We All ScReAm for IcE cReAm

Last night we started a tradition that I hope will continue for years to come. Saturday nights, our house, pizza and ice cream sundaes. I want it to be something that happens every week. A time for us to come together, laugh, talk, eat junk food. We invited our good friends over, and I hope one day my kids will want to invite their friends over too. And then the day will come when they have other plans on a Saturday night, and I will be waiting here making sure they make their curfew with an ice cream sundae in hand ready to hear about their night on the town.

Mmmmmm cookies

Meet Fluffy Shaffer

I can't stop turning into my Mother, more and more every day. When I was a little girl, I loved animals. I was always bringing home stray animals and hoping to keep them forever and ever. My parents weren't huge animal lovers. We always had an indoor cat. Just one. Weird, now that I am the adult, I have one indoor cat. Sure, my parents gave in to my constant begging and pleading at certain weak moments, and I was allowed pet girbils, that my cat then ATE. A beta fish. A dog that never stopped barking and ended up going to live with a family on a farm. Hmmmm, I need to ask my parents more about this farm now that I am a grown up and get the REAL story ;o) Anyways, I always dreamed about the day I had my own place. My own family, where I was the boss and we would have PETS. Lots and LOTS of PETS!!! Well that day has certainly come, and to tell you the truth, I can barely handle the one indoor cat that we have. I am so busy doing everything for everyone, the last thing I want is another animal barking orders at me! (literally) The problem is now I have a little girl who LOVES animals and begs, and dreams about having pets of her own. She has even said, "When I AM THE MOTHER, and have children of my own, I will buy my little baby a puppy, because it is the right thing to do." (*sigh*) When she is old enough to completely care for an animal herself, we will talk. Until then, I am not budging. In the mean time, Addi does a good job of using her imagination in the pet department.

Meet Fluffy. Addi's "Grow a pet" Stingray. 

Simply add water and it grows 6x it's original size. 

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Fluffy is supposed to be fully grown on the 5th day. Tony is worried that by then Fluffy will have taken over the bath tub. Addison LOVES her pet Stingray. She has already thrown him a birthday party, and they have inside jokes. I don't know what is going to happen after day 5, but we all know Fluffy can't stick around forever. Looks like he will be going to stay with a nice family on a stingray farm. :o)

The case of the elusive Mother...

My Mom has been visiting from Montana since Valentines Day. She is staying at my Grandparents house in Spokane. Right after she babysat for our Valentines date, we all got sick and my Mom stayed away, waiting for us to feel better. Then yesterday, after over a week hiatus, she came out to visit. We had just settled in, started a marathon of "Big Love" we had planned for the afternoon, and the snow started flying. We waited for a bit, but it was getting worse. My Mom made the executive decision to leave and head back for her parents house. Ohhhhhh Man!! 

My Mom is on a very low sodium diet, and I made her a "salt free" quiche for lunch. I am sorry she missed out, but it was good that she left when she did because the roads got worse and worse. When Tony headed home from work the freeway was backed up, and cars where off the road everywhere. 

I took this picture 2 hours after my Mom left...

Visibility was low, and the "winter storm" warning was then upgraded to a "blizzard" warning. 

Inside the Shaffer home you wouldn't know a blizzard raged outside. We played and watched movies and stayed nice and cozy. We ate dinner and got ready for bed.

And then it was morning. 7 am to be exact. Tony got up to get ready for work, and I got up to dig the car out of the 10+ inches we got overnight. 

Of course I got to trek through the backyard to retrieve the shovel I thought I wouldn't need anymore. 

Oh yeah, and it is STILL SNOWING. 

But don't worry about us! Kaden has the whole day planned out.

Some early morning Dora the Explorer...

Followed by a healthy breakfast...

Then it's play time!!!

Followed by deep thinking, where we contemplate those things worthy of contemplation. 

After that, it's nap time!!!

And when we wake up we will plan the rest.. :o)

Down with the sick~ness

The kids and I came down with a horrible cold and have been sick for days. Today I finally feel like a normal person and now I need to assess the damage around me. My house is beginning to resemble a large toy box, as my children's belongings are strung from one end to the other. Tony was my knight in shinning armor, bringing home dinner and supplies every evening after work. As soon as he arrived I would take my Thera-flu and soon be in a cold coma having strange, but entertaining dreams. Tony got the kids in bed, read them stories, gave them medicine, and filled their sippy cups. Even though he hadn't gotten sick yet, he wasn't afraid to hug and kiss and nurture all three of us. "I'm not scared of germs", he said confidently. Ahhhhhhh, my hero. :o)  (UPDATE: Tony did get sick, so being brave isn't always the wisest choice)

Dr. Addison

One afternoon Addi and I dozed off in the recliner, and I woke up worried about where and what Kaden was up to. It was too quiet, but I was relieved to find he had put himself to bed too.

I am happy to say we are all feeling MUCH better.

Addi has discovered her new favorite show, "She-Ra, Princess of Power", straight out of the 80s and my childhood. Awesome is the word I would use to describe this. :o)

Addi was so stoked to find out that He-Man and She-Ra are brother and sister. As you can imagine Kaden has been recruited to play He-Man. It works out nicely. 

Valentines, take 9.

Today my Mom came over and watched the kids so Tony and I could have a Valentines date. While we were gone, Addi and Grandma made cookies. Added bonus of coming home to fresh baked cookies. 

We decided to try for a lunch date versus involving ourselves in a crazy Valentines dinner rush. Tony took me to an awesome little place called, "The Flying Goat". They had great service, amazing food, and an excellent beer selection. :o)

I managed to get a photo of my Valentine. Hard to believe we have spent the past 9 Valentines together. Every year he somehow manages to out do himself. I am one lucky lady indeed. 

The Flying Goat

We got a Growler to go of Manny's Pale Ale, brewed in Seattle. 

After lunch we went shopping at REI. We REALLY can't wait for the weather to get nicer. So many plans.....

Be Mine

My husband always gets Valentines day perfect. This year it was beautiful flowers, raspberry cheesecake, and some good wine. Tonight we are celebrating here at home, and he even offered to watch a "chick flick". Tomorrow we have a lunch date and my Mother is coming over to watch the kids for the afternoon.  I am so excited to eat at a nice restaurant, just the two of us. It is LONG overdue. Our last date (I use the term "date" to refer to any event when we had a babysitter) we went and played dodgeball and I got hit in the face. The date before that we went to an amusement park and Tony lost his phone, and the date before that we were MOVING. So yeah, you can say I am excited. Just a bit. :o) I know we don't need a silly holiday to express our love for one another, but I must say, I'm lovin' every minute of it.

The Addi Show

Last night Addi was hanging over the couch and said, "Mom! Will you please take my picture?"

to which I replied, "Of course I will!"

after I took the pic, she said "Now go put that on my blog."

:o)

Addi makes a giant stack of drawings everyday. I am going to share some of my latest favorites:

"Just Ducky"

This was a song she wrote and preformed for me entitled:

"Mom you are so wonderful"

"Team Shaffer"

She called this series "Blueberry Surprise"

First we have all the ingredients to make a blueberry pie. (This is how she writes down her recipes)

Next we have the table set, and the blueberry pie keeps growing until it explodes all over the entire family.

Then we each get a portrait of ourselves in the big blueberry mess.

Mom

Dad 

(with long hair, because Addi thinks her Daddy looks handsome with his hair long)

Addi

And Kaden

(this one is my favorite)