Snow Week

Monday night we got over an inch of ice which warranted the city of Indianapolis to put on its brakes.  Tuesday, we got another inch which really did a number on the school systems.  Phoebe's day care calls a "snow day" based upon Indianapolis Public Schools because the church she attends at is downtown.  They're notorious for NOT granting time off due to winter weather so history was made when they closed not one but FOUR days this week.  We made the best of it and enjoyed the day and a half that Ryan stayed home with us.  As it was truly icy, I stayed inside when they ventured out.  See the icicle in her hands?  And see the garden hoe in Ryan's?  It was the only thing to truly break through the ice.

The frigid temperatures and slippery conditions didn't dampen their spirits though - Phoebe's like her daddy in that she "needs" to be outside at least a bit every day.  Otherwise, they go nuts.

Promptly after coming back inside with pink cheeks and red hands, she declared her need for an "icicle."  Luckily, we still had a few stashed away from summer.  She tried out a blue one and quickly determined she needed to wear gloves INSIDE too.

To warm up after the popsicle, we decided to try Phoebe's abilities with the Kinect.  If there's ever a way to get the pictures that are taken off the XBox, Ryan and I are both in a world of trouble - they're simply hilarious! 

Phoebe didn't quite grasp the concept but had a fun time playing with us.

And because we were cooped up inside for hours on end, Phoebe got away with a LOT more than she normally would have.  Who lets their kid stand on tables?

She takes her performing very seriously and needed a stage.  How can you say no to this kind of focus?

And we conveniently got TWO Puzzle Buzz magazines in the mail that Phoebe simply loved!  All kinds of puzzles, hidden pictures and matching games kept her (and us) occupied for hours!

Because the schools were still closed Thursday, Ryan and I split the day at our offices.  Friday, I had an OB appointment (8 weeks left, believe it or not) so Phoebe went with me while Ryan tried to make up some work.  After our doctor's visit, we headed to Target to buy paint.  We got every kind of imaginable paint Crayola was selling and decided to get down to business as soon as we finished lunch.  At one point, I explained to Phoebe that I was going to do laundry and that she had to be careful not to get paint on anything.  When I came back upstairs, she'd completely emptied one color - painting with it on the newspaper no less!  I figured it was a cheap way to keep us busy and not worth the fight.  I was just thankful to have laundry done before the weekend began!

We took a few breaks in between our painting ventures.  During one break, Phoebe discovered that our window clings also stick to the wall.  She declared she was going to "decorate our house" and it was going to look "beautiful."  She picks up on SO much more than I could ever have imagined!

She even cheesed for a picture.  Note the Cinderella Barbie sticking out of her backpack.  She's become a bit obsessed about this "princess" recently and Ryan and I have both gotten to watch either Cinderella or Cinderella 2  (who knew there was such a thing!?) in its entirety this week.

Then we tried our hands at finger painting.  She was a bit cautious at first.

But she warmed up quickly. 

We even tried watercolors.

Saturday morning we woke up to SNOW.  Forget the two-plus inches of ice on the ground that we hadn't made much of a dent in - we got over 3 inches of snow on top of it before 10:00 that morning and we were determined to get OUT of the house no matter what!  We only made it down the street for breakfast, but it was still nice to get away!

Phoebe did a pretty good job of keeping us all entertained.  Even CoCo.

Then we decided to show Daddy how to paint.   At one point she looked at me and asked if I needed to do more laundry.  She's a smart kid, but I knew where she was going! 

Sunday we headed to church to help celebrate YiaYia's retirement after 22 years as the Children's Pastor there.  Phoebe wore the outfit she got from them for Christmas, complete with skinny jeans and flats (that she refused to wear socks with).  She looked so grown up!

We let Phoebe cut through the receiving line to give YiaYia a quick hug.  I don't believe Phoebe could bring more joy to anyone than she does her two grandmas.  It makes a mama's heart SO proud.

We headed over to YiaYia and Papou's for lunch and then YiaYia surprised her with the 1999 Annie movie with Kathy Bates and Phoebe knew exactly what that meant - movie time!  She snuggled with YiaYia for most of the movie but the last 30 minutes were spent playing with magnetic dress-up dolls instead.  She is, after all, still two, so her attention span is only so long.

And just in case you're wondering what Papou did while the rest of us sat through Annie...

I got this picture of her while the movie was finishing up and just sat in awe at how old she's becoming.  I asked her if she was seventeen yet...she reassured me that she was, indeed, only two and a half!