Snow Day!

Onnie made a window in the snow fort

We have had a great snow day!  The kids were out of school today(first time Toronto has had a snow day since 1999).  Tabitha and Lucy were really excited to have Onnie and Cassidy home today.  We watched movies this morning and played.  Then this afternoon(while Tabitha took a real nap-no waking her up to go to school for pick up), the kids and I went outside to play.  We worked on a snow fort, shoveled the stairs and sidewalk, and made snow cupcakes.  Cassidy said it was the best snow day ever!  We even got to see the snow truck come and plow our laneway.  After we finished, we came in and had hot chocolate and apple cider.  Cassidy helped me make roast chicken dinner.  It has been a great day!!

Lucy, Onnie, and Cassidy in their snow fort

Cassidy on top of the snow pile at the end
of the laneway

Lucy's Big Girl Bed

Lucy on her Big Girl Bed

Last night was Lucy's first night in her big girl bed.  Very exciting!!  Lucy has been very reluctant to stop sleeping in the crib (a problem we did not have with Onnie and Cassidy), so I have tried to get her excited about a new bed.  Thursday, I took her to pick out a pillow and some sheets; she picked out purple(there were no rainbow ones).  Friday, the bed arrived in two big boxes, which nothing is more fun than huge cardboard boxes.  So Sunday, while Jim went to pick up the mattress, I started putting the bed together.  Everyone helped, but we just could not get it done.  Lucy looked up at me and said "Mom, please finish building my big girl bed."  (All of those speeches about Moms can build too worked against me.)  So we compromised and she slept on the mattress on the floor.  Yesterday, I got  up early to start working on it.   Thanks to Jim,  the three drawers were all put together, so it didn't take Cassidy, Lucy, and I long to finish it.  Lucy was so excited!  Cassidy was a tiny bit jealous, but she still helped Lucy fix her bed up.

Last night, Lucy went right to sleep in the bed.  Jim was devastated because she did not want to rock.  Now we just have to convince her to let Tabitha have the crib!

The Big Girl Bed

She loves her owl pillow!

Snowtubing!

Jim, Cassidy, Maya, Onnie, Lucy, Carrie, Tabitha, Angela, and Jim

Saturday was a really, really fun day! We went to Barrie to visit Maya, Angela, and Jim, our old neighbors.  The kids were so excited to see Maya!  We met them at Ski Snow Valley to go snow tubing.  We were late(of course).  It takes a long time to get four kids dressed for snow.  Onnie was really excited to go to a ski hill.  His class had their first ski lesson on Friday, and apparently, Onnie is a natural.  Once we got our tickets, it was time to hit the tubes.  The kids tried out the little ones first, but then we went over to the Chicken Chutes.  They were the perfect size for the kids, although Onnie really wanted to go down the big ones.  Maybe next time.

After we had finished snow tubing, we went over to Maya's house to play and have dinner.  It was so nice to catch up with friends.  On the way home, Onnie said he wished he could rewind the day and do it all over!

Cassidy

Lucy

Cassidy and Onnie

Lucy going down with Dad

Cassidy

Onnie

Worn Out

Tabitha

Asleep

Asleep on the floor

Tabitha did something today that none of the kids has ever done;  she fell asleep on the floor.  I had taken her in Lucy's room(which will soon be her room too once we convince Lucy to move out of the crib) to change her diaper.  Tabitha was just smiling and talking.  After I changed her, I gave her a toy and went to throw the dirty diaper away.  I could hear her just playing away.  When I came back in the room(which was 30 seconds later), she was sound asleep!  I just stood there looking at her in disbelief.  After a few minutes it was clear she was really asleep, so I told Cassidy and Lucy to leave her alone.  Then I seized the opportunity and took a shower!

Tabitha must have really been comfortable because she slept until time to go get Onnie at school.  What a great baby!

Funny Things The Kids Say

Okay, so this is going to be an ongoing list of funny things my kids say because it is impossible to remember them all.  Like Onnie telling Jim "to stop talking to me like I am a robot" or Lucy's new word "lasternight", which is last night and yesterday combined.  I'll keep adding to the list(because you never know what they will come up with).

• 1/14/11  A conversation between Cassidy and Lucy.  Cassidy: Lucy, it is almost your birthday.  Lucy: I know, Sis.  Cassidy: And when you turn three, you are going to have really scary dreams!

• 1/15/11  Lucy asked Jim to leave the light on and the nightlight on when he tucked her in.  Jim told Lucy he only had enough money to leave one on, so Lucy picked the nightlight.  Around 1:30am, Lucy woke up.  Jim came downstairs and Lucy asked "Now do you have two monies?"

• 1/18/11 Walking home from school, an ambulance passed with its light and sirens on followed by a police car.  Cassidy yelled "Oh no, Mom.  Someone is stealing the hospital van!"

• 1/18/11 Cassidy just told me that she accidently swallowed a cherry stone today.  She said her teacher said it would be fine "because I can just poop it out.

• 2/15/11  Lucy and I walked out the door to go to music class.  I said "Look Lucy, it is a beautiful sunshine day."  Lucy said "I want to make a present for the sunshine.  It is so pretty!"

• 2/22/11 Lucy flushing the toilet "Bye bye, poopee.  I love you!"

Let's Go Sledding!!

Here is a video of the kids sledding yesterday.  We had so much fun.  I think Lucy discovered a new passion(and Jim a new form of exercise)!  Cassidy and Onnie had so much fun, and just wanted to go fast and over bumps.  Tabitha slept the whole time, but I bet next year she will love it.  You have to embrace winter.  It can be a lot of fun!!


Let's Go Sledding!! from Carrie Cooley Barbour on Vimeo.

A Wiggly Tooth

Onnie minus one tooth

Yesterday was an exciting day!  After Jim dropped Cassidy and Onnie off at school, he called and told me that Onnie had a wiggly tooth.  He said Onnie was so excited!  He told Jim that he had been "dreaming of this day." So I thought I better get something to put the tooth in for the tooth fairy.  Jim and I both thought it would take a couple of days to fall out(this is our first loose tooth experience).  So I came up with an idea and decided I would make it after Tabitha went to bed.

When I got to school, Onnie came bounding out the door.  He said "Mom, you won't believe what happened."  I told him I had heard that he had a wiggly tooth.  Then Onnie said "Yeah, and it came out in my sandwich!"  Then he gave me a big smile, and no tooth.  His teacher put it in an envelope, and Onnie wrote "Onnie's tooth" on it.  Cassidy wanted to see the blood, so the whole walk home, we had to talk about the tooth falling out and more blood talk than I would have chosen.  I was in a panic; I had to get that tooth fairy pillow made!  Thanks to a small tooth fairy miracle, I got it made while Onnie was at scouts.

Onnie put his tooth in the pillow, and he was pretty excited this morning to find a loonie.  The girls were excited too.  Cassidy told Lucy she saw the tooth fairy go out her window and then they had to discuss what color dress she had on.  Lucy said she "looked like a fairy, but not like Tinkerbell."  Who knew losing a tooth could be so much fun!

The envelope he brought the tooth home in

Onnie and his tooth fairy pillow

The tooth fairy pillow.  It hangs on the door,
so the tooth fairy doesn't wake anyone up!

Onnie with his loonie.  I had just told him one dollar won't buy lego.