CALM WIND, HAPPY DAY

When I got up today the wind was at 14 mph and you could hardly tell it was moving. I didn't hear of any damage at all anywhere near us. I think we were really blessed to have the storm calmed. Thank goodness. The elements can sure be frightening at times and you don't realize how little control you have over them until they hit you. I'm very thankful for a peaceful day and no damage. Had a fun evening with the kids. I was making cookies with them tonight. We made butter cookies and cut them out into Christmas shapes. Then we iced them and put sprinkles on them. Jonathon was all about eating them. Carly was into decorating them. I turned around at one point to see Jonathon throwing up in the living room. He'd been in the kitchen at the counter just seconds before wolfing down his third wreath shaped cookie with green icing. I thought, "Oh this is going to be fun. I hope he hasn't stained the carpet." I could see that he was fine so I grabbed a wash cloth and went over to clean him and the floor up. Although, I couldn't find much mess on the floor. I got him all cleaned up and started back to the kitchen when I turned and found one of Carly's little shoes. It was full of green icing vomit. How he managed to target her shoe I will never know but I managed to get it cleaned out without her seeing it. That would have been a real disaster! Grandma is trying a new teaching game with Carly. The first couple of days she told her if she could go the whole day without throwing a tantrum she would give her a quarter. Both days she lost the quarter within the first half hour. I suggested she break it down a little and lower the value of the change. So, now she is offering her a nickel if she can go an hour without throwing a tantrum. Grandma picks the hours and sets a timer. Carly earned two nickels today. It wasn't easy for her. She came close a couple of times to not getting them but she hung on by the hair of her chinny-chin-chin! It's so hard to be three and a half! She is SO proud of her two nickels, though! My kids love to play in empty boxes and the bigger, the better. Grandma is always teasing them that she is going to get them a box for Christmas or their birthday. The funny thing is Carly took it seriously and thinks it is a great idea. She has been telling me for three days that Grandma is going to get her a new box for Christmas! She tells me in her little girl excited voice like it is a prize! I think it is SO funny. Then I wonder why we are spending money on toys or clothes or ANYTHING for that matter. Why don't we just go get them a bunch of empty boxes to build a clubhouse with. I bet they would think that was pretty cool! Hey, maybe . . . Lol!