Valentine's Dance

Yesterday Jack's school had a Valentine's dance for the kids. It was really cute. They had fun little games and activity stations. There were lots of snacks. And, of course, there was dancing. Jack was so excited about going to this all day. He kept telling Lily that his friends AND family would be there. Then before we were leaving I asked him if he wanted to change his outfit. He said, "I have just the thing!" He ran upstairs and got his shirt that Bridget gave him for Christmas. I thought it was so cute that he wanted to wear something special.

I took Jack to a real barber yesterday for the first time. Here's Mr. Handsome himself...

Looking like his dad!

This is what happens when I try to get a nice sibling shot. Somebody makes a face or sticks her fingers in her mouth.

They do have fun together though.

Me and Lil

This is our serious look.

Lily dancing with one of her new friends.

This could be titled "Little Rascals." These are a few of the boys in Jack's class and their siblings. This was right before they started chasing each other at high speeds around the room.

I love this picture.

Lily smiling at Natalie. She is in Jack's class.

These are a bunch of kids in Jack's class. The two girls are twins...they are so cute.

Jack and the twins.

Jack high fiving Natalie on their dance skills.

Much Better Than Those Movie Theater Seats

Have I mentioned that our kids are slightly obsessed with the Toy Story 3 movie? Let's put it another way. Jack is to Toy Story 3 as I am to Sound of Music. That's saying alot. He can recite entire passages. Anyway, the kids never get sick of it. I guess that's ok since it's nominated for an Oscar. At least they have good taste. Here they are watching it with David. Judging from their faces it must have been an intense scene. Maybe it was Lily's favorite scene where the train falls off the bridge. David looks pretty happy! Can you blame him?

So Long Wallpaper

When we moved into our house the one room that required major updating was and still is the kitchen. While we are not in the position to tear out the lovely formica cabinets (I'm saving my pennies) the 80's wallpaper was really wearing on me. I think because I'm home and have to look at these walls all day that I tend to be more critical. Anyway, I knew the wallpaper removal would be a bear of a project. Then one day Jack tore a bit off. That was all the motivation I needed. He started it, after all. Right? Anyway, I started take off a small strip and the process was very slow going. The other thing I should mention is that initially I found some black residue beneath the paper. I was worried it was mildew and decided to call in some professionals for estimates. The painters assured me that it wasn't mildew or mold but most likely some type of sticky residue left over from trying to patch those cabinets. Anyway, after I about fell over hearing their quotes I decided that wasn't going to work. So, my dad came over (thanks dad!) and together we scraped and sprayed and sanded. It took a long time and it might not be 100 percent perfect. But, it's way better than the alternative. The 80's picture background had served its time. So here's the way the kitchen is today. I would like to paint the doors and the trim...and eventually, fingers crossed, rip out those cabinets. But, it's MUCH better!

BEFORE







The lovely pattern up close...

We also replaced those square shaped bug lights with better recessed lighting. It's hard to tell in this picture but those lights gave off about as much light as a nightlight. It was REALLY hard to laundry when you couldn't see what you were laundering.

That square halogen light fixture is gone!!





All the yellow that you see on the walls is the wallpaper backing. Fun stuff getting that off.

When we took down the square light fixture and tried to put up a regular one, we noticed that the placement of the fixture was really odd. The light wasn't over the oven but just to the right of it. So, we had the electrician move that too. Of course that meant more drywall repairs. Yippee.

Rochester Museum and Science Center

This past weekend we were all feeling a bit stir crazy and decided it would be a good opportunity to check out the Rochester Museum and Science Center. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of fun exhibits and activities for the kids. I think the Museum of Play tends to get all the press in this town. Don't get me wrong, that place is awesome but it also is a little old after awhile...like anything. It was fun to try something new. Kate joined us for the day and I think she had as much fun as the kids did. There was a simulated submarine ride, a fun jungle gym of sorts, a rock climbing wall, a meteorology station, a place to dig for fossils, a cool dinosaur exhibit and tons of other fun scientific displays. I have to admit when I was there I realized I needed a major science refresher course. I never knew the purpose of a muffler before! And, I have completely blocked anything I may have ever known about currents and circuits. Did I mention I won the RPI engineering award/scholarship at my high school? I know, I'm baffled by that one as well.

Ready to take on Everest!

The kids loved maze/jungle gym

Lily needed help from her aunt

This was a self propelled elevator.

Digging in the Sand

Lily didn't want to get her hands dirty.

Here they are in front of the green screen practicing their weather forecast.

I think they're on to something here...Al Roker needs a counterpart

Coaching from Dad and Aunt Kate

This elevator was more difficult than it looks.

Lily was afraid of the dinosaurs.

T-Rex!

This was some sort of bank teller vacuum thingy that Jack was fascinated by.

This is supposed to be like a hover craft.

Snoopy Socks

Every morning when Lily wakes up she asks, "Where are my snoopy socks? Can you put on my snoopy socks?" The snoopy socks are actually hand-me-downs from Jack. I think they were from the dollar section of Target. Anyway, our little girl is completely enamored with these socks. Did I mention they are Christmas socks too? Ahhh! We actually have to hide the socks now when they are dirty. She had worn them two days in a row and Dave finally took them and hid them at the bottom of Jack's laundry basket. Then yesterday morning she came down with the snoopy socks in her hand and announced triumphantly that she had found them. These socks are so awful. I really hope Target has some snoopy brand socks soon so we can buy more. It's bad when Lily tells us to go to Target or Mingmans (Wegmans) to get more snoopy socks. This morning I told her I was washing them and she hovered over me waiting for them to be washed. We had to explain that it takes some time. I remember my sister had a similar obsession with her red Annie dress...seen here. I'm sure if you look back through some of my pictures you can find Lily wearing these socks.

A Colossal Bust

So we did not get hammered with snow like other parts of the country did. We had some sleet and maybe a dusting of snow but the pictures speak for themselves. The meteorologists make me laugh. I know they're not divine and can't entirely predict the weather but at least fess up when you've made a mistake. The forecast kept changing slowly yesterday. Even when we watched the 11:00 news last night they were calling for an inch an hour...making the morning commutes "extremely difficult." Yet when I talked to David this morning he said the commute was fine and actually quiet due to all the school closings. The news people still kept trying to find a story. "That sleet is really coming down. The wind will slice right through you." Haha. No big storm. It's a good thing. David got a few extra minutes of sleep this morning instead of having to dig out a driveway. And, I'm grateful we don't have a blizzard. You can tell especially in the snoopy photo that there was hardly any additional accumulation.

>

An Experiment

They (all the local news outlets) have been warning us about a big snowstorm that is supposed to hit tonight. Our meteorologist says 2 feet of snow overnight is possible with additional amounts tomorrow throughout the day. I haven't heard them hype up a storm like this in a long time. But I totally have bought into it and went to Wegmans this morning along with MANY other people. It was like Thanksgiving week in there. Glad that is checked off the list.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our yard today. I will be back with some tomorrow. As you can see, we already have snow so this should be swell if their predictions are accurate. For those of you who are also in the storm's path...stay warm and get your shovels ready!