"Miss Hoover, can we exchange our valentines? "

"Not just yet, Janey. First, we're going to construct paper mailboxes to store the Valentines


Isn't that just pointless busy work?


Bulls-eye. Get cracking."




Jack came home with his very first book last Friday.  After he helped translate it, I found it to be a very enjoyable read.

The cover.  Simple and straight to the point. "I go skiing."

Page one: "I get on my ski clothes."  Well of course you do.  There is nothing more miserable than being cold and stuck up in the mountains.  Last year I blew out my ski pants.  It was because of a crash.  Not graceful.

Page two:  "I get my ski shoes on."  Well technically he really doesn't do this until we are up at the mountain and out of the car but he would love to walk around with them on all around my house.  They make really great stomping sounds.

Page three: "I get my skis on."  True.  You can not, I repeat, you can not ski without skis, but we did see a lone ski all by itself while on the lift and not too far later we saw a one skied person.  Been there, done that.  Mental note, don't try to clean skis off while on the lift!

Page four:  "I go skiing!" FINALLY!

These two can be the bestest buds some days!

Pete, the international mystery man of skiing.

Tom and I could actually share skis and boots now, but I don't think he likes the girl kind!

This has been the weirdest winter and I really think that it has effected my mentality.  I am really irritable these days and it's longer than if it were just PMS.  Its winter withdrawal.  I don't have a yard full of snow, instead I have yellowy dead grass with poopies all over the place.  The gas bill has been it's record lowest but I feel this urgency to do my spring cleaning and it's not the right time yet!  I don't want to yet.

Going up to the mountains made me miss winter even more.  I need four seasons or maybe just something a little harder than a Diet Coke!

The kids dragged their valentine boxes into school today.

Pete had a theme this year.  He made super hero valentines and a box to match.  He did the whole thing by himself with the exception of spay painting.  My boys are not allowed to spray paint.

Zoe was suppose to be all by her and I am going to say it was about 75% her.

I did the gluing and wrapped the box in wrapping paper, maybe it was more than 75%.  She is actually having a contest in her class and she is more worried about winning than what the box even looks like.  Shoot, if she doesn't get some sort a award I am dead meat.

She didn't win but she isn't mad either, making some progress!

Jack did some ding dong ditching to his neighbor friends and decided that was his most favorite thing.  He wants to do it every year!

Right now he just showed me the book he his going to be reading in the bathroom.  "It might take a long time."

And to top it all off he is reading out loud.

I miss the days of living in oblivious!