First snow of 2013!

Finally we got snow. It's just not a proper winter unless at least a few inches cover the ground.

The view from the office window.

I hosted a playdate for some MOPS friends Wednesday morning. I was so thrilled that so many of them braved the snow and came! When you stay at home with little ones, the thought of being cooped up inside versus the thought of braving some falling snow... sometimes it's a no-brainer.

After naps, the kids and I bundled up in various layers and spent about an hour outside. We built a snowman whom Em and Jax affectionately named "Koo Koo Loco," blasted each other with snowballs, and the kids piled snow at the base of the slide for some extra fun. We decided to finally go inside after Jax got snow down the back of his pants, started to cry, and exclaimed, "Mommy, I don't think I'm ever gonna be warm again!"

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Emerson and her daddy attended our gym's inaugural Daddy/Daughter Dance on the Saturday after Valentine's Day. This girl was SO excited. We started the countdown about two weeks before the big night.

According to her, when they arrived, they got to ride in "those big cars that glowed-ed up inside." Stretch limos picked the couples up at the front entrance and drove them around to the back entrance where the dance was held in the gym. There was dinner, dessert, dancing, pictures to be taken, crafts for the girls to do, and just a whole lotta fun to be had. 

Hot Sauce was NOT happy that she didn't get to go... all day she kept asking, "Hot Toss go to Diddy Daughter Ditz?" We let her know that this was sissy's big year to go with daddy all by herself and she would get to go next year, too.

Okay, that middle picture of them on the picture postcard? Twinkies. Absolute twinkies. 

Our current favorite smoothie

What's this interesting concoction, you ask? Well, it's our new favorite smoothie around our house. I mix almond milk, a dab of plain yogurt, a little honey, ground flaxseed, spinach (I pureed some leftover fresh leaves and poured them into ice cube trays... brought me back to my baby food-makin' days), frozen berries, frozen mango, and perhaps a banana. The kids and myself love it equally, and Daddy tolerates it beautifully. Upon first sight a few weeks ago, he did comment that it looked like blended gallbladder, but I digress.

Healthy eats to you and yours!

B-Ball video

Just try to watch this without crying at the end. Impossible. This video is from last year, but I just saw it on Dooce's site this week.

Birth according to Emerson

This is what Emerson brought to me last week. She said, "Mommy, look. I drew a baby coming out of you." When I asked her what all of the purple stuff surrounding the baby was, she answered that it was the baby's food.

A few thoughts on this... 1) the image of me quite resembles a four-armed Humpty Dumpty, and I have a sweet afro going on. 2) I love how she's using the arrow to show downward motion and some sort of coil... perhaps the baby springs when it hits the ground? 3) This is what pregnancy looks and feels like to me. She nailed it.

Mascara #1

So I've begun my inaugural mascara testing experiment. Because of the Sephora mascara sampler box that Lisa bought me for Christmas, I have been charged with reporting my findings.

The past 30 days I have been using Buxom by Bare Minerals. The wand is made of some type of silicone or rubbery-type material, which is a strange sensation to the lashes. The mascara doesn't clump on the wand, which is nice, but I felt like the largest amount of mascara ended up on the base of my lashes versus the tips. I would describe it as lengthening but not volumizing. The color is a very dark black. Another positive is that it didn't smudge at all. I would consider this a great day mascara but probably wouldn't choose it for a night out.

Grade: C+

Happy 2nd birthday, Hayden Reece!

Little Hot Sauce, you have officially entered the world of two! What a bundle of joy you are to our family. I can't imagine life without you... you brighten each day with your zest and energy and passion. I am so thankful we didn't stop with two. You are precious, sweet girl.

A few of my favorite things about you right now:

• When asked if your name is Hayden, you reply in a low, husky, Eastwood-esque voice, "No.... name's Hot Toss."
• When I try to sing along with you in the car, you holler, "Mommy, leh me ting!"
• You have my hyper side... it usually comes out when you hug one of us. Teeth clenched, shaking, squealing, the whole bit. It's so awesome.
• Your gallop. More often than not, you go from room to room with the cutest little horsey gallop.
• You adore your brother and sister. And you can argue/fight with them so well already. 

Your big day was capped off with a little party at Mazzio's with our family/godfamily.

* Her stitches came out on Saturday! The scar looks really good... I'm gonna start her on Mederma this week and see if we can't make it look even better.