Let it stop, let it stop, let it stop

Well, I should probably start with Saturday night, when the girls and Brad were in the Whitsitt's yearly talent show. They asked us last week if the girls would be up for doing the pledge of allegiance. We weren't exactly sure how they would feel about standing up on a big stage in front of 150+ people, but we said we'd give it a try. Kathryn was so pumped about it - I think I have a performer on my hands. After all, she is her daddy's daughter. She practiced putting her hand on her heart and saying "I pledge allegiance to the flag" over and over and over. (We figured the audience would carry her after that). When she first stepped on stage, I thought she might throw up, but then she spotted Brad and remembered to put her hand on her heart and knew exactly what to say. Definitely more reserved than she was at home, but not as bad as it could have been, and I have to admit, better than I expected. Brad's singing quartet did great, of course, and he's pretty angry that I didn't get a picture of their group up on stage :-P. Thanks to Ted who bailed me out. He took all the pictures for the talent show, so I grabbed one off the Whitsitt's website ;). The whole show was full of talent and very much a success.

Livie had been sick on Friday, but was feeling better by Saturday and we thought she was over it. We ended up leaving the talent show early because she started running fever again. She was pretty much out of commission all day on Sunday and Monday. Doesn't she look pathetic?Waiting very impatiently for "puptates" (cupcakes) on Monday night to celebrate Olivia feeling better =)

So then yesterday it started to snow. And snow. And snow. Spring, where are you? Did you not get the memo that you are supposed to come right after Christmas every year? It stopped snowing around noon today and we ended up with almost a foot. Brad was more excited than all the rest of us put together. They closed his office, so he got a "free" day off. Plus, he had never seen this much snow before. He even pulled me out of bed at 7:45 to "come and see, it's crazy!!!" So here are the boring, this is what a foot of snow looks like, pictures...

When Kathryn looked out our back door and saw the patio table she said, "Look, Mom, it looks like a big cake!"

Maggie was less than enthused about being pushed into a snowsuit that was too small and going to sit out in some wet and very cold, bright stuff. So that lasted two minutes.

But as soon as we came in and pulled her suit off, she crawled as fast as she could over to the window so she could watch what was going on. Then proceeded to squeal with delight and look at me like, "MOM! Why do I have to stay in here?!?" (sigh)

And finally, I'll leave you with some shots of the girls playing in the snow. You can't tell how deep it was by looking at them because they couldn't reach the bottom of it ;)

New clothes, and the need for chocolate

Gramma sent a package to the girls this week with new clothes for each of them. They were ecstatic, and she couldn't have picked better for them. When Kathryn spotted hers she said, "Oh, Mom, I hope these are mine! It has a belt!!!" When Livie saw hers she said, "Look, Mom, pockets and a zipper!" It's the little things...

Here is Kate modeling her belt:

Maggie got new clothes too, but she wouldn't even smile about them:

Sad, but true:

Sundays are really full days for us, especially now while Brad is teaching a class at a friend's house Sunday night after church for the high school kids. I was so proud of Livie because she had made it through all of the days activities without one single accident: Bible class, church, nap, church again, then during the class at our friend's house. So in the middle of the class when she said she had to go potty, I hurried to take her, and sure enough she had held it, and had to go! I praised her up one side and down the other. Of course, she wanted to know if she would be getting a treat, and I explained to her that we were in the middle of the Bible class and my purse was downstairs, but as soon as I could get to it, she would get a treat. She blinked a hard, long blink and said, "Well. But I need chot-late." She may look like Brad, but trust me, she is 100% female.

A New Look, and a BIG Thank You!

Wow! Many, many thanks to Jamie for my fresh, new look! Didn't she do a great job?!? Jamie and I went to college together, and have recently reconnected via the blogging world. Her blog was so super cute that when she volunteered her services, I jumped at the chance for a fun and cute look. Thanks a million, Jamie!

Now we're back to the original problem. This blog is not exclusively "Kathryn's Korner" anymore, so I'd really love to think of a brand new name. I will be keeping the url as it is (that wasn't smart of me, but oh well), but would love to have a cute, girly phrase for my title. Can you help? I know I don't have the very most popular blog on the planet, but I know I have several readers, and I want to hear from you! Throw them out there, then when I get enough suggestions together, we'll vote on a favorite. Of course, I reserve the right to make the final decision ;)

Best Friends

Don't they look like such big girls going off to school? We were really just headed to the ladie's class at church, but I packed each of them some paper, crayons, books, and a water bottle in their new backpacks from Gramma and Grampa and they thought I had handed them the moon. It was just about all I could do to get the backpacks off of them to get them in their carseats!

"What should I do with these kids?!?"

I wish I was creative enough in my kitchen that I had something interesting to post in Alaina's Keeping Creative Kitchens every single week. Unfortunately, "dinner time" has got to be one of the most stressful times. Honestly. The kids are getting up from their naps (if they've actually fallen asleep), their either cranky or hyper, the phone is inevitably ringing, Brad's on his way home, and I'm trying to think of something that I can make for supper that can be ready when he walks through the door. I've been off and on (but mostly on) for the past year or so with my menu planning, and that has been a true lifesaver. Really. It's great to not have to sit and think about what I'm going to make, and if I have all the ingredients to make it, at the last minute. While that has taken *most* of the guesswork out of dinner planning, my next biggest battle was how to keep the kids out from under my feet while I'm cooking.

Most of the time they're begging to help me, which is okay some nights, but other nights, I really just need to get to work with no interruptions. So, I started blanket time. They each grab a blanket and three books and bring them in to the kitchen floor. I help them spread out their blankets (not touching each other's, obviously ;), and they have to sit quietly and look through their books until Daddy gets home. Sometimes that is 15 minutes, sometimes it's 30 (If I know it's going to be longer, I usually let them grab a coloring book and crayons too), either way I'm getting peace and quiet while I cook, and they are getting the structure that they're begging for! At first they were a little unsure about what was going on, but now they love it! They beg to do "blanket time" all day long! While it would be tempting, I limit it to dinner time so it can be a "special time" that they look forward to while they're waiting for Daddy to get home.

Many thanks to Alaina for hosting Keeping Creative Kitchens every Thursday! Please, join in! More details on her site.

Sweet little girls and Livie's first "shiner"

Just because...

I just stumbled across this picture as I was cleaning out hundreds of shots in Picasa. It's too sweet not to share. Of course, that is only one biased mother's opinion ;)

Oh, and Maggie's started shaking her head no and saying "nananana" all the time. I can't imagine why (?!?) but it's too cute to watch - again, one biased mother's opinion ;)

A Happy New Year

We opted to host "the New Year's Party" at our house this year - mostly so we wouldn't have to leave the party early so our kids could go to bed =). It was such a fun time. We invited the whole congregation, knowing several wouldn't be able to come, and thinking we could probably squeeze all who did in. We ended up with about 40. Everyone broke off into groups and snacked and played games until the ball dropped, then went back to finish up their games before heading out.

Of course, my favorite and most memorable New Year of all was 7 years ago, when Brad proposed to me. Unfortunately, I don't have the ring to prove it =(. I lost it somewhere between here and Pittsboro the week before Christmas. Oh well. At least I have the memories - and a wonderful husband. (and no, it was not insured, and yes, I'm sure about that, so don't ask :-P)

Thanks to all who came! We plan to make this a new tradition!!!

A Holly Jolly Christmas

We had such a wonderful (and busy) Christmas this year down in Tennessee. We started off the festivities at the Petty family annual stocking stuffer. Kathryn really got into Christmas this year, and it didn't take her long to figure out that just about every stop we made meant more presents to open.

Visions of sugar plums?

More proof that it is impossible to get a decent picture of all three kids... Dressed and ready for Santa!

Brad's mom has made each of the girls stockings their first Christmases. I couldn't wait to see what Maggie's would look like this year. She is so creative!

The first gift of Christmas - I guess you can hardly see it in this picture, but it's a baby doll bed. The cutest one ever. And they absolutely love it.

Of course, their favorite thing was to put their real baby in it. And she didn't mind the attention too much, either!

Maggie pretty much slept through all of Christmas morning, but she was able to have some fun when she woke up. She was just starting to pull up while we were there, and by the time we got home she was pulling up on everything, and walking back and forth along the couch. Last week she started clapping! We just love watching this little girl grow up and see her personality really start to take shape. Santa brought her a Leap Frog table and she stands and plays at it all throughout the day.

We had a big fancy meal on Christmas night, then on Friday we went to Opryland Hotel, which was a "new tradition" that we started last year. The lights and decorations are absolutely incredible. This Christmas tree was 40' tall. In all their indoor decorations they use almost 200,000 lights, and 15,000 poinsettias. If you've never been to Opryland at Christmas time, it is a must see.

Of course, Maggie got the best seat in the house.
The whole Pettes family

We've been trying to get back to "normal" since we got home. January is a big cleaning out month for me. Even though I tried to get a head start before Christmas, there are still plenty of cabinets that are so jammed full they will hardly close. Yesterday I took the day to potty train Livie - finally! It went really well, but today we've had some set backs. After going through this once before, I pretty much expected that, but it doesn't mean it's not discouraging. Kathryn seems to have grown up overnight. She has turned into quite the little thinker and problem solver. It's so hard to believe she will be four this year. I don't know where the time goes, but it goes fast. This year I want to take the time to sit back and enjoy every moment of childhood that passes our way. We are so thankful for the three blessings the Lord has given us to shape and mold into His children. We're looking forward to a great 2009.