Dinosaur Days

It was dinosaur week last week at Millie's school. Millie really likes dinosaurs as long as they are just in a book and don't look real. Her teacher sent her home with a dinosaur tattoo and a dinosaur that you put in water and it grows. She was really excited about the growing dinosaur. We had the camera ready for a before and after picture but unfortunately, the after picture was no different. It never did anything so I tried hot water. That just started to dissolve it. Oh well, she was pretty sad about it but then we put on her tattoo and all was good.


Her teacher also told me something neat she did during class that day. During book time, the kids are allowed to go look at books and sit on the carpet. Millie's teacher told me Millie picked a dinosaur book and read the entire book to several of the kids that sat down around her. Apparently she is the only one in the class that can read and she reads to some of the kids during carpet time. Needless to say, I was very proud of her.

Let it Snow!

It was no 10 inches like they were calling for but we did get some snow over night. It was super wet, more like a March snow in Indiana where as soon as you step in it, it disappears. As I shoveled the drive, Rick piled it in the wheelbarrow, took it to the yard and built an igloo for Millie. That's what she said she wanted and of course with Rick involved, that's what she got.


Reed was helping me shovel the drive.


He was the prime example of Christmas Story and this was about as far as he could bend over because of all the clothes he had on. I was tempted to stick his tongue to the mailbox but I don't think it was cold enough to freeze.


Very funny Rick, get back to work on the igloo.


After the roofless igloo was finished, Millie got in and was dodging snowballs from Rick.


Then it was Rick's turn to get in and play.


Watching him crawl through the tiny opening was pretty funny.


Millie enjoyed it and that's what's important.


This was all finished by 10am and then it was time to go in for hot chocolate which is really the only reason Millie wants to play in the snow anyway.

Millie's Injuries

Millie has kept me on my toes lately with legitimate injuries. This eye injury happened about a week ago. This picture was taken on day 2. Day 1 it was black and blue and swollen. I hit her with a...I mean...she was playing in her closet and stood up and bumped it on the corner of a chair (her closet is very big). She recovered after she ate the ice I was using on her eye. She is convinced eating the ice makes the 'boo boo' better than putting the ice on the wound.

A week before this, I actually had to rush her to the Doctor's office. She was playing in her room with Reed and all of a sudden, she comes out crying and holding her ear. I looked in it and there was something poking out of it. I tried to pull it out but she screamed bloody murder so I figured since I was not sure what is was or how big it was, I should take her to the Doctor. Fortunately, my wonderful neighbor was home so I pitched Reed on her front porch, told her he needed lunch (wasn't that nice of me??) and took Millie to the Doctor. The Doctor pulled it out with ease and no harm was done. I am not sure but I think it was a piece of wicker that broke off of a basket.

So, we had a nice long talk about how you don't put things in your ears, eyes, nose or mouth (except food). My mom asked me if I thought Millie was doing this on purpose to get to go to the Doctor. Hmmmm...possibly but I am leaning toward no at this point. Considering Millie's hypochondriac stage she is in right now, it would not surprise me if she does catch on to this. She loves going to the Doctor.

The Little Gym

Reed has really been enjoying his first semester at The Little Gym. Millie enjoyed getting to go in the gym today with him for his Big Show! He loved having her there and wanted to sit on her lap during the opening bell song and he wanted to hold her had while they warmed up on the Big Red Mat.


He liked showing us his tricks but it was really hard to try to take photos and help him with his skills.


One of his favorite skills is the balance beam. I think because he gets so much practice at church...


I am really surprised this was not a big butt crack shot. His crack is always hanging out, how did we miss it here?



Bubbles and balls, this is for sure the highlight of his class every week.


I had told him he would be getting a medal but he only got a ribbon. I think he was troubled by this and was trying to figure out why he got ripped off.


Poor second child, no one came to watch him during his big show but Millie and I. I guess he didn't notice though, this time at least. Next time there better be someone else there or I think he will catch on.

YMCA Basketball

Millie's current favorite sport is basketball. She is playing at the Y on a team with 4-6 year olds. They begged me to coach so I am her coach. I don't know what I am doing but it doesn't seem to matter since the kids don't do what I say anyway.


Millie is having a blast and it is fun watching the kids improve since we first started practicing. Millie was not even close to being able to make a basket when we first started. The goals are 8' tall and she could not get it up there. She has now improved and made 10 shots in a row one day at practice. She has not made a basket during a game yet but she is great on defense and usually always steals the ball from the person she is guarding.



I was letting them have it there apparently :-)

Christmas At The Cabin

Reed, Haley, TJ, Millie and Jacob.


Reed loving on his A La La (Aunt Laura, my sister)


Jacob, Haley and Millie

Since Rick and I did not travel to Indiana over Christmas, we booked a cabin in Pigeon Forge as a Christmas gift to our families. This way the kids could still get to get together with their Grandparents and Cousins (all in one place) and we could enjoy a nice and relaxing weekend together without the hustle and craziness of driving all over Southern Indiana and really missing the entire point of Christmas in the first place.


We split up Saturday afternoon and while the older kids went to the Riply Museum in Gatlinburg, we took the smaller kids to the Dinosaur Walk. Note to anyone readying this, don't waste your money on the Dinosaur Walk. Reed enjoyed it though, roaring at all of them and running around. Millie cried which didn't surprise me because she has a fear of large and real looking scary things. My nephew liked it okay but I think he could have done without it just the same.

Reed was busy telling his Grandma Lucy all about it.



I thought it was a nice weekend and I hope everyone enjoyed our gift and the time together.

Merry Christmas To Me

While Rick was on vacation over the holidays, he got to work on the front porch roof we have been wanting to put on the house since we have moved here. And before you all give me grief about putting Rick to work during his vacation, there is something you need to know about Rick if you don't already...he does not just sit around. He wants projects to do. This works for me just fine because I have no trouble coming up with things for him to do.


Millie was his little helper the entire time. Although she did take many breaks to play basketball in the circle, she was ready to go when Rick asked her to help with the nail gun. She loved it and she told me she wanted one of her own.

Reed

Reed has been doing 2 funny and wonderful things today. First, the funny thing...

When Reed is disobeying, I tell him to stop. If he doesn't stop, I threaten Time Out by asking "Reed, do you want to go to Time Out?" If he does not stop, I put him in Time Out, simple enough. Well, today when I have to ask him if he wants to go to time out, he will shake his head yes, stop what he is doing and go sit by the wall in our Time Out spot. He is cracking me up!


Now, the wonderful thing...


Reed has been doing great at using the potty but we are in that stage of waiting for him to tell us when he needs to go. I decided today was the day to step it up a notch and see if I could get him to tell us when he needs to go. Rick and I got Reed a tractor piggy bank for Christmas, he LOVES tractors...blue ones of course ;-) Today I started offering him a coin when he uses the potty. After he uses the potty, Millie gets him a coin out of our coin stash and he gets to put it in his tractor. He LOVES this and he has told me 3 times today so far that he has to go. Since Reed does not talk much, he tells me this by running up to me, making his tractor sound, and then heading down the hallway. He has been dry ever since!! I am very excited. I don't know why I did not think if this sooner. He is my child and I should not be surprised that the prospect of getting money has motivated him to achieve this milestone. I am not counting my chickens yet, but it seems to be working. Keep your fingers crossed and please send coins. At this rate, Rick and will be broke in a month.

Update: Reed told me again so he has gone 4 times today!