You promise?

This is Finley's new favorite phrase. Well, it is tied with saying “Mama Mia!!” from watching us play Mario Cart on the Wii. She is too funny. She will say “don't tickle me – you promise?” “don't scare me – you promise?”
She also says that everything is “scary” A teddy bear, a stain on a shirt, food on her plate. She says “it scary”. She seems to just be trying out new words that she hears, and is getting a little mixed up!

Sunday we didn't go to church because church was canceled after we had all of that snow and then over night rain and ice, and then snow again starting Sunday morning. I think we got around 15 inches of snow when all was said and done. We have a really steep driveway and try that we might, we cannot get the van back up the hill. Mat has dug most of it out, but because there is a solid layer of ice at the bottom, there isn't enough traction for that big heavy car to come up. So maybe in March, we won't have to walk from the bottom of the driveway to the top and visa versa. That will be nice. We did get part of the way up this afternoon and got stuck. We came inside and waited awhile and went back out. We tried to back down. Could not figure out why we couldn't got backwards – the back wheels would not go anywhere. It was the strangest thing. Mat would dig, we would try to move – nothing. The front wheels would just spin. I was looking at the manual for any clues, and I came across something on the parking break. I look at the dash board. Yep. Parking break still on. “Uh honey?? I figured it out.” And you know what???? It was SO much easier when the parking break was off. Imagine that.

We have had two really cold days. Yesterday's high was 14. 14!!! And with the wind it felt like -1. That isn't even a temperature. That is minus temperature. Ridiculous. Today was a warmer day with a whopping 24 degrees. At least tomorrow and Thursday are going to be warmer and hopefully melt that ice. I don't even care if we have a white Christmas anymore. I want the ice gone.

Monday was my last day of work for the week. (more on that later) The kids were completely bananas of course. Not only was it Monday after a three day weekend, it was there last full day of school. I saw 40 kids, of course, and mostly for excitement brought on aliments. But it was a fun day. Here were my two cute kids of the day:

3rd Grade Girl: My head hurts above my eye
Me :Did you bump it?
Girl: I don’t think so
Me: Do you have a headache?
Girl: Well, 3 or 4 weeks ago I had to take aspirin – it feels like that again.
Me: So you have a headache?
Girl: I’m not sure.  Can I have an ice pack?

Boy: my eyes hurt when I blink them really fast like this (proceeds to demonstrate)
Me: Then don't do that and go back to class.

Mat and I decided to play hooky do some last minute shopping today without the kids. Arlington had a full day of school, but I was only missing a half a day so this was a good day to be gone. I even had a sub to cover me! I got really lucky. We started our day by dropping the kids off at school and then dropping our van off for new tires. We got our last minute gifts, walked around, relaxed, and even had a nice lunch out together. We were going to try and catch a movie, but the shopping took longer than we thought it would, so we didn't get that in. Oh well. Next time! (and there WILL be a next time) But after we brought the kids home, our relaxation came to an end. The kids had a tough night. A lot of crying, fighting, and trouble making. They are over excited, overtired, and overwhelmed (that is Arlington, Finley, and Cainan – in that order!!). We were so happy to put them to bed.

The kids are being a riot this week. Especially Finley. Now that the presents are under the tree, she is having a harder and hard time leaving them alone. She did break through one of hers, which we quickly repaired. It was an accident. She leaned on it and broke the paper. About every 5 minutes she asks “is it Christmas time? Can I open my presents?” That is so fun. There is a candy cane ornament that hangs on a low rung on our tree. Finley spotted it the other day and said “I love candy canes”. She took a taste of the candy cane on the tree wich is made of FELT. Then she said “that one doesn't taste good”. What a goof.

This weekend Arlington, Finley and Mat build a snow man. With the rain/ice we had, it made the snow firm enough to finally build one. The built a really big one, and then a little one. Finley mostly watched. Cainan wasn't interested in going out. He and I stayed in the warm house. I was happy one kid wanted to stay in the warm. Finley kept calling the snowman Frosty. “Hi Frosty” she would say. Arlington wanted to knock the snowman down when she was done – just for fun. She was able to knock over the little one. But as for the big one, Arlington tried with all of her might to break her snowman down. I put a series of pictures below showing her jumping on it, and it would not come down. She thought it would be fun to break it apart before she went inside (since it started raining and it was doomed anyway), but she couldn't bring this snowman down. Tough guy! (and guess what? He survived the rain) And he is STILL there three days later.

Arlington woke up crying the other night. I went up to see her and she had a bad dream that she “broke”. Guess that came from the snowman! Guilt??
Arlington brought home all kinds of stuff from school this week. There is a present for Mat and I under the tree that she made. She won't let us peek until Christmas! She rearranges it all the time – it is cute. Her Kindergarten teacher bought each child a book – it was so nice! She had her Kindergarten Christmas party yesterday at school and got to eat all kinds of goodies. I think all of the excitement finally caught up with her this evening because she was very tearful by bed time over little things.

Tomorrow is a low key Christmas eve. Mat actually has to go to work for a few hours (boo) but the kids and I aren't going anywhere. It is supposed to rain most of the day, so we will be inside. We are going to church at 5pm, and then once we put the babies to bed, Arlington, Mat and I are going to watch a Christmas movie before she goes to bed. Once she goes to bed, we will get the last minute things together! I can't wait until Thursday! It is going to be so much fun.

I took a picture of all the wonderful Christmas cards our family has received. We would like to thank each and every one of you for beautiful cards! I love hanging them up and enjoying them over these next couple of weeks. All of them are so unique.

I know it is a little late, but I hope most of you had a chance to catch “A Home For the Holidays” on CBS tonight. It is in support of adoption, which, of course, is a cause close to our hearts. Did you know some of the well known celebreties were adopted? Faith Hill, Jamie Foxx, Kirsten Chenoweth, Dave Thomas (owner of Wendys) Keyshia Cole, Sarah McLaughlin, Daunte Culpepper, Steve Jobs.. At this time of year, we hug Cainan a little tighter – so glad that he is with his forever family and not in the orphanage anymore. But no everyone is so lucky. American children, international children- many will wake up Christmas morning without a mommy and daddy to wish them Merry Christmas. If adoption is in your heart, we encourage you to persue it further. We would love to talk with anyone interested in adoption and would be happy to share our story. If you give a child a loving home, they have a chance to become someone GREAT. Check out the website: A Home for the Holidays

Have a great couple of days. Merry Christmas to all!! I will blog while I can over the next two weeks. I might not be able to – we will see. If I don't get a chance, I will see all of you in the new year! Enjoy the pictures!