Shadow Shot Sunday

The news reported the other night that the snow fall we've thus far received ranks as #5 on the snowiest winter list.  It is supposed to snow on and off today and tomorrow with our sixth storm hitting Tues-Wednesday.  This is a lot of snow and I promise that we are trying our best to be positive and enjoy it while it lasts.  Cesar sent Hugo sledding down one of our hills a few times this morning.  He also carved out an entrance and mini cave in a snow bank created by our plow man.  Hugo ran into the house to tell me that his Papa built an igloo for him! 

Our dreams are full of past swim classes at the pool and lazy afternoons at The Big Deep.  And oh, how my toes long to be submerged into the wet, cool sand one day soon.

Visit Hey Harriet to view more Shadow Shots here.

Anniversary

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary.  I was all excited when I noticed the counter at the bottom of the blog states that Cesar and I have been together for 5,113 days!  5,113 and it's our 13th anniversary... cool! 

Then I wondered for a moment if the counter was accurate?  I decided to do some math, which I don't do very often, and was I surprised to find that 365 days in a year x 13 = 4,745, not 5,113.  It'll be another year + three days till we reach the fun number of 5,113, but then it wont be our 13th wedding anniversary anymore so it wont really be such a fun number any longer.  I'm not sure if I'll go through the trouble of attempting to correct the gadget or simply, delete it.  Sad.  I liked my hands clasped anniversary counter very much.

And yes Mother, I wore my pajamas while shoveling this morning. 

Gadgets of Interest

Sabine is fascinated by Hugo's Leapster and the iPad.  As soon as she spots Hugo playing with either device *presto* she is by his side.  For the most part he doesn't mind.  She is a polite backseat viewer.  She rarely ever grabs for the screen or stylus and she is patient and quiet.

Marlo wants to eat the Leapster and the iPad.

Hugo zipped his own jacket this morning.  It was awesome.


p.s. Hugo wants me to add something...

If you love one girl, that means you love two girls.  I sometimes just like Sabine.  Sometimes Marlo hits me.  And when I'm sitting in the chair and when I'm in Momma's bed, she hits me.  Well, then, I love soldiers from Popeye and the new Indians and canon and the trucks under my bed and the wood truck, it doesn't go under my bed, are my favorite.  At night I scrub Sabine's head too. (He helps me wash their hair - kinda).  I think I'm done. 

Shadow Shot Sunday

This here Shadow Shot was taken a little over a year ago, January 10, 2010 to be exact.  Time sure has a way of flying by.  Wow!  Our house now is such a very different house from the house it was one year ago.  We were quiet, scheduled, and surrounded by nursing infants needing me what seemed like every 5 minutes.  I still refer to the girls as babes, but they really aren't babies anymore.  We have soon to be walking and talking little girls on our hands.  Little girls who already hug their Hello Kitty dolls tight to their chests and wrap scarves over their heads and shoulders in early attempts at dress-up games.  What does this year ahead hold for my three little chicks?  I can't wait to find out!

Join in the Shadow Shot fun over at Hey Harriet's blog!

Sabine Speaks!

Sabine tossed her shoosha over the side of the bed this morning.  Nothing new in itself, but then baby magic happened.  Our Bennie girl bent to look where it had fallen and said, "Uh-oh."  She said uh-oh!  May I please count this expression as her first word?  I sure was excited.  I said uh-oh and then she said uh-oh and then Hugo got on the uh-oh band wagon.  Miss Marlo missed out on all the uh-oh fun, as she was still snoozing in her crib.

Sabine also just slid down the slide in our living room, unassisted, for the first time.  Exciting times here at the Nicolau house.

The Rec Center

Hugo's school was finally open today.  I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it.  I wanted him to go and yet, it has been nice having him home, and truth be told, I've liked not having to run, run, run in the morning.  But, today was Thursday and Thursdays are the new Playdate Friday with the gals from Church, and I knew everyone would be meeting at The Rec this morning.  I couldn't tell Hugo that a trip to The Rec was the plan for the girls, I'd have no hopes of getting him to class on time!   I announced that all our morning lollygagging was over with and we had to get serious about dressing so we wouldn't be late for school.  Hugo piped up that he didn't want to go to school.  I told him that was fine, he could help me while I ran errands with the girls then.  No errands for me whirled through Hugo's brain.  He asked if he could bring his airplane to class for show and tell.

The girls and I drove over frosted, snowy streets and past silver coated trees on our adventure to The Rec Center.  It was a most wonderous drive for my eyes to behold.  I felt almost like Laura in Dr. Zhivago.  I was in great need of a fairy godmother who would turn my van into a sleigh, my parka into a yummy fur, one of the girls into Omar Sharif, and The Rec into a snow palace.  Blink, blink, blink flashed the lights of the approaching toll booths and my dream went *poof*!

The girls didn't know what to make of The Rec for the first 20 minutes we were there.  They sat and observed all the goings on in front of them while not moving one inch.  Finally they ventured off.  Before I knew it, Marlo was off in one direction and I had to hunt to find Sabine!  They were in heaven just like Hugo had been years ago. 

A special part of our time at The Rec today, was that Sabine gave up the use of the baby walkers for the red ride on toy in the above photos.  It is the same toy I photographed Hugo riding on once upon a time, which has become a family favorite.

Iced Over

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful is the state of our yard right this minute.  I like to walk around and survey the property in it's winter beauty.  Amazing how different the place looks from season to season. 

I am beginning to feel bad for the trees.  Our pines have lost branches.  I also discovered something disturbing, the lilacs were budding out.  Buds!  Real honest to goodness, green buds are encased in icy bulbs on the tips of the lilac branches. 

A benefit of the snow fall is that all the weeds in my garden are mostly covered over with the blanket of snow, ice, snow we've just received.  The tall weeds, which I neglected to remove from my once upon a time flower garden, are now feeding our population of birds with their bountiful seeds.  This makes me happy.

The house itself is warm and cozy.  I do need to pull my boots on soon and attack the icy snow layer that is covering the veranda.  Cesar worked on it yesterday while he was home.  Today is another day, and he is back to work and the temps are rising.  As the snow melts off the roof it drips and falls onto the veranda below.  We end up with standing water between the outside wall of the house and a barrier of snow and ice preventing the water to flow off the veranda to the ground below.  Leaks slowly find their way to the windows on the first floor.  Not good.

Hugo had no school again, third day in a row.  He is pleased as punch to be home.  Go Fish, books galore, and Lego Batman are his best friends right now.  I may have to drag him kicking and screaming to Preschool tomorrow, or are we in for more snow?  His friend Parker is due to arrive any minute.  Ruth Ann has to work + she is bringing me milk and bananas so I don't have to go out at all!

Time to pull my boots on.

p.s. Our plow man showed up at 4 o'clock in the morning.  How do I know this?  Marlo, who I had thought was sprouting one molar, was up half the night with 4 molars poking through her gums!

Good Morning!