Good Times!

This week was tough for us...lots of sickies and bugs making their rounds through the Wallace family. Grandma Littlewood took the kids for an afternoon and baked cookies, then Grandpa Littlewood trekked through the snow to make homemade lasagna with the kids. It was nice for them to have a little time doing something other than watching TV on the couch.

Cooks of the world, UNITE!

10 foot long spinach lasagna noodle....

Jack putting the finishing touches on the lasagna.

Of Spoons and Snow

Mia came home and informed me that her preschool teacher had told her that if you want it to snow, put a pillow under your pillow and sleep on it, and in the morning, your wish would come true. Having just watched the weather forecast, I told Mia that we should try it that night (hey, I do my research before testing theories that have not been scientifically proven!).

Jack made sure the spoon was situated just right.

Let's go see if it worked...

Success!

I wonder if I can used the spoon to wish for 70 degree weather in the dead of winter?

Christmas in January

Last week, we got Walmart gift cards for Christmas in the mail from Bob's parents, so the kids each picked out a couple of presents. On Tuesday, we got some packages from the Gookin side. The kids got some cool toys and books and Bob and I got a really cute blanket...Thanks for all the cool presents!!

I've actually been wanting to get this book for a while.

I've never seen a puzzle like this before...it's magnetic and 3-D!

Funny story. Aidan got a little poke in the eye at the open gym (see previous post) and spent the next 2 days squinting. I think he must've gotten a little scratch on his eye.

My stepmom Darlene had asked for a photo of the kids...little did I know it would result in this super cool blanket! Good call! I love that Mia's peace sign will be forever memorialized in this blanket! Last year, they sent a framed photo of our "family tree," which was a beautiful photo of a tree trunk with "Olivia + Bob" in a heart, with + Aidan, +Mia, +Jack "carved" into it. It was one of the best presents I got that year!

P.S. We did NOT have a new baby. In the background, Bob is holding a friend's baby we were watching that day. ;-)

Open Gym at the Rec Center

Just getting myself caught up with the goings on of the past week. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we took the kids to the open gym to get some of their pent up energy out. One day I'll get a camera that can take action shots — gasp — INSIDE!

Jack was a little bit of a bully today!

Mia, the way she usually looks to the rest of us.

Jack and his pal Owen...who is usually running away from Jack...

Mia and Reese

Aidan and his buddy Brayden (inside the "cannon")

Pokemon Obsession and The Great Toy Migration

The main perpetrator of the Great Toy Migration...pre haircut.

Mondays are typically my flip-out day. After a weekend of fun (well, sometimes), the house is usually left in what I refer to as the post weekend fallout. This weekend, the Wallace family was stricken with one head cold (me), one case of diarrhea and throwups (Mia), one case of diarrhea (Jack) and one spasmodic back (Bob). Aidan's just staying out of the way, hoping a nice, healthy family will adopt him.

In the wake of the Monday Mess, one problem in particular has come to light. The phenomenon has come to be known as The Great Toy Migration. Some people may not know that we actually have a playroom downstairs in the basement. Unfortunately, it is lacking in storage and has no semblance of organization. Before Mia reached toddlerhood, the playroom was picked up and organized on a near nightly basis. I had totes labeled with pictures of toys, (i.e., Little People, Thomas, etc.) and toys would be put away in their rightful places. I would never claim to be OCD, but this was about as close as I got to it. Along came walking Mia, then Jack, life and craziness ensued, and fast forward to the present state of affairs. The kids don't want to play down there by themselves, most likely due to the chaotic jumble of random toys everywhere. Sooo, toys have slowly made their way up to the family room, finding homes on our bookshelves, next to the TV, behind and under the couch, and on the fireplace. Random parts and pieces of toys find their way to the strangest places, strewn about as if carried there in a flood or receding glacier. Enough was finally enough. We just finished our "instant mudroom" project and clutter is officially on my list. So most of the toys got moved downstairs, but the outlook is good for a second wave of toys. They tend to move north in our neck of the woods.

So late last night, after finishing work around 1:30 am (yes, I know, I know!) I made my bedtime rounds and checked on the kids. Imagine my surprise when I found Aidan with his light on, playing POKEMON ON HIS DS!!! I couldn't be mad because it was so funny, but he knew the minute I caught him that it was a bigtime no-no. He's been a little obsessed lately because he and his friend Jake have had an epic competition going on. When he got home today the first words out of his mouth were: "Mom. Jake dropped his DS in the toilet." Bob and I busted out laughing. Although we expressed regret that Jake's beloved DS was broken, we were secretly pleased that this competition is over, at least until Jake gets a new one. Needless to say, the DS now resides in our bedroom at night and strict limitations have been imposed.

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. — Victor Hugo

A few things that made me happy today:
*Seeing my kids outside enjoying a warm winter day.
*Mia telling me that she prefers the "wobbly" fries (long, undercooked fries if you don't speak Mia).
*Going to a movie with my husband in the middle of the day.
*Working out at the gym for the second time this week...can I consider myself on a roll?
*This song from Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (which I may have to sing to myself on occasion):

When you've got the blues and you're feeling kind of bad
If you're down in the dumps and super-duper sad
Be Happy!
Be Happy!
Be Happy-Happy-Happy-Happy!
Be Happy!
Be Happy!
Be Happy!
If you look outside your window and it's a dark and gloomy day
There's something you can do to chase the clouds away
Be happy, not sad
Do the things that make you glad
If things are sort of stinky and always going wrong
Don't you even worry, just start to sing this song:
Be Happy!

Meet the President

Aidan brought this home from school today. We had tried to get him to watch the inauguration, and there was mild interest. I think Aretha may have scared him off a bit. (All hail the Queen, but the hat was crazy!) We were thinking that President Obama will be like our generation's Reagan...not to compare Obama to Reagan, but he will come to be a major icon of our kids' generation. Pretty neat. Let's hope it turns out right!