winter fun

So it's been cold and icy here. I'm attaching some pictures of our ice storm, nothing like what it was a few years ago, but I guess it made for some interesting driving. Notice the ice layer on the windshield of the car that John had to break off, and how low the branches of the trees are (normally you can't even reach the leaves, but they were all bowed over from the ice) The storm was also fun for Emily and her Dad. Kimmie's like her mom in being not particularly fond of cold, so she stayed in; but Emily is always game for going out to play in the snow with John and building snowmen--notice the mini snowman in our flower pot.

Also attached is a video of Calvin playing peekaboo. He was so funny! He would put the cloth over his head all by himself, and then get so excited and kick all over the place until you took it off and said, "peekaboo!" I really couldn't believe he was doing it so well, since he's only 5 months old. He loves to play though. He's definitely a boy: loves sound effects, playing games, bouncing, and being swung around.

Also, Calvin slept all the way through the night last night!! From 10pm to 7:30am!!! {Insert full-blown "Hallelujah Chorus" here} My first full night's sleep in over 6 months! My, what a difference a full night's sleep makes. I think my brain is fully functional for the first time in a long time. I actually feel like doing something. I downloaded Jennifer Lopez's "Let's Get Loud" and danced the chacha around the living room--very fun, highly recommend it. Although it brought to light how very out of shape I am. First sleep, then the exercise regimen.

meanderings...

My mind is meandering today. I'm skipping choir practice today (sorry Brianne) because I have a cold and can't really sing anyway, and John made the mistake of leaving the computer on, so here I am. And I am tired. Sometimes it is very difficult to be a mom, because there are no sick days. No vacation days, no personal time to take off, no lunch breaks, nothing. And even when you do get away, your charges are there in the back of your mind the whole time. Which is a good thing, because you couldn't do the job if these kids weren't in your head the whole time and if your whole self wasn't dedicated to their wellbeing. It just gets tiring sometimes. And yet, somehow, you know you would never do anything else.

I think I am just emotionally fried because of John's job and the miserable state he is in, and the uncertainty of what might be coming. Blah, I think my mind has fallen completely off the track, not merely meandering. I better just quit. Here's some pics of the kids.

a windy night

Understatement of the year. Last night Fayettle county had its first full tornado warning since we have lived here. We have had a few tornado watches, which means that tornadoes are possible in current weather conditions, but this is the first real warning--meaning that tornadoes are likely and to get to shelters now.
I was watching the news and saw the tornado watch up earlier last evening, and knowing that my paranoid self would not be able to get to sleep with a very strong squall line approaching, I stayed up to watch. It was a unique feeling to watch these storms, moving at about 50 miles an hour, approach from the west and counties one by one light up in red on the state map as tornado warnings were issued. It was about 1:15 am when the warning for Lexington was issued, and I got John out of bed about the time the sirens started going off. Yeah, that was freaky. We got the girls out of bed and huddled on the floor in the hallway in front of the coat closet--our designated shelter spot. We stayed there watching the news until about 2 am. It was weird because we had less lightening and thunder with this storm than we've had with many others, but John went outside and said the wind was really blowing. I guess there were gusts of 60 mph at some points. Fortunately, the storm went over with no major problems. I think there was damage in other parts of the city, trees fallen on houses down in Harrodsburg (about 40 minutes south of us) and seven people dead in the state (again, mostly in mobile homes). It was a freaky moment though, with the sirens going off, and then all of a sudden the tv went to static, and I thought, "oh, here we go," but it came right back on and we really were fine. About 2 am we all went back to bed as the storm front had passed. Emily was a little scared afterward, but John told her to pray to Heavenly Father for help to not be scared, which she did. Kimmie then said she wanted to, too, so John helped her. I sang them a song and they went to bed pretty quietly. Even Calvin went back to sleep. I think we were all pretty exhausted.
Anyhoo, it was an interesting night. We are thankful for the protective bubble that seems to encase Lexington whenever there is a severe weather threat. It's things like this that remind me how much we really are in God's hands, and that life is never certain. And so, a renewed effort to live to have no regrets.
Happy calm Wednesday.
Ps... if you want to call me today, you'll have to call the home phone. John's got the cell at work today.

modern medicine

Can I just say, thank heaven for childrens painkillers?? Emily had four shots yesterday (joy of joys) and today she has been whiny and tired and upset all morning. Dose her up, and 20 minutes later she's a different kid. I was bracing for major drama yesterday at the dr. office because Emily is, let's just say, intolerant to pain. But, she didn't start crying til they laid her down on the table, and stopped fairly soon after. We have had moments of crying since then, when she has to get pants on and off and when she's afraid she's going to lose a band-aid (can't figure that one out), but otherwise she's been great.

In other news, Kimmie fell down some stairs and cracked her head on a bookshelf. She's got a nice bruise along the side of her face and on her ear, and I got all worked up worried about a concussion, but she's fine. We are thanking the Lord for His tender mercies, because it could easily have been much worse. And, Calvin LOVES his cereal. Can't get it fast enough. Never mind that it takes three or four tries to get one spoonful entirely in his mouth, he loves the stuff. And, he's also definitely my kid: I gave him a small taste of ice cream last night and let him suck on the spoon--he threw a tantrum when I took it away. Literally got mad. I had to laugh. Here's some pics of Calvin, courtesy of Emily the new family photographer:

Here's Kimmie: she loved flying, she loves her dress, her hair is cute, Mom was pooped. :)

Finally, here's a couple cute pics of the girls in their playhouse/tent. They love having their own space, and I love that it can be taken down and put in a bag for storage.