* snow * ! *

it started out just a normal friday - except we were all waiting for the snow to come!  the forecast was predicting 1-2", with 3-4" in some areas.  it was a breath-taking 25 degrees at drop off.  then the snow started at around 9:30am, and it continued pretty much until 7pm.  there was a mad dash to get home from work and/or pull kids out of school by most people, and even daddy's work released everyone at noon.  i stayed at work (mainly because the girls' school was still operating on a normal schedule and since i had already missed work for 2 days earlier this week).  i left work at 3pm, picked up the girls after school and made it home by 3:50pm.  not too bad considering a normal-day's commute is around 35 minutes.

upon getting home, we immediately bundled up and built a snowman.  we really had no choice.  the fluffy white snow was calling our name!

 and of course, the girls made snow angels.

ice, ice, baby!

first, we had freezing rain on sunday afternoon/night - which prompted schools to close on monday.  then when the temps did not warm above freezing monday, everything stayed frozen and school closed again on tuesday.  little sister did go out for a bit and built a tiny snowman from the ice.  can you see it?

the roads improved dramatically when the sun came out on tuesday afternoon and the temps warmed to the low 40s, so we prepared ourselves to return to school (and work).  however, a forecast calling for a sleet/snow mix right around 7am on wednesday forced our district to delay school opening for 2 hours.  when we finally got going to go to school, it was snowing lightly but not sticking or making roads slick.  it was very pretty.

 the two extra days off gave us time to catch up on some projects.  big sister completed her book report which is due on march 7th.  we also had time to bake a 1950s-style cake (in the form of cupcakes) for extra credit for her social studies project on the 1950s decade.  i found a crisco recipe online and realized we had all the ingredients on hand to make it.  it was much more time-consuming than making a box cake, and the icing turned out a little too sweet for my liking, but it was for a good cause.

daddy-daughter dance

 a flyer came home from school a few weeks ago announcing the annual daddy-daughter dance in our town.  little sister was immediately interested in going, but big sister took some convincing.  in the end, they both had a blast going out with daddy.  i think their favorite part was getting all dressed up and accessorizing with my jewelry.  i'm glad that they got to go and make these special memories.

first game

pre-game and post game fun with the **SPARKLES***... great to see them all back out on the field... the girls worked hard as a team to bring home their 6-2 season opening victory! way to go ladies!

party day

today the girls had valentines parties at school.

big sister's class enjoyed ice cream sundaes with all the toppings you can imagine.  everyone exchanged valentines and ate lots of candy.

little sister's class feasted on crackers, cheese, fruit, cupcakes, and juice boxes.  they had a coloring activity and also ate lots of candy as they exchanged valentines.

will you be my valentine?

time to make personalized valentines again for the girls to hand out at their classroom parties.  we made the same type as last year, but it was easier thanks to cut-apart valentines i found online.  all you do is upload your photos, have them printed at the store (1-hour), and viola!

first, we started with a picture of each of the girls.

then we selected the cut-apart template online.

next we uploaded the photos, selected the quantity, and placed the order.

cut the valentines apart, punch 2 holes, address them to your friends, and insert the lollipop.

first practice

time to get back on the field,  team **sparkles***!!  such goofy girls!

1,300 miles

we made a quick road trip (56 hours start to finish) to new mexico this past weekend to pay our last respects to our sweet grandma (and great-grandma) jeanette.  the service was beautiful, with all her children playing a role in the remembrances in some way – grandma janet played violin, aunt celeste gave the eulogy and sang, uncle fred read a letter and said a few words, and aunt sharman talked through a photo slide show.  the girls enjoyed seeing cousins and family we rarely see, and they were excited to play in a bit of snow that was left from a storm earlier in the week.  we are comforted by the knowledge that grandma & grandpa are reunited again in heaven and know they are smiling down on us.

curly sue

how does that saying go?  "girls with curly hair want straight, and girls with straight hair want curls."  it's something like that, and that perfectly describes little sister lately.  she has been waking early, getting dressed for school with no fuss, and making it hard to refuse her request for curly hair.  luckily i have hot rollers from too many years ago to mention - and they still work perfectly.  how can i possibly put a damper on her fashion sense?

jackpot!!

it had been loose for a week or so now, and today big sister's wobbly silver tooth finally came out.  she got this tooth capped because of a large cavity the dentist found when she was about 4 years old.  the dentist said it looked like her tooth had not formed properly for some reason.  i forget how much that procedure cost - but the tooth fairy obviously knew how valuable that particular tooth was, because she left her $10!!  wow!!