A few Playdates and a Tooth!

Sledding fun at Brandy's house before we had dinner with her

Heading up the street for lunch with the Hubbard's

Can you see it?
Clara's first tooth popped through yesterday!

Oops! Just found this post from last week in my drafts...Hello Single Digits

It's 8 degrees today so we have been inside most of yesterday and today.  I guess we could have left the house, but sometimes it's fun to stay put and just play at home.  Brett and I did head out last night and left the kids with a babysitter for the first time.  I know, pathetic.  They have stayed with family and friends, but this time we had a real, payed (and well trusted) babysitter.  And guess what?  We had fun, the kids survived and we should probably do it more often.

Here are some clips of our inside activities...

Owen washing windows

Little Miss

Preschool

The kids' daycare (we refer to it as Patti's) has a Preschool downstairs taught by Patti's daughter who is a certified teacher.   Owen has been wanting to go downstairs with the big kids for the past few months and Monday was his lucky day!  Miss Stephanie said she would take him when he turned 2.5 and that was in December so he got to start this month.  He was very excited to bring his backpack...he told Clara, "Cara, when you get bigger you can get your barbie backpack and go downstairs to school...just like i'm bigger."  When I asked him if we should put anything in his backpack for school he ran off and came back with a Real Simple magazine and said "I'm just gonna bring this" and put it in his backpack :)   

Backpack packed and ready to go

Ski Date

After spending New Year's Day painting the basement...with the help of Ron (thank you SO much) and Owen...today we went on a ski date!  We went to mass, dropped the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa for the day and I got to ski for the first time this season.  It was also the first time skiing on my new skis...goodbye 175/180s, you've been good to me but there are no longer skis like you on the mountain and my legs can hardly handle you.  Thanks for some great, great runs!  

Thank you Ron, Carole & Ty for taking Owen and Clara...they had fun and so did we!

10 months old...

and sweet as can be!

2010

A toast to a year of wonderful memories...
we feel so blessed!

Missoula Children's Museum

Today we met up with Sarah and the girls at the Missoula Children's Museum for a long overdue play date.

SIGOURNEY

RHINO & DUCKY

OWEN & SYDNEY grocery shopping

CLARA...
after climbing the stairs, standing up and then ducking through the tunnel on her way to the slide

Winter Break

I'll tell ya...it sure is nice to come back from a long trip and still have a week off!  We loved coming back to the snow and are hoping for another dusting before the temps dip down to the single digits in the next few days.  The kids and I have spent the week so far doing laundry and testing out new toys.  Brett and I are working on the basement...remember that project?  It was sheet rocked the week before we left and now it's ready for us to finish it!  We're planning on having it completed, cozy guest room and all, for our next visitors.  As Clara approaches 10 months, she is a super crawler and pulling herself up everywhere. Last week she was standing at a coffee table and let go with both hands to stand on her own.  Yesterday she climbed to the top of the stairs on her own...with coaching from her wonderful big brother!

"working" with new tools from GSue

SNOW!

The newly textured basement...with paint samples.
What is your vote?

Ready for the cold

We found this little bundle snuggle by the tree last night on our way to bed.
Can you blame him? 

Stair Climbing 101