wow its been so long since i posted i actually forgot my username and password! shame on me! i haven't been getting up at 6am anymore lately - i've been going to bed later and waking up later - i have no idea how this new routine happened! maybe it's american idol, maybe it was Top Chef - but Top Chef is now over so i shouldnt be getting to bed so late :) anyhow.. its still cold here... but we're looking like some nice temps in the 50s this weekend - warm warm stuff for us!! don't forget to spring forward (sunday i think??)

kids are good, ava getting taller and more mature all the time, vann is kind of like a little tornado around here - he is always getting into something, and keeping us in stitches all the time. he is a natural at being persuasive - he gets that from his dad. he is a sweet talker! we could just eat him up. I think they are getting restless at being indoors so much this winter - its most definitely our coldest winter (that i remember) up here - and keeping Vann indoors is hard to do! he loves to be outside - so i cant wait for spring to be sprung so we can get out more. the new playground at our park up the street is finished so we'll be spending lots of time there i'm sure.

we are all busy with work, with fixing up the house still (does it ever end?) and i'm not looking forward to Ava's Kindergarten year to end. i've heard the homework and academics start getting serious in first grade! yikes! she loves to read and has been practicing songs on a little keyboard we have at home. music is definitely her favorite class at school.

more later :) maybe i'll even get my schedule changed so i will be up earlier again! with our clocks turning forward i'm doubting that will happen real soon though...

happy birthday Jayme! we are all healthy here though Vann has a cold. Looks like low 20s for a high today and windy! but i am thrilled to see a 50 degree day coming on Sunday -- we've never had a winter like this - almost constant snow since November and so cold! Our lake down the street has had ice skaters practically the entire month of January. Ava really wants to try out ice skating - we don't have skates so we may head to a local indoor rink where she can rent a pair. Right now she's not interested in taking any after-school classes or sports, so no need in buying skates this year! She's doing great in school, reading everything that is put in front of her -- she has a school read-a-thon starting Friday that lasts for 3 weeks - the kids set goals in minutes of reading time and if they meet their goals, they win a prize. I am sponsoring her at 10cents a minute! its amazing with our property taxes so high here, we still have lots of fundraising activities throughout the year to help support the school. the parents have to buy cups, napkins, snacks, etc. for the classroom! and with budget problems this year, it will be even more up to volunteers and parents to pitch in.

This weekend will be Vann's 2nd birthday party. We're just having a few friends over for dinner and cake and ice cream afterwards -- he picked out Elmo for his theme (Melmo as he calls him). And i'll be making one of his favorite dinners - meatloaf, peas and applesauce ... a true culinary delight :) Ava will help me make his cake/cupcakes.

time to get kids ready to go out in the cold to get Ava to school! hope everyone is healthy and happy!

10 minutes later....
vann was supposedly watching Sesame Street as i was typing this this morning... that is a whole box of cereal all over the kitchen floor.... does he look bothered in the least?? of course not! i have just put up childproof gates around the kitchen!

more cold

in the 20s and lower for the next few days so we will be holed up at home as much as possible! well at least me and the kids will be... Jayme is going ice fishing this weekend and he is beside himself with excitement. not even in a hut apparently - just out in the open in freeeeezing weather. (!!!) we got an inch or so of snow this morning looks like - on top of the solid ice that was already there.. oi...

on another note, we have a lot of celebrations coming up, Vann will be turning 2 in a few weeks, Jayme's birthday, our 10th wedding anniversary and Valentines Day are right around the corner.

freezing day out but vann and i managed to get our errands done -- very icy in the driveway but roads are clear and fine. Looks like a week of weather in the 20s .... oi... All i want is one day on the beach - just one!!! work has leveled out a bit so i'm able to get some home projects worked on so that's good... vann and everybody are healthy so that's a big factor too - it is amazing what a difference having a healthy family makes! We are hoping to plan our trip down south very soon. Jayme's mom is coming up for a weekend in February since it is Jayme's and my 10th year anniversary Feb.12th. Thank you !!!! It's so nice to have adult time every once in awhile :) we're thinking of heading into the city for dinner and a show. i can't remember the last time i saw a show! I'm thinking it may have been Hugh Jackman's Boy From Oz quite a few years back... it was an amazing musical.