This past month has been a whirlwind of snow days, family functions, xmas programs, christmas cookie making, parties, and most recently...illness! We survived the holidays being illness free but unfortunately, right before Uncle Dave, Aunt Anna and Hads came in town, influenza A struck our home. It was not pleasant but I think we're finally getting over it...only after about $200 in copays and prescriptions! I love winter! We sure were busy throughout the month of December though, and Xmas consisted of at least a week of present opening. Brody kept asking everytime we left the house, "Where are going to open presents now mom?" Spoiled! They all got so much stuff it was ridiculous. Brody got a remote control dino, Fixing Thomas, Christmas in Toytown Geotrax, light up dino slippers, a dino bike...and so much more! Finley got an art easel, a Hello Kitty bike with a carrier for Darla on the back, a dollhouse, an Olivia pig, clothes, pajamas, light up unicorn slippers, and shoes for Darla. Quinn got books (her favorite thing on earth), an elmo purse, lacing beads, a kitchen with food, and a princess bike of her very own. She can't wait for Daddy to assemble it and for it to warm up so she can keep up with her siblings! She's been trying to ride her sister's big bike forever now. Brody and Finley were very excited about their Christmas Program at preschool in the church, most of the family came and they said they would both sing, but when the time came, only one of them sang. Brody sang a little and I'm not sure if Finley ever opened her mouth! We're hoping the dance recital this summer goes a little differently. It didn't really matter though b/c of course she was the cutest girl on the stage! Quinney has been talking our ears off. She is saying so many new words...water, snack, movie, hey dude, Dave, baby and so many others. She is still loving Baby Einstein DVD's and I don't see that changing. Still has the binky, although there is talks of that going away...I just don't know which one of us actually wants to take it away from the junkie :) She officially loves men, Papa Greg, Papa Dennis, Uncle Dave, and of course Daddy. She definitely loves her mom most of all but she loves the boys :) She can give kisses now. She makes all kinds of faces. It just seems like she's really grown up a lot in the past month, talking a lot more, etc. Finley is about 30 yrs old now. She is like Quinn's mom and is like talking to a teenager most days. She tells everyone in the house what to do, and most of the time she's right. Key phrases from today were "what the hell?" and "goddammit." Those didn't sit too well with us, they said they heard it from a movie that Grandma let them watch, Jurassic Park. We'll be putting that one away for a while! GG bought us hermit crabs back in Dec. They are the most hassle free pet ever and the kids do love them. They love bath time the most. That's about the only time they aren't too scared to come out of their shell. But let's face it, if you had two 3 yr olds and a 2 yr old staring at you, poking at your shells, and tapping on your tank all day....would you be anxious to come out and take a look around?! Finley's is painted yellow like tweety bird and her name is Sunshine. Brody's is painted like a black football helmet so we call him Crash. House is still for sale but no buyers yet. Brody still continues to ask almost everyday if strangers are going to come look at our house again?! We've had more snow and school cancellations already than I've ever wanted. Kids love to build frosty's in the yard with daddy though. Quinn didn't have a snowsuit that fit for the first snow so the twins spent the morning throwing snowballs at poor third baby through the glass front door. She thought it was hilarious but I thought it was child abuse, so now she has a snowsuit as you can see, she won't be left out! Uncle Dave just came in town this past weekend, we had a lot of fun even though we were on the mend from influenza. Hads showed up wearing a tshirt that said, "I'm going to be a big sister!" We were all thrilled at the idea of having another cousin. 6 grandkids...dysfunctional family vacations just got a lot more interesting....just when you thought they couldn't right?! The cousins had a great time playing this past weekend. I think the weekend highlight had to have been a fight between Brody and Lennon that turned into wrestlemania over a sleeping bag. Aunt Steph...I think they LOVED the dog sleeping bags so much that we're going to have to order one for Len. When we pulled that out at Grandma and Grandpa's house, he went nuts and latched onto a dog ear and refused to let go! Brody wasn't giving up his dog sleeping bag, they are their new favorite things! Needless to say it was hilarious and we got the whole thing on tape! We also had to remove yet our 2nd door handle when Hads locked herself into another room, flash back to Destin in Sept! This time she was alone in the bathroom but refused to unlock it again just the same. All in all, it was a good family weekend for the cousins! Brody's still working on being a t-rex, he has the stomp, the roar, and the head turning down pat. He can even roll his eyes! He's currently taken up aggravating his younger sister as his full time job. She hates to be touched so he tries to do it as much as possible...all you hear all day long now is, "stop Brody..." Never gets old! Something else that never gets old lately, seeing how many blankets and bedding we can drag out of the closet to build forts! We take all the couch cushions and pillows from everywhere, add in the bedding from our beds, then take all the clean blankets out of the linen closet, and you've got the best fort ever...and the biggest mess to clean up later also! I guess I will eventually miss these days right? I do know that someday they will trade in the blanket forts for electronic games and cell phones and will stay locked in their bedrooms so we try to enjoy them...they are growing too fast! If I could just freeze their little voices singing "Frosty the Snowman" all over the house this entire season! I can't wait for another Xmas....but I need them to not get any older please!
