iPhone-ography

Early morning iPad time

"Why do I have to lay down Mommy? I'm not tired!"

The snow is melting!

1st time roller skating. She cried after her first fall. But she kept trying...

She got brave!! I'm so proud of her for not giving up!

A quick family pic at a fancy family dinner.
We rarely get "prettied up" so I asked my brother to take a pic of us. 

I believe all of these have been on my instagram feed (follow me @ aleigh220).

More Snow

We've had so much snow dumped on us... I'm beginning to think we won't unbury ourselves for months. I've ventured out twice to "play" in the snow with the munchkins. Both times initiated by Milo. My boy who never ever gets cold. Who loves snow. 

As much as I can't stand the cold & snow, I do love snow as a background. For about 5 minutes.

Stuck Inside

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you'll soon figure out that I DO NOT like winter. At all. Ever. Period. My least liked season. I hate being cold. And it makes it all that much worse that we live in Ohio. Where the deep freeze has apparently set in for the rest of winter. If you're not aware of the current deep freeze… 1) you must live in a warmer climate & therefore I'm jealous of you & I probably don't currently like you; 2) don't you turn on the tv? read a newspaper? talk to people? 

So, it's about -20, or -50 degrees or something like that with the wind chill. Which means, even if I did want to send the kids outside (which I don't in the winter - cause I'd have to go out with them & I don't do that), I can't because it's seriously dangerous to be outside. A friend of mine sent her dog outside yesterday, only to have it come back with drool frozen solid on its face. Seriously. It's friggin' cold. 

What to do with the kids? I'm all for pj days, which I try to practice at least once a week. Ahh.. being lazy the entire day, hanging out in pj's, watching movies, napping… my dream come true in the winter. 

Last weekend though, the kids asked to do a craft. Sure. Okay. I can do that. I'm a fun mom, right? Well, sometimes I am. So even though I had 2  quizzes I really needed to study for, 3 research papers hanging over my head, a case studies I'll need to present to my class that I haven't started, a pamphlet I need to create about an awful disease…. (overwhelmed yet? cause I am!)  Anyway, I decided to let the kiddos finger-paint. Can I say how much I love Crayola Color Wonder? No mess. None. Give the kids some fun gel paint & special paper. And the only thing needed for clean-up is a quick hand washing! Right up my alley!! LOVE!!!! 

And the kids had fun for almost an hour. Without bugging me or arguing!! Love it when that happens!! And aren't they getting so big?? Where are my babies?? 

Have a happy deep freeze!! I won't.

Review of our 2013 & some of 2014

So, I've been MIA for the majority of 2013. I know. But it is what it is. There hasn't been much time with 3 of us being in school. I'm finally in my last year of college, and will be graduating this April! I haven't picked up my camera very much, and don't really expect to until after graduation. That's not to say that I haven't picked it up at all- I have here and there!

I decided to post my favorite pictures (of the little bit there are) from 2013:

A venture to the neighborhood park
Milo desperately wanted to do the monkey bars, so Daddy helped him
I believe this may be the *only* thing that Milo can't do on his own

Milo was laughing so hard he couldn't hold on even with his one hand!

Meanwhile, Xandra was practicing her balancing skills

And jumping skills

Milo helped Daddy clean up the yard

He gave up on the yard work & decided to fly his airplane instead

Xandra just played with her pet shop animals

I couldn't resist Xandra in this gorgeous dress & my new chair

I made Milo pose for a few also, though he really didn't want to 

1st Day of School!!

She still looks so small compared to the other kids! 

I'm thinking about using this for next year's Christmas cards… 

Christmas Eve & Christmas morning presents!
I *love* Xandra's expression on the bottom right picture- she was so darn excited!

Our tradition of pottery painting didn't happen until after Christmas this year.
But we ended up getting some great deals since we waited so long!
And I'll have a few more "homemade" ornaments to had to the tree next year!
This is one of my favorite traditions ever!

1st Days of 2014

I got these yesterday & couldn't resist posting them as well

So that brings us pretty much up-to-date.
The kids are doing really well in their schools:  Xandra is repeating 1st grade & is now at the top of her class! Milo is in pre-K & is already writing both his first & last names. He's also reading a few sight words & counting up a storm!

As I said earlier, I'm almost finished with college, and am currently looking for an externship/future job opportunity. I'm hoping to be adding a side-photography-business once I've graduated. I've had a number of sessions already, but it's far and few between due to my schedule. I'll post a few pictures from my favorite sessions soon!

I hope everyone has a wonderful new year!