These Boots Were Made For . . . Me?

Way back in September I got an e-mail from DSW featuring these boots:

I immediately fell in love with those boots but couldn’t justify running out and buying them because 1) it wasn’t in my budget right then since I had just purchased a new pair of dress boots and 2) I already have a pair of snow boots.  But I did go try them on because I wear a 6 ½ wide and have large calves which means I have a fairly hard time finding boots that fit.  I figured that if they didn’t fit, buying them would be a moot point and I wouldn’t want them so much anymore.  But to my chagrin, they fit perfectly.  Slid right on my short, fat feet and zipped right up over my calf.  So I put them on my hope-to-be-able-to-afford-in-the-future list because the previously aforementioned snow boots have several flaws including (not in the order of importance, of course) the fact that when I wear them they grab onto my socks and end up yanking them off my feet and also they are pretty darn ugly.  But they were what I could cram my feet into and could afford when I needed some snow boots with no heels during my pregnancy with Matthew.

When I got my birthday coupon from DSW earlier this month, I set it aside hoping that maybe those boots would go on sale as winter clearance sales started.  But they didn’t go on sale-it seems like that one item you are watching never does.  My coupon was expiring today so this morning I headed on over to DSW to peruse the clearance rack.  On my way to the clearance rack I walked past the boots to drool a bit and happened to notice that there were none left smaller than a size 9.  So I figured that was that.  None left in my size, I would have to wait until next season.

Imagine my glee when I walked back to the 6 ½ section of the clearance rack and spotted these:

 They were not the color I had originally wanted and wouldn’t match my wardrobe as well, but who cares?  They’re snow boots and as long as my feet are dry, warm, and cute, so what if the boots match my coat?!  When I asked the sales associate why this particular pair was on clearance when none of the others in the same style were, she told me that it was because they were the very last pair in that size.

So yay for me and my short, fat feet!  And you know, I almost think they are cuter with the contrasting colors anyway.

Cruisin’ Round the Neighborhood

It has taken me nearly a year, but I finally finished Matthew's quilt! 

He was totally bummed that he couldn't sleep under it last night (I finished it after he went to bed) but he is thrilled that it is finally done.  Every time I laid the quilt out to work on something, he would run his cars on the roads.  When I asked him this morning what his favorite part of the quilt is, he walked around each and every road on the quilt.

Now I get to start on a quilt for Daniel.  I wasn't a quilter yet when he got his, so it is a printed panel tied with yarn.  He loved it for many years, but now that he is older and has seen his younger brothers get fancy quilts, he has a hankering for a fancy quilt of his own.  So check back in a year or so and you'll be able to see the next masterpiece.

Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood?

As of today, the firefighters are in our neighborhood.  A big, new fire station was built just up the road from us and the ribbon cutting was this morning.  This evening we took the boys to tour the new station.  They were all excited, especially Matthew.  He got inpatient as we toured the station because he wanted to see the trucks and of course, they were last on the tour. 

 The station includes several nice, big rooms for community meetings and such as well as offices, living quarters for the firefighters and paramedics, and of course the standard fire station pole.  Daniel and Nathan were interested in all that, but Matthew pretty much just suffered through all of it so he could see the trucks.  When we finally got to the truck bays, he climbed right in . . . 

. . . and while Daniel, Nathan, and Kevin were learning how the hoses work, he got all ready to drive away.

Daniel and Nathan climbed in the trucks as well, but they were a bit less openly enthusiastic about it.

I think one of Matthew's favorite parts was when the firefighter giving us our tour told him to shoot mom . . .

Just in case you didn't know, you can call your local fire station and arrange a tour as well.  It's a fun trip for young and old alike!

I Think He’s Got It!

It’s science fair time again and although we’ve known about it since October, things got so crazy while everyone was off-track in December that Daniel and I both completely forgot.  By the time I remembered, Daniel only had two and a half weeks to do his entire project and I was in no frame of mind to deal with the stress that happened last year as I tried to help him get it done at crunch time.  So I told him if he wanted to do the science fair, he would have to do it himself.  I wasn’t going to bug him or remind him every day of what he had left to do.  He’s in fourth grade now so I figured it was time for him to step up and take responsibility if he chose to do it.

And to my great satisfaction, he did just that.  He did his entire project by himself with only occasional technical assistance from Kev and all I did was buy the fruits and vegetables he needed, man the camera and give him a couple of suggestions on how to organize his display board.  Everything else was all Daniel.  And he had it completely finished two days before the science fair.  All he had to do the night before was stick everything he needed in his backpack.  So much better than the late nighter we pulled last year!

And he won a third place ribbon again!  I must say that I was very proud that he did so well all on his own.  He already knows what he wants to do next year and it will need to be done in the summer since that is when the ants are active so I think he has begun to understand the value of getting things done before the deadline!

Keepin' Cool

My birthday is coming up, so last night Kev took me out to dinner and a movie to celebrate.  When we walked into the theater, it was hot.  Roasting hot.  I stripped off my coat, scarf and sweater (all of which I usually keep on during a movie) and was still much too hot.  For most people this would just be an inconvenience, but being too hot gives me migraines so I headed out to the lobby to buy a cup of ice.  When I asked the extraordinarily bored looking girl at the concession counter for a cup of ice, the conversation went something like this:

Bored Girl: "I'll have to charge you full price."

Me: "Seriously?"

Bored Girl: "We have to pay for the cup."

Me: (muttered under by breath) "The cup costs a nickel."

Bored Girl: (blank stare)

Which is how I ended up paying four dollars and seventy five cents for a cup of ice.  I can get a freakin' ten pound bag for two bucks at the Walmart!  But I figured it was better to pay up than to get a migraine.  The ironic part is that when I returned to the theater, Kev informed me that the cool air had turned on about halfway through my absence.  About a third of the way through the film I started putting back on all the layers I had stripped off half an hour previously.  But two thirds of the way through the movie, the heat came back on and I was grateful for the ice.

And do you want to know what outrageously expensive ice tastes like?  Water.  Very cold water.

‘Tis the Season

When I took Nathan to do his Christmas shopping a week ago, he stopped in front of a display of simple magic tricks and commented on how much fun they would be.  Big thumbs up for the 100 trick magic kit Mrs. Claus procured in October.

Daniel tacked up his wish list on Christmas Eve and Mrs. Claus was stressed for a just a moment.  Big sigh of relief since three of the top four items (including a telescope) were already safely tucked away.

Matthew has been asking for a big Buzz Lightyear ever since I took him on a date to see Toy Story 3 in June.  Hearty cheer for Santa setting aside Buzz and Woody early in the fall.

This was one of those years when everyone got just exactly what they wanted, including me:

And although Matthew still thinks Christmas is somehow related to snow, Daniel and Nathan have gotten old enough that they can really understand how all the trees, ornaments, and holly relate to Jesus Christ.  It made our family home evenings this month just a bit more meaningful.  So it definitely has been a happy holiday.

Holiday Life Lessons-Part IV

Apparently Santa lives at the church . . . under the floor.  At least that is what Matthew tells us.  I think one of his nursery teachers (one of those crazy, funny guys) told him that.

"I'm Dreaming . . ."

My favorite Christmas movie is “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera Ellen.  We watched it nearly every year when I was growing up.  This was in the days before vhs and dvd and we had to wait for it to come on t.v.   Then we would gather round and watch it all together.  I remember watching other musicals with my mom, but this one I remember watching with my dad. 

I watch White Christmas at least once every December and a few weeks ago I introduced it to my children.  Daniel said it was pretty good, but Nathan and Matthew loved it.  Matthew walks around singing White Christmas and Nathan has told me on several occasions that we should watch it every year.  It’s nice to be able to have my children join in one of my favorite holidays traditions!