conniff boys.

The other day Heather and I were talking about our kids (actually we were probably bitching) and she referred to hers as 'the boys'.

And I thought...OMG, you have TWO boys.

You have kids. 

Plural.

I love that they are 'the boys'.

The Conniff boys.

And excuse me with another OMG...but these boys are going to be trouble.

And lots of it.

But my most favorite part (besides when I will be picking them up from detention)...is that we will know and love these two boys their entire lives.

Lucky us.

And I may even get to speak at their weddings.

(depending on how much I have to drink).

Ry and Case.

Hooligans in the tub.

naps. yes please.

I am totally one of those moms that doesn't do something because it is naptime.

I don't mess with naptime.

I don't even flirt with it.

I am sorry.

I know I am lame.

And knowing is half the battle.

BUT...

my kids suck if they don't have naps.

(and I suck if they don't have naps).

Plus, when they look like this after a nap...

well, you gotta understand.

Right?

let it snow...some more.

We traded in a whole lotta snow...for a whole lot more snow.

Last, last Sunday we headed up to the Whitsell's cabin for a perfect little get away.

It had just started to snow in Seattle,

but we were bound and determined to be stuck in the mountains with our favorite little family of three.

What a fabulous 24 hours it was.

We froze in the snow, went sledding, Joc toted Hads around everywhere, she sang to Carsie when he cried, she had everything 'lifesaving' in her diaper bag (thank goodness), we watched Luke get pretty comfy cruising around the coffee table, we went hot tubbing, one little one year old almost lost his life in said hot tub, we RELAXED, we ate, and drank, made fun of each other and others, played cards, stayed up late...

and just enjoyed.

It's so effortless with these three.

Like always.

Which is my most favorite part.

(My least favorite part was Carson crying most of the night...for the record).

We can't wait to invite ourselves again Whitsell's...

But next time, Carson is in your room.

Deal?

sunday.

Nothing beats a warm milk drinkin', sweats wearin', cartoon watchin', doggie snugglin', lazy Sunday morning.

t.g.i.f.

Happy hour.
(save it...this is far better than having my tot out there riding her bike with no helmet).

hey hads...

Look what we play with while you're at preschool.

Sucka!

(her much beloved, her much protected, her much never, ever, ever, in a million trillion years to be shared with anybody, especially her drooly brother...

her nigh-night).

a bike ridin' fool.

This gal loves to ride her bike.

Rain or shine.

Snow or ice.

Helmet or no helmet.

I told her she doesn't have to wear her helmet as long as she stays in the driveway.

I guess I must think the concrete on the driveway is softer than the concrete on the street?

I am a fool as well.

boys.

They are just a whole different breed.

A very noisy, always up to no good, rule breaking breed.

But oh man, they sure are a heart melting breed.

Majorly heart melting.

book smart.

Scene:

Ryan is cooking dinner, Hadley and I are hanging out playing with Carsie, coloring, and making small talk.

Me:  "Hads, when you get married make sure you marry someone who cooks for you every once in awhile."

Hads:  "Why?"

Me:  "Because it's a nice break."

Hads:  "Well when I get married we will have a Mama.  And she will be the cooker."

Me:  "Am I going to be that Mama?"

Hads:  "No, we will have a differant Mama when we get married.  We will have a cooker Mama and a Mama that zips our jeans up."

Me:  "Why will your jeans be unzipped?"

(stifling laughter)

Hads:  "Because we will have to change our jeans.  You can't wear dirty jeans to the library!"

Duh Ralph.

My gal may 'get around' in the future (if she can get her jeans unzipped)...but at least she's going to have read all the classics.

slightly obsessed.

I kind of can't get enough of his little 'rat' tail, especially when it's a tad mussed up.

And I can never, ever get enough of that messy little face. 

Even with soggy waffles all over it.

However, I am totally over the filthy highchair.

Cleaning it after his meals is the bane of my existence.

His highchair really should be deemed a bio-hazard.

And the inside of my car probably should be too.

got milk?

Having a playdate with these two is thrilling.

MOOOOOOOOOO-ve over, I would like spot on the couch too.

life at the park.

This is how we do it.

Yep, it's way better than how Montell Jordan does it.

And it wasn't Friday night...it was a Tuesday.

on second thought.

Maybe getting Frank wasn't such a bad idea.

that's dangerous.

He comes into the bathroom with a gallon of Drano in one hand and his playskool lion in the other.

And the slyest little grin on his face.

I have this Drano in a hall closet, WAY in the back of the closet, on the third shelf.

1.800.222.1222

I have that number memorized.

Ever since my pediatrician told me he's a good candidate to poison himself.

Hadley ate toothpaste once, and I phoned my work in a panic.

They told me she would need to eat a Costco pack of toothpaste before she actually was deemed 'poisoned'.

This boy takes it to a whole new level of panic.

Always.

Pass over the Drano kid, Mama needs a pull.

oh no you dit-ten...

Someone is becoming quite the swimmer.

Okay...she's still quite the drowner.
But she voluntarily puts her head under water when she's 'swimming'.

And then she comes up and very dramatically blinks her eyes for at least 6 minutes, all the while smiling, and yelling "MAMA DID YOU SEE ME?".

No Hads, I missed it...because I blinked while you were under.

It's that quick.

But I give her a huge thumbs up anyway, and maybe get a tear in my eye.

Nothing makes me prouder than when she's proud of herself.

Deservedly so or not.

trapped.

I knew it was going to be bad this morning.

I don't like the idea of knowing we can't go anywhere.  Regardless if we want to leave or not...I like to know we have the option. 

Today we didn't.

It snowed.  Again.  In Seattle.

We were stuck.

My sister in law called to check in on me at 8:19am. 

She knew.

She had already been home with two kids since Tuesday.

I had nothing to complain about...I 'got' to work yesterday.

But today.  I was trapped.

I knew it was going to be a long day when we were already painting by 9am...

we don't paint.

But I was going to make the best of it.

I always do my most positive thinking in the morning.

It quickly goes downhill from there.

Frank spent most of the day here, keeping warm.

When he wasn't chewing up toys and biting us.

After painting and breakfast, we had ourselves a little tea party...

and Carson forgot to bring his manners.

By 10am, and we are all getting a little 'rummy'.

So we headed outside.

She whined 92% of the time.  And I threatened her with no hot chocolate when we got back.  And she put on her happy face.  And then forgot, and whined some more.  More threats.  More fake happiness.

He kept quiet.  But only because he was frozen solid.

Finally lunchtime (which is followed by naptime.  Tick tock, tick, tock)...we made some pizzas. 

 She got to do EVERYTHING.

Think she was excited?

A smiley face Canadian Bacon and cheese pizza...with eyelashes.

This gal doesn't miss a detail.

While we were doing that.

He did this. 

So loud. 

So annoying.

Then he started crawling around the floor doing this.

So boy.

And then he started running around doing this.

So ready for it to be naptime.

After naps, she played with her kids.

And he played with his cymbals.

And then...our KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR SHOWED UP.

(and Hadley asked him why he was wearing a 'girls shirt').

He took us to Target.

I had no words.

He saved my life.

And the kids lives.

Only two hours earlier I texted my gal Fiona that I was going to put cyanide in their Kool-Aid.

They were drinking Kool-Aid because we were out of Milk.

But we were stocked full of poison.

Such a rookie.  He agreed to this cart.

His punishment...

He had to push it.

At Target, we only bought the essentials.

I mean this is Armageddon people...I was serious about our emergency pack.

I didn't skimp.

This should get us through till Saturday.

And after dinner (Cocoa Krispies for those keeping tabs on my amazing parenting)...

SNOW ICE CREAM.

It came highly recommended by niece Lauren, who called me today and talked about it for at least 20 minutes.

She told me exactly how to make it (all three ingrediants).

And then told me it was 'the best food she's ever eaten in her entire life'.

She was right.

Hadley found it simply divine.

Next up...tubbies.

THANK GOD.

Because you know what follows a tubby?

A story.

And you know what follows a story?

BEDTIME.

We made it. 

By the skin of our teeth.

I only told Hadley to please stop talking 122 times, Frank only drew blood from Carson twice, and I only stuck a hot poker in my eye once.

Now I am off to drink that half rack...by myself.

Oh, did I mention Ryan is stuck in Texas?

O.M.G.