BIRTHDAY CAKE AND ICE CREAM

Happy Birthday to you...

She still is having trouble with the whole "take bites" concept when it comes to cake.

She does understand that she isn't supposed to wipe her hands on her clothes.

(Thanks to Daddy. Mommy is a big jeans wiper.)

So she licked her fingers clean instead.

JOEY'S 2ND BIRTHDAY

We had her 2nd birthday party at Pinecrest Gardens.

She was a princess, of course.

It rained the first hour, but then it was nice (but cold) the rest of the day!

Joe must have swung for a 1/2 hour straight, because there was always an adult ready to push her.

The petting zoo was a BIG hit!

"Here piggy, piggy, piggy..."

Somebody is a princess today.

This is what Sleeping Beauty looks like AFTER she wakes up from a nap.

That look means - "Seriously? You're taking MORE pictures?"

A half-hearted "chhheeessee"

PARENTS MAKING THE GRADE

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/26/florida.grading.parents/index.html

Above is a link to an article about grading parents.

If this bill is passed, then parents will also be receiving a grade on their child's report card on how involved they are.

It's time parents took responsibly for their children's education.

The last year I taught, I had a student who's mother had BLOCKED the school's number from her phone because she was tired of receiving calls about her son's behavior.

BIG FAT F

HAPPY 60th GRANDMA!

Grandma turns 60 today!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

SO LONG, FAREWELL

The last of the Ohio trip pictures. The next morning we were on the road again for the NC mountain house.

Love you Grandma & Grandpa! See you again this summer/fall.

FROSTY'S COUSIN

Mark & Joey's first Snowman, My first one without parental supervision. (I guess I'm supposed to be the adult now...)

We told her to take a picture with the snowman. Look at the supermodel in her come out.

Yes, we decided to give him coat buttons instead of mouth. Just felt right.

We also made a few mini ones so that Joey could play Godzilla and destroy them.

Joey's 1st snow angel.

All that was left of our snowman the next day.

BRIDGES OVER GEAUGA COUNTY

Chagrin Falls.

The stairs down to the falls were closed off because of the icy conditions.

The foot bridge at Gates Mills.

Joey really likes the bridges over the water.

SMOKING CRACK

Kids say the darnedest things.
Actually, kids repeat the darnedest things.

When someone does or says something crazy, I usually say:
"Are you smoking crack?"

Guess what Joey repeated?

Thats one for Mommy.
Daddy has 3 so far: GD it, Stupid & Shut up... All of them directed at the dogs.

HANGIN' OUT AT GRANDMAS

Joey reads Grandma a book.

Say "Cheeeeesssse."

Grandma's waterbed is just so fun to play on!

Grandpa reads Joey a story before bed.

INDIAN SNOW DAYS

While we were visiting in Ohio (Yes, I'm a month and a half behind in posting) we met up with my cousin Amy and her son, Vaughn, at the Progressive stadium for some SNOW DAYS.

They have all sorts of snow things to do, regardless if it snowed or now. They make the snow if necessary. I think it is a great thing to do with stadium. They had escalating prices depending on how much you want to do that worked really well too.

That snow ball is a little too big for you to throw darling.

Well now that the children are trying to eat the snow, maybe we should get them some food.

They look more a like than Amy & I do.

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

FINGERS IN THE EARS

WIPE IT OFF

Joey LOVES playing with Daddy's IPOD. (ITOUCH really).

She knows how to turn it on, find the DISNEY videos, find her DOODLE app, her trace your letters app, find pics of herself... she knows how to use the IPOD better than I do.

I just play scrabble.

On her doodle app, she doesn't quiet have the shake motion down to clear the screen when she wants to start over.

This morning, she tried pulling her sleeve over her hand and wiping the screen off.

Gotta love it.

DADDY AND JOEY SLEDDING

MOMMY AND JOEY SLED

SLEDDING

Uncle Tim's family and us went out to Punderson to go sledding.

The hill was FAST that day.

I wish I had taken a picture of all the broken sleds.

My snow bunny.

BOO! BOO!

ON THIN ICE

It was the 1st time in my 30 years that I was allowed to play on pond around Christmas time.

That is how cold it had been that early in the year.

Uncle Tim, a big dude, tested it out for us and then went to work making a sled pull path around the lake.

Thanks Uncle Tim!

Uncle Tim pulled Mark & Joey around first.

But Joey wanted to go again and again!

Mommy & Daddy took turns pulling and riding with Joey.

PINK PEEP

Grandma & Grandpa Higgin's house

Although she didn't like the dressing process, once Joey was all suited up, she loved the snow!