February

Much of the first part of February passed laboriously due to a sickness that laid every member of the family flat over the course of two weeks. It is crummy to be sick as a mother since we have no sick leave, benefits, or vacation packages and are on-call 24/7. Fortunately (for me, not for him), Mark was still home from work convalescing when it hit me the hardest. We are glad to be on the mend.

We had a nice Valentine's weekend. The older girls both loved making and exchanging their Valentine's at their respective schools. They then proceeded to come home and devour every last inch of candy in the first hour. Jane hovered on the edges of the candy binge trying to stick her grubby little hands into the pile whenever she could. The funniest/saddest thing was when she came to me crying as if her heart would break -- big alligator tears rolling down her cheeks -- saying, "Abby took my canny!" Upon investigation, though, it was discovered that Jane had stolen Abby's candy and claimed it as her own, whereupon Abby retrieved it and hence the ruckus. This year it seemed as if Valentine's was almost another Halloween.

Mark and I had fun attending a Valentine's concert where a Baroque music group played all of the Bach's Brandeburg Concertos (concerti?). I especially liked the 6th (if I remember correctly) because it especially featured the viola. We went to an Indian restaurant for dinner beforehand. It was so nice to get out.

Mark has been working long hours during the week, but we try to make up for that on the weekends and have been having a lot of fun. Mark has been taking the girls out on Saturdays occasionally to garage sales. They think it great fun and the people running the sales inevitably give them each a stash of free treasures (ahem, junk) which they bring home and show me rapturously and which they have yet to notice disappears in the trash throughout the following week.

On President's Day we drove about an hour to visit Brennam -- home Blue Bell ice cream, the pride of Texas. Texans rave about this ice cream and at the factory they give a tour followed by a dish of ice cream. The girls loved it and it was rather interesting to see how they make the ice cream and the ice cream sandwiches. It reminded me of the stories my Grandpa Ward used to tell about visiting his Dad's ice cream factory when he was a boy.

It's rodeo season here in Houston and while the big-time rodeo is just getting kicked off downtown, we decided to go to the smaller, more accessible Katy Rodeo with the kids this weekend. They were so excited to dress up in their cowgirl boots and hats and were mesmerized by the bull-riding in particular. Abby was brave enough to participate in the stick-horse race for little kids in the arena and had the biggest grin ever as she ran towards me (pictures of the cute spectacle were too blurry).

A Millie-sim: At FHE this past week I was talking to the girls about how special it is that we have an eternal family because we can be a family even after this life. Millie said, "Yeah, but it would still be ok if we weren't because we could still probably meet up together and hang out.

Some Jane-isms:
Jane: Mommy, I want a wings on!" (bringing me the dress up "fairy" wings) A few minutes after donning the wings, Jane comes back perplexed: "Mama, I can't fly!"

I put Jane in a new dress the other day that has a little bit of a twirly skirt. She got down, twirled around and said, "I a pincess, Mommy! I like a pincess!" This self-view explains much about what influences her rather imperious behavior these days :).

Little Miss Valentine

Abby and a friend eating their free ice cream

"I want pink!"

Oustide the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory

Jane didn't take too kindly to sitting on the back of a dairy cow

For months now after their baths, the girls have been running around the house with their hooded towels on shouting "Super Heros" (or in Jane's case "Supah eewoes!") It's pretty hilarious and I finally got a picture with them doing it with their clothes on.