Sunday, February 27, 2011

Kammie's new look

A while back, Kammie brought home a paper from school that said she had had an eye exam at school. It really didn't provide much information other than that. We didn't think any more about it. More than just a few weeks later, she brought another note home that said, we sent home information that your daughter needs to go have an eye exam with an eye doctor, but we haven't gotten information from you that she has seen anyone. So, we quickly scheduled an appointment for January 31st and she does indeed need glasses. We decided on Walmart's vision center, picked out frames and ordered the glasses. Friday was the day the glasses arrived and now she can SEE!

Kam's in her new glasses.
They are blue on the inside, so this shot was trying to capture the color there.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Daffodils

The weather here in Arkansas is warm, then cold, then warm, then freezing cold, then nice, then snowy and the super warm again. So, my daffodils (and tulips) are alwasy confused about when to come up. They start when we get mild weather in January, and then it will snow on the stalks trying to peek up through the ground. But, my daffocils have persevered and began blooming this week. The first to burst out of it's bloom was a stalk that was bent in half by the weight of the snow we had just last week, but not broken all the way off. But that didn't stop it from blooming anyway. The grass is still brown, but the yellow flowers are coming out anyway. A welcome sight...

Here's the one with the bent stalk...
Close up...
All in a row...

Out with the old, in with the new

Our microwave died last Saturday night. So, we had to get a new one.

The old white GE...

The new satinless steel Panasonic...

If You Give a Pig a Pancake leads to progress

Sidnie is in love with the book If You Give a Pig a Pancake. She wants you to read it to her all the time. I decided, this past week, to finally dig out Jordan's old tap shoes, like they do in the book. And Sidnie has been delighted with the tap shoes ever since. Sidnie loves to wear them.

Here she is ready for bed, with those tap shoes still on her feet...


Well they actually have helped me teach her that it's okay to go to the bathroom WITHOUT having to take all of your clothes off from the waste down. We have tried many times to teach her this concept, but she will absolutely refuse to go until her pants and undies are all the way off. One day this past week, shortly after having me lace up those tap shoes onto her feet, she told me she needed to go to the batroom. I was able to convice her that she could go and without taking off the beloved shoes. And it worked! Now she is able to just pull down clothing to use the restroom and not "take it all off." It has been wonderful!

Valentine candy fun...

Kammie was trying to be nice to her sister, and share some of her Valentine's candy with her that she had gotten at school. The only problem, was that she did it at bedtime. During scripture study the next morning, as Sidnie was laying on Mom's lap, this is what we discovered, when she turned her head...

Nice huh?
Sidnie was not very happy about it.

We just had to wet her hair to work it out of those blonde locks of hers. Then later we had her take a bath, to wash out all the sticky mess. Sidnie was none too pleased about that either. And I can't say, as a Mom, that I was thrilled that my daughter was sharing candy with her little sister in bed after teeth had already been brushed.

Peppy's mouse' hunt

On Sunday the 13th, James was carrying Sidnie from the kitchen, around to the counter so she could eat her soup. Sidnie saw the cat outside the back door and said: "There's a little mouse." James looked and sure enough, there was a mouse, but not a little one. And Peppy was on the prowl. As we watched, the mouse tried to climb up the brick and then the screen. But it couldn't keep it's grip and the mouse fell into James' snow boot. James thought that was disturbing on more than one level. We had to intervene to get the mouse out of the boot and then we let Peppy have back at it.

Where'd that mouse go?
On the chase...
Swiping at the mouse, that is on the mat in front of Spencer's shoes...
Looks more like a rat in this photo...
Peppy resting (on the counter) after his hunt and kill...

Valentine's flowers

My Amaryllis was gorgeous for Valentine's and the pretty red bulbs were perfect for the holiday of Love.

February 13, 2011. Two flowers and two blooms.


February 15, 2011. Four flowers---one on it's way out and one just opening...

Valentine's Activities

To celebrate Valentine's day, I had James take the 3 older girls out to eat for a "date" on the Saturday before the official holiday. They went to Macaroni Grill and had a great time. I took the littles to Chuck-E-Cheese's to get tokens and play all the fun games. Zack invited his friend Luke. Here they are with their prizes.

Friday, February 11, 2011

"Flat Scotlyn"

Our cousin Scotlyn's preschool class is doing an assignment after the manner of the Flat Stanley book. She has chosen us (the Marshall's) and will visit us for three weeks in her "flat" form. We will do different activities with her and document our adventures. Luckily she got here in time to play with us in the snow.

Here is "Flat Scotlyn" with Sidnie and Spencer after building a big snowman.
Flat Scotlyn with Spencer and the improved snowman--we made his arms better with bigger sticks.
With Kammie on the snow pile.
With Sidnie out in the snow.

Silly Kammie

Kammie had fun dancing around after putting on Spencer's Knight helmet. Love the pig nose she created?

Making Valentine's

Since we were confined to our home for three days, we spent time making Valentine's to give out to Kam, Zack and Spence's friends at school on Monday for the Valentine's parties they will have. [It's a make up school day from all the snow days we've had. :)]
Spencer all smiles.
Spencer busy writing his name.
Zack signing his name.
Zack with a smile.
Sidnie coloring while we craft.

Ice Skating?

After our big snow storm, the roads were packed with hard snow and ice. Mom thought maybe the girls could strap on their ice skates and give the block a whirl. So, Kammie got ready right away. Jordan took a little bit longer and off they went. Some places were better than others as they went around the block. They also stayed in one area for a while, because it was a good ice skating spot. Fun!

Kammie ready to go hit the road in her ice skates.
Kammie and Jordan ready to go.
And they are off...

SNOW Days Galore!

On Tuesday the 8th, they called school off for the next day because of coming inclement weather. James work was also cancelled. On the radio they were calling it Snowpocalypse or Snowmageddon. So we slept in. At 7:30 am the snow had not yet begun to fall. By 8:30am when we got out of bed the ground was covered with a thin layer of fine snow. And it kept falling all day. We only got 6" or 7" inches, but for Arkansas and the South, that is enough to stop life dead in it's tracks. School has been cancelled for three days, eben though there has been no new snow since that first day. It has been bitter cold and stuff is not melting on the roads very quickly. And they don't have many snow plows. By the time I actually saw two trucks with plow blades going by, they weren't getting any of the hard packed snow and ice off the roads, so it didn't do much good.

Anyway, the kids got out there the first day to play in the snow. For Mom, it had lost it's excitement. Dad did shovel the driveway and the pile he made was used by Jordan, Kammie and Zack to dig out a snow cave. The snow wouldn't pack the first day either, so we waited until it started to melt and then when it was packable, Mom, Spencer and Sidnie made a huge snowman. Hopefully, life will get back on track soon. We enjoyed our time together as a family.

Sidnie out in the snow. (This picture was taken by Mom from inside the house through the window.)
Spencer on top of the pile of snow. (Also taken through the window.)
Jordan at work digging out the snow to make a snow cave with Zacky looking on.
Jordan still hard at work.
Zacky enjoying the snow cave from inside.
More Zack...
Sidnie pretending to sleep on the picnic bench while she waited for Mom to get her boots and gloves on and come out in the snow to play with her.
Sidnie in the snow on the back porch.
More Sid...
Our huge Snowman, Indiana Jones style (his hat).
Spencer and Sidnie with their snowman.
Mom went and got better sticks for the snowman's arms, so here's Spencer with the new improved snowman.

Karen Grandma's visit

Ever since Kate was little, she'd say Karen Grandma and Grandpa Terry. So that is what has stuck for us. Karen Grandma Olson was able to come to visit for a week. She arrived on the 1st and made it out on the 8th before our big snow storm. (She actually was in charge for three days while Dad and Mom went to the first LeadAR seminars or workshop in Little Rock.) She was able to experience a snow day. Being from Utah, where they get lots of snow, she was surprised when we called to say that school was cancelled on Friday morning. It hadn't even started snowing yet. In the end the snow day was a waste, because it didn't even stick to the roads. Oh well, more time with her Marshall grandkids. We didn't snap many pictures, but here are a few...

Playing the game Life with the kids, here by Zacky...
G-ma was still in her nightgown, but we snapped this picture with Kate and Jordan before they left for school.
G-ma and the littles (Kammie, Zack, Spencer and Sidnie)...
With Sidnie, even though she is hiding her face.
Sidnie giving G-ma one last love at the airport before she went through security.