Our little snow bunny

Marian actually HATES the snow! She cries whenever I try to get her to play in it. The other day was SO WARM (about 40 degrees) which was heaven compared to the iceberg weather we've been having so we took the kids outside to play. Here's Marian looking adorable (but a bit like a Willie Wonka Oompa Loompa) ...and very snow proof!

Isn't that hat amazing? You might think I made it for her...or maybe her grandma did, but you'd be wrong. Our librarian did! I've loved the Boston Public library from the day we moved here!

In the end Marian decided to make herself useful.

Random Cuteness

Jack takes his cars to the "car wash" about 3 times a day. Every time I hear him loading up the bathroom sink with water, soap and his cars I feel torn. Because I know that the likelihood of Jack using an entire bottle of soap, spilling water all over the floor, and possibly shoving his cars down the drain is very likely. BUT, on the other hand, the likelihood of it keeping him occupied for a good half hour is also very likely. Needless to say, we go through a lot of soap.

Jack begs for a "smoovie" (smoothie) about 3 times a day. It makes him SO happy.

Our mail comes through a slot in our door and the other day I asked Jack to go get it for me. He "delivered" it to me on his fire truck. He even had the siren going, such service!

My great friend Karen told us about "Kid Space" and it's been a life saver. It's an indoor play space for kids during the winter months. Jack has loved it all winter...but now that he found the Thomas the Tank Engine outfit in the costume box, he loves it even more. The other day Jack added a superman cape to the ensemble, it was pretty cute!




For these next two pictures I couldn't decide which one to choose...so I chose them both! Marian LOVES to hold Jack's hand.

Introducing the newest Pugh

Two weeks ago we bought a fish! We'd made up a chart for Jack to fill up with stickers every time he did something good and eventually the chart was filled up so off to the Petco we went! We'd decided to get a Beta fish (hopefully they live longer than goldfish). When we found the Betas they were all in these small containers and at first I thought they were all dead. To be honest I think some of them were. Jack immediately pointed to a blue one and said, "Let's get that one, his name is Thomas." There was no discussion about it, I just hoped Jack had picked a live one. It's been two weeks and the warranty on the fish is up...but Thomas (the Tank fish) is still alive and swimming so here's the first Pugh family pet!


This picture sums up that 1st weekend perfectly, a new fish and two bottles of cold medicine. We were ALL sick!

Here's a close up.

I've been surprised how much a child can interact with a fish. Jack watches Thomas for long stretches of time every day...and he hasn't put any foreign objects in the tank! For a boy who less than three months ago killed all of his Uncle Robby's fish by putting a toothbrush, a dirty rag, a T-shirt, half a jars worth of fish food, Woody, AND Buzz in the fish tank, I say that's a huge success!

Great mom website

I'm not a naturally crafty person, but I've found this website that makes it easy to be crafty with my kids! I love it! Check it out here

From the Mouth of Jack

"Mommy, I feel so conflicted". I really have no idea what he was talking about. I think maybe he meant confused. Or perhaps he really was feeling conflicted. It happens, even to three year olds.

DRY CLEAN ONLY?

Jack and I made a February goal chart together. His goals (let's be honest, they are my goals for him...is that bad?) are to learn to zip up his jacket by himself, count to 10 in Spanish, memorize a little poem, and a scripture, and find the7 continents on the map. Jack is doing really well. My goals are actually just 1 goal, to put away the laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. I'm much more optimistic about Jack's level of achievement than my own. I'm starting small. But then again, Jack's goals are going to be met without me anyway so I guess they really are MY goals. Anyway, last night I was successfully meeting my goal, when I realized I had shrunk Chad's really nice sweater that my parents had given him for Christmas (sorry mom and dad.) DRY CLEAN ONLY? Please, I'm happy if I get the laundry done...I NEVER check labels...until now. OOPS! Big OOPS Chad LOVED this sweater and it looked so good on him! I was audibly upset so Jack asked what was wrong. When I told him he said "it's okay mom, we can go to the store and buy a new one." I told him that it was too expensive so we couldn't just get a new one. Jack thought for about half a second then said (in a surprisingly sneeky tone I might add) "Then just hide it so dad will never know" Where does he come up with this stuff? I definitely haven't taught him that. I had to laugh. I explained to Jack that I wasn't going to hide it and I would tell dad (Chad was very very nice about it.) The rest of the night Jack kept saying, "Mom please don't ruin my sweater in the dryer". Don't worry Jack, your sweaters are not DRY CLEAN ONLY. Besides, even if I did ruin your sweater, dad's will fit you in about a year.

More for me than for you...

Really, this is more for me than for you, so by all means don't feel obligated to read it all. But it really has been fun so I highly recommend you make your own list and see what you've done...and what you want to do. I copied this off my cousin's blog. It was fun to see what she's done...and I'll be honest, since I'm in the phase of life where my adventures are more likely to happen at home rather than abroad or in some other exciting place it's fun to look back and see what I've done. And who knows, maybe this will inspire me to spice things up a little and have more adventures!

Just Bold the ones you have done and then post it on your blog!

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland or Disney world

8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (and ate escagro)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning (I gave it to myself) 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (and almost missed it on the way back from Venice)
21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (I like to think of myself as an international skinny dipper, since I have gone in 3 different countries!)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Olde Faithful Geyser Erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain (Chad are you reading this?)

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie or on a TV show
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business

58. Had an encounter with a wild animal

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (hiked it rim to rim 3 times)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a Jury

91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (does dipping your toe count? It really stinks there) 97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee 100. Taken a martial arts class