Snow Job

This winter we've had a few good snows, but very few storms that can be called major events. And they've all had one thing in common: they're pure powder.

Great for skiers, snowmobilers and snow angels.

Terrible for snowballs and snow men.

But since today was probably one of the last sizable snowstorms of the winter, we decided to force the issue. Here's what we ended up with:

The kids really enjoyed having a real live snowman in our backyard.
For about fifteen minutes.

 

 

If only there was some way to figure out how the snowman perished. Perhaps we would be able to prevent it next time. Oh well.. some mysteries aren't meant to be solved.

Shiner

 

Unfriendly encounter with wildlife? A successful MMA match? Secret fight club? Trying to perfect her smoky eye makeup technique? 

A lady never tells.

The Things We Do For Our Kids

What have I done?

That's what I thought when I got the confirmation email. If I hadn't told Emily we were going, she wouldn't have known what she was missing. And I would have just spent that Saturday in April like any other... enjoying an early spring run, maybe going to the park with the kids. Instead, I will be taking Emily to this:

Somehow I thought that I would be a bad mom if I didn't take her. That's how badly Disney has infiltrated my brain.

This had better be something she remembers for the rest of her life. I know I will. Because I just went here, clicked on Princess Classics and watched the video. It is something else... something else entirely. What have I done?

Blasting off to Love

Valentine's day is one of those holidays that is pretty lame until you have kids. For some reason, kids love Valentine's day until they're old enough to date. Maybe it's the candy. Or all the pink and red hearts. Whatever it is, Emily is especially fond of that day.

We actually made valentines this year (don't expect a repeat) which Emily was fairly thrilled about.

She wrote her name on every single one. The result? Stunning.

In case you can't tell, they're rockets made of lifesavers and a Hershey's kiss. They're supposed to say something clever like, "You're a Blast" or "Let's do Launch, Valentine", but by the time Emily got her name on there, we didn't have much space.

They must have been acceptable because at the end of school, Emily had a bag of loot in exchange for her valentines.

Which she proceeded to share with Jane.

Notice the blue mouths? They're a result of Fun Dips, not extreme cold. I love how they always share. I hope it lasts.

Although Chris and I had received a Valentine's gift of a cold, courtesy of our youngest, he still bought me flowers and chocolates and wrote a card for me and one for each of the girls - a lot of effort on his part especially considering we ended up having pizza for dinner instead of the lovely meal I had planned since we both felt like poop.

Here's to 12 more happy Valentine's days until Emily starts complaining she doesn't have a date (or until Chris and I are a wreck because she does have a date). May they go slowly. 

Breaking News

There has been a break in the case of the dead fish. Before going to bed this evening, Emily confessed to having removed the fish from its tank several times. These episodes are suspected to have harmed the fish and ultimately led to its demise. It is still unknown if the bobby pins were involved in the crime. Emily is said to have commented tonight as she put the selfsame bobby pins in her hair, "Yeah, I think maybe they hurt the fish when I put them in the tank, but they're dry now".

Emily is reported to have shown some remorse for her actions. Nonetheless her pet privileges have been revoked indefinitely.

Update

Emily the fish perished this afternoon. Officials don't have any suspects in custody yet, but foul play is suspected. Two bobby pins were found in the deceased's tank as well as a pool of water around the tank. The only witness to the death, Emily the girl, maintains she saw nothing and insists the fish just got tired and died. Emily has been identified as a person of interest. She remains under investigation in the death of a bird last June.

Further details will be relayed as they become available.

Emily's Pet Project

Anyone who knows Emily knows that she is difficult to persuade. This can be a problem when we're trying to persuade her to be good. Thus, we had to keep going with the same negative/positive reinforcement system we've been using for the last year: Three strikes, no sticker. Forty stickers, a reward.

This time the reward was something Emily wanted more than anything in the world: her very own pet. Since Emily is allergic to just about everything with a pulse, we lucked out and were able fulfill the promise with one tiny little fish.

Here is Emily with Chart #2 of 2 required to earn her fish. How long did it take her to earn all 40 stickers? Well, she's been working on it since the end of September and she just finished last night. That makes four months.

Today we went to procure the fish.

First he needed someplace to live. (Yes, I documented the trip to the store. Don't judge me. Someday I'll be old and have nothing to live on but memories.)

Then came the agonizing decision of which fish to buy. Unfortunately, the coolest fish also require the most maintenance so we pointed Emily in the direction of a nice, small, inexpensive, pellet-eating, freshwater Betta.

She was thrilled. So thrilled that she could hardly stand to leave him alone while we got the tank ready.

But with Emily barking orders, Chris had it together in no time.

Unfortunately, we spent so much on the aquarium, we will no longer be able to afford to clothe our children so they will have to wear the aquarium box to keep out the cold. Just kidding. When you buy a four year old an aquarium you buy the cheapest one possible. That way you don't care when it breaks.

Finally the fish, whom Emily has christened "Emily", (despite its being a male - she's under the impression that both fish name and gender is decided by the owner) was installed in its new home.

 How long to I give this poor harassed fish? A week. Maybe two.

I don't really care if he dies. I'll just see it as another opportunity for another sticker chart. And don't tell Emily this but I love to have something to threaten her with.