Jason's 1st snow

Call me crazy but I love the snow. There is something magical and wonderful about the snow. I wait in eager anticipation for the first snow to fall and there is a twinge of sadness when all the snow melts. Growing up in Alaska there was always snow on the ground by Halloween and usually the snow fell by October 1st. The snow stayed around until at least mid April and I can remember several mid May snow flurries. Snow was a huge part of my life growing up. I loved to build forts, go skiing, and of course sledding. I absolutely can not wait to go to Alaska for Christmas and spend 10 days in a winter wonderland. I would love to move back to Alaska and if the right opportunity came around I think Dan would be willing.

Early Saturday morning the Palouse was blanketed with several inches of white beauty. I didn't even have to get out of bed to know it had snowed. The light coming through our bedroom window was brighter and I knew that meant snow. Right after breakfast we bundled up and headed out to shovel the driveway. Jonathan took his shovel and pail from the beach and happily set about digging in the snow. Jason was all bundled up in his Elmo snowsuit and boots that are two or three sizes too big. I was excited to see his reaction to the snow. He seemed to like it but he didn't last too long outside as it was almost naptime.




I love Jason's expressions.

Offensive Words

Renee's Monday Moment for Down Syndrome today was about the r word. She has posted on the topic before. Admittedly I used to use the r word all the time without even thinking about what I was really saying. After reading what Renee and others had to say I have since amended my vocabulary. So check out what she has to say, she is an awesome mom and advocate for her children.

Not Me Monday!

I was not so busy with school last week that I completely forgot to participate in Not me Monday!

I did not let my almost 8 month old play with a piece of paper for almost half an hour. That would be irresponsible of me. I most certainly did not have to pull little pieces of paper out of his mouth once I realized that he was not eating the paper.

I did not let my husband make the treats that I took to a class party.

I did not spend most of last week so busy and stressed out that I didn't sleep enough and eat well enough and I do not have a cold to prove my point.

That's all I got today!

Wordless Wednesday

oops

So I've gone a few days without posting. Sorry. Its dead week which means by the end of the week I'll be dead. Ok not really but I'll be really busy and probably not posting. But I'm reading and I'll try to comment. Know that I love you all!

Christmas Cards

Well thanks to my trusty tripod we were able to get our Christmas picture taken today. I was going to post the picture but I think I'll wait. I know I'm terrible aren't I :) If you want a Christmas card send me an email with your address and I'll get one in the mail to you! acbrough@gmail.com

Christmas Family

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas

For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Now its your turn. Let me know if you do it!

Bed Time

Jonathan will do absolutely anything to keep himself awake at bedtime. Tonight was rather funny to me (probably because I was an observer and not actually involved)

JD: Daddy come here.

Dan opens the door to the boys room which squeaks as you open it.

Dad: What JD? You need to be asleep.

JD: That noise is keeping me awake.

Dad: What noise?

JD: The squeak.

Dad: What squeak?

JD: The squeak when you opened the door.

Dad: But the door only squeaked because I opened it to see what you wanted.

JD: Yeah but the squeak is keeping me awake.

Dad: But, wait, what!?

JD: Make the squeak stop.

Dad: Ok I'm leaving.

Closes squeaky door.

JD: (from inside his room) I told you to make it stop the squeak is keeping me awake.

Crazy kid!

Wordless Wednesday

Flashback

It's amazing how music can transport you back to another time and place. Right now I'm listening to The Nylons. Old school, yes. Fantastic and amazing, yes. When I was in high school I spent a lot of time hanging out with two boys who were two years older than me. I can't even being to tell you how much these two meant to me then and how much they still mean to me now. They are the brothers I never had and I love them so much. As part of band we ushered for local concerts. If we weren't interested in the concert we would just hang out in the lobby of stairs and the boys would sing. They sang a lot of things but one of the things I remember them singing was The Nylons. And now as I listen to The Nylons I can see us hanging out in that stairwell and the boys singing.

Eric Whitacre's Ghost Train Triptych is another song that really takes me back. We played the 1st movement of it my freshman year of high school at The Pacific Basin Music Festival in Hawaii. These same two boys were in band with me and on that trip. Listening to this song takes me back to that time and place where we got a standing ovation from a packed house and all three judges. It was amazing. One of the boys and I also spent a lot of time together listening to this song and driving around Fairbanks. Wonderful memories.

Another song that reminds me of these two boys is Johan de Meij's Symphony No.1 The Lord of the Rings: I Gandalf (The Wizard). This piece was inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of Rings trilogy but was composed long before the movies came about. Anyway each year the senior class gets to pick a song that the band will play at graduation. It's the last time the seniors get to play with the group and it's kind of a big deal. This was the song that the class of 1998 chose to play at graduation. One of the boys was a tuba player and the other was a percussionist so in the set up of our band they were close to each other. I remember during graduation looking over and seeing the boys and starting to cry knowing this was the last time I would ever be in band with them. I can still close my eyes and see CS playing the timpani drum at the end of the song. CS if you are reading this I totally love you and can't wait to see you at Christmas!

Congratulations on making it this far. Now I pose the question to y'all: what songs take you back in time and where do they take you?