Let it snow!

Between Friday night and Saturday night we received 24-30 inches of snow.

Faifax County Public Schools announced closures for the entire week (we were supposed to have school through Wed.).

Merry Christmas to us!

Naughty List

Yesterday Alice and Bryant had the following conversation about Santa's naughty list.

Bryant: Alice, you're going to be on the naughty list.

Mom: that's not a nice thing to say.

Bryant: I know. Benjamin told me I be on the naughty list, and I'm freaking out.

Alice: What does "freaking out" mean?

Bryant: It's like when you're sad and you get frustrated and stuff.

Alice: No, it means like you're frustrated and can't hold your temperature (temper:)).

We have to love these rugrats of ours.

Todd

Chopping wood

Bryant and I chopped some wood for a fire tonight. Having a working fireplace is a real plus at this house. Snow is forcast for Saturday.

Time Flies

Life is good. Time is flying and I can't get enough done. The weather today is in the 60's and it is sunny and beautiful--I hope sorta hope there is snow for Christmas but for now I'm sure happy.

Kids in Cars Video

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

So here is a recipe that I made last Sunday (it was great on Fast Sunday)

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cut brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag Hershey's Kisses

350 degrees in oven for 8-10 minutes.
Put the Kisses on the cookies as they cool.

I doubled the recipe, and it was awesome.


A kitchen full of cookies is a beautiful thing!!

Where Did The Summer Go?

Well, on Tuesday school starts and summer is officially over. We had some fun while it lasted though and here is a quick recap on some of our adventures...


We spent the 4th of July in Washington D.C. and it was truly spectacular!!!
The Parade in the morning, the fireworks at night and TONS of people in between.


Benji


Me and Baby Bear


Todd with Miranda on his shoulders


Todd with Benji on his shoulders


Todd with Alice on his shoulders


Sleepy babies


The best fireworks I have EVER seen!




More fireworks at home with Grandma Lee
The second best fireworks ever!



A few days later we spent a perfect day at a park and then a place called Hidden Pond

Moving again

So our lease in this wonderful house we've been in since just before Blair was born last December, is up in September, so we have to move. We hate moving, although it does present a wonderful opportunity to shed some of the items we've accumulated over the years. With 5 kids it's so easy to accumulate "things". It looks like we've found a place. It's not too far from where we currently live, and best of all, it's in our same ward which we really like. Hopefully all the paperwork will get done this week and we won't be stressing too much even though we will be moving 3 weeks into the new school year. Wish us luck!

She's crawling

It's official, Baby Bear is now a crawler. I was expecting her to start with an Army crawl like Amy's baby Jack-Jack, but no. She is a tank, and with that much weight behind her, you better stay out of her way.

The sweet life of Todd and Kara

Have you ever had one of those sunday mornings that is somehow less than spiritual? You know, one of the ones where every child has been in tears at least once and both parents are on the verge of putting themselves in a good old fashioned time out?! One of those Sundays where you sit down late and grumpy just in time to sing the opening hymn--which just happens to be Love At Home?

Long pause, awkward silence...

Me neither. But I'm sure that if it ever did happen the irony of it all would strike me so funny that mom and Rachel could almost hear my muffled laughs should they happen to be sitting three rows up.

On a brighter note, other things have been going on that are a little more fun to remember...


Alice and I made a grass doll



Todd went deep sea fishing on the high adventure and grew a two week beard





we went camping at Pocahontas State Park with Justin and Rachel and Grandma Lee

We are alive and kicking

Life is pretty much passing us by! I find myself always running a little behind (o.k. a lot behind). At any given time on any given day you will find me behind in one or all of the following ways: cleaning up after the latest bombed out mess, changing a diaper, feeding the family (when I get too far behind we have breakfast for dinner and I just count myself ahead for tomorrow), picking someone up, dropping someone off, sending birthday cards...you get the picture--needless to say, blogging is only one of the ways that I've gotten behind!

This has been an eventful year. In December we added 'Baby Bear' to the family. Her real name is Victoria Blair and she is a fat and happy addition--bringing joy to the masses. She is now almost 7 months old and we lost count at almost 20 pounds a couple of months ago.






All the kids are great! Miranda just finished first grade and is an excellent reader! She was a delight to her teacher and now I'm excited to have her to myself for the summer! She is a tease but the kids love to have her as a leader in play!





Benji learned to read at home this year and is getting ready to go to school with Miranda in the fall. He constantly amazes me with how much he learns on his own and his ability to accomplish any project he puts his mind too!





Alice wowed her dance teacher in her little jazz dance class and recital--she has got rythm! She learned a lot this year with Benji in our little school and she can hardly wait to be the 'big kid' at home with Bryant in the fall.





Bryant captures the heart with his Dennis the Menace look and lifestyle! He gets himself into a lot of trouble but his blond hair and big brown eyes get him right back out. He has mastered the art of getting what he wants by telling me that, and I quote, "daddy (or grandma or my teacher--whomever he deems to be more effective on a case by case basis) said I need to have ice team (cream) for bekfast (breakfast)."





Todd is done with his second year of teaching and the first year of his masters. He left today with the scouts on a week long High Adventure camp out near Virginia Beach. They are canoeing out to an island and later in the week will be doing some deep sea fishing. We already miss him.

I am busy and happy and proud of our little clan. It is great to have mom here! I am actively trying to get her to stay, though she still says she's leaving me in the fall--if you want an upDATE on her life you'll have to ask her.

And here is where I sign off with no promise of future posts--so as not to get further behind!!!