Not sure he slept so well

This is how Matthew woke up from his nap today...

Playset!

Once we got everything moved in and unpacked, it became very clear that we were missing one very important part of our new house. The playset that we had been promising Ellie and Matthew for months, had become a possibility. Our backyard was now big enough and flat enough to hold one. In the true Texas spirit of extreme weather, Tony got started building it, only to be greeted by the biggest snowstorm in Texas history. If you remember, his last building project, the deck, was done while it was over 100 degrees out. Well, the play set was built in freezing temperatures and a foot of snow. Schools were closed, so Tony was home for three days....and wanted to use his free time to get it done. With snow gloves instead of work gloves and plastic bags inside his boots to keep the wet out, he stayed out there for three days. I'd bring the kids out to play in the snow and to check on their loyal Daddy (he was going to finish it for them no matter what!). The kids were in jackets, raincoats, cowboy boots, and Matthew even had to wear socks for gloves...we were not prepared for the snow! The play set is now done, and we love it and him, even more, having watched Daddy build through three days of snow.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Ellie : Oooh, Mommy, I love your dress! And I love your boots! When I grow up just like you, can you borrow them to me?

Snow Day!

Before her eyes were even all the way open this morning, a sleepy Ellie was asking, "is it snowing yet?". And it was! We woke up to two inches on the ground this morning, and it's still coming down. We may be getting six inches! While DC and Philadelphia are covered in three feet, we've got three inches, but those inches allow us to boast "the snowiest winter in 25 years", right along with the east coast.
So, our first stop was the window to look out at the snow, and the second stop was her closet. She insisted on getting dressed immediately and heading right out. We stopped along the way to grab a pajama clad brother on our way down stairs. Hats, coats, gloves and boots and we were outside, at 7:15 in the morning. See, in Texas, our snow is often gone by the time the sun comes up to warm it, so I didn't want them to miss it. From the looks of things now though, we may have this snow for a little while.
I built my first snow man in about fifteen years. The cold this morning was so worth it, watching the kids run around, snow on their eye lashes. Elle told me, "this is the best snow man I have EVER seen! Even better than the one Curious George made." Wow. Now that's a compliment from a three year old if I ever heard one. We put him right outside the back door so we can watch him from the warmth of the house.
p.s. check out the mostly finished swing set Daddy built! Slide and fort walls to come this weekend...

More from today...

Ellie, wanting to go in the cart at Home Depot with a plastic car attached to it for the kids to ride in, remembers that I often tell her that she can only walk in stores if she doesn't touch things. She usually has to go in the cart with her brother in stores. Here, she uses this logic against me...

Ellie : Can we go in the car cart, please?

Me : No honey, you get to walk today and Matthew is just going to go in the stroller. (we were going in to Home Depot for her to do a kids project)

Ellie : But, I NEED to. I am going to touch LOTS of stuff.

And on the way home, she noticed a detour in our path as we veered off to follow a garage sale sign...

Ellie : Where are we going?

Me : To a garage sale.

Ellie : But, we don't need to go to a garage sale, we have a garage at home already.

You've got to love a three year old's logic!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Me : Our stroller tire needs air. Ellie, will you remind me to fix it when we get home?

Ellie : Mommy, the tire is just doing the tire's best job. (I guess she didn't think I was giving that tire enough credit for it's hard work rolling everyone around)