First snow

Christmas came and went without one snowflake in sight, but finally, snow fell today! The kids were fever free this afternoon, so we decided it was okay to let them have a little snow play.

W gets a taste of snowy goodness.










One of J's favorite snowy activities is making snow angels.

M got upset because some snow found its way into her coat, thanks to a misfired snowball from her brother.






Of course, that meant war (never mind that it was the other brother who threw the snowball).

Neither side seemed to be winning.










Finally, a truce was called, and a lesson in snowball making quickly followed.

Sick day

Earlier this month I started a long-term substitute teaching job at the kids' school. Kids all over town have been getting sick since Christmas break, and I was holding my breath, hoping my family could avoid the germs somehow until at least February, when my subbing commitment ends. However, last night, W started running fever. I called our assistant principal so she could get a sub for the sub. After I e-mailed W's teacher asking for his assignments to be sent home, I noticed that M looked a little flushed. Sure enough, she had a fever, too. Then, this morning J woke up with a cough, runny nose, and headache - the same symptoms the other two kids had yesterday. So, we all get a day off from school today.

Don't they look sad? I'm glad they all fell victim to the virus at the same time, though. Misery loves company, and it means less time away from school for all of us if we go through this together.

Upward

It's basketball season again, and this year we have a cheerleader joining in the fun. W and M are both participating in Upward sports this year (http://www.upward.org/). If you're not familiar with Upward, take a moment to check out that link. It's a wonderful, Christian sports program in which the kids learn how to be more Christ-like, good sportsmanship, are exposed to positive role models, and learn Scripture every week.

I do want to take a moment to brag about J, who chooses to fill his extracurricular time with less sporty activities. He's been such a supportive brother and goes to games and practices without complaint. So though he'd rather be at Lego League than a basketball game, he's a big fan of his siblings and helps make it fun for all of us.

Here are a few photos from their first week with Upward. W got the award for best effort at his first game, and M got the leadership award during her first time ever as a cheerleader.















After the game, we went out for dinner to celebrate the start of what promises to be a fun season.