Extreme weather conditions

It's hard to believe that two days ago we were bundled up and playing in the snow. Texas weather is weird, but we aren't complaining. I keep telling Chase that if family were here, we'd stay forever. However, we still haven't experienced a summer here which I hear can be MISERABLE so maybe I shouldn't speak so soon. I do plan on just leaving for about a month to escape the heat. Weber Canyon is calling my name. I miss my mountains.
Austin has done a pretty good job at impressing us so far. We really like it here. I guess I'm the type of gal who needs a lot of sunshine because this place has me in such a better mood. I love that we go outside every day and that my kids get to run around in fresh air.
Today we should have gone to stake conference which we have since vetoed after our last experience. When you have two kids, you end up sitting in the back with all the other "noisy" families. You can't really see or hear the speakers and two hours of tackling two kids is WAY too long. Besides, our stake center is about 40 minutes away and totally in the ghetto. They have to have men monitor the parking lots to prevent car break ins.
So, ya, we skipped out this time because it was just too beautiful outside. We went down to Town Lake for a long walk around the lake with a beautiful view of the city. We rolled down hills, threw rocks in the water,relaxed in the hammock, chased squirrels, and just enjoyed the perfect breeze and sunshine.



Austin, we love you!!

Snow Hour!

We spent the weekend at the lake, basking in the sun knowing that in a few days a cold front was coming in. We hoped and hoped and our dreams came true. It snowed in Texas!!! It started snowing at about 3 a.m. Friday morning and left about two inches of snow on the streets.
These conditions were way too extreme for our fellow Texans who cancelled school and told everyone to work from home. These guys wouldn't last a day in Utah's winter storms, or Virginia's for that matter. We benefited greatly from their overly cautious lifestyle and had ourselves a three day weekend!
Those two inches of snow created the perfect setting for some hooky bobbin with the scooter and boogie boards. It was VERY cold outside so we bundled up and headed out before the snow would melt (we heard it never lasts longer than a day).
We tried taking Sadie first but Jack felt left out and wanted to ride too. The three of them rode around the cul-de-sac and down the street over and over again until their poor little noses were red and their lips turned blue. There was no complaining when we told them it was time to go inside, and our friends were right...it melted in about three hours. This is my kind of snow storm. It sugar coats everything enough to have a little fun and then melts away before you get sick of it. No gray, slushy snow around these parts.







The best part of the story is the next day we were back at the lake again in our shorts and t-shirts. I love it here!!

Baby, it's cold outside

All bundled up and ready to play in the snow.

Wah Wah!!

If Jack hears a faucet turn on at any time he speed walks over, climbs up the stool and helps himself to a sponge bath. He loves water. I've never seen a kid so entertained by this funny clear liquid. If we can't get him to eat some nights, we'll feed him at the sink while he plays with the water. As long as he's turning his hands into raisins, he'll eat ANYTHING! He usually gets water all over the floor and himself, but it never gets him down...literally. We have to pry him off that stool.
He's a handsome little man and I love him to pieces.

Obsessed would be an understatement

Sadie LOVES ponies. She colors at least three pictures a day and hangs them on the refrigerator. She lines up her ponies while she eats breakfast so "they can eat too." She has mentioned that more than anything else in the whole world, she wants a pony of her own.

Whenever she puts on her pink cowboys boots she dances around the kitchen clicking her heels while saying in her most southern drawl "evry cagirl neeeeds a hoarse" which comes out sounding like someone is plugging her nose.

No matter what she was dressed in for school or church, she ALWAYS strips down the second we walk in the door and puts on her twirly skirt, leggings and a colorful shirt. She's Punky Brewster reincarnated. I love her!

We're nearly there...

Ever since we brought Jack home from the hospital it's been a struggle to protect the little guy from his big sister. We've tried over and over again to encourage a bond between them and teach them to establish trust. I feel like after nearly two years Sadie is finally seeing how much fun Jack can really be and Jack is not nearly as terrified of her as he was before.
We've had Sadie be in charge of getting Jack his gummy vitamins (favorite part of the day for both of them). He lets her sing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with a tickle at the end and I've even witnessed them play in the play room BY THEMSELVES for a full ten minutes. I think if this continues they might actually become friends one day.
Jack loves to do anything Sadie does which puts her in a unique situation. If she hits, he will hit. If she teaches him to hug and share, then he will do the same. I think she likes this power and is finally using it for good. She loves it when Jack will snuggle up to her if he bonks his head. He laughs (and snorts) when Sadie chases him around the living room.
I have seen a significant difference in Sadie's desire to make Jack happy. She tries so hard to share even her most favorite toys and is learning more and more that he DOES NOT like to be picked up. As their mother, nothing makes me happier than to hear them playing peacefully together. Perhaps it's because it makes my job easier, but more so because I just want them to be friends.

Winter Picnics

If someone would have told me we could wear short sleeves and be outside in January, I would have moved here a long time ago. There's a funny saying here in Texas that goes a little like this:
"I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could." I quite agree.

Curse you FIRE ANTS!!

I have to admit I was watching Jack ONE time when he got a couple of fire ant bites, but these babies were under dad's watch (that's usually when the children get injured:-). Most places around here spray for fire ants so we are safe at parks and most public places, but out of the three times he's been bitten two have been at the ward building. I guess they don't spray the parking lots. Poor little Jack. I feel even worse for him when his mean Mom pops the bites. I just can't help myself. Is there a name for a person who loves to pop zits and ingrown hairs even if it inflicts pain? An "Abbyite?" That sounds about right.

Sadie's little pals

Even if Sadie has voiced concern over missing her friends in Virginia and Lizzy in Utah, she can't deny there are some pretty awesome ones here. We love all of Sadie's little buddies around here. Her CTR 4 class has 18 kids. The boys are "unplayable" of course, but that still leaves quite a few southern belles for Sadie lady.
I love listening to them in their imaginative voices when they have tea parties on the deck outside. I keep thinking they're calling me when they say "mom" but they're just taking turns being the mom and daughter. Here's their latest dialogue:
"Can I have a sleepover Mom", "not tonight Honey."
"mom, come quick I'm turning into a mermaid." "oh daughter, I'm changing into a mermaid too."
"Mother, I've lost my glass slipper." "oh no, where could it be?"
These phrases are all in high pitched tones because everyone knows that's what moms sound like.

Snow? We don't need no stinkin' snow!

Even though Mom and Dad are in heaven with this fantastic weather in Texas, Sadie has voiced some complaints. She talks often of making snow angels, and snow men outside. She wants to go sledding and play with Lilly in Virginia or Lizzie in Utah. I wish I could get her to appreciate how incredible it is to wear flip flops in January but Sadie is every bit as nostalgic as her mother. I too miss the snow (sometimes) but after hearing about Utah's red day inversion, I am happy to be where I am.
Cotton balls make great snow for the ponies to play in and we even found some old supplies I used in Virginia to make snowmen with Sadie's joy school. It's not snow, but it's the best we can do these days.

Sliding into 2011

2010 was full of change, the biggest being our move to Texas. We were hit with one last change before the new year began being the passing of our dear Grandma Beth. She passed away the 28th and with the funeral being on new years eve, it was inevitable that I would be spending the holiday solo (with exception to the two midgets I tote around). Chase flew to Utah Friday morning and returned home Saturday evening. The only entertainment left for me?...Sadie and Jack.
We were fortunate to have a beautiful day so we headed down to Central Market to feed the ducks and throw rocks in the water. We also had the splendid idea to get cafeteria trays and slide down the hill. The idea soon caught on and other children joined us. Sadie has been complaining lately of Texas' lack of snow. She was pretty excited to find you can still sled in Texas as long as you have a tray.
Even though Jack is grumpier than ever and won't eat ANYTHING, we managed to get a smile on his face once he saw the pond and rocks. The ducks had obviously been fed because they were lounging in grass surrounded by bread crumbs. They weren't baited by our offerings.

Jack even decided it would be fun to slide down the hill on his own...no tray. If I put him on the tray he strongly protested but then giggled as he flew down the hill.

I managed to get a cheese stick in Jack's system and was pleased as punch. I don't know if he's gotten picky or if his teeth are hurting, but I can only get him to eat his oatmeal in the morning. I've offered even the tastiest stuff, like chocolate milk, and he still refuses. I guess being outside on a picnic blanket distracted him enough to eat something for a change.
When we got home, we put "Grumpy Gills" to sleep and set about washing the car. After a few weeks my car starts to look like a storage unit/dump. Seeing that it was such a nice day we got in our flip flops and swimsuits and hosed her down. I had so much stuff in there I filled 5 recyclable bags to bring inside.
I love getting out the vacuum and cleaning out the car seats, crumbs, and foot prints on the back of the seats. After it was all clean we were wet and sweaty, but I felt like a new woman. To top it off we arranged the garage as well.
That night my cute neighbor (Ginger,you better be southern with a name like that:-) invited us over for a wild New Year's party. The kids ran around in the back yard, grumpy Jack occupied my lap and fed me carrots, and everyone else got loopier and loopier from their drinks. When Sadie's nose turned red we decided it was time to head home. I put the kids down, watched a chick flick, and went to bed at 10:30! I am so lame but I knew I would need my energy the next day if I had to tackle the kids on my own.

Chase had such a great time with all of his siblings. He said the funeral was amazing and so fun to hear all the stories about his Grandma. It really is a unique situation to have all your siblings around with no children and no spouses. I was jealous of his family time. I would love to head down to Zions and go backpacking with the Etherington clan. Hopefully it won't take a funeral to make it happen:-)

Wimberly

Another beautiful day too amazing to stay inside! Chase had a half day at work so we headed down south to Wimberly to experience antiquing at it's best. The lack of a particular blue pacifier made for a long hour drive. We even pulled over at a local grocery store to buy some new ones but Jack has become quite attached to his "bibi" and shoved the new ones away.

The trip inside the store wasn't totally in vain. I saw a woman wearing cowboy boot galoshes, and an old man with the gnarliest get up I ever did see. He had on a pink floral shirt tucked into brown pants cinched high with a belt. With the white cowboy hat and boots to complete his getup I was sorely wishing my camera had accompanied me inside. It made me smile to see him and all the other folks hanging about.
I love small towns. I love going into their little shops to find the perfect treasures. I found some twin beds that I totally fell in love with and Sadie found a miniature glass unicorn...of course. Jack never quite recovered from the drive down and the fact that we forgot his pacifier. I failed to mention that he didn't wake up for the day until 1 p.m!! He got some vaccinations the day before and with his new teeth coming in, he was super groggy and angry the entire evening. It wasn't until we finally sat down to eat dinner and let him dip his own sweet potato fries in the ketchup that he smiled a little. We also had our first (and last) taste of fried pickles.

Now just because I don't want an animal of my own doesn't mean I can't drool over a squishy, furry little blob of a cat dozing on a bench. I was quite taken with this cat and told Chase he needed a home. Chase wasn't fooled.
On the way out of town, we went to the Trail of Lights where they have 8 acres of land totally adorned in Christmas lights. They had local artists singing carols, hot chocolate, and even Cinderella's carriage all lit up for Sadie's pure enjoyment. I love how festive everyone is around here.



The drive home was equally as eye opening for little Jack and quite the opposite for little Sadie. Jack couldn't decide if he wanted the new pacifier or not and went from loopy to whiny the whole way home. I don't know how Sadie slept through it all, but she did.

We're hoping for better days with our little Jack. We realized after he refused to eat a chocolate peanut butter cup that there was nothing we could do to alleviate his grumpiness. I remember Sadie going through the same thing when she had her molars coming in. Not fun for anyone involved.

It was however, a fun little excursion and we can't wait to go back when they have their butterfly festival in April.

P.S. Clifford has a new side kick in the form of a stuffed pony named Acornia. A Christmas gift from Pops and CC and at her side 24/7. I think Clifford is jealous.