I just love the snow!!

We got about a foot of snow this week, and I LOVED it!! If it is going to be cold, than I want there to be lots and lots of snow! I have always enjoyed playing in the snow and looking at the snow. It is really beautiful in my opinion. It is even more fun, now that I can share my enjoyment with my kids!!

This is Z's initial reaction to all of the snow Wednesday morning!:

He could barely walk in it, since it was so deep, but he tried:

He finally just gave up, and sat in the snow and ate it! I made some snow angels!

Today Brian, Zayden, and I all went sledding and we had an awesome time!! Zayden loved sledding!! (maybe as much as me)

Here is a picture of Z and I going down a hill (Zayden later called this Ice Mountain):

And here is a video of the boys going down "ice mountain":



Then we got the bright idea of trying to take a video of all of us going down the hill together on this big awesome sled we have. So......Brian laid on his back and held the camera. Z laid on his belly on Brian, and I kneeled between Brian's legs on the back of the sled and held onto Z.....maybe not the best idea, but it sure was fun:




This was Zayden's reaction after that (and after I wiped all the snow off his face):

He recovered quickly though, and 2 minutes after getting in the jeep to go home, he asked to go sledding again! ;)

It was too cold for Ivy to be outside. However, Zayden made sure she got her own thrill ride, while she was all bundled up in her carseat!

Work Funnies

The kids I work with often say VERY funny things also. Z isn't the only comedian in my life. I just wanted to share one I heard yesterday. I work with a little boy whose family is from Ethiopia. His older brother who turned 5 last week does not speak english very well, but he is learning. Yesterday he was telling me all about how he will be going to Kindergarten soon, and he was EXCITED! He registered apparently for school last week. I asked him if he knew what his teacher's name was yet, and he said, "Yes, Miss Stacy and Mrs. Sippi" I laughed sooo hard. His mom than said to him "Mississippi is a state!" and he looked at me and said, "Mrs. State!" I laughed all day thinking of Mrs. Sippi! I wonder if she does exist somewhere!

And here are 2 of my previous favorite work funnies said by one of my kiddos named Michael.

First of all when he was around 5, I was in the gym working with another child while he was working with an occupational therapist who is EXTREMELY serious! I was stretching a little girl, and listening to their conversation. The OT was playing simon says with him to try to get him to do things she wanted him to do some exercises with his arms. After she had him do a variety of things, she told him it was his turn to be Simon and he immediately said, "Simon says put your hands on your boobs!"

Another time I was working with Michael and I had him walking on a treadmill. While on the treadmill you can see out the window into the parking lot. So, he was walking and we were talking and looking out the window. We saw this woman run out of the building and run to her car very quickly. I assumed she was in a big hurry. I said to Michael, "Did you see that woman running to her car?" and he responded with "Yes, I am pretty sure she saw a ghost!"

16 Random things about me!

I just did this on facebook, but thought I'd share here too! I'm hoping maybe this will inspire some of you that read this blog to post some random things about yourself. So, if you are reading this than "Tag...you're it!" Your Turn to share!!

1. I love to play on playground equipment! Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons I had kids was so that I would have someone to play with at the park!
2. I feel very drawn to children in Africa, and feel compelled to try to help in any way I can. Some day I hope to go there to do some type of missionary work.
3. El Camino's make me mad! If I see one driving by, my day could be ruined.
4. I am/was closer to my grandmother(s) than my parents.
5. My grandfather wanted everyone including his grandchildren to refer to him as "King Daddy". He was a millionaire, but NOT a good person. My brother nor I ever spoke to him again once we became adults and made our own decisions.
6. When I was a child we were told to choose an instrument we would like to learn and play for band class. I chose the drums. My parents would not let me play the drums, so I Refused to play anything else. Then I took art class (despite any artistic abilities) instead of band. I still wish I could play the drums!
7. For Brian and my first date we played on exercise balls. He came to my apartment and I had 3 large balls from work. We moved my couch up against a wall out of the way in my living room, and then challenged each other by doing different tricks and stunts. It was then that I knew Brian was a keeper!
8. I figured out that my parents did drugs while watching the Karate Kid.
9. I never have known another brother and sister to fight as much as my brother and I as kids, and I don't know any other brother/sister who are closer than we are now.
10. I wish I had more time to spend with my friends.
11. When I was a kid I wanted to be the Ice Cream Man.
12. My mother and I don't have much of a relationship. I've only seen her once in the last half of my life. So, therefore I have never before expereinced a normal or healthy mother/daughter relationship. It made me nervous to have my own daughter at first. Now I feel so grateful to be able to experience the kind of mother/daughter relationship that I wished I would have had with my own mother. I plan to do this right!
13. My brother always tells people that he and I learned our morals and values by watching Little House on the Prairie and The Cosby Show.
14. I don't like talking on the phone.
15. When I was 18 or so, I had a hobby of rollerblading....but not just regular rollerblading. I would do all kinds of tricks. I could jump over medians, skate down stairs, jump up on park benches, do 360's in the air, etc...
16. I wouldn't change anything that has happened in my life. It has made me the person I am today, and I actually like that person.

Ivy at 6 months

Ivy had her 6 month professional pics taken yesterday! My favorite is the first one, which I ordered many of....but the one I ordered is more zoomed in on her face. She was so good during the pictures, but the photographer wasn't the best....luckily we still got some really good shots!!

Ivy's 6 month stats: 27 inches long, and 16 pounds 9 ounces (Z was 27.5 inches and 18lbs 2oz at 6 months)

This weeks pictures!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this past week!

Ivy Playing with her favorite Christmas toy!

Sleeping Beauty (kind of scary that she sleeps this way, but she always does this!):

Ivy enjoying her bath and her toes:

Ivy not enjoying her peas very much....but she liked them much better today!

Zayden finishing off Ivy's peas for her:

My new favorite picture! This is how they greeted each other this morning. Ivy was already lying down, and Z saw her and laid down across from her. They just laid there smiling at each other and Z was talking to her. I grabbed my camera, and Z laid his head down....and then Ivy laid hers on his! It was such a sweet moment!!

Zayden got to meet Batman today at the children's museum and he was sooo excited!! He even took the Joker with him to try to scare batman! ;)

One of Z's most exciting moments of his life! ;) :

Even Ivy enjoyed the batman activities!

Moments that should last longer.......

When I bring Ivy to bed early in the morning to nurse, and then afterwards she falls back asleep, and I roll her on her side away from me and then cuddle close to her lying my mouth/cheek on her head and take in her scent and feel her fuzzy hair. I could cuddle with her like that for hours.

When I know that Brian has Ivy, and I can really take my time and read Zayden his bedtime stories as he sits in my lap and we read together and talk about the different characters and things going on in the books.

When Ivy tries to climb up me like a little critter. She buries her little face in my chest, grabs onto my shirt or shoulder, and then tries to climb up me with her feet. She does this often after not seeing me for awhile and she wants to nurse!

When Zayden is completely engrossed in playing with his guys or animals, and he doesn't notice anything else around him. He makes up elaborate stories and activites as his guys talk, wrestle, play, and move from one area of the room to another.

When Ivy grabs my face with both of her hands and then leans in and gives me a baby kiss. I think she is actually hoping to find a nipple to latch onto somewhere on my nose, cheek, or mouth, but I call them her baby kisses!

When Zayden and Ivy laugh together. Zayden can get Ivy to laugh more than anyone else. He will start acting silly, and Ivy will laugh hysterically which then makes Zayden laugh. He'll continue to do his silly jumping around and Ivy will continue to laugh...Zayden will laugh....it has gone on for 10 minutes before, but I could watch them interact like this all day!

When Zayden acts overly protective of his little sister....like yesterday at the doctor's when Ivy started crying and Zayden started rubbing her arm saying, "It's okay. I'm here. Shhh Shhh Shhh", and then kissed her on her leg. Or when we were around another older baby(11 months) and Zadyen defended Ivy's toys and told the other baby to go away, and when the other baby didn't Zayden laid between Ivy and him, and when the other baby still didn't go away Zayden practially laid on top of Ivy and started crying because he was worried about her.

When Ivy is "supposed" to be nursing, but instead she just keeps pulling off and looking up at me with huge smiles and coos at me.

When Zayden tells me elaborate stories that make no sense to anyone but himself.

When Ivy chews on my finger. Even though this is now starting to hurt because of those 2 teeth, I still let her do it sometimes because for some reason I love it.

When Zayden wakes up, and I get him and he wraps himself around me and lets me hold him for awhile....but never long enough.

When either of them smile at me!

I am so happy and hopeful!!!!!