Snow Day!

Well, we got a modest little overnight snowfall of about an inch and a half last night. This is Tennessee, so of course, it's a big deal. I think this was snow that was actually expected night before last-- the local weather forecasters were going over the top with predictions of "wintery precipitation" and special segments with interviews with guys from the Dept of Transportation about all the special salting preparations they've been going through around Middle Tennessee.

So that Thursday morning snow never materialized-- at least not here in Nashville-- and the predicted mid-afternoon snow never arrived either. So we all arrived home last night feeling pretty skeptical about anything else the meteorologically-inclined might have to tell us. And when we woke up this morning and started to get ready for work and school, it was only when Mama opened the blinds on the kitchen window that we discovered all the snow that fell last night.

And sure enough, every school in the mid-state area is closed. Last night at about 10pm, there were only about 30 school closings listed on the local news channel website (even without the snow, a number of school districts here have been closing due to some pretty ferocious outbreaks of the flu). But this morning, there were 253 school closings listed.. including both Aidan's and Bryce's.


So after a pancake breakfast, we went right out and made a snow man. Bryce named him-- what else?-- "Frosty". Then we came back inside for some hot chocolate and some lunch. Then BACK outside for big family snowball fight-- and let me tell you, this wet Tennessee snow is good for making snowballs!

So now, by mid-afternoon, the sun is high in the sky and the temperatures are rising (AccuWeather says it's only 33 here, but I don't buy it). Even as I write this, Frosty is already showing some signs of melting, and the boys are a little worried about that.. but they're holding out hope that more snow is on the way.

I can't tell you how difficult it was to get Aidan and Bryce
to pose for this picture!

Once they were posed though, getting them to
do a little dance was a snap!

"Now let's go out back and have a snowball fight!"

50's Day!

Today, they're celebrating the 55th anniversary of Aidan's school-- so they asked all the kids to come to class in 50's era duds. It's a nice idea, but given the struggle it can often be to get him to school on-time in his regular uniform, I can't say we were exactly keen on this idea when we first heard about it.

So we pegged Aidan's jeans, put him in a white t-shirt and a black jacket-- not leather, but it's got the right look to it-- and tried to grease up his hair. He didnt' really go for the hair gel too much-- I mean, he's 5.. he's never seen the Fonz or Sha Na Na!--so after managing to comb something of a duck's tail onto the back of his head, we sent him off to have a great time...

And from the looks of it at drop-off-- I swear, the place looked like someone set off a Grease bomb in there!-- they're going to be having a good day...

We Three Kings...

Aidan's latest artistic creation from school..

Christmas Morning

Is there really anything I need to say by way of narration here?

"I think I heard Santa!"

Surprisingly, the boys slept well while Santa made his visit on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, at around 6am, though Aidan came racing into our room and climbed into bed, whispering as loudly as he could "I think I heard Santa!"

What he didn't realize was that Aunt Laura and Uncle Ross were creeping into the house around that time so they could deliver a few gifts and be there for the morning festivities. He must have heard them creeping around downstairs...

So he buried himself in the covers and said to me "We'd better stay here in bed until he's gone!"
So, blissfully, we got an extra 20 minutes or so of sleep that morning... and a really happy memory of Aidan and Bryce (who snoozed through this whole incident and had to be roused by hand before he started bouncing on the bed and urging us to go downstairs) making their way down the stairs to peek and see what Santa brought them.

Can Santa have a beer?

On Christmas Eve, Aidan (Bryce fell asleep on the way home from Gramma and Grampa's) oats for the reindeer.. and cookies for Santa.. and milk... but no beer?

Making of a football hotdog

We spent Christmas eve at Gramma and Grampa's.. and Aidan and I threw his new football in the backyard for a little while.
Aidan enjoyed 'running for a touchdown'..

...and Mama coached him on his celebration technique.

Look at the sign...

Plenty of Christmas updates are forthcoming..
but I had to write a note about this while it's fresh in my mind.

Yesterday, all four of us were in the van, driving back from an afternoon visit to a nearby park, and Bryce was completely sacked out in his car seat. Mama and I figured out that we should stop by the grocery to grab a couple of things for supper that night and decided that Aidan and I would run into the store while Mama stayed in the car with Bryce.

Aidan picked up on this and started lobbying for an alternative plan:

Aidan: Why don't Mom and Aidan go in the store while Daddy waits in the car with Bryce?

Mama explained that Daddy should go, but Aidan wasn't buying it... until finally, he resorted to the authority of an invisible sign:

Aidan: Mom, look at the sign in front of you.

Mama: What sign?

Aidan: The sign in front of you. It says Mom will go with Aidan into the store and Daddy will stay in the car with Bryce. It's an invisible sign, Mom, but I can read it for you.

Lots of Christmas baking!

And speaking of Zucchini bread and assorted goodies, there's been lots of Christmas baking going on around here...





Thank goodness Bryce was willing to pitch in and help clean up afterward!

Anatomy of a crime

Bryce and Aidan got hold of the digital camera this afternoon and
started snapping pictures around the house..
At some point, Bryce decided he was interested in the left-over
zucchini bread on the kitchen counter..

Well, I think the photographic evidence speaks for itself..

Christmases Past

A few blasts from Christmases past...

2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

Big Brothers are pretty cool..

Aidan came to Bryce's class to visit during their Christmas party this morning..

You better not pout...

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Well, Santa made a special visit to Bryce's school and with Aidan already on Christmas break, both boys were able to visit with him...
Aidan hopped right into his lap and started yakking at him about life on the North Pole.. but Bryce wasn't so sure he wanted to get up close and personal with the man in the big beard..

Christmas packages

Packages have been arriving steadily for the boys... and excitement builds with each ring of the doorbell around here...

Today, two packages arrived from Aunt Eileen..

Bryce... not singing..

A few still pictures from Bryce's Christmas program this morning..

Bryce sings all your Christmas favorites...

... or perhaps not.



Watch here as, despite all the best efforts of the YMCA pre-school to stage this Christmas Choral presentation, complete with nominal choir director (that's the woman in the red sweater who motions to the children in a vain attempt to give structure to the event), Bryce and his surly gang of 2-year old non-conformists steadfastly refuse to sing! And so order gradually slips from the Y Staff's grasp...

See if you can catch the moment when Bryce spots his Mom and asks "where's Aunt Patty?"

Aidan sings Rudolph!

Sorry for the shaky-cam-- it was the best I could do, considering we were at full-zoom from the back of the gym, and Bryce was yanking my arm, wanting to see the camera (you can hear him in the background asking questions)...

Aidan's Christmas performance

As promised-- though a little late-- some pictures from the 'Fine Arts Performance' at St. Ed's. Aidan got up on stage with the rest of his classmates and sang some Christmas carols-- and yes, he actually sang!

Can you pick him out of the crowd?

Bryce saw Santa Claus!