A Bench, A Lightswitch and A Chair

Time to guess the common link again. Bench, Lightswitch, Chair. Hmm.

This is how scripture reading went down tonight. Ryan, Clark and I are sitting on the sofa reading and Bella is running around like a crazy lady (normal). I have a bench against the wall in living room and Bella often gets on it and then jumps off. Tonight she was doing this crazy ritual but then she noticed the light switches off to the side. So she turns on one light and turns the other off. Nice. Clark starts laughing. Bella jumps off the bench. We continue to read. Bella climbs back onto the bench and turns both lights off. We are sitting in complete darkness. Clark is in hysterics. Bella laughs, turns both lights on...waits a few seconds...turns both off. Clark laughs harder. (Ryan and I are also laughing, but trying not to egg her on.) We ask her to turn them on, but she has jumped off the bench and has no intention of turning them back on. So I get up, turn on the lights and move the bench so she can't reach the light switches when she climbs back on the bench. After a minute of the lights being on, she goes back to the bench, climbs up and tries to reach for the switches only to hit the wall. This time I was the one that was smiling. It was priceless. She got so upset that she couldn't reach time any more. (Meanwhile we are still trying to read.) So Bella gets off the bench and we see her a minute later carrying a little chair from her table over to the wall. We are almost done with our chapter, so we start speed reading through the last verse and get the last phrase in, right as the lights go out, and Clark breaks into laughter, again.

New Year Events

I just had a few pictures to post. Clark had his first basketball game today and I took some pictures, none of which turned out. They were all way too dark, so this one I lightened but they just aren't the same - at least you can see him in action. Go Clark!!

And I was finally able to get Bella to sit still long enough to braid her hair - I have tried unsuccessfully several times before. This time we got it done while she was watching Little Einsteins on TV; you do what you have to do! I am out of practice and sitting still for a two year old is not really very still. I think it is cute though. It reminds me of Anne of Green Gables - especially after a few hours when the small pieces started coming out...just not the right color.

Snow Fun

The kids love the snow. I am getting to old I guess; I really like it if I just stay inside and look at it, but being outside and driving in it are not my thing. We did go sledding over the holiday and it was fun. We had a great time with the Harris's (thanks for coming to visit :). Bella says "I like sledding." She gets taken down the hill and then pulled up again by mom or dad - what is not to love?! Clark has a great time too and asks to go almost everyday!

Since we aren't always at the golf course for sledding, the kids have fun outside in the front yard too...There is a pile of snow almost 4 feet high from off of the driveway, so there is no shortage of the white stuff to play in.

And in case you get tired a need a break, here is the perfect winter chair created by Clark and finished by Ryan.

Christmas Morning

We had a great Christmas day. Here are a few picture highlights...


Please notice Clark's pillow and book in the hallway - he of course woke up hours before everyone else and so he read until it was time. (He had been given very specific instructions on what to do, since we are getting used to this yearly occurrence :)

Bella loved her new little kitchen! She came out into the room and said, "Kitchen!" It was so cute! She has a great time playing with it. Now I just have two kitchens to clean daily!

Clark wanted a Santa Hat for Christmas (along with the ripstik that you can't see in the picture.) He is having lots of fun riding around the neighborhood with the other boys that have them. They have been able to ride a few times when the roads are clear from the snow. Unfortunately that hasn't been a lot since Christmas!