Please Melt! Now!

I'm so sick of snow and I'm sure I'm not the only one in the midwest! Today we are having a big "warm up" and its a whopping 40 degrees. I guess that is better than Friday night's windchill of something below zero. I shouldn't be complaining because the sun is out and it is really beautiful outside.

Addison has been having a lot of fun lately. Wednesday afternoon we took her out in our makeshift sled...

As you can see, she absolutely LOVES it!...only kidding. I think we were outside for a total of 8 minutes!

She would rather be inside ordering me to cook her noodles and give her cookies (fig newtons) and nuts. Weird combination, I know, but those seem to be her favorites. Today she cried over and over for conversation hearts. After those are gone I'm swearing off buying any sweets. It seems like she knows where I hide them!

Here she is today coloring. It's one of her favorite things to do. After I finish this post and while she's still asleep (thank you Lord), I am going to paint the purple chair in these pictures. It was my sister and I's growing up (and maybe even older than that). I'm painting it brown and going to do pink flowers and write her name on the backrest.

Day Two

I have to say I'm so blessed to work for county government! My boss called me today at 6:30 a.m. to say that all offices were closed. That was after I left Zippy outside in the freezing rain at 6 and decided I would try to go in later. We have had a great day so far...Jack is eagerly waiting for the power to go out so he can test out his new generator. I keep having flashbacks to the ice storm of February 2007 when I was pregnant. I remember having a makeshift bed in front of the fireplace with both Wyatt and Zippy (and Jack) curled up together trying to stay warm. I don't ever recall my work being closed, however I could not shower so I didn't go in. At least that will never happen again, thanks to the generator that will power the whole house.

I have been having fun taking pictures though. I really want to get out into the woods and find a bird in a tree or something cool, but its just too dangerous now that the heavy snow is weighing down the icy trees. In 2007, a young girl was killed while she was walking her dog after the ice storm. Anyway, here is Addison yesterday. Grandpa and Uncle Steve came over to shovel/plow our driveway and Addison wanted to go outside so badly. It took me at least 10 minutes to get her ready. After her first step into the snow, she turned right around. Her snow boots do not fit, that is why she has her rain boots on!

This picture was early this morning, maybe 7 am, when it was still freezing rain...

This is about 7:30 am, when it got colder and everything iced up...

THEN, about 8 or 8:30, we had a blizzard that lasted until about 11:00 am.

During the blizzard, Addison and I made Valentine's sugar cookies. She didn't seem as interested as usual, she would rather push a chair to the sink and "wash dishes." She's usually soaked after she's done, but it is so cute.

Here are the cookies we made...

We've also been playing a lot of LEGOS. Uncle Steve brought over a huge stash of Jack's old ones from their basement. We went to Home Depot yesterday and bought an organizer for them. Jack and I stayed up late and sorted by color. I know, we are boring! I did build an airplane though! Addison picked out all of the little people and loves to play with them.

Yah! Taxes Are DONE!

I love and hate tax time. Love it because we sometimes get money back (especially now with Addison) and hate it because it takes time to do it right. Thanks to the FREE Turbo Tax this year and Ohio's FREE I-File and School District online things-it was all done for FREE in about an hour and a half (Addison is still sleeping) and we are gettin' money back! YIPPIE! Oh, but half goes to car insurance. Darn.

Snowed In!

Jack was doing a snow dance yesterday for no school and it sure worked! I woke up extra early today so I could leave the house by 6 to get to work "on time". I didn't drive one mile before I turned around and went back home. I decided to just try when it was light outside. I talked to a couple of people at work who called me wimpy, but they were not the ones on the side of the road for 4 hours with a toddler during the last ice storm. I left anyway, heeding Jack's advice to stay home. I went a little more than a mile this time, but noticed that one of the roads near home was backed up because cars could not get up the hill. I turned around in someone's driveway and got stuck. I spun my tires for 15 minutes before calling Jack. Of course no one driving by stopped to ask if I needed any help. Go figure-we live in Cincinnati. Finally, after turning my wheel back and forth (I guess to clear snow away from the tires) I was able to back up and drove back home. The weather man is calling for ice around 2, and that freaks me out more than anything, so I'm glad I'm home now. Here are some pictures of the snow and Addison coloring in her PJ's.

I don't think I ever posted a picture of our wood stove in the garage that heats our house, so here it is. Jack's been very busy chopping and splitting wood.

Also, never posted my new license plates I got for my birthday...how cute!!Addison is napping now since she woke up at 6 am, so hopefully later we can go play in the snow and get some cute pictures!

Not exactly the way to lose weight

So I guess there was a GI bug going around....and I caught it! Thursday I went to the GI doctor for something totally unrelated and he prescribed me a medication for IBS called Amitiza. Thursday evening with dinner, I took my first dose. Right away I felt really nauseous so I got online to read about the side effects and reviewers comments...Nausea, stomach cramping, vomiting, muscle aches, flu-like symptoms, chills, and hives. Well, I HAD THEM ALL and they lasted for THREE days!! I would not wish this upon my worst enemy!! I'm not sure if it was the medication or the flu. I haven't taken another dose and I don't plan to. I'm calling the GI doctor today to see if was the medicine. I don't ever remember having stomach issues like this that lasted so long in all my life!! I still feel sick and am eating a piece of toast right now.

Addison is also sick, but thank goodness not with a stomach bug--with respiratory stuff....again. I plan on taking her to the doctor at 4 today. At lunch I have to run to Wal-Mart to stock up on stuff before the white death hits us tonight and tomorrow. Oh how I miss 4 wheel drive.

Valentine Spirit

I am finally getting into the Valentine spirit! I went to the Joann Fabric superstore about 3 weeks ago when I was up in Centerville and never got around to completing my project. Addison went to be super early tonight (6:30!) so I had plenty of time to work on my wreath. I used to make these all the time (before kids!), but unfortunately think they got lost in the move 3 years ago. I'm getting back on the bandwagon though with decorating for holidays. I will never forget growing up, my mom would decorate for every holiday--I mean-go all out! My goal is to start shopping after the holiday is over to catch some good deals like 70 and 80% off at Kohls and Hobby Lobby. JoAnn Fabrics in Eastgate and Loveland are going out of business so Mason can build a superstore. Not a problem with me! I love the superstore in Centerville!

Anyway, here is my wreath...
It is made with 2 different fabrics-a light and dark (about a yard each-I bought extra to make Zippy a bandanna). You'll also need sharp pinking shears, a 16" Styrofoam wreath, and a small/skinny Phillips head screwdriver. I cut 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch squares (eyeballed) and jabbed into the Styrofoam. 90% of the fabric squares are wrong side into the foam.

I made it in under and hour and now its hanging on the front door. I also bought window clings, however they don't really stay up with an almost 20 month old (gasp!)

Today I was thinking about how much my life has changed since June 5, 2007. I has obviously changed for the better because of Addison but I do miss a lot of the things I used to do and "who" I was. There is not a week that goes by that I don't think about the time I "dropped out of" interior design school when it took me well over a year to be accepted. UC's DAAP (Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning) school is renowned for their program. I got in and QUIT! I can not dwell on the past, so I might as well move forward, but I always think, "what if". LOL-I would not be working for the welfare department! But again, in this economy who's doing interior design and architecture? I'm blessed to have a job! I want my creative side to show again and be able to share that with Addison. Both of my parents were quite crafty. That's not even the right word. They/are artists! My dad did amazing watercolors from his beautiful photography, oil painted, was a wood worker, yada yada. My mom did tole painting, sewed, and did various other crafts. I did learn how to cross stitch at a really young age--I should pick that up again! I got into scrapbooking for a couple of years but that I so time consuming (more than any other craft I have done) and its expensive! I would like to try digital scrapbooking or having a coffee table book printed with my photography in it. Oh and I can't forget about Angie. She has an associates in graphic design. Her work is just as beautiful. Runs in the family-I just feel like I'm a little behind and need to get back on the crafty bandwagon. That brings me to wish for a bigger house with a craft room-somewhere I can keep my sewing machine out 24/7 and use it whenever I want! I would have to say I have good time management, but time is very limited when you work outside of the home full time and have a family. I just wish I had more time with Addison to do stuff with her like I was fortunate to experience when I was growing up. She is just growing up too fast! She's got a small dictionary up in her little head. Scary to hear what comes out of her mouth these days! LOL! Well, to bed I go (yes it is before 9!)...gotta make time to work out at 5 am, ya know?? There's time for everything!!

Found it!!!

After looking for over a month for a specific book, I finally found it! Not where I had hoped to find it (in mom's basement), but on ebay. This timeless treasure was read over and over when Angie and I were little and we will never forget it! My dad even got in on the search, buying a "knock-off" (sorry, dad) of the book. Not to keep you in suspense, the book is called "A Story A Day" by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry. Who doesn't love Richard Scarry books?? There are 365 stories for each day of the year and the illustrations are beautiful. It's exactly how I remember-big blue, hardcover book with a bear reading on the cover. I am bidding on a copy from 1998 (it is out of print and it was last printed in '98) on ebay for $4. Hope I win!!