Cold...

Cold is a relative thing ya know....

*At 65 degrees, Arizonans turn on the heat. People in Minnesota plant gardens.
*At 60, Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Minnesota sunbathe.
*At 50, Italian & English cars won't start. People in Minnesota drive with the windows down..
*At 40, Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats. People in Minnesota throw on a flannel shirt.
*At 35, New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Minnesota have the last cookout before it gets cold.
*At 20, People in Miami all die. Minnesotans close their windows.
*At 0, Californians fly away to Mexico . People in Minnesota get out their winter coats.
*At 10 below zero, Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door.
*At 20 below, Washington DC runs out of hot air. (Ya think? Nah.). People in Minnesota let their dogs sleep indoors.
*At 30 below, Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Minnesotans get upset because they can't start the snowmobile.
*At 40 below, ALL atomic motion stops. People in Minnesota start saying..."Cold enough for ya, eh?"

I know, I need a Christmas post...

...but this is what you get for now.

Improvement!!!

The first picture was taken sometime this summer, but is a pretty good representation of how my kids keep their shelves in the "toy closet".  The second picture was taken just a few days ago.  The four oldest each received fabric bins for Christmas with the intention that they would use them in this area.  We also did a HUGE purge and removed most of the toys from the house (at least for a season).  When it's proven that this area can be kept up the way it should be with a few items, we will add in a few more. For now, I'm pleased with the result. :)

Another Birthday

Today, Victory Joy Noel turns 8!  We celebrated her birthday on Tuesday with Grandpa and Grandma Osell with a meal at Perkins, and then a pink "donut" cake at home. ;)  The cake was a hit!

At 8, Victory:
* is 4ft. 3in. tall and weighs about 53lb
* is learning to read
* enjoys all things pink and girly
* loves to wear dresses
* looks A LOT like her mother!
* likes to help with the baby
* wants to be a princess when she grows up ;)
* likes ponies
* talks A LOT
* is sugar and spice... but does have a curl in the middle of her forehead!!

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY, VICTORY JOY!

Scissors

If Shi (4 1/2 yo) is around when I use scissors - and I mean EVERY time - she says in a very concerned voice, "Mommy!  Don't cut youself!" <-- that's not a typo... it's how she says it ;)

When I complete what I'm doing she says (in a voice that says she is just SO proud of me - or maybe it's surprise?? LOL), "You didn't cut youself!!"  Makes me giggle every time.

Sometimes

Sometimes in life it's just better to do things for yourself...

Earlier today I asked Chase to pour me a glass of Dr. Pepper. He did. I thanked him.

Fast-forward about 5 hours. I checked the fridge to see what leftovers we had for supper. What I found was a large, wet, sticky mess of spilled soda and a half-empty 2 liter bottle. Now, I'll admit that the fridge needed a good cleaning, but I generally like to do things like that on my own schedule. *sigh*

Ten minutes, many saturated paper towels, a damp rag, and a helpful husband has the fridge looking much better. Next time maybe I'll not be so lazy and get my own beverage. ;) And if a kid does it for me, there will be reminders to check lids!