SuperBowl Sunday

We had a fairly simple Sunday today. We overslept a little and there was no chance of us making it to church in time {and take showers!}. Which meant extra play time in the morning. Noah's choice?

MegaBlocks and trains.

No surprise here. But we've gotten to the point in childhood where he understands that stores have more toys... because this morning, Noah started asking for the Mavis and quarry set. We've had our eyes on it for a while and have been waiting for it to go on sale/clearance. He knows though, that Target and the "Diesel Store" {Wal-mart! ha!} have it... and asked several times if we could go get it.

We offered Chuck E. Cheese or the new set.

He chose Chuck E. Cheese.

Which was fine with us. I'm sure we'll eventually get him the set! Both Mommy and Daddy like to spoil sometimes.

Ellie looked too cute with her pigtails before we left for lunch, so I made a point to take some photos BEFORE we left.

Which was good... since it got a little messed up on the way there and back.

Once up from his nap, Noah was very excited to get to paint his "Chucky Cheeeese paint paper, please Mommy!". Lucky for me, this Little One loves his arts and craft time.

He also seems to like the Black Eyed Peas.

Snow Day {No more}

The snow days are officially over. Even though he normally doesn't work on Saturdays, Ben had to work today. Practically normal work hours, though he didn't have to be in until nine {due to still slightly low temps and ice}.

We already missed him by 9:10 am.

After breakfast, we pulled out our forts and tunnel. I had actually meant to get them out yesterday, but didn't remember until after Ellie had gone to bed for the night. So, instead, we played in them all day today.

{I so wish I had a wide angle lens for a shot like this!}

Ellie crawled up and down the tunnel, from tent to tent, non-stop for nearly 30 minutes.

She was ready for a nap soon thereafter.

Which meant Noah started requesting the "baby tv" {as promised by Daddy, last night at bedtime} immediately after I walked out of Ellie's room.

His request? "Hero Thomas {again} in the Pwincess fort".

Once the kids woke up from their afternoon naps, I decided it was time to finally leave the house after being cooped up here since Monday. Our one and only destination?

Sonic. Cherry Limeade for Noah and Diet Coke with cherry and vanilla for me.

Once back home, we painted leftover trains and planes from Noah's birthday party.

Even Ellie got in on the fun.

She quickly tired of painting {once her hands were covered with paint from handling the brush, she was done}, so while Noah finished up and I got dinner together, she enjoyed a quick episode of WordWorld.

We were all happy to have Daddy back home, just in time for dinner.

Speaking of dinner time, by the time we sat down to eat, the snow was all but gone from our backyard:

Glad it came for the fun time with family, but glad it has gone too!

Snow Day {Take FOUR}

The base was closed, again, today. We're not complaining, by any means, and are grateful that Ben was able to just spend the week at home with us. But, all this snow and ice does have it's downfalls: like messing up our weekend plans {no Man Camp Advance for Ben, no Nana and Papa's house for the kids, and no weekend to craft away with my friends for me}, messing up our back-up weekend plans, and causing Ben to have to go in to work tomorrow, on a Saturday.

BUT, I'm glad we got some time together. To slow down and enjoy each other, to play in the snow, and to fight a losing battle against Ben in Wii Yahtzee.

Oh, and to make a second batch of the week of chocolate covered pretzels.

The temperature came up today {to a whopping 32*!} and the sun was out, so since it was considerably warmer, we took both kids out to play after their naps.

Ellie was not pleased.

At all. Every time I tried to get her to play, she'd just scream and cry and cling to my leg for dear life. As if the snow was harming her!


She lasted all of about two minutes.

Noah, on the other hand, was in heaven. He and Daddy built little snowmen...





which Noah loved to knock over.

They built a snow fort...

which, again, Noah loved to knock over.

I think they spent nearly a hour outside, building, knocking down, and building again snowmen, snow forts, and snow tunnels. Before he went to bed, while I putting Ellie down and cleaned up the kitchen, he and Daddy built a blanket fort in the living room and read stories. Lots and lots of stories.

I love snow days.

And so does Noah - it was all he talked about as we put him down for bed: "Daddy and Noah a team in cold snow. Build fort and snowmen, Mommy. I knock 'em down. Daddy and Noah a good team."

Yep, Buddy. You most certainly are.

Snow Day {Take Three}

The base was closed, again, today. We were actually a little surprised, but when you consider that the city still hasn't cleared many of the main roads {due to lack of working trucks}, I suppose we shouldn't have been surprised. Tomorrow is already set for a noon report time and Ben is fairly convinced that it will be closed tomorrow as well.

This morning, while Ellie was napping and I was working around the house, Ben was working on cleaning up his side of the closet and Noah was "helping" him. All of the sudden, Noah comes running into the living room, telling me that he wants to watch Curious George Christmas. Without hesitation {or waiting for me to say yes}, he grabs it out of the cabinet and runs back to our bedroom. Within seconds, I hear it starting!

Confused, I grabbed my camera and followed.

Daddy had pulled out the "baby tv" for Noah to watch. He watched the entire movie on it while Ben cleaned.

Lunch was eaten together, at the kid table. Ellie loves sitting there {and getting up, repeatedly}, and Noah begs for her to sit with him. He constantly reminds her to stay seated too, so that she won't have to go sit in the highchair.

After naps, while I was sewing and Ben was still purging his clothes, Noah convinced Daddy to let him watch another movie on the "baby tv". Ellie got to get in on Hero of the Rails also.

The snow days have made it easy for me to get in some extra crafty time. Last week I made a couple of items for my friend Angie, who is having a little girl this summer:

Earlier in the week {Tuesday, I think?} I made Noah a Trains-to-Go carrier similar to the Cars one that I made him.

He loves it. But I knew he would, he was pretty excited just when we bought the fabric last week.

Today's project was something for Ellie. But before I show what I made, I've got to give a little bit of a back story. The day that Ben and I started dating was the day he returned from his Grandpa Crew's funeral. I never got to meet Grandpa Crews, but from what I hear and have learned about him, I'm pretty sure that I would love him just as much as the rest of his family did.

Grandma Lucy knows how much Ben loved Grandpa Crews, so she has given Ben several of his old shirts. A couple of them have been right up Ben's alley and he's actually worn, on more than one occasion. But some of them, well, either don't fit or just aren't Ben's style. The only problem is, it's hard sometimes, to just "get rid of" clothing or things that belonged to some one that you love so much.

Like this shirt:

We actually think it *might* be the same shirt that Grandpa Crews is wearing in the photo above from their 50th wedding anniversary party.

So, when I saw this tutorial on Made, I knew exactly what shirt I wanted to use for a dress for Ellie. Because a dress for Ellie, made from her Great-Grandpa's shirt... priceless. And, who knows... I'll bet that any other great-granddaughters that come along will wear it too.

It turned out pretty cute. It already makes me ready for summer.

And the Little One wearing it? Just as cute. And just as ornery as I hear that her Great-Grandpa {and Daddy!} was.

Snow Day {Take Two}

Ben had the day off again today. It's SO fun and nice to have him home during the day. The kids love the extra attention and I love the extra help. ♥

Noah woke up again this morning convinced that Santa was coming. And that he needed a present. Because snow = Christmas in his mind. Love that kid. So Ben, being the loving and generous Daddy that he is, pulled out a Lego kit that he had purchased a while back for when Noah is a little bit older and gave it to him.

Noah was so excited.

He was excited for the little wheels and the little Lego man that rides in the car.

He loved the little telephone that the Lego man could hold in his hands.


I loved that it kept both of them entertained for a little while.

We needed groceries. In a bad way. We usually do one big trip at the beginning of the month, so it was definitely time to stock back up. So before Ben left to go to Walmart, he took Noah out back for a little bit.

Noah's first request: that Daddy make his a snowball.

Ben finally made it back from Walmart {three hours later} and took a much needed nap with Ellie. And despite having slept for nearly two hours herself, I caught Ellie dozing during Jonah too.

After dinner, baths, and putting Ellie to bed, Daddy and Noah played a couple of rounds of the CandyLand Castle Game.

Played being the operative word.

Snow Day

Last night, just as Ben got home, the rain started. Rain which turned quickly to freezing rain, which eventually turned to snow. We woke to probably around four inches of the fluffy white stuff already on the ground, which by the time the snowfall stopped this afternoon was nearly six inches deep. A drop in the bucket compared to what some are getting, but for us, it's more than enough. It was also enough snow {and ice} to close down the base, giving Ben a "Snow Day" at home with us.

Noah was thoroughly excited about the snow. He asked to go sledding {we don't have a sled}, he asked for presents {Christmas was over a month ago, Sweetie}, and when Ben asked him if he wanted to go outside after breakfast, he willingly and excitedly bundled up.

Ben taught him how to make and throw a snowball.

Which was awesome.


But it was stinkn' cold, so I left them outside to play.

They had a blast. A blast that lasted about only ten minutes. And Ellie and I had a blast watching them from inside the nice warm house.

The rest of our snow day was spent watching Thomas and Word World, playing Thomas, sleeping, and watching the snow fall.

Oh, and a little scrapbooking too.