good morning.

in the hustle and bustle of getting everyone ready for work and school and babysitters , I saw that the sunrise was beautiful. so i stepped outside and snapped these pictures from my from step. the scene kind of brightened my day, even if it was cold and more windy than I prefer.

I live in Idaho and I know this is how spring is, but I want warmth! now. i do not feel like being patient. it has lasted long enough.

snacktime. in pantry.

turn stock pot upside down for stool and help yourself to all the snacks your heart desires.

I laughed so hard when I found him - he thought he was so clever. he jut grinned at me and said he was hungry!

he must have been listening to me and josh informing the older kids they could start helping themselves a little more and relying on their servants (aka mom and dad) a little less. I guess Coleman was just trying to comply with the rules!!

movie night.

we are slowly building traditions with our kids. I desperately want traditions that my kids will remember forever. I seriously look forward to one day hearing, "hey mom, do you remember when we....". so we're slowly adding to our list of traditions - ones that happen frequently enough to forge those memories. Movie night has been an almost weekly tradition for nearly 5 years. This isn't to say we've never missed a weekend, but the kids look forward to it and that makes me happy. So, on either Friday or Saturday night, we have "Movie Night". This involves blankets, and popcorn and water bottles and candy and some movie that the entire family will enjoy. the lights are dimmed and the volume is turned up and we spend 2 hours just enjoying the movie and each other. Tonight's feature was the Bee Movie. Cute show. Another memory. Happy mom.

Christmas PJ's. in March.

I know, it is March, spring is around the corner, and I post a picture of my kids in Christmas Pajamas! well, here it still feels like winter. Its been snowing again and christmas pj's are warm and cozy! okay, that is true, but in actuality, I realized I did not have a picture I really liked of my kids in their Christmas jammies. So tonight when they put on their jammies for movie night, I took the opportunity to take a picture. Christmas Jammies are our special tradition with Grandma Susan. (my mom). Each year she searches store after store and catalog after catalog in search of the perfect christmas pajamas for the grandkids. she finds the perfect ones every year.

parenting decisions.

Video Games. I like them. I wonder if I should like them less. It isn't so much that I like playing them, I like the fact that they can occupy a child for any given amount of time. In fact, I often find myself wishing that all of my children liked them as much as Justin did and they would want to sit for hours in front of it just hanging out and giving me some quiet. I can't believe I am admitting this. But sadly its true. Justin would play for as long as I would let him, and some days I know he plays for an hour, maybe 2. Granted the games are all appropriate. Only e games are allowed. Justin is mainly into sports games (surprise). In my head I tell myself to limit his time. Then the other part of me says, he is a straight A student, he reads for a minimum of 45 minutes a day, he does his chores when asked, and if given the option of going outside or playing with someone he will usually turn off the PS3 and go to it. For example, today he spent one hour playing basketball with his brother inside and then another 45 minutes shooting baskets outside. So I tell myself its okay. I am wondering what to do about this during summer when he definitely will have more time to spend playing. perhaps a time limit will have to be put in place. hmmmm all these parenting decisions. I feel like parenting is somewhat like performing a science experiment - you try this and try that and take away this and you just hope it turns out right. For the time being, I think he's okay and I'll just let it be. Am I alone in this? Am I ruining my child?

owies.

Coleman is very into knowing all about "owies". for months he has pointed to my moms owies (her dialysis ones in her neck) and kissed them. then it was her tummy owies after her nephrectomy. now it is his dad's owies. he always wants to see them and touch them and make them better. his dad was reading him a book on the 2nd day he was home. coleman wanted to keep his hand on the "owies" while they read. it was so cute.

Wednesday morning Josh woke up with a serious allergic reaction to the tape used on his incision and holes. he was covered with hives. As the day progressed they worsened - becoming totally inflamed and spreading all together. ( I am debating whether to post more nasty abdomen pictures to show you....hmmm ) When Coleman saw them he looked up at his dad and in all the seriousness his 2 year old self could muster, he said, I sorry daddy. it was so sweet.

Ashley and Cat.

Have I mentioned that Ashley loves her cat?






history of Ashley and her cat.

we've had this cat about a year and a half. Ashley went with her dad to the humane society in Sioux Falls to pick it out. Coleman and I tagged along just for fun. Ashley really wanted a girl cat. We must have played with a dozen kitties that day. Josh and I definitely had in mind which was the best, but we were letting Ashley decide. When she continued to have problems picking one out, we decided to tell her which one we thought was the best. she disagreed. we tried telling her that he was playful but liked to be held and he had the best purr. she didn't really care. finally it dawned on me why. i then told Ashley that she could pretend he was a girl if she wanted to. her eyes lit up and she said he was the one she wanted. she named HIM Diamond and that was that. it really has been the best cat. she moved with us, pink collar and all! she loves to play but loves even more to snuggle and cuddle with the kids on their beds. out of habit, we mostly call him a "she" but he doesn't seem to mind! he is fixed, so i gues it doesn't really matter! Josh calls her "lynx" b/c of her little ear hairs and the fact that he loves the snow. the boys like to call him this too, b/c its not a girl name! Ashley still calls her diamond, although somedays she says i wish her name was moonlight and she'll call her that for few days! I just call her cat. It's easier. Cat likes baskets and tight places and we often get a kick out of where we find him. Most of all though, he loves the kids.