Tales of blue feet and red necks

One reason I dislike not being able to get around to this blogging thing once a week is that I can't remember what happened when it goes longer than a week. Oh well, I'll do the best job a drain bamaged woman can do.

One thing I do remember is that two Thursdays ago it snowed. I was hoping for a you-really-need-your-milk-and-bread-cause-you're-gonna-be-here-for-awhile snow, but it was only about an inch and patchy in places. It was DANG cold though, which made it feel like more of a real "weather event," as the news people like to call them. I was hoping for some good pictures and hoping even more for some real fun in the snow with the kids, like I remember when I was a kid once every year or two when it actually snowed in Georgia. I was even prepared, having given them good waterproof mittens for Christmas in case we got some snow this winter. Turns out when it's 15 degrees you also need warm boots, because otherwise toes are cold in a matter of seconds and everybody wants to come inside.

The lake was pretty, all frozen and white. It's fun to watch geese and ducks walk on the lake.



We put on clothes for about 15 minutes and then headed outside. It appeared to be starting well. Everyone was happy.

Avery found a cone to fill up with snow. A snow cone with rocks and dirt. Yum.



A snow fort built on top of a grill isn't much of a snow fort, but reflects the pitiful amount of snow to be found during this particular weather event.

This one still looks pretty happy, but you can't see the tiny whiner standing beside me with arms raised. And a sound that could be mistaken for whining from a five year old boy if you didn't know better. Wait, I believe that IS whining. Something about not being able to ride the Rip Rider (new Christmas toy that does doughnuts) on an icy driveway, and something about being cold.

"Uh, I think my feet are freezing off."

Then from Avery, "I gotta go potty." "You just went to the potty less than 20 minutes ago. If you go in now you're staying in." "Waaaahhhh!!!!," accompanied by sopping wet pants. Two layers of pants. And socks.

Me too! "Waaaaahhhh!!!"

It was so fun. Our first snow experience lasted about 10 minutes. Makes me wish it would snow again just so we could repeat the fun.

We did consider staying home Thursday night while it was snowing just in case the roads got bad, but thought it would be more fun to stick to the original Thursday night dinner plan at Rebecca's house. I figured if my husband can drive a Jeep over rocks taller than my head he could probably get us home in a little snow. Everybody else came too, so we enjoyed dinner, fellowship, and some Guitar Hero as the snow fell outside.

Saturday night we joined about 30 folks and their kids from our Sunday School class and got in touch with our inner rednecks at Monster Jam in Atlanta. This was our second monster truck rally, the first was when Avery was about 11 months old and Elizabeth was barely on her journey to join us. Thankfully my folks came up for the weekend so we were able to leave her at home with them.

We met at the church and took a small bus to Atlanta with most of the group. After a stop at Cracker Barrel we were on our way.



I'm pretty sure this was also our kids' first trip on a bus, and boy was it ever exciting.

Ruth and Amelia

Across the ailse buddies Maggie and Abigail. And my crazy seatmate Jenny being a creeper in the background of the shot. Unfortunately the bus was supposed to save us time but due to dumb traffic we weren't as early as we had hoped.

But we finally made it. And it is LOUD.

The set up for the races, two laps around, first one across his finish line wins. There was a full house.

The freestyle part was more fun to watch, and the fact that it was being broadcast on several cable channels made for a good show. I think the drivers were trying harder. I know how hard it can be to wait to find out who the freestyle winner is, so I'll go ahead and let you know that yes, Maximum Destruction was the winner. You can stop holding your breath now.

Nitro Circus.

Iron Man.

Batman, duh.

Binoculars can help when you're lodged in the rafters of the Georgia Dome, especially after your mother shows you which end to look through.

We could have been a little closer to the back wall, but not much. Up here the seats are cheap.

Here's what happens when you let a six year old hold the camera. I henceforth ban close ups because it makes me mentally start putting away money in an account for facelifts and such. Mother Nature is beginning to get on my bad list.

Here's what happens when you hand the camera to the six year old's six year old friend.

Avery really enjoyed himself. He doesn't remember much from the last time he came to a monster truck event. Eleven month olds have such short memories.

Here's the crazy creeper lady from the bus again, this time she's attacking one of my kids.

Oh no, not Escalade! Escalade, Escalade, are you okay?

A blurry shot of Gravedigger. But since we all know and love Gravedigger he had to be in a picture.

All in all it was a fun evening. We walked through the door at about 1:15 am. We did go to church but skipped the early service, since more than six hours of sleep is usually recommended for kids.

And now for randomness from last week.

Shannon wears the robe he got for Christmas pretty much all the time. (Thanks Mimi!) The robe is even more fun to wear when you attach a toy to the back of it that makes fart sounds. Six buttons, six fart sounds. Avery calls it "the pooter toy," and has been known to add it to the list of things he's thankful for during bedtime prayers.

Elizabeth likes to use Amelia for a jungle gym, and Amelia happily indulges her. Here she's rocking her giant baby.



Last week the boys hauled down about a hundred toy cars to use in the play dough. Then I realized they were having their very own Monster Jam.

They had to bring in the heavy machinery to move dirt and cars for the freestyle event.







Here's Blue Thunder, and he was doing some wicked jumps.



And suddenly he's on his roof.

Which necessitates calling in the big machine to flip him back over. Shannon said he got a lot of style points. I forgot to ask who won.

And now this, because if you don't already you need to know something about Avery. And I need to preserve this memory so I can see if what I'm predicting about him as an adult comes true. I believe Avery is destined to become a hoarder.

This is how he walks around ALL THE TIME. Except usually there is stuff in both hands. He sleeps with as much stuff as he can get away with, and he tries to pull down his pants to use the potty with his hands full of junk. And you can probably guess what occasionally happens when he's sitting on the toilet with stuff in his hands. Let's just say that a Jeep went swimming last week in most unpleasant swimming conditions, and yours truly had to fish it out with the toilet bowl brush. There's a "no stuff in your hands while on the potty" rule in the Himstedt Home Handbook now.

"Yes, but I LOVE my stuff! It makes me happy! It COMPLETES me!" If there were any rhyme or reason to the selection he carries at any one time it might make more sense, but it's usually a combination like a toy jet, a drumstick, a stuffed dog, two pennies, and a button. My favorite weird thing he loves to carry around is from Amelia's doll set. They're like foam paperdolls you stick foam clothes to on the tub wall, and he's forever taking the striped bathing suit out of the set to carry around. He calls it his "air ship." It is shaped kind of like a rocket when you look at it just right.

The problem didn't begin just recently either. It just took me until a few months ago to realize it really is an issue he has. Here's how he walked all of Christmas morning last year when he had just turned two.



Here's Amelia the jungle gym again. She was watching a movie and Elizabeth went and got the stool from the bathroom, stepped up on it, and climbed right on up.



Yay! I did it! At 19 months she's talking a good bit too, finally. She has about 50 words we easily understand, and a lot of gibberish we don't.

Other than having folks over a for Sunday School care group get together and a Thursday night dinner we've had a pretty quiet and normal two weeks. Avery had his first play date with a friend by himself on Wednesday. He went to his friend Kory's house, also three, and Kory's sister Sarah who is in Kindergarten and is also homeschooling came to play with Amelia. I was amazed at how easy my day was. The next day Shannon spent the day with the Hicks, and I was again amazed at how easy my day was. Apparently it's the combination of the boys that ups the excitement, volume, and squabble factor around here.

I'll close this blog entry for now. I have more pictures to post and more comments to make, but if I wait to post what I have until I unload my camera again it'll be another week before I get to it. As it's a VERY rainy Sunday afternoon I may go ahead and work on the next one and see how far I get with it. If I can overcome the rainy Sunday afternoon urge to rest my eyes for awhile. I'm also working up the motivation to go walk/run on the treadmill, something I NEED to do. I'm not feeling it. Someone leave a comment here and make me feel guilty, please.