There is something about freezing temperatures outside, long dark nights and overcast skies that make naps and sleeping in seem like the thing to do.

This week was back to reality.  The girls started up play practice for Annie after school.  The first day Robyn came back ecstatic and singing, "It's a hard knock life" over and over and over.  And then she learned that despite having play practice she still had to do her regular jobs and homework.  It was a sad and loud awakening.  Allison's other play had their casting meeting where they announced everyone's parts.  She was cast as one of Ursula's tentacles who will be dancing around the stage, a sea anemone and a little bird.  She was very excited to be doing some dance numbers.  On Saturday they had costume fittings which thrilled her.  I am amazed at how much work volunteers do on these plays.

We have been hit with snow and cold this week.  It hasn't gotten warm enough to melt the streets and sidewalks so everything is a mite slippery.  But the storms have cleared out the inversion so when it isn't snowing you can see the mountains again.

And really there isn't much else to say.  Reality such as cleaning out a pooped in dog crate two mornings in a row, or the fact that Taylor has been having seizures all day and is pretty out of it combined with the normal stuff of school, and activities occupy our days.  So many things seem small at the time but I often feel (especially when it is a loud whiny moment in our household) that we should all be as happy as kings with the life we are blessed with. 

This week did end on a high note for us though.  We got to go out to dinner with a few friends and Allison with Robyn in a tow did a group babysitting of the little kids at one of the friends' houses.  She loved working with her older friends to take care of all the younger ones.  And Spencer loved watching just Taylor and checking out his older kid TV shows.  So we all had a fun night.   And today girls are making valentines while the boys snooze and read.  Later we are going to finish My Fair Lady that we started last Sunday with sick kids.  Kids have been singing from that musical all week.  I do feel quite responsible for any weirdness that has rubbed off on my kids but I figure there are worse things.