A quiet night...

It's late and it's quiet. I'm catching up on the computer, Matt is downstairs having dinner and watching TV after working late and the kids are sound asleep.
Each time I come to write I feel like the kids have changed and done so much. We had a recent snow day so the kids and I have been housebound for a few days. For Kaylis, add in a sick day off from school. She is better now - just a stuffy nose - fever free so it was a quick one, thank goodness. Everyone else is healthy so far. Keeping my fingers crossed that we were able to keep the sick germs at bay.
It's a few weeks after Christmas and the house has just recovered. Every (well almost every...) toy has found a new home, the living room is back to normal with a handy new bookshelf with bins storing all the new stuff and all the Christmas boxes have been stored back in the attic. It's been nice to see the kids enjoying their new gifts. Even Avery has taken to actually sitting (if only for a few minutes at a time...) and playing with her toys. She is definitely the livley one to say the least. She keeps us on our toes and then some. Just today, she emptied the shoe cabinet, took out some winter hats to try on, climbed in the kitchen draw, emptied the drawer under the stove (which prompted a cleaning because apparently I rarely look under there - gross!!), dumped an entire box of crayons on the floor, and so on....... She is a spitfire and knows what she wants, but she also has a cuddly, loving side that is so sweet. While giving hugs, she often will pat you on the back. Her latest "cute" moment is her reaction to a certain commercial in which a boy burps at the end. She recognizes it as soon as it comes on and will stop what she is doing to wait for the funny part. You can definitely tell she has older siblings!! Tonight she went to sleep soundly with a smile on her face as she cuddled her Elmo and Mickey and I said good night to her. This is a relief since the past 3-4 nights have been tough as she was crying/screaming when we laid her down. Hopefully that has passed for now.
As I said before Kaylis has been a little under the weather for the past few days. She missed school the other day, her first absence of the year. I knew as soon as she woke up that she wasn't herself. So she's had a few days to rest. Luckily, she was well enough today so that she and I could spend time together outside making a snow"girl" while Avery napped. We snapped some pictures and Kaylis announced her name was Elizabeth. :-) After we rid ourselves of the cold, wet clothing, Kaylis asked for some hot chocolate (or warm chocolate milk as she likes to call it) "because her cheeks were cold." She has a birthday party tomorrow for her friend Kealeigh from school. She's been looking forward to it but has some nervous feelings about it. After she told me a few times that she didn't want to go, I explained that we replied yes so we need to go and stick with what we said we'd do. Hopefully she'll have fun once we're there.
Matthew was very excited to hear of the snow day yesterday. Of course, all 3 kids were up by 7am - earlier then they ever wake for a school day!! Figures! By 9am he was bored. This child has so much energy these days. He just needs to be moving at all times. He's been spending some time down in the basement riding a new scooter he got as a gift from Nana. On the snow day, we watched some movies from Netflix, he played some video games, wrestled with Kaylis, watched TV....and when I asked him to take out the garbage in the late afternoon, he jumped at the chance just to get outside. After his duty was done, he spent a while outside shoveling the steps and around my car. I had to call him in once it started to get dark. Who knows how long he would've stayed out there. Boy it's going to be a long winter in the house!!!....... As for school, he is doing very well. His reading has come a long way and just the other day he finished one of his "Diary of the Wimpy Kid" books. The first time he read a chapter book from beginning to end. I'm very proud of him for that. Reading hasn't always been his favorite but he works hard at it.
Just when you think you know you're kids, they go and learn something new or say something that makes you laugh. They are bundles of energy and a joy to have around. I appreciate each one of them for their individual personalities, their silliness and the different stages they are at. Each new day brings on something new to discover or talk about. I cherish each and every moment (even though some are overwhelming!!..) because I know that these days will be gone in a flash. As I tear up thinking about it (happens every time!) I know that I'll be able to look back and have so many memories. Life is good!