Fast years with Nellie Wernet

Nellie and I spent some time reading old posts last night--one of our favorite things to do. It struck me how, when Nellie was little and the only two-year-old we'd ever had, I thought she was your average two-year-old. The funny things she said and did just seemed to be what kids her age said and did. But in looking back as the mother of four, I can see how her personality then was her personality now. She's always been so Nellie! And I'm sure it's like that, or will be like that, with the other kids, too. Kevin might say I shouldn't pigeon-hole them, but I say I'm the mom, and it's my job to know who these people are. :)

Nellie was playing with Annie the other day, and later I found a note that said something like, "Dear Annie, I'm sorry I didn't get to see you before I left for college. I will miss you so much this semester. I will Skype with you when I get to college. Love, Penelope." First of all, cute. Second, oh my gosh--this could happen someday! Some day that's coming like a runaway train.

Nellie's actually been full of questions about the future. We had this conversation yesterday after she asked me where I think she should go to college:

Nellie: So, how do you tell your college what you want to do for your job? Do you just like, write it on your permission slip?

Me: [Explained about applying for college, majors and minors, etc.] And then you apply for scholarships because college is really expensive, and the schools will tell you how much money it will cost and then you decide where to go.

Nellie: Ooh, maybe we should start having some fundraisers.

If you ask her, she's quite certain what she wants to be when she grows up. In order, she wants to be a math teacher, a librarian, just a regular book-reader, or a circus clown. Some days, it's a math teacher AND a circus clown.

I could see Nellie having a future in mathematics! I taught her the old, "1, 2, skip a few, 99, 100" years ago. This week, I overheard her saying, "1, 2, skip a few, 99 million, kablooney-pants!" I laughed. Kablooney pants? Then she told me, "Well, if numbers go to infinity, there's got to a funny one in there somewhere!"

Yup. So Nellie.

First snow day of 2015!

It was very welcome. I had the whole day to work on laundry, picking up, and cleaning house to prepare for our weekend guests, though there was a good amount of relaxing and spending time together, too. I did learn one important thing to tuck away for summer break. There are exactly two things that guarantee our children will spend time together playing quietly and without conflict: impending bedtime (which I knew) and chore lists. Give 'em a chore list and all of a sudden there are so many great things to do and play! ;)

Best part of the day...warming up under a blanket with Annie. You can't see that we're both holding my coffee mug to unfreeze our fingers!

DJ ran away from me because he didn't want to eat lunch. I finally found him.

She was doing her chores, putting away her last Christmas presents, when she came across A Little Princess. This is how she spent the rest of the day. (Wearing a maxi skirt as a dress, of course. I mean, it was a whole 5 degrees out or something like that.)

Chief knows the best napping spot.

DJisms

1) Here's one we hear a lot: "Well...that was awkwud."

2) Me: Wow DJ, you really need a haircut. DJ: [brushing his hair down with his fingers] No. My hair is perfect.

3) "I not like the train track breaking! I am grumpy! This. Is. My. GRUMPY FACE."

DJ was crying loudly in the other room. I found him stuck in the baby bouncer. Like any good mother, I took a picture before un-sticking him.

He loves his new superhero toys from Christmas and his birthday.

Christmas 2014, in pictures

Of course, we couldn't really capture the whole holiday in pictures. There was a lot of holiday. We started when John and his friend, Sue, came down from Sault Ste. Marie the weekend before Christmas. We had a pizza party together Friday night, the (big) Wernet family Christmas Saturday--a raucous affair in a community center this year, then the (small) Wernet family Christmas at our house on Sunday. Tuesday was cookie-baking and Genny's birthday, Wednesday was Christmas Eve with a party at Lisa's, and then Christmas was spent at home in the morning for the Wernet/Ward/Harrington waffle party and with the Wacyks in the evening. Try as we might to "keep it small and simple," put simply, it wasn't. But as usual, we packed in the fun until it was coming out of our ears.

Building a gingerbread barn with Sue (Alli and Nellie traded houses after the party Saturday)

Papa John always gives beloved books!

Frosting cookies with Aunt Genny and "Fun"-cle Jason 

Nellie's sew-it-yourself doll

DJ's big gift--a hand-me-down train table! Kevin had to put this baby together Christmas Eve night.

Excited kids waiting for us to make the coffee and the fire.

Busy boy Christmas morning. We didn't get a good shot of his first reaction because he was moving so much the picture was blurry.

Spy glasses

Fox socks

Eddie's first Christmas! He got a bath book, a board book, a sippy cup, Puffs, and baby food.

Annie's big gift was a scooter...

...but she was just as excited about the Christmas cereal this year.

Nellie's big gift--a [used, refurbished] Kindle. I love this picture!

Aunt Pam and DJ working on a fire truck puzzle the girls got him

Just scootin' around in my PJs, Life is Good shirt (everyone got matchy-matchy shirts from Kevin), and my Anna wig

I took a turn on the scooter