone for the phone calls, cards, chocolate covered strawberries, gifts and barnyards...all appreciated!

Also, we have recently started quite a few projects around the house. We have finally gotten to the kids rooms...Jessica has graciously helped me with that - again, appreciated...but I have a long road with painting furniture and walls (neither which I am good at). I started this afternoon with the priming after Jonathan did the sanding...pictures to come.

"real" snow!

After the first tease of snow, we finally got the real deal. I am sure it would have been a blast to play in. I have seen some great pictures of sledding (I actually bought one last year that we have never used). However, any thought we had of playing in the snow was crushed by the stomach bug that came crashing down on us Thursday night. Jude started the trend around midnight with me then Ella following about 30 minutes later. It was a bad, bad scene from a movie. I have been sick before but I cannot remember the last time I felt this bad. I won't go into any more detail but be thankful there are no pictures. Jonathan was the only one "spared" and I say that only because he did run a fever and felt "bad" for about an hour..."bad" does not describe the rest of us. When I got up this morning - from 13 hours of sleep - he said "why were you wearing a robe - backwards - over your pjs last night"....it was my attempt to stay warm - a pitiful homemade Snuggie, I guess.

Hello New Year

making Frosty...but he won't eat his buddy!

finished product!

So proud!

Welcoming 2010 in style

Thanks to Carmen for the little visual aids (pictures -as I forgot my camera) to go along with the New Years post! We celebrated at the McConnell's house and although nobody actually stayed up until midnight, it was a fun evening!

Gabe likes to help with laundry

or just put stuff in the washer...like cups of milk, car keys and telephones.

I was going through some things and have a question...

What a sweet face!

What do you do with 11 year old dog teeth...yep, that is what is in the bag!

We got a little snow

but only enjoyed it from the inside!

When we got home....

Jude discovered he loved his Soccer trophy...again - All those toys and he has been carrying around his trophy?
Gabe helped me get things cleaned up from being gone.