Welcome Mormor!!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 - snowstorm in Kansas and over most of the US. Typically the day that my mother was flying in from Sweden. Luckily in Sweden the weather was good, and so in Amsterdam, but I was worried that she would get stuck in Minneapolis were the weather had been bad before. This day though, they had bright skies and sunny weather! BUT, Kansas was not that lucky!! Here, the snow was coming down heavy all day, and it was cold, windchill -20 F (ca -30C) and below! I kept updates on the weather channel and kept checking the airports updates about her flights and we were so lucky that her flight still got in to Wichita in the afternoon. Flights later that evening got canceled. I was waiting for Cassandra to be released early from school, but no they went a full day, and our neighbor Pearl was so sweet and went to pick Cassandra up. There was no way that I could have taken the twins out in the stroller in that snowstorm and that windchill, and I had no car as Chris had taken our car to Wichita to pick up my mom later that day.

She got to Wichita alright, and before they got home, I had to go out and clear the snow so that they would be able to get inside. It was freeezzzing outside and the wind was killing me as I was shoving the snow.. We were so happy to be warm inside later on and gather around the dining table. We had an extra guest as well, as one of my husband's guys from work got looked out he came here for dinner. Unfortunately no photos from the evening, but my mom was so happy to see the kids and they did really good, didn't cry anything as they normally do with strangers.

Working my way out of the house to clear the snow in the evening..

 Benjamin and Isabella are already warming up to my mom the next morning.

Due to the snow storm, the schools were canceled here in town last Wednesday. Chris didn't go to work, so we all stayed home. We had an appointment with Isabella at the pediatrician, as she had developed thrush in her mouth. Benjamin did not have anything, and Isabella got some medicine that will take it away. Sometimes it goes away by itself, but as she didn't want to eat that well, we needed to help it disappear. Even if it was very cold, Cassandra and mormor went outside when we were gone, and shoveled some snow and Cassandra played in the snow. Making angels and pictures were the only things that could be done, it was way too cold to even try to make a snowman.

It was nice that Cassandra and Chris were home as well this first day when mormor was here. We ate a good dinner and enjoyed the evening with the kids before it was bedtime.

So much to do and so little time...

to sit by the computer now when my mom is here. We have been so busy and have done a lot of things and I have so many pictures to post, and I will try to squeeze some in later today or so. It hasn't helped that the kids have been sick as well, Cassandra has had a cold and a stuffy nose for a while now, and two days ago Isabella peeked a fever and Tuesday and Wednesday she was sick and didn't feel well, very clingy and very little time for other things than just comforting her. Tuesday night she also throw up and Cassandra showed signs of a troubled stomach so yesterday I also had Cassandra at home, she woke up with such an headache and even if she really didn't have any fever she was still warm and felt ill.

I let her stay at home, as I thought that she would start a fever as well, as Isabella had the day before. Cassandra rested throughout the day and felt better in the afternoon. Isabella didn't have any fever later yesterday. Luckily no one else had any problems with their stomachs. Benjamin started to feel warm in the afternoon, but never had fever.

I had an appointment at the dentist yesterday afternoon as well. I bit off a side of my bridge here on Sunday night eating ice cream!!! - and wanted to find out what options I have and what that would cost to fix and how long it would take...Well - let's say this - it was WAY more than I had expected and that even after our insurance would cover 50%....There is always something that brings you back down just when you thought that you were doing just fine..

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Superbowl

So, as you might know the Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl and you probably haven't missed that Christina Aguilera messed up the National Anthem...

Instead of "O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming," Aguilera belted out, "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last reaming." That line was a repeat of one she had sung a few seconds earlier, with the word "gleaming" being replaced by "reaming."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11039/1123779-348.stm#ixzz1DOEVjHl8

I do think that people get nervous with so many millions watching, but still, she should have the routine of performing in front of a large audience and to mess up the National Anthem - sorry that's a BIG no no! Plus my personal taste is to keep it straight and true and not "oversouling" the song..

Here are some of the commercials that I think was pretty good. 

Unfortunately we totally missed the half time show. We had put the TV on pause as we were going into the kitchen getting our dinner ready and we never did fast forward through the commercials during the game..well later when the halftime show were supposed to come on,  I asked Chris to just record it instead because I was going to nurse and put the babies to sleep. Well, as he pressed record, the program went straight to "real time" and of course due to the fact that we were behind as we had pressed pause....we now came on real time just as the show was finished...so there was my highlight of the game gone..

Well, never mind, as I heard, some say it wasn't that good, some liked it. Like always, you have to form your own opinion. Cassandra was happy that Green Bay won, Chris and myself didn't really care, but she cheered and was happy when she went to bed.

 My favorite"boys" watching their first Superbowl together...

Travel conditions

Checking the weather to make sure my mom has easy travels tomorrow and what do I find? 

Weather forecast for tomorrow in Wichita:

Snow. Areas of blowing snow. Breezy...colder. Snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Highs 20 to 25. Temperature steady or slowly falling in the afternoon. Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent. Lowest wind chills around 1 below.

Seriously, does it really have to snow tomorrow? I'm hoping that my mom will make it here without delays or cancellations for her flights tomorrow!! Just checked out the weather forecast for Minneapolis, and luckily it looks like they will have sun and good weather tomorrow, so hopefully it won't change and she will be able to catch the flight from there in time. Hopefully!!! At least it sounded like the weather back in Sweden was good, so that shouldn't cause for any problems!!

Hopefully this is NOT what will happen....

Superbowl Sunday!

Today is the day most Americans have been waiting for for a while now. So many people watch this final in football and like I wrote in another post, it's the biggest sport event of the year!

The bets are made, friends and families are getting together,  the BBQ and snacks are being prepared, the beers and other drinks are chilled and the cupcakes are made!

No- sorry not here! Would have been great with a big party but no not this year! Here we had a great BBQ yesterday, and we have plenty of food left. Chris is on the road right now, he had to drive to Kansas City today, which is 3 hours driving one way to pick up a guy that is going down to Oklahoma City and then shipped to boot camp. So after 6 hours of driving, I think that Chris is happy to have done the BBQ yesterday and that all he will be up to is just relaxing on the couch and watching the game. Chris left extra early this morning so that he would be back in time for the game. We'll see if he makes it! We will all watch, even if I don't even know the rules, it's a big show in the halftime and it will most likely be entertaining. Cassandra will be routing for the Green Bay Packers - her teacher Mrs. Ediger is a huge fan of this team, and they did write a letter to the team and they did get a response with fan cards etc. Cassandra got a card from player number 30 - John Kuhn. So we will keep an eye out for him!

pictures google

Daddy-Daughter-Date

Yesterday Chris had to work for a couple of hours and when he came home in the afternoon he wanted to do something with Cassandra. To surprise her, he just took her in the car and left for an hour or two of bowling - that was the plan. Unfortunately they had a tournament going on so-  no bowling possible!

After calling me with these disappointing news, they had a try at the Skate land for some inline skating. Well, after a couple of minutes I get a new phone call, a private party at the skating rink so - no skating possible! Now with a really disappointed girl, my husband ran out of options, as there is not that much to do here in town on a Saturday afternoon, with not too much time involved..

So they went to pick up a few things at the store for the BBQ, and then to Hastings to let her pick out a movie. When they came home, we grilled and had a nice meal, but Cassandra was so sad and disappointed. There is so little time with daddy, and now she really got excited and then this....Well, they just have to try next time!! But it's so typical that these things have to happen when he finally has the time to take and spend with her!!!

Anyway, after our meal, we finished off the evening with the movie Shrek Forever After - The final chapter. I heard from Cassandra that it was really good! I never got into the movie as I had to run up and down to the babies that didn't want to sleep, and even if they put the movie on pause, I never truly got the story. The second half of the movie, I fell asleep and woke up when Chris said to Cassandra that it was time for her to go and brush her teeth and go to bed...I guess I have to watch it with her again another time!

Weekend

Barbie movies

We, or I should probably say Cassandra, had time for some movies during these snow days. I know that she watched some of her Barbie movies.

 

Over the years, Cassandra has collected them all, and watched them over and over again. Now we are awaiting the next movie that I found out with a little research will be released March 15, 2011. So now we know one thing for sure to buy for a little girls 9th Birthday that is coming up in March...

Snow days!

When this was going on in the US on Tuesday and Wednesday this week,

all pictures google

This was our view from our kitchen window!

we stayed inside - keeping warm and snug on the couch with some movies,  but Cassandra also found a way to get some energy out and have some fun! And no, there was no way to go outside and play in the snow, with the freezing temperatures and the horrible windchill is was just way too cold.

Big sister of twins!

The twins wanted to dance as well, and they were all into the dance mat, but they kept interrupting the songs/steps with their crawling/banging on the mat, so I had to put them in their Bumbo chairs, but they were happy to watch their big sister for a while which was great for me as it gave me some time to make dinner.