A little snow and sun makes everything better!

Another weekend with illness.......it seems the girls just continue swapping the coughs, colds, and runny noses. Yuck. Mike was up north with a friend this weekend so it was just us girls at home. Because they were sick, we didn't have any plans and did lots of painting, made playdough, and played outside in the beautiful 6 inches we received. Emma went next door to join the big kids in an outdoor snow scavenger hunt. She came home when she realized she had no chance of keeping up w/ the big kids again, especially wearing all her snow gear. Abby was pulled in the sled and had such fun walking up and down the driveway. She just LOVES to be outside. Then I loaded them up in the sled and brought the ergo for extra measure to walk on the snow covered trails around the neighborhood. After going through 100 tissues, I decided it was time to call it a day and head back home. They did NOT want to go inside. The promise of hot chocolate and reading our new library books enticed them. Then we all crashed for some much needed naps. Thank God for such a beautiful, crisp, snowy day- we all needed it this weekend.

Odd conversations with a 4 year old

In the car the other day as we drove by a big crane.....

Emma: Mom, if a struction worker comes to get me and puts me on top of that crane I will tell him, Hey, I'm not a struction worker, I'm a kid!

Me: Ok, Emma (my general response when I'm only half listening)

Emma: And then if he says he has to keep me because I have to go to work building a barn, then I will kick him in his penis.

Me: Uhhhh......No body is going to come get you, I promise. And where did you learn that anyway??

Emma: I don't know but then he will drop me from the crane, I will land on top of the car and you will be so happy, you will reach up and get me and buckle me back in my car seat.



How to respond to that? She comes up with the strangest stories out of the blue and usually they are funny and entertaining, but this one worried me a little bit. I will have to think for a while before talking again about this one.

Here is another little less scary one:

Emma: Mom, when I get bigger I will rescue all the fairies that live in the bottom of the trees and then they will love me and they will teach me all the fairy things and live inside my pockets.

Me: That sounds like fun!

Emma: They will have little flashlights that they shine up and down. Then they will run out of batteries and need me to get new ones.

Me: Ok

Emma: Then we will have a birthday party and they will come out and say "hey everyone we are Emma's fairies." And the kids will be scared so they all will run home and I will be sad.

Me: Well, then you will still have daddy and I and Abby with you.

Emma: And Sunny- she likes the fairies too, but then she might EAT them so I will put them back in my pocket.

Me: Oh, good story Emma.



I love these stories! I wish I could remember them all and write them in a little book for her to read when she is older. It is all so real to her, and so magical. These stories go on all day in her own little world. Even when she is in her room for quiet time, I hear her talking, and talking, creating conversations between her animals and dolls. I love her imagination and hope it stays with her forever.

Marco Island

I celebrated my 32nd birthday with a florida Key Lime Pie! Yum!!!

Dad looking lovely!

We just returned from a week in Marco Island, Florida with nana and papa. They had rented a house on the inland waterway for a month. We had a blast and Abby played in the ocean for the first time! The house was beautiful and came with a crib and tons of things for kids so it was perfect. It even had a pool! Marco is a great island- only 4 miles by 6 miles so you can ride your bike everywhere and the beaches are great and very kid friendly w/ tons of shells to pick and playgrounds, etc. I would definately reccomend marco island for a family vacation w/ kids.

The first day we visited the Naples Botanical Gardens and Zoo. The flowers and foilage are just amazingly beautiful. Then we came back and swam for hours in the pool. Emma made such great progress on her swimming. By the end of the week she was swimming all by herself w. a noodle and putting her whole body under. The next couple days were cold (really, really cold for Marco standards) so we just hit some playgrounds and Mike, dad and I went deep sea fishing. It was a blast. It was too cold and choppy in the "deep sea" so we went into the mangroves and did backwater fishing instead. I am proud to say I caught the only "keeper" in our boat. This fishing was much more difficult than the jigging for walleye in MN or Canada. We really had to work for it. Our boat only caught 3 fish- but we had tons of bites. It was a blast.

The next few days really warmed up into the 80's so it was perfect beach weather. The girls played in the sand, and picked shells for hours. The ocean was still pretty chilly so we were only in up to our waists. People laughed at us "crazy midwesteners" for being the ocean at all. Abby only ate a few mouthfuls of sand before she decided it really didn't taste too good at all.

Auntie Pam & Nana on the boat dad rented!

Mike and I went into Everglades City for an airboat ride through the everglades. We saw some alligators and fed some crazy swamp raccoons. Nana and Papa watched the girls so Mike and I could have a few dates for margaritas and sunsets. It was a great vacation and too short, of course. On the way home we had just boarded the plane when they told us the airspace was clased because President Obama was flying into Fort Meyers right when we were supposed to take off! So it made a 3 1/2 hour plane ride into 4 1/2 hours, but the girls did really, really well. Abby slept for most of it. We did get to see Air Force One land right next to us! It was pretty cool. Back to reality now....