COLD!

Did you know that here in Oregon it is cold? Well it is. It's freezing. Below freezing. Pipes are bursting, ducks are walking on top of ponds, and fountains and small waterfalls are frozen in place. It is so weird.

The other day I went to bed with flannel sheets, a fleece blanket plus two other blankets, socks, long sleeve shirt, and GLOVES.

When I woke up at 7am on Monday to go to my swimming class it was 11 degrees outside. 11! I honestly debated going because I thought for sure they'd close the pool.

They had not closed the pool, despite the fact that the heater stopped working. The pool was still heated, but the air was not. That was not very pleasant. The water had so much steam rising off it you could only see a couple feet in front of you.

They still hadn't fixed it when I went today. But the good news is, today was my last day!

I am officially done with school!

One more week until Christmas Break!!!!!

I got to the point where I just couldn't make myself write another word of my paper. I'm about 2/3 done, so I don't feel too guilty about stopping for a few minutes. It is still titled "descriptive title" so I obviously have work to do. But here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Finals are next week, so you probably won't hear from me until after next Wednesday.

Watching america's next top model with me. Don't judge, they loved it. I didn't mean for them to start watching it, but they sat in that chair for 40 min, and I was not complaining. Aimee's hair looks baaaaad here. Katie gave her a haircut the other day (I'm now blocking that unpleasant memory forever) so I had to trim it up. It's not quite as curly now. Sad.

This is Aimee. I love this picture so much even though it's so blurry. Look at her cute squishy face! This is what she does when you tell her to close her eyes.

My display of craftiness. I put clear contact paper on our bathroom window so the wierdos can't see us through that white curtain. Then I painted flowers! (painted=traced)

Roasted carrots from pastor ryan, via pioneer woman. I have a deep love for roasted veggies. You can't tell by looking, but they weren't done. I tried a bite and it crunched. I think my toaster oven may be losing it's edge.

K, wish me luck in the homework department!

Happy Thanksgiving

I am giving thanks for these cute girls:

And the fact that school is almost over and I get a three week break!

Freaky

So when I woke up this morning, Jon told me to go look out the window.

I saw this:

There was a storm last night, and there's a bunch of crap in the yard. Big deal, right?
But look closer...That is a javelin of death sticking out of the ground! It is the freakiest and coolest thing I've seen in a while. That is some strong wind. I'm just glad I wasn't outside, and it picked the lawn rather than the house.

Things I do that are not homework when I'm supposed to be doing homework

• Update the blog
• Look at friend's blogs
• Sometimes look at friends of friend's blogs
• Look at GoFugYourself
• Look at DesignSponge
  
• Look at Slate and read random interesting articles
• Eat
• Write things on my to do list that I've already done so I look more productive
• Try to decide what I want to be when I grow up
• Watch America's Next Top Model (I inexplicably love that show)
• Read books to the girls
• Ask Jon random questions
• Find recipes that sound good
• Find more books to read that I don't have time to read
• Do some online window shopping
• Take the girls to the library (more books I don't have time read)

As you can see I am excellent at coming up with ways to not do homework. It's not that I hate it; I'm just easily distracted. It's hard with online classes and the internet. The internet wins every time.

Also, if you know how to unplug my ear I will be your BFF. The internet has failed me on that one. This is the third day it's been plugged, and jumping up and down with my head to the side, decongestants, chewing gum, alcohol and vinegar, peroxide, and yawning haven't helped.

Pictures!

We have all been sick, and Aimee is still not all the way better. But I am behind on my homework, so here's pictures real quick!


How do you get kids to eat beets? Make pink noodles! They were seriously hot pink, it looked like I dumped food coloring in there. They were really good too.

The girls were sick for Halloween, so we didn't get to go trick or treating this year. It was very sad for us. Luckily the girls got to wear their costumes the Saturday before when we went to "You Who" a kid's variety rock show. This is what Katie looked like during the show:

It was geared toward older kids. She was bored and hungry.

And after the show and lunch at McMenamins. (with the best apple cider EVER!)
You can't tell, but Aimee is supposed to be the (poison) apple. She refused to wear the hat, which was red and had a little stem and leaf. It was cute, you'll just have to trust me.

Then we had Katie's birthday, and here is her cake. It was not meant to look like a Homer Simpson donut, but it did.
Blowing out the candles. And freaky red eyes.
Presents! When she opened a ballet skirt from Gramma she announced, "It's just what I wanted!" So cute.
I make Katie have quiet time in her room every day while Aimee naps, and she's been taking naps sometimes. It's nice for homework. But she usually sleeps in bed, not the chair. She also has like seven blankets on. It made me laugh.

Four years ago...

we had this cute little baby that totally changed our lives.

She grew and grew
and grew
and grew until she became

a cute four year old.

Happy Birthday Katie!!!!
We love you!

Monday List Day: Things I hate edition

I have neglected my lists. I blame it on school. I blame it all on school!

Things that drive me totally crazy:

• The combination of two words to make one stupid made-up word. Ex: Chillax, (chill and relax) Clackamette, (Clackamas and Willamette) Staycation, (stay and vacation) Brangelina, (you know) and the list goes on and on and on. Please make it stop.
• If I see the word recessionista one more time I WILL... do something. Not stab myself in the eye or anything, but if it's in your magazine, or on your blog I will stop reading.
  
• I get really upset when I get on the computer Monday morning to check my classes, and make my to do list, and the teacher hasn't updated with the next weeks assignments yet. That is something that should be done by Sunday. Not acceptable teachers. I need to write out my list before I can be productive.
  
• Related: some teachers like to feed you one week's assignments at a time. Heaven forbid you should look ahead in your class, or know what you're supposed to be doing next week.
• The 80s comeback. I am adamant that the 80s was the worst fashion decade ever. Ever! Anything from the 20s to the 70s is fine with me.
• I hate pretending to be interested in the discussions on the message boards for my online classes.
  
• Aimee is really into throwing food on the floor. She likes to do it quickly and covertly if possible, to make to biggest mess before I notice and freak out. She even does this with food she likes.
  
• Also, she won't eat anything green (except peas). Or soup. Or potatoes. Or most raw vegetables. She cried when I had her try cottage cheese. She is so picky! She spits things out, and says, "like it" while shaking her head.
  
• Katie is waking up too early. Then she is whiny all day.
  
• Bugs in the house. Especially fruit flies.
  
• My house is always messy now. I clean up the kitchen and bathrooms, but the girls' play area I don't even bother cleaning. It just gets messy again, and drives me crazy that I just wasted time.
• TV shows and movies that announce the sex of the baby at the first ultrasound. This is NOT REAL!!!! You don't get an ultrasound at 8 (or ten) weeks and know whether it's a boy or girl. I'm talking to you Glee.
  

That is enough negativity for today.

Aimee sings ABCs

Pumpkin Patch

Last week the girls, and grandma and I headed to a cute little farm by our house.There were pumpkins everywhere, and all different kinds.I love these cows. They are so cute and so clean.This cracks me up every time I see it.I loved the goat too. He came up and sniffed the camera as I was taking the picture.Going over the bridge.They loved the chickens.

It was so much fun. We got a little pumpkin family (mommy, daddy, katie and aimee pumpkins) and delicious apples, plus some cute mini pumkins and gourds. Our house is all fall-ified now.

Now a couple more random pictures...

They are making the same face!

And finally, my moment of genius.
Aimee's bibs were all dirty, and we were having beets and raviolis with tomato sauce. Their clothes needed protection. So, I took a plastic grocery bag, flattened it out so the handles were on top of each other, and cut the bag to make two bibs. You stretch out the handle a bit, and it goes right over their head. Cheap, disposable bibs! Kinda trashy, kinda cute.