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 I called Emma upstairs to look at the HUGE snowflakes falling outside… and she responded by asking me to come outside and catch them on our tongues with her.  I am so glad I did!  We laughed like crazy about snow falling in our eyes and it was wondrous and beautiful and looking up at the sky filled with blowing snow took me back to my childhood and made me remember how much I love winter after all.   (Note my flip-flops in our self-timer picture… so hard for me to give them up!)

 I ran across this picture tonight and had totally forgotten about it.  It is a story well worth telling but since I have wasted away my evening watching the Twins win their division in a twelve-inning baseball game, it is a story for another night.  (I am afraid I might never record it though if I don't give myself a visual reminder!)  By the way, I LOVED the baseball game.  What has happened to me?!?

If you were wondering what I was thinking about while I cleaned the kitchen in solitude tonight (after all the mess-makers went to bed) – you are in luck:  I guess with noone to talk to I feel compelled to write it down.  

– That it is 'girls night' – when the guys all go to the general Priesthood meeting and the girls hang out.  It has been years, actually, since I have formally done this; living so far away; but I still always call my mom and sister and chat, or bother them while they have 'girls night', because it's tradition.  But what I was thinking while I swept was that no matter what fantastic night out we had with the girls, it wouldn't be great if the guys weren't where they were supposed to be, being the wonderful Priesthood holders that they are.  So thanks, guys, for making girls night so great… even when I spend it cleaning my kitchen by myself.  

– That there are 5 chocolate chip cookies on a plate in my kitchen, and if I lived all alone and noone but me would know I was so selfish and so piggish (which is worse?) I would eat them all.  Right now.  

– Zach told me tonight that he didn't think girls brains were as good as boys brains for "going to work and stuff".  That opened a discussion that pushed back bedtime a good 1/2 hour.   🙂   I am so glad that even though my brain would work fine "going to work and stuff", that I get to use it at home.  

– Carter, ever my talker, kept calling swedish fish "gum-bo" today.  It took me forever to figure out why… finally, I discovered that all candy is "gumballs" – or "gum-bo".   He ate more swedish fish than I am prepared to admit.  I am a responsible mother as far as food goes except on special occasions… and conference weekend is all about the food.  Okay, not ALL about the food…

– I love to listen to Emma read stories to herself.  She was reading in her bedroom while I got Carter to sleep… and I heard her talking about "Sam"… she makes up names and everything.  I stayed in there even after Carter fell asleep so I could keep listening to her made-up versions and smiled and smiled.  

Courtesy of Zach, whose latest entertainment is dressing up Emma.  She sure is a good sport.  

Can you tell he likes it?  

Some of our favorite family times towards the end of the summer were hiking out at Oxbow park.  It was beautiful and peaceful and FUN.  The kids always loved doing the balance beam at the end and our funny little Carter spent most of the summer hiking his shorts up, as shown.  This particular hike we had to cut short because it was dark before we finished… we are looking forward to finishing it in the spring!

I was so proud, until I realized I had taught Carter this cool game right before he started nursery.  Having been a nursery leader, I am very sorry for the damage he will likely do with his new skill.  Download MOV03966

Not the kind that serves water to football players.  The kind that talks about water incessantly.  Right when he wakes up.  At 4am (when he shouldn't be up!).  In the rain.  At the dinner table.  The kid loves water.  And if you needed proof… these were all taken on different days.  And there are many, many more.   I sure hope he likes snow, too.

… usually looks like this.  Star Wars shirts, swimsuits, clubhouse, pools.  Happy kids.  Mom that doesn't want to go in and make dinner while the Minnesota sun shines and the weather is warm.  I am missing summer already… although it is amazing how much fun it is possible to cram in between school and dinner.  

It seems like not long ago I was carrying Emma (usually still sleeping from her afternoon nap) into preschool to pick up Zach.  And now I will be carrying in sleepy Carter to pick up Emma… who is now my BIG preschooler!  She has been excited about going ever since Zach went… she was a little nervous on meet the teacher day, but she took a pocket taggie today and walked right in with a big smile, ready to swing and paint every day.  I am so proud of my big girl… and can't wait to hear all about her big day!