Inside Fun...

Carter giving his Daddy a cheese-y grin...Poor guy now has the cold his sister has had for a week...It was a rough night for him last night...Hoping naptime goes well right now for him...

We have been playing a lot inside and admiring the snow...

The cats have been in more and are always looking for "high ground" as they adjust to having a dog around...

Sistas got to stick together!

Yummy breakfasts each morning and Mike built a cool fort for the kids to play in....

Mallory sporting parts of our snowman kit we got for Christmas from the other Morins...hoping to make one soon...although the snow might be too fluffy this time...we did have some yummy snow cream yesterday and Mal is all about making more tonight! :)

And our own little Ringo Star plays for us as Mike prepares breakfast...Hoping for more of the same tomorrow if school is canceled!!! :)

Snowed In (8-14 inches!)

The news is saying we got 8-14 inches! Haven't measured it myself...It is cold out there so we only last for a little while...M has had fun both days...Carter went out today for the first time since the snow stopped coming down...Mike shoveled a path so Carter did a lot better this time and enjoyed himself...

Here comes happiness...

Hello!

Mike and Mal played out back...Norris is hilarious in the snow...runs around and around in circles and jumps over things like he is in a dog show! :)

Brought Carter back in bc it was so cold and his cheeks were turning red after about 10 mins...He was not happy to come back in w/o the rest of the fam....Had to smooth over his hurt feelings with some fruit snacks...They did the trick! :)

M&M come back in a little later... :) Trying to get in one good playtime in the snow each day...

***Snow*** Watch!

Day 3 of chillin around the house and I kinda like it! :) I have gotten more stuff done than I have in a long time! I should be packing for our Women's Getaway Weekend, but with the storm coming I think I am going to stay home instead. So sad to miss out bc I have been looking forward to it for over a yr (couldn't go last yr bc Carter was too old to go (would've been a major distraction), but too young for me to leave behind)...I love the speaker and will miss hearing her message for the weekend...but I'm excited to get snowed in with my family!

MiMi came over and watched Carter this morning so I could take M to the doctor to check on her cold...she has a sinus infection so I can't wait to give her med. to help clear it up-- poor thing is so full of cold! She is really into playing with her little figurines as of late...she will pretend play for long stretches of time w/o me...it is so nice for her to be indep., but I miss her! :)

17 Months!

Mr. Man is 17 months today!!! We call him our "little caveman" bc that's what he sounds like a lot of the time when he can't verbalize what he wants to say...I think we have finally learned the sign for "please" so that should really help! He loves being outside and gets so upset when it is time to come in...it has been so cold lately we can only go out for quick little spells and then it's back in!

Carter loves his new doggie and Norris greets him with a kiss each time he sees him (no one else gets the licks...might be bc Carter is right at his level...)

Carter is a climber...

He is so proud he can get up on the bench these days like a big kid...

If things are too quiet you know he has climbed up on something or is getting into something he shouldn't...sneaky little guy...He loves to read-- especially books with animals...his fav animal sounds are "moo and maaaa" when we get to the cow and goat pages...

Carter cracks us up each day with his silliness...yesterday he started to try to do the moonwalk and I sang "Smooth Criminal" to him and he just hammed it up...he cracks me up that he wants to walk backwards when he hasn't totally mastered going forward yet! :)

Carter is a dancing machine...he loves to dance and will get going in circles til he falls down...and when it is his turn for music in the van I always put on the classic rock station and that gets his arms a going! I think he likes all the guitars and drums...

Here is our little dancer in action (don't mind my singing please...) It's the song at the end of Mulan....We watched Mulan as a family the other weekend and we really like the movie as grownups...the music and story are great! (Mulan goes to war in her father's place...she is one tough little girl....Check it out!) We love our little guy and can't believe this time next month he will be 1 and a half!!!! Time is flying!!!!!

Homebodies R Us

Our little Snow White is such a homebody, and I think now she will be even more of one with her new BFF Norris around...she loves school days, but she is just as happy as can be to stay home w/o an agenda on days like today...Something hard for me to do...

We just played around the house this morning...she has a cold so it was nice and restful and I got a lot of housework done too...

She read to and lounged on "puppy dog"...

And tried to dress him up...poor guy...he can't catch a break! He is such a good sport! :)

Snoozeville...

It has been a full day for all of us and we are all hitting the hay early...Norris on his new bed!

Forts were built, the wii was played (Carter grabbed it from the table...I had one B&A kid all day-- teacher workday...), went to play at the park, and took Norris for his first vet appointment...(free with his adoption...), and we made a cake...

It was fun, but busy and I missed my naptime break...looking forward to catching some ZzZZzZs!!! :)

Day 2

The kids love their new puppy dog...he is such an old soul...we moved his bed (he loves the warm Mexican Blanket Pepere! We will be bed shopping for him soon...) into the kitchen to fence him in while we were at church yesterday...the kids made him comfortable... :)

He did a great job in our absence and when we returned there was lots of snuggling...

And he really wants to be near "his people"...we have been trying to keep him off the couch, but decided after last night that we would cover one cushion for him to be on...here he is during the game while Mike was IMing with his Dad...He is such a love bug and seems to be fitting right in with our family...the only time we have heard him bark was after his bath the first night...The cats are coming in when he is out or when he is closed off in our room at night..He and Maggie just regard each other and Stella hisses...It will be neat to see their relationships develop over time...I'm glad he isn't chasing them all around...they are tolerating each other...the cats are probably wondering when he is leaving... :) It is so fun to have a dog...the house just feels different! :)

On a side note...Went over to my parents last night for dinner and to see my cousin Brian and saw this pic...look like anyone you know?!??!

Lucky # 7...

So after meeting Norris and seeing him around all the kids at the Nursery today Mike was sold...Good idea SPCA to camp out in front of the event! :) I went back while the kids napped to get another chance to see him and get to know him...Mike would've taken him home right away...I can't make hasty decisions and we were planning on getting a dog when the kids were older...but Mike has been waiting a long time for a dog and he was such a sweet heart...

It was so fun to take him upstairs when the kids woke up from nap!

He is so good with kids...Carter has fallen/sat on him 3xs since his adoption at 3:30!

See his poor little ribs poking out? He is a 9 month old mutt and chill as a cucumber...

The kids enjoyed "walking" him around today...I mean what kinda dog is chill enough to allow kids to walk them?

Aunt Susan and MiMi came over to dinner to hang out with our new pet...

They approve!

We are now a family of 7! :)

Take Home a Friend...

Went to go see a Juggler/Magician at a Nursery in the area that they kids have seen before and love...(Thanks for the tip KB!) They had a lot of different vendors there and things to do...

Got to do a little planting and bring it home...

Petted some baby bunnies...Carter was a champ in the stroller the whole time...nice to not have to chase him around and there was lots for him to look at...

Then we saw this sweet little guy on our way out and couldn't stop thinking about him on the ride home...Kinda fitting that the commercial for the Nursery goes, "Take home a friend from the Great Big Greenhouse...Have we got a friend for you!!!!" Poor little guy needed a home...