Matched!

I was thrilled this year when a friend gave us a cute dress for Meghan.  Then she told me that she also had one in Esther's size that matched.  (The crazy thing is she only has one daughter!)  It was after Christmas when I realized Evan had a similar shirt as well.  Today all the children wore their matching outfits to church.  Then I tried to take pictures.  These are not edited...Nor are they crisp, though I did move the curtains to let in more light.

These are the "best" pictures of the day...not all of them, but some of the better ones.

 Please note, that though this cat purrs, it is a toy.

 Then Meghan asked to take photos of the other two while I made lunch.

 Then Evan took a turn with the camera.

It was a nice try...

Did you notice that Meghan's teeth are finally coming in?  These are the teeth that she went crazy pulling back in July...before they were fully ready.

On a personal note...The week before Christmas I began feeling dizzy.  It'd been nearly eight years since my last episode of Meniere's Disease (just a term for my general ear/balance issues).  It lasted for about two weeks, but the fun wasn't over yet.  Christmas day I awoke with a mildly stiff neck.  It lasted for a solid few days, but overall, wasn't too bad.  Then, a week ago yesterday I awoke with a very stiff neck and a lot of pain.  By Sunday night I needed help just caring for myself.  After lots of chiropractor appointments this week, my neck is mostly loose and the pain is basically gone.  Hopefully by the time I return to the chiropractor this week, I will be loose enough to finish adjusting it.

So our home is a little crazy right now.  My mobility has been rather limited.  I've only done what I had to do for the most part.  I'm so grateful that I'm doing so much better now.  I feel close to normal, though I wouldn't want to drive on a highway since my neck movement is still limited.

I know I haven't been updating this blog as often as before.  Life is just busy.  I do update a couple times a week over at This Simple Home.  You are welcome to fill out the little form on either blog in order to get blog updates right in your email's inbox if that interests you.  Look in the upper right hand corner of the blogs' sidebars to do so.

Snow Play

After a very long ride home from church*, we had a quick lunch and went outside to play in the snow.

I had just purchased some snow pants for Meghan.  Evan's are a bit much too short, we learned.  Esther could pretty much stand OR lie down in her pants and coat...sitting up (bending at the waist) was too hard!

I bought boots for Meghan and Evan and mittens for Esther and Evan and had them all tucked away for Christmas.  Today was definitely a day to use them though!

* It took us just shy of 2 hours to get home from church.  YES. TWO HOURS.  We grew up driving in snow, so it is not that we are scared or anything.  That was not the problem.  (As for the multiple cars we followed...we can't say they are familiar with snow driving.  The worst was getting behind cars on hills where momentum going up the hill is absolutely necessary.) 

 Before we even left Delaware, we didn't make it up a hill.  (Many others didn't make it up that hill either.)  Derek had to push us...and as we didn't want to lose momentum, he climbed into the van while it was still moving.  Even in Maryland the roads were not treated though a bit plowed.  (These were all major roads.)  About half a mile shy of the Pennsylvania border, a line of vehicles were stopped.  We eventually learned that a tractor trailer was stopped at the bottom of the hill where the state line is.  (Derek also removed the ice from the wipers while we were stopped here.)  So...we turned around and went to take a road (without hills) to lead us for the highway near our home.  Even the  four lane highway was not treated, though the the off ramp was.  From there, we took our exit and then the "long" way home.  We made it home safely.

When we left church in Delaware, there may have a been an inch of snow.  When we finally made it to our house, there was about three inches of snow.  It is typically a 40 minute drive to church.  

In ten years of living in this general area and attending this church, we have never had a ride home from church like this.  I hope we never will again! 

After climbing into a moving vehicle, maybe Derek is now ready to change careers and become a stuntman.

A Treat

Meghan has been talking about President's Day for the past week, including Lincoln and Washington and asking questions about who our President is now.  Yesterday I told Meghan and Evan that I had special plans for today.  (Oh, wouldn't it be neat to go to Mount Rushmore on this day...or any time?)  I did not tell them what the plans were...and never did.  (Derek was home from work today and stayed with Esther.)

But this morning I did take them to a local play place with bouncy things and tunnels (think GIANT McD's play zone).  A couple friends from church went as well.

Though it took Evan a full 40+ minutes to consider bouncing and the tunnels were just overwhelming to him, they had a blast!

Though blurry, you can see the joy...

It didn't take long for Evan to Master this.

The best part of the day was seeing Meghan and Evan act like little best friends!  They would yell each others' names from across the room.  Meghan encouraged Evan all day long.  I loved that and had nice conversation with friends, too!

Nap Time?

You can read more about this supposed nap at Live, Learn, Love.

Show and Tell

Meghan took Esther to school for show and tell!

She took Evan a long time ago, too.  (The first time, linked, was with her speech and language classroom.  I believe she took Evan last year, too.)  Each time was Meghan's idea.

Meghan shared how Esther cries a lot, eats, and sleeps.  She held her while talking about her, and Esther didn't peep!  I really appreciate her that her teachers have all been open to the idea of a special show and tell!  This time, I couldn't come at regular show and tell time, so Mrs. K. let Meghan share after arriving.  Then I read a Christmas book to the class!

If She Does, He Does

Please forgive the blurry pictures.  These were taken shortly after Meghan used the camera...and smudged the lens.  I still wanted to share though.

Teamwork

What's going to work?  

Teamwork!

(Below Meghan is posing for the camera.)

 

 When the kids had made it up the driveway singing, "What's going to work?  Teamwork!  What's going to work?  Teamwork!" I ran inside to get the camera.  It was just too cute how Meghan was guiding Evan in helping to carry the recycling bin.  When I got back outside (ten seconds later) they were both sitting in the bin.  ICK!  I didn't get a picture fast enough though.  Meghan popped right out, and pictured below he was climbing out, too.