Maybe we should look into a different car

This morning Sam got up super early so he would have plenty of extra time for his commute to work in the fresh 8" of snow. About five minutes after he walked into the garage, my phone rang, and it was Sammy, asking me to come out and drive so he could push his car out of the driveway. We think a combination of the ice and packed snow in the gutter and the depth of the fresh snow in the driveway high-centered his car, and it took one and a half hours to get the car clear. We pulled it back into the garage and then he tried to find a supervisor at work to run the Maintenance crew. Unfortunately, Sam must be the only person who didn't take today off (being the day after Christmas AND a Friday), so he ended up going in a few hours late. Good thing we have one four-wheel drive vehicle (that is high enough off the ground it doesn't drag the top few inches of fresh snow). :)

Lonely, er I mean, Relaxing Montana Christmas

We haven't spent many Christmasses outside of Colorado, but this year was one of the few away from family. Because Baby 3 is due in early February, I was advised to not travel very far from home. So Sam, the kids and I hunkered down in Bozeman for the holiday.

We attended a Christmas Eve service at one of the churches we've been "shopping", then came home, had a light dinner of dips, appetizers and cold shrimp (similar to what we would have had if we were in CO and went to my sister's Christmas Eve party). Then we all opened some Christmas presents.

Jimmy got a real tool set, a tool box and some wooden boards from Pop and Gramma. He loved them, and concentrated really hard as he drove nails and screws into the boards. I was so impressed with his patience and skill!

Pop and Gramma (or "Grammy", as Susie calls her) got Susie some Fancy Nancy dress up clothes, and there isn't much Susie likes better than purple boas!

Then it was time for jammies and leaving cookies and milk for Santa and some carrots for his reindeer. We also sprinkled some Christmas Dust in the snow to help Santa and his reindeer find their way to our house. Then we tucked the kids into bed and had some eggnog. Sounds magical, right?...

In case you are wondering... my mind HAS blanked out the whining, crying, and fighting that happened all day when Jimmy wanted to open a gift early, or when he didn't want to go to church, or when he refused to eat anything besides cookies... minds are great at protecting our memories!

This morning Sam and I were so excited to play with the stuff Santa brought the kids, but the kids SLEPT in!!! Around 8 AM they finally came downstairs and saw their gifts and the stockings. Then the fun began again! Santa brought Jimmy just what he wanted, "a giraffe that falls down," and he brought Susie a baby (the baby is part of a family in a dollhouse). Jimmy also got a Leapster2 handheld game.

Jimmy with his Giraffe that falls down.
Susie playing with her dollhouse... it took a while to get her to look at her stocking with all of the fun stuff in the dollhouse.

After presents, we had a super-sweet breakfast (Caramel-soaked French Toast) and watched Wall-E. Then we went sledding (Daddy and Mommy got the little ones their first sled), came home and snacked until dinner time. Jimmy played with his new Mr Potato Head pieces and his video game while Susie played with the dollhouse and new Princess dolls. Mom and Dad even got a little nap!

Here are a few pictures from the first sledding excursion.

Even I couldn't resist testing out the new sled... but just to appease baby, Sam, and the doctor, I didn't go down head first on my belly like I wanted to.
Susie finally warmed up to the snow, after two and a half months in Montana. Although she was even happier when she ditched the hat and unzipped her jacket. She still thinks she is in the Southern heat!

We all pitched in and buried Jimmy in the snow. Once he was covered (except for his head), he wanted Susie to throw snow at his face. Silly kid!

We hope all of our loved ones had a Wonderful Christmas!

Why kids shouldn't choose their haircuts

It started out innocently enough... Jimmy and Susie sitting in separate chairs at the neighborhood hairstylist. Jimmy was keeping the whole place entertained with his happy attitude and musings about Christmas, snow and being a big brother. Then his stylist asked me if his bangs were short enough and I made my big mistake... I said "Jimmy, what do you think? is that short enough?" even though I thought it was the perfect length for his hair. Well, he flattened and pulled his bangs and hair and said, "no, my hair is still falling down". So I let her cut them a little more... and he moved, so she had to cut a little more to even it out... and he moved again (see where this is going?). Add to his haircut Susie's never-ending static electricity since moving to the dryest state EVER, and we now have kids who could pass for Lloyd and Harry from Dumb and Dumber.

But I still think they look cute, it's just fun to tease.

December in Montana - in other words, SNOW!

When we landed back in Montana after our trip to Orlando, it was snowing and we had several inches of snow on the ground. It was quite the switch, after being in 60 and 70 degree weather in Florida for a week! Jimmy and Sam made the best of it, along with the biggest snowman I've ever seen.

Jimmy loves playing in the snow, and he even likes it when Sam throws snowballs at him or when Sam throws him in the snow (although he stipulates that he has to land on the grass, not on the sidewalk).

We made some gingerbread cookies, and the kids helped me decorate them. This one was Jimmy's favorite - it's a cowboy.

The kids had a really cute Christmas program at preschool. Susie's class "sang" Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Jimmy's class sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jesus Loves Me.

The Magic of DisneyWorld

Ok, I've been slacking, but I'll try to make up for it with a few posts tonight. :)

This month we went on a fabulous vacation to Disney World with Sam's family. The whole group was able to make it, and it was SO much fun. We had a group of 18, including the newest addition, Bennet (6 months). We ate our Thanksgiving dinner at the Hoop De Doo Revue, which Sam thought was the best meal (a direct quote was "Fried Chicken, cold beer and toothpics on the table... best meal ever"). Besides the food, the show was great and it kept all of our group entertained, from the little ones (Susie is so mesmerized it was hard to get a reaction out of her)...

to Pop, making music on his washboard.

And finally, we got some emotion out of Susie, when she was able to participate in the show.

Some other fun times were the first night in Disney, when we returned to our room we found that Woody and Sleeping Beauty had been there to visit and leave gifts for the kids - a cowboy hat and Sheriff's badge for Jimmy and a princess dress for Susie.

For weeks before the trip, when we asked the kids who they wanted to see the most at Disney, Jimmy said Woody and Buzz, and Susie said Jessie and Buzz (all from Toy Story and Toy Story 2, for those who don't know). So when we got the chance to meet these characters, we weren't surprised by Jimmy's enthusiasm (although he forgot to ask Buzz if he could press his laser)

But we were surprised that Susie decided to pout instead of give Jessie a hug.. We aren't sure why she had a little moment, but at least Jimmy and cousin Shelby enjoyed the moment.

Jimmy had to give Donald a big "Thank you" hug for helping make such a yummy breakfast at Chef Mickey, and Susie was happy for a cuddle with Cinderella at the Princess dinner.

The kids (and their folks) had a great time at the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, which is a comedy show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We sat in the audience, and when they are telling their jokes and stories, they choose people from the audience to put up on the big screens. They chose Susie to "play" the part of "Boo" (the little girl in Monsters Inc). She did a great job, and she liked seeing herself on the screen. She even played "Peek-a-Boo" with the audience to fulfill her name.

For the most part we had nice weather, but one day we had some rain. It didn't slow us down, since the kids are used to the torrential rains in the southeast. We got some ponchos and churros, and carried on at the Animal Kingdom. Of course, the churros were probably the key. :)

We got to go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas, which includes a special parade with Santa at the end, plus several hours in the Magic Kingdom with shorter lines and all the hot cocoa we could drink. It was so much fun to watch the kids' faces as they watched the parade.

Susie and Shelby loved the part of the parade with the Princesses.

Jimmy and Susie got a great view from atop the shoulders of Daddy and Pop. And Cinderella's castle looked so magestic all decorated for Christmas.

On our last night, the big kids (Sam, his brother Danny and their dad) went on a few rides at Disney's Hollywood Studios while the girls hung out with the kiddos. Susie and Shelby were still dressed in their Princess dresses from a late lunch with Cinderella and her family, and they played in a little outdoor area where we sat on benches. They were so cute and sweet that strangers were stopping to take pictures of Princess Cinderella and Princess Aurora playing.

One extra bonus to our trip was that our friends and neighbors from SC, the Salvuccis, arrived at Disney while we were still there. We got to have a few meals together and let the kids catch up. Jimmy and Logan have decided that they are going to marry each other, regardless of how many boys in Logan's class ask her, or how far away we live. Kathy and I had some good laughs and (amazingly) Susie and Lainey got along, no hair pulling or temper tantrums. The visit was fun (albeit short), and thinking of these great peeps makes me miss Summerville so much.

29 hours and counting...

In approximately 29 hours our moving truck should be pulling up to the front of our house. YEA!!! I can't even attempt to explain how happy I am. The new hardwood floors look great, the carpets have been cleaned, the dining room has been painted (we still have some painting to do, but that's ok), and Sam put a cool epoxy finish on the garage floor (fan-cy!).

I spent the morning at the house cleaning and dusting (finishing the hardwoods created lots of dust). I still have some stuff to do, since Susie wasn't in the best mood and wanted to sit and "seepin' mommy", which apparently means to rock with me in the Lay-Z-Boy and pretend to sleep, all morning.

I told the kids that we have to pack up the hotel room tonight and take all of their toys and almost all of the clothes to the "red house" so we can move tomorrow, and Jimmy just came into the room with a duffle bag full of his toys... so I guess he's ready to move too!!!

Here is a picture of our beautiful new floor. My dad is coming to replace the darker flooring in the kitchen with tile (it is currently wood laminate). Wish us luck tomorrow!
Updated to add... Sam and Holcim (relocation) took the family out to a nice dinner to celebrate moving out of the hotel tonight. The Italian place in town has the best salad ever, and Susie enjoyed eating the gorgonzola cheese they bring to sprinkle on top with a spoon (she did eat some salad too). Then we got chocolate fondue for dessert... YUMMY!!!

"Caa, Peese" - translation: Trick-or-Treat!

We took the kids trick-or-treating at the Bozeman Mall because although the weather has been pretty mild here, it was still too cold for our thin-blooded selves to brave the night air (even for candy).

-Oh yeah, the other reason the night was too cold was because Susie preferred to be "naked!", or at least half-naked to wearing her costume on both shoulders - we were lucky to get some tights on her skinny little legs. :)-

So dressed as a Storm Trooper and a Princess (actually a Clone Trooper and Snow White, but the kids are convinced otherwise), we spent a leisurely evening strolling the mall and accepting all the treats of the season - well, at least we can pretend it was leisurely.

The kids have been pretty good about not demanding too much candy at a time, although yesterday Susie asked me for "Caa, Peese" and when I told her "no", she cuddled up to Sam, and with her sweetest Aren't-you-the-man-who-is-wrapped-around-my-little-finger-little-girl voice, she said "Dad-die, Caa, Peee-eese?". Then she pulled her head back a little, batted her eyelashes, gave him another squeeze and repeated her plea. I told her that he wasn't going to fall for it, and she turned and with one look she said "Give me a minute mom, I'm working my magic here..." and I'm sure that if the Broncos hadn't been doing so poorly she would have been able to sweettalk herself into some chocolate, but alas, Daddy wasn't in the mood yesterday.

Baby's First Head Shot

Since baby #3 was a little uncooperative during our big 20 week anatomy scan (ultrasound), I got to go in for another one. This time he was great about showing us the front parts, and he even showed his face a little, but he wouldn't move around to show anything else - so while we are still confident that we are having boy #2, we don't have a picture to prove it.

We do, however, have this fabulous picture of his profile! And don't get scared... YES, that head looks gigantic, and YES, that child still has 15 weeks to cook, and YES, he will undoubtedly get even larger (head included)... But YOU don't have to birth him! Leave that worry and fear to me... YIKES! I've gotta say that of my three kiddos, this one has the head that is most like his daddy's... the one I that has visited me in many a nightmare... But I'll be ok... maybe I'll finally have the pleasure of an epidural.

No, I push it!

I really do understand the thrill of pushing the elevator button, but I would think that after ten days in a hotel, riding the elevator four to eight times a day, the novelty would wear off. But not so... the kids almost come to blows every time we are heading to the elevator. In fact, as soon as I tell them to get their shoes (when leaving the room) or when we pull within sight of the hotel before we have even parked, the kids start reciting "I want to push it"... and keep the mantra going all the way down the hall, as they try to knock each other out of the way.
So I will answer the question you are dying to ask... Yes, I am tired of hotel living! Yes, it is very nice of the company to put us up in a hotel until we can get into our new house, and Yes, the Residence Inn is nice and new, and we have the best room in the place, and Yes, the breakfast every morning is wonderful (who can say something bad against eggs, sausage, and fresh-made waffles), but it gets old pretty fast when you are dealing with little kids who don't remember staying anywhere other than home or Gramma's.
And now that I've told you all about the gloomy rain cloud of our relocation, I want to shout the news of the silver lining... We were able to move the closing on our house up a week, and we are closing this Friday!!!!! We will still be in the hotel until after Halloween, but at least we will be able to go to the house and hang out during the day. Oh yeah, and do laundry in a dryer that actually dries. :)
The past week has been busy. Jimmy started preschool last Wednesday, and he seems to like it a lot. I joined the local MOMS Club and Susie and I attended a playdate on Friday. The women seem really friendly, although I miss my friends so badly it was hard to motivate to go to the playdate. Part of me just wanted to stay home and call SC to catch up with people - I know it's sad, but I'm just trying to be honest.
We all went to the Museum of the Rockies and Yellowstone this weekend. While at Yellowstone we saw some elk, deer, buffalo and big horn sheep. Also, Jimmy is convinced that he saw a baby panda bear in the grass, lost from his mommy and daddy. Is it normal for 4 yr olds to make up so many stories? Besides the panda bear, we have heard tall tales about his teddy bear's trip to the car (including pushing the elevator button), what happened to his missing socks, the list goes on and on.
Well, I guess it's time for bed. I'll try to come back and check this post tomorrow to see if I made any sense... :)
Here are some photos of our trip to Yellowstone:
Susie hitching a ride with DaddyRo taking a break to catch her breath - it is way too high and dry here for a preggo woman used to the coast!Ro and the kids enjoying the sights (but not the sulphur smells)



We got to see a herd of Big Horn Sheep drinking water and eating dinner - and we saw a little scuffle break out in the ranks - see the two staring each other down?

Welcome to Montana! AND Welcome Winter, what a change...

We have arrived safely in Bozeman, and after a full night's sleep for the whole Brubaker clan, we are up and at 'em. Awake by 6, breakfast at 7, and now lounging at 8 until it's acceptable to call the realtor to ask him to let us into our new house (we close on Oct 31, but want to take another look and let the kids see their new home).
The Residence Inn is very nice, and very new. We have a two bedroom suite, with king-sized beds in each bedroom and a sofa sleeper in the common room. A kitchenette with a two-burner stove, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and sink, some of which has come in handy for that bedtime cup of milk Susie still gets and the late night snacks mommy and daddy are accustomed to.
The kids are adjusting nicely, although they were exhausted yesterday. Jimmy already refers to the hotel as "home" and they slept great in the 2nd bedroom last night (sharing a bed).
The weather has been quite a shock to us, as we arrived during a Winter Storm Warning. As Susie keeps chanting... "I Cold, I Cold". The temp was 38 deg F, and all I packed in the suitcases is a few lightweight fleece jackets. We awoke to 1-2 inches of snow, and our UPS shipment won't get here until Thursday with our winter stuff (as luck would have it, the weather should be nicer by then).
I'll take a picture of the kids in the cold later and post it... Susie looked hilarious with the big red stocking cap we bought at Walmart after dinner and her hooded fleece jacket -the Walmart was a little understocked, so we'll have to check out the many stores Bozeman has to offer (that shouldn't take long, LOL).
The move itself was a bit of a fiasco, and luckily I got over eight hours of sleep last night and I can look back on the last few days without wanting to throw something. :) It turns out that the main moving company subbed out the move to two different companies, one to pack the boxes and furniture, and the other to load the truck and drive. Apparently they didn't agree on what tasks which was responsible for, so the loaders ended up spending 13 hrs on what they thought was a 6 hr job. And to make matters worse, the person who came to do the weight estimate (also a sub-contractor) under-estimated our weight by 30%. This past Thursday was the longest day I have had in a long time! That night while Sam was trying to get the kids to sleep in a studio hotel room by the airport, I was doing the best I could to keep the loaders from giving up and get the stuff loaded even though we had heavy rains at our house in SC (neither of which was an easy task, I actually think I had the better end of the deal).
It sure is nice to relax a bit, knowing there is nothing more to do than wait and fax a few papers for closing on our house. Aaaahhhh! I'll update more as I get my energy back (and after I warm up a little! :)

Here are a few pictures of the kids' reactions to the snow - Jimmy was in awe when he was finally allowed to go and play in it, but Susie was less than thrilled at the idea.

We also got a nice picture of our new house with snow falling - magical, isn't it?

Offer Accepted!

We bought a house this weekend! It is located in the Harvest Creek subdivision, in a great area of Bozeman. It is the perfect location for Sam to catch the interstate to work, plus close to shopping and walking distance from one of the most coveted elementary schools in town (not to mention close to the only Christian preschool). We are across the street from a large park, with tons of space to run and play, plus a great playground. Not to mention, we think it has great curb appeal.

Already a slacker, but I'm back with BIG news!!!

So I haven't been around much to update this, but we have big news... actually, a couple pieces of big news!!!
1. We are moving to Bozeman Montana. I know some of you know already (thanks to Facebook for helping me get the word out), but for others this is a pretty big change... you should see the southern faces when I tell them that we are moving to Montana!!! It isn't SO weird for us from the Rockies to grasp, but Montana is a LONG way from South Carolina!!!
Anyway, Sam and I have been for a house-hunting trip, and I was able to check out the preschools (not nearly as abundant as in Summerville, I'm afraid). Overall, Bozeman looks like a great place to live, and we are excited to get back on the slopes and teach the kids to ski (well, not me, since I'm preggers this year, and also 'cause I have no patience, but Sam will have fun on the slopes with Jimmy after he takes a few lessons). We have narrowed our housing choice down to a specific neighborhood, and are in the process of buying a house... although it sure would be nice if our current residence sold first!!!
2. We had our 20 week ultrasound while we were house-hunting and It's a... BOY!!!! The tech was frustrated that the baby wouldn't move to show her much more than the proof that Jimmy will get his wish of a brother, so she only printed one picture, of the baby's hand waving (or giving the "OK" sign). I'll have to go in for another U/S after we move. She did say that he looks big, at a whopping 1 pound... no idea what the usual weight is for a 20 weeker, so I'll take her word for it.
I forgot the camera on our little trip, so all I have are some shots from a disposable, and since my scanner is being finicky (it will copy, but not scan to a file, I wish I could explain that), I will have to wait to post pictures of the beautiful Montana scenery (we stopped to get pictures of the Bridger Mountains and ended up doing a photo shoot in a cemetary - nice, huh?) and the little one.

Another first day come and gone

Today Jimmy started his new school. He is in a 4 morning 4-year old program at a Christian preschool in Summerville. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get both kids into the same school on the same days, but I think the alternative I found is going to work out well (especially for the short run). Jimmy took a brief venture into Montessori schooling last year (I was a Montessori kid through the 5th grade), but we decided that his personality needs a more persistant teacher if they are using the Montessori method. He needs more structure and guidance than most Montessori teachers will provide and we have moved him back to a more traditional method in the Christian preschool.
Jimmy was very excited for school to start all weekend, but when the time came, he was less than thrilled at the prospect. It was a new place and new people, and his apprehension showed. The second day went much better, and Jimmy was all smiles both days at pick up time - he even wanted to stay for lunch bunch!

As you can see from his expression: not his choice of activity for the day.

Labor Day Staycation

This weekend we decided not to go anywhere, but just to enjoy our home and family. We did some not-so-fun but essential chores on Saturday (cleaned out the garage and the kids' closets), then on Sunday we pitched the tent in the backyard and had a campout. We made burgers on the grill, s'mores on the fire and then tried to sleep in the tent. Susie didn't quite make it, after 10 minutes of going around honking everyone's noses after lights out, I decided she should be taken inside. Sam and Jimmy had a great time in the tent all night, and Susie will get to try it again when she is a little older (the positive for pregnant mama is that I got to sleep on my king-sized pillow-top all alone).

The kids had very different initial reactions to their first s'mores

Are you ready for some (Fantasy) Football?!

And so the season begins. Last night Sam had his first fantasy football draft of the year. I think he is playing in two leagues this year, so our Direct TV Sunday Ticket should be put to good use as he flips back and forth, checking on the progress of his players. Yes, he will also have his laptop (sometimes TWO laptops) set up on the end tables in the living room while he watches the games. You've got to stay on top of those players, or they will start to get slack!
I'm sure we will have many updates on the teams this year, so I decided not to stick around for the draft last night. His second draft is on Wednesday, and he will be gone, so I have escaped that oen as well - Whew!

Mail Time

Susie got a package in the mail today, and inside she found a soft and fuzzy bathrobe. She took off the tag immediately and brought it to me so I could help her put it on - hood and all. Thanks Aunt Kathi, Uncle John and Jordan!

But she can't even hold up her bookbag

That's right folks, Susie started school today. She is in a two morning a week program at a Christian preschool in town. It is the same one Jimmy went to when he was two. The cut off in South Carolina is September 1, so Susie just sneaked in with two weeks to spare. She is the second youngest and one of only two girls in the class, but she has a bigger brother and a stubborn personality, so I know she'll do fine.
This morning she saw the basket of clean clothes and chose her "doggie" t-shirt to wear. She also wore her "school shoes" (sneakers), but only because Jimmy and I wore sneakers too. And as we headed out the door on this overcast, rainy morning, she decided she needed her sunglasses, and she wore them most of the morning according to the teachers.
When Jimmy and I dropped her off she walked straight into the classroom, only stopping for a second when I asked her if I got a kiss. Then she was off, with her sunglasses and all, to the "baby" corner of the room to push the baby in the stroller.
At pick-up time she gave me a big smile when she got in the car, and happily climbed in. She didn't have much to say on the way home, just lots of smiles and squeals. Ms Leigh said that she had a good day and gave Susie a big kiss on the cheek before she closed the car door. Jimmy and I were planning on going swimming this morning, but the weather didn't cooperate (thanks, Fay), so we ran some errands instead. It was a boring morning, but we got a lot done that we wouldn't have been able to do with Susie in tow (even though we missed her).