Highlights from SNOW DAY #2 (both good & bad):

*We had Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast....at 8:30!! (Usually we're already on our way to school by then!) It's the small things on the snow days that make us all happy around here!

*We tried to leave for the airport to welcome Mia to Dallas at 9:00, with no luck. VERY SAD moment for us. We couldn't even leave our driveway without hitting our fence (three times). So, we talked to Chad & Amy and welcomed them home "by phone" instead.

*We have continued the process of cleaning out toys for charity. Kendyll is doing amazingly well with this and is giving away more than I even want her to! I have learned alot about myself and have finally began to adopt Kendyll's "spirit of giving".

What I've learned from her that has surprised me:
*She knows exactly what she wants to keep and exactly what she wants to "give to the kids". There is nothing hard about these decisions. If she loves it and it stays, she is matter of fact about it. If she is ready to give it away, she is also matter of fact about it. (Even though I spend 10 minutes reminding her of why she loves this or that toy....)
*Me "reminding her" of why we should keep something has shown my over-attachment to things. This is something I already knew about myself, but it becomes much more evident when your three-year-old looks at you like "Mom, let it go! It's just a toy!"
*This process has made her more thankful for those things she has chosen to keep. She has played with things today that she probably hasn't touched in a year. Those material blessings have become even more treasured and important than they ever would have been if she kept everything.
*Kendyll is longing for the moment when she gets to meet these kids who will be receiving practically brand new baby dolls, books, movies, art supplies, stuffed animals, and toys. She keeps saying "Oh, I bet a little boy will love this! He will probably hug me, huh?" or "Oh, a little girl will say "Oh, thank you thank you for this pretty baby! She is my favorite!"

(So, any advice on where to go to get these directly into the hands of children? We are looking into some children's homes options, or maybe a hurricane relief organization. If you know kids who are in need (who Kendyll can hug!), let us know!)

*Carlie, on the other hand, has had a busy day in a different way. "Tas" (her loving nickname given by her parents for her similarity to the Looney Tunes character) has been in full effect. She can destroy anything in a matter of minutes. She can sneak out of a room in a matter of seconds. And, she can put herself in danger in no time flat. Her new thing is climbing. Yesterday, I ran Kendyll upstairs to her bed, while Carlie sat in her highchair for a snack. Came back downstairs to my little munchkin sitting ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE! She climbed out of her chair onto the table and was "stirring" Kendyll's cereal milk. This has continued today with climbing into the bathtub, on top of the potty (standing on top!), up the stairs (very scary), on a stepstool (to the top), and this was all while in the same room as me!! Crazy girl!

*The rest of the day is hopefully going to be spent doing Christmas shopping online, and taking the girls to Toys R Us to make their Christmas lists. This is Kendyll's surprise reward for giving so generously. We plan to just spend time playing there for a long time, while also figuring out what each child is "into" enough to put on "THE LIST" this year (Yes, family, we are finally making a list! Thanks for being patient with us!). Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for this outing!