::absent::

Dear Mrs. Barker,

Please excuse Chloe from school today as she is having eye problems.  She can't SEE herself going to school.

Thanks.

(She dialed up the pitiful-ness just for the picture)

She came into our room just before 6 this morning.  She said she had a headache.  I told her she had another hour before she had to get up for school, so sleep a little longer and maybe it'll feel better.  Seven came, she still didn't feel like getting up.  Now it was her throat.  I told her she should get up and have some cereal or at least something to drink and maybe her throat would feel better, but we needed to get up or we would be late.  "Nooooooo, Mom!  I really don't feeeeel good!!"  I decided to let her sleep a bit, and I'd take her a little late-like when I take Portie to the bus, I'd take her in to school.  Well, that never happened.  She got away with it.  I called Matt.  I told him she's having eye trouble.  We laughed about it.  

Me: (in my best mocky baby voice) "oh poor sick Chloe!!"
her: "I was sick this morning, but now that school's out, I feel better."
Me: BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Her:  "I DO, MOM!!"

We all need a day off once in a while, don't we?

::busy::

Sometimes...

She's too busy to get dressed after her bath.


So she plays in her nakeds.

Also,

She says "baa" when we play with her ball toys, she claps her hands, and she shakes her head no.  She's so fun.

::finally, some snow::

Monday. 6:30 pm.  

Mantua. 

Plowin' some snow.

Finally.

 

In other news...

On Sunday, we went to Springville to celebrate Mia's 2nd birthday with her and her family.  We gave her a little tu-tu and some fairy wings.  Isn't she cute?

 In more other news...

Matt went to Florida last week for work.  It was more of a reward trip than work.  He got to go see the GEM-60 launch (it's a commercial program that ATK does-not a NASA program).  He was excited to go, and was glad his bosses thought enough of him to send him.  We missed him-especially Bubb.  He's pretty attached to his Dada.  He got a little teary eyed talking to him on the phone Thursday night (the night before we went to pick him up), so we changed the subject and started talking about cookies.  We were glad to have him home.

::I have a dream::

"This new generation, however, is the most colorblind in history, and they have the unique opportunity to lead us further into the dream, and beyond; a chance to show us all how to judge people based on the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. And that will free us all."

~Oprah Winfrey

Civil rights day today. No school. No major plans. Play-doh, games, books, laundry, grocery store, etc. The tv's been on most of the day. I was a little disappointed in the history channel. I was hoping to turn it on and see some stuff about MLK Jr. today, but they're running a pawn stars marathon. What? Nothing about the Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks, a biography of MLK Jr.? So many risked and sacrificed so much, and there was no mention of it today. I'm kind of mad about that. Such an important day in our history...Pawn Stars, really?

Chloe's been learning about Harriet Tubman in school. I remember doing a book report about her when I was her age. I remember reading about the Underground Railroad and realizing what an amazing person she was, and she's been important to me ever since. Anyway, we've been talking a lot about slavery, segregation, racism, things like that. We even talked a little bit about the Civil War. Who knows how much she'll remember, it's just kind of fun to share with her and hear what she thinks about it all. I told her a little bit about The Help, and how the whites treated the blacks. Her attention span in these little discussions isn't terribly long, but my point gets across, she learns something, and my favorite part is that SHE TOTALLY GETS IT! She said that if she lived back then she would never treat somebody that way, and she said that all it is is skin, and it doesn't matter what color it is (I talk a little to Portie about it too. He agrees, but I'm not sure he quite understands the importance of it all yet). She totally gets it. Without hesitation. I love that. Proud isn't even the word.

::now what?::

I was trying to change my header photo, seeing as it's no longer Christmas, and I got this lovely little message...

Well...

That could be a problem.

I knew I was getting close.  

Time for some reconfiguring.  

Any suggestions?? 

Dang high resolution photos, files too big, I could save them at lower res, but I like high res, better quality, 4 kids, lots of photos to take, and they're all so beautiful, too many pictures, but I love pictures, lots to look at, new camera lens, have to learn how to use it, more photos to take, holidays, birthdays, parties, school, vacations, can't miss anything, want to remember every little detail, fuzzy memory paranoia... 

What? 

::Christmas rewind::

Papa Guitar came to visit us on New Year's day for his usual Christmas visit, which we love. He tries to come visit us as close to Christmas as he can, either before or after. Usually our tree and all our decorations are down by then, but we left them up a few extra days just to make it feel Christmassy a little longer. He was only here a couple of days, but he stayed with us for 2 nights, which was super fun, and the kids looooved that!

He played games with us, built some lego towers with us, played some play-doh with us, watched some football with us, and some basketball with us. We talked had a couple of dinners all together, and it was a lovely visit.



We did our little Christmas with him while he was here. We gave him some fancy glasses from Crate & Barrel. I painted the bottoms with chalkboard paint so when he entertains (which he and Gayle love to do and they do a lot) their guests can write their names on their glasses and not get them mixed up--plus I kind of like the look of the black bottom. Anyway, I hope he liked them.


He brought us lots of fun stuff too. For the kids, he brought some books and all new snow clothes(but not Avie-she got some jammies and little baby stuff)!! They got snow pants and coats.


(the little boys were so excited to wear their new coats. Too bad Papa didn't bring any snow to go with them ;) )

On Monday we had my brother and his date over for lunch with us and Dad.  His kids couldn't come, they were with thier mom.  It was kind of weird.  I don't think we've ever had him over without his kids...weird!  Just one of those things I guess (He and Suzie got divorced this past summer).  Anyway...the lunch was great.  I made.......Aunt Jeri's spaghetti!  Surprising, huh?  What can I say, it's one of my faves.  We all ate too much, played Brain Quest with Chloe and Port, talked, and said bye to Billy and Gloria about 5ish.  Dad left early Tuesday morning.  It was such a great visit.  Hopefully we can go out to see him sometime this year.

In other news...

Avie had her 9 month check up yesterday.  She's growing like crazy!  She likes to babble a lot.  She says "Mamamama" and "Dadadadadada" and also just "Mama" and "Dada" and "bababa" and "papapa" and other similar "words"  She likes to ask lots of questions.  Like she'll say "adaaah??" or "ehh"  Her inflections always sound like a question, and it's so funny!  She knows her name.  She crawls everywhere, and she's fast!  She stands up to all the furniture, and walks along it.  She can climb the stairs-all 13 of them, all by herself (we just follow her just incase she tips backwards or tries to sit down and falls).  She doesn't love her carseat.  She lilkes to eat.  She likes juice, fruits, not veggies so much.  She likes to be held facing out so she can see what's going on (but she's kind of always been that way).  She loves her brothers and sister.  She knows her brothers are a little rough, so she squeals in anticipation.  She doesn't like to be left out...if a door's shut, she wants in or she gets mad.  She's getting long little baby hair, and I love it.  I like to fluff it up after she gets out of the bath, then i dry it to the side.  She still smells so good.  I looooove her smell.  Sometimes when I'm driving in the car, I can smell her, and it's lovely.  She's such a doll, we all love her so much.

Her 9 month stats:

weight:  18lb (28th)

height:  29 3/4" (97th)

head:  44.3cm (54th-aw, no more tiny little head)

She didn't have to get any shots, which was a big relief.  I hate when they have to get shots :(  Her next appointment is her 1 year (1 year!) and she has to get 3 shots. Poor Bebe Ava.