Naps

I love naps.

L.O.V.E.

Truly love. Particularly Sunday naps. After church... and snuggling with Kennedy.



I always feel rested after I wake up. When Chris travels, I don't get enough sleep (mainly because I don't like to go to bed without him, so I stay up way too late)...

Chris sets me up with my favorite pillows and my ultimate favorite blanket (a quilt I quietly took from my mom's house that I always snuggled with when I was a kid. Shhhh! Don't tell her I have it!!) He closes the blinds, turns on the fan, tucks me in, and I settle in for the ultimate Sunday event.

So why, I ask, do I always feel so guilty? This is my thought process:

"I want to lay down. I reeeeeeeally want to sleep, especially with my blanket. Gosh - I kinda feel bad about taking that blanket. Nah. I don't really. I love it. But, I should be doing other stuff around the house -- like laundry, working on getting more business, picking up all the toys in the living room. Or I could be crocheting. I have Kennedy's blanket to finish, Brady's blanket to start. I really shouldn't nap..."

Guilt. A mother's guilt is non-stop. Chris has to *make* me lay down. I don't think I would lay down if he didn't make me. I'm so glad he does. It makes me feel just a *little* less guilty. :)


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Snow Day!!!

For the second time this year, we had a snow day in Louisiana. This go 'round, we got several inches and it was enough to actually play in it!! As long as I lived in Maine - I don't remember building a snowman. But yesterday -- I built a Louisiana snowman!


The kids helped for a little while, but lost interest and went in the yard to do their own thing.


It was a fantastic day filled with lots of special treats......


....and snuggles to keep warm...



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Girls and make-up

What are Saturday afternoons good for?

Nail polish.... And make-up.... And hair spray .... And lotion... And perfume... And lots and lots of giggles.


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Things Kennedy says....

Typically, my "Things Kennedy Says" posts are funny. She is hysterical and says the funniest things.

But this morning on the way to the Upward basketball game where Kennedy cheers, she completely caught me off guard.

Here is the conversation in the back seat between Kennedy and Skylar:

S: "Where is your dad?"

K: "He's in Mexico."

S: "Why? What's he doing there?"

K: "He's giving stuff to the kids there. They don't have much stuff."

S: "Is he giving it or selling it?"

K: "He's GIVING it. I love my daddy. He helps the world."


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A Year with Zoe

It has been a year since Zoe was dropped off at our house for a trial run week. I think it's safe to say she's a LaPierre now.

It took a few months to adjust to her extreme hyper activity, but it turns out -- puppy Prozac is just what she needed! (Don't we all need a little Prozac every now and then!?)


She still has moments of pure insanity..... But Kennedy adores her. Her friends have taken a liking to her, too.


Yes - she annoys Brady every now and then when he wants "Zoe off couch, mommy!" But he loves on her and gives her scraps of food off the dinner table when Chris isn't looking....


And yes - she may follow me everywhere I go around the house... (and I mean everywhere!! Bathroom, office, upstairs, kitchen... She must be by my side if I'm moving around) BUT -- can you resist that face?


And when I finally settle down at night, she nestles in for a nap.


Or maybe sprawls out on the floor showing off her "fine China."


No matter how you look at it -- we are so happy to have Zoe in our family.



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Honor Roll

Straight A's!! My sweet girl is so smart. She may be a sassy little thing, but she can buckle down and get serious when she wants to. She was honored at school today for her second nine week report card of all A's AND she met her Accelerated Reader goal. That means she read a predetermined number of books, took a test on each book, and accumulated the points to reach her goal!




And to celebrate -- I took her to her favorite ice cream shop for a scoop. What good is a free coupon if you don't use it right away, right?


The funniest thing is she picked a flavor called "Love Potion #31"... it was filled with raspberry flavors and chocolate chips.

As she devoured it on the way home, my witty little daughter looked at me with love in her eyes and said, "Oh yeah. This love potion is definitely working on me! ....... Wait, what IS a love potion?"


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Reflections on 2010.....

I blinked and this year was over.

I remember last New Years Eve - getting ready to go to Eric's house for a small get together of friends. We called it "Let the Games Begin in 2010." It was a low-key, wine-drinking, Wii-playing kind of night.... :)

That was before Eric and Leann were married. Now they're happily hitched with a baby boy on the way, due in February.

It's funny how much can change in a year. Last year, Brady was a tiny little one year old. (Okay, wait.... he's never really been tiny). Now, he's talking more, loves to count, point out colors, and regularly asks to "talk a Nina" on the phone.

Kennedy was a pip squeak in kindergarten. Now, she's a sassy first grader who I can tell is going to give me a run for my money. Her sass can only be matched by her mama... and that's the problem. She's a mini-me. Yikes. Jumping shirtless on the neighbor's trampoline.... taking a quick squat to pee in the field next to our next door neighbor's house... these are things you don't expect a six year old to do. Yet sweet Kennedy has shamelessly done both these things.

Chris got a promotion this year... And I took a completely different job working from home so I could have more time and be involved with the kids and their schools. It's been a very busy year and I expect it to only get busier in 2011 with sooooooooooooo many babies being born.

We'll get a new addition to the Skinner family..... NO, NOT ME!! My sister is having another little girl. And I'm getting my very own adhoc goddaughter when Susie and Ford welcome a little girl from Columbia to their family.

Lots to look forward to next year!

As far as 2010 goes, it was a very good year. The hardest part was losing my sweet puppy Roscoe. I think of him often and even tear up every once in a while thinking of all that we had been through together. But with the addition of Zoe, life goes on in our house. Our family has completely fallen in love with her.

Overall, we were extremely blessed this year. I am thankful for my healthy family, fantastic friends, good jobs for me and Chris, two entertaining and lively kids, and the most loving husband a girl could ask for....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!