Winter Wonderland.

February brought the one and only snow day for the kids this winter. We got out and enjoyed it!

Here are more wintery pics: Winter Wonderland

Chop chop.

When my parents were here for a visit in February, we finally took Cassie to get her first "real" haircut. She is 3 years old and I had cut her hair several times to avoid her having a mullet but we thought it was high time for a real cut. It seems like it's taking forever for her thin, wispy, static-filled hair to grow into a nice mane but it's getting there. She went to a specialty kids place where she got to sit in a seat that looked like a car and she got to choose a video to watch while her hair was cut. Good times.

Here is the result. The hairdresser even did a little loopy-do that looked so cute. Cassie generally hates having her hair up in ponytails, barrettes, or even tucked behind her ears. She runs away from me when she sees me grab a rubber band to put in her hair.

She even got a "First Haircut Certificate" with a picture and a lock of hair to keep as a memento.

Little Hoopsters.

Lincoln played in his first basketball league during the winter months.

Here, he is doing jumping jacks to warm up. I wish I had video of him doing them because he could never quite get the hands and feet coordinated as one is supposed to to do a proper jumping jack. It was hilarious to watch.

Ready to play. 

Doing some serious blocking. 

At the end of the season with his buddy, Ben.  

The team.  

All in all, it was pretty darned fun and cute to watch the kids learn to play. Go Little Hoopsters!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Matt celebrated his 37th birthday in January. He loves malt-flavored things so I attempted to make a chocolate malt cake for him, topped with Whoppers. Yum.

Here's how it turned out.

Here are the little lovies cuddling with their dad.

And here are Matt & his mom.

Happy Birthday to my favorite husband!

Go Lions!

Here are the kids showing their Detroit Lions spirit!

Christmas 2011.

Christmas was a whole new experience for us this year now that we live away from our family. We stayed at a couple of different houses (and are grateful for the hospitality offered to us). We saw family and friends, we ate, we celebrated when Santa remembered to deliver gifts to Grandma's house, we opened mounds of gifts (far too many, really). We also experienced strep throat (just one of us, thank goodness - thanks for taking that one for the team, Matt). We also had a friend break her leg just before the new year. What a way to end the year.

A couple of holiday pics:

Cassidy making silly faces in front of the Christmas tree.

Lincoln had the best reactions as he opened gifts. This one is a set of mini NFL football helmets, which Linc loved. Every Sunday he'd have the helmets set up in front of the tv so we'd know which teams were playing each other.

Check out more pics here: Christmas Pics 2011.

birthday q's: 3-year-old Cassidy.

As mentioned in a post for Lincoln's birthday earlier this year, I put together a list of questions that I ask the kids each year on their birthday. It's fun to see how the responses change year after year. This is Cassie's first year to answer the questions. Find the answers from 3-year-old Cassie below: 

1.    What is your favorite color? Why?  Purple because it’s the best.

2.    What do you like to eat?  Cheese (slices, sticks, anything), cereal (Kix, Cheerios, Chex), mac & cheese.

3.    What foods do you dislike? BBQ chicken sandwiches, raisins.

4.    What is your favorite toy?  Ducky in the bath tub, though I take showers a lot.  I like Barbies and dolls, and Little People stuff.  And any little characters that I can use my imagination with.

5.    What is your favorite book?  Little People lift the flap book, Knuffle Bunny, There’s a Bird on My Head, Are you My Mother?

6.    What is your favorite tv show/movie?  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  I also like Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  And I like Christmas shows like Frosty and Rudolph.

7.    Who is your best friend?  Elmo.  And Lincoln.  And my yellow blankies.

8.    What are your favorite things to do?  Go to the library, play Candyland and do puzzles.  I’m really good at the SuperWhy puzzle. I like to sing and dance, too.

9.    What are your least favorite things to do?  Have attention right on me. I get really shy and then a while later I decide that I’m not shy anymore and I tell mom that I can talk again.   I also don’t like when people say no. I get upset and cry. 

10. What is your favorite thing to wear? Dresses, esp. polka dot dresses.   

11.  Who is the most important person in your life? Why?  Mommy because “I like you so much.”

12.  What would be the best thing someone could give to you?  A guitar.

13.  What is your day like? (When do you get up? What do you do all day? When do you go to sleep?)  I get up around 7:15. Mom gets me up before she takes Lincoln to the bus stop. I go downstairs and watch tv while she goes outside. I used to join her at the bus stop but now it’s cold outside so I stay inside.  Linc gets home from Kindergarten at 10:45.  While he’s at school, mom and I do chores around the house or run errands. We have lunch around noon and then I have nap or quiet time (I don’t always want to take a nap).  Then we play. We have dinner around 5:30/6:00 and then play some more.  Shower around 7:30 and bed at 8:30.

14.  What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to play music. Or be a musical greeting card. I love listening to them at the store!