The mega teether (and snow)

The boys have been outside for about forty minutes now, shoveling our not-so-big driveway in blizzard conditions. This is the stuff Dylan lives for: purple cheeks, working hard, just like Daddy. Sean came home from work at 1PM and there was already anywhere from 5-9 inches of snow on the driveway depending on the height of the drifts.

Dylan and I had gone out to measure at about 12:30. His face was covered in Fun Dip, a Valentine's Day gift of glorious sugar from a classmate.











I was thrilled to see Sean pull in, not only because lunch was hot and ready for him and I was happy to spend the day with all three of my loves, but because my legs haven't been working well today and these poor kids were mostly entertaining themselves while I sat or laid down. I just don't understand how I can still have such crippling days a full year after having my thyroid removed. I was hoping to have this figured out by now.

Kate has been a horrible sleeper for the past few weeks, mostly because we've all been fighting a death cold and she kept croup coughing herself awake and we spent a lot of time sleeping while sitting up on the couch together. I knew she was teething, but I was beyond shocked when I looked in her mouth this morning. Look at this poor baby!

She is getting 4-6 teeth in all at once on top and possibly 2-4 on the bottom, although the bottom is half as bulgy as the top set. She spent a lot of the day on the couch with Sam, who is now barely limping from his partial torn ligament and strict bed rest.



It's 2:30 now and Kate is sleeping right through the incessant dog barking as the dogs pant and yelp at Sean and Dylan from the window. Jasmine and Sam have some pretty severe separation anxiety and don't handle the thirty feet separating them from their family very well. Sam is so sensitive that if you don't pet him long enough when you first come in the door he will find something--today it was one of Kate's Little People princesses--to chew until he feels better. Jasmine has been sticking her head in my lap all day because she is afraid of snow plows. Avery is our only normal dog. I sneaked out in my feetie pajamas to snap some photos of the boys.











Mr. Dylan boy just came in with Sean and said he needed a drink. A juice box? "No," he said, "muscle juice." Where does he get this stuff? He found a pudding Snack Pack instead and when I asked him if he was going to behave after having all of that sugar he replied, "Mommy, I'm gonna be wild and so crazy in this house. 'Cause, Mommy, I'm going to be running around and playing and eating and cooking and playing upstairs."

And look who is awake!




Ha. That face!



Dylan is now glued to the front window watching all of our neighbors snow blow their driveways. You know, I'm not even really sick of this snow right now. It's been pretty awesome today.

Little Valentine Man

Today was Dylan's Valentine's Day party at school. He couldn't wait to go. Possibly because he heard that candy would be involved. The kids were instructed to wear white and red. Dylan requested to wear his dressy shoes and gel his hair.



He was also excited to present his teachers with the cards he made them.





Dylan spent nearly an hour making these fabulous cards for his teachers and he showed great patience as he traced his name and the teachers' names on the front of the cards. Dylan is a lefty and neither of us has figured out how the heck a lefty holds a writing utensil just yet.

D came home hopped up on sugar and very content. We dumped his cards on the table and read them together as Dylan scouted for candy in his pile of valentines. I had forgotten just how exciting Valentine's Day is when you're a child. So special.

We rushed outside after Kate woke up from her afternoon nap because tomorrow is calling for a big storm and we wanted to play on the swing set while we could still hobble through the snow.



Kate was able to try out her new-to-her swing.










It's half an hour before bed and the two peanuts are playing with a bucket of snow in the living room. They love to play with snow indoors. I think Kate's about to get her two top teeth, they are bulging pretty hard and she's chewing on everything.

So here in the north we are used to this kind of snow, but my heart is with all of my friends down south who are experiencing some crazy weather. Lots of people are stuck in traffic as motorists aren't prepared for this kind of weather. The Governor of North Carolina said today during a news conference, "Don't put your stupid hat on." I've got my fingers crossed that the power stays on for everyone, nothing is harder than freezing in your own home.

And just for fun, I love this picture:



The entertaining result of taking a three-year-old boy's photo as he rocks away on a rocking chair.

The missing shovel

I caught this one getting into trouble this morning while Dylan was at school.



Pops heard my lack of voice when he called yesterday and offered to take Dylan to and from school for me so I could stay home and recoup from this flu bug. When he brought the little man home he also brought donuts and fancy bath soaps for me to help me feel better. Yep, my father-in-law is awesome.

We found Dylan's missing shovel in the yard! We were playing with it out back a few days ago and yesterday's storm buried it so the three of us were outside in the dark digging for Dylan's shovel when Sean came home from work last night. We didn't find it and Dylan was bummed he couldn't help shovel the driveway. So our goal today was to find that shovel before tomorrow's snowstorm.



He was so proud when he found it and immediately dumped a shovelful of snow on Kate's head. She wasn't pleased.




But that's what brothers are for, right?



Dylan yelled from across the yard, "Mom, can we take a load off, Fanny?" I feel like maybe I'm doing an OKay job raising my boy when he starts quoting The Band. I asked him to repeat what he had just said so I could get it on video but he was too busy working and he wouldn't say it again.



Swinging made Kate forget that she was snow-covered.



Then we went sledding for a few minutes.





Two times up and down a tiny hill...



And then Kate climbed off.









And after Dylan was done eating some "winter glass", as he called it, we went inside for some tomato soup and crackers.



Afterwards we played some Candy Land. Dylan said, "I'll be the candy, you can be the land." He cracks me up.