Don't forget to take out the trash Elijah...

...as expected.....one of Elijah's chores as an 8 year old is to take out the trash. He has to check the 3 trash cans in the house everyday and check to see if there are any boxes sitting by the door to take to the big trash room.

Here is some background information that you have to keep in mind as you continue to read:

-- Elijah's life is very routine. He does not deviate from the norm very often.

-- He knows the rules and expectations (selectively forgets them when it is convenient to him) but he usually follows them very well

-- Eddie is on swing shift (2pm-11pm) Elijah and I are out of the house from 7 am - 4pm - we only see Eddie on Saturdays and Sundays

--snow boots are a necessity - not a nicety - here. You will slip, fall, and have cold and wet feet without them

So knowing that info - here we go! Elijah and I came home from school on Monday afternoon. Elijah noticed that his Dad left his snow boots in an empty water bottle box inside the front door. Elijah said, " Why did Daddy leave his shoes in a box inside the door, all wet shoes are supposed to be left outside the house." I said something about he must have forgotten the rules and he will move his snow boots tomorrow when he is home.

Tuesday passed, Wednesday passed, Thursday passed....snow boots still in the same location. Hmmmm I am thinking 'I am sure they are dry by now.' Eddie should be picking his boots up some time soon so that we stop tripping over them as we walk into the house.

When we (Elijah and I) came home on Friday - I noticed the shows were gone........ Yeeeaahhh a clear entry way again - Eddie must have moved his snow boots into the shoe closet.

Saturday we did not leave the house at all.......big snow storm! Sunday, Eddie was headed out to brush the snow off the trucks. He is walking back and forth through the house. I ask him what he was looking for and he said his snow boots.

"Huh, you must have put them away because they were sitting in a trash box in front of the door all week" I said.

He said, "No I didn't move them - they just disappeared." 'Disappeared??' I thought...how do shoes disappear? We searched the entire house. No EXPENSIVE, BRAND NEW snow boots - they looked like the picture....circa $80.

We asked Elijah if he had seen them, he said he threw them away, because they were trash. Elijah said, "They were by the door sitting in a trash box, so they were trash -- I threw them away, Daddy".....with a smile on his face!

I laughed so HARD! Eddie couldn't even be upset because HE was the one that had them in the wrong place for DAYS.

One Snowy Week!

Here is the view from our kitchen window.  We have had 29 inches of snow this month in Misawa.  That's about normal for us in January........and BEAUTIFUL!  

Elijah turns 8 on Sunday!

Okay, I must admit I am all kinds of proud of these football 'cakes'. I made them for Elijah's classroom birthday celebration.

It is a long process baking, mixing, freezing, dipping in chocolate, decorating....but Elijah thought that they were the coolest thing ever. It was so worth all the work I put into them when he said, "Cool Mom, those look just like footballs. You are the best ever!"

It made me feel really good after that fabulous Christmas card.

Got a boy??.....here is the recipe.

Christmas in Tokyo

Instead of presents this year, we decided to take a trip to Tokyo to visit Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea and Tokyo Tower (a scaled-down version of the Eiffel tower).  It was a BLAST!  We were tired everyday, but got to see a lot of sites.  Here are the pics:

from one of the look down windows on the floor of Tokyo Tower...what a brave soul

The crew!

Elijah in the funny mirror...he said he liked the way he looked short and fat:)

Please note that we were waiting in a quiet 3-D theater inside Tokyo Tower, notice the sharp looking Japanese gentleman in the suit behind us and this is the pose my American boys give me!

at the Guinness World Record Museum inside Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower

Elijah imitating the wax statue of Michael Jackson

at Tokyo Disney Sea in front of the Indiana Jones ride

Tokyo Disney Sea

Elijah's Christmas Card to Us

He was sooo SUPER excited to read it to me yesterday after school.  

We are guessing he meant it as, even though you discipline me, I  know you are the best parents ever....hmmmm?  Guess we won't be getting any award for Parent of the Year anytime soon?

MY Christmas Party

Let me just start off this post by saying I had a lot of fun last night! I didn't expect to have that much fun either. I mean last year's party was TOTALLY LAME! Really it was! Last year we were at a log cabin kind of building - potluck style and sang Christmas carols with the entire staff while the 2 music teachers played the accordian and recorder. The topper last year was that afterwards we were streamlined, like cattle, down a hill to an open field where there was a bonfire (it was snowy and C -O-L-D) and roasted marshmallows. Really? Who does that?

So this year I am on the social committee (along with many different members than last year) and we rented out the Officer's Club ballroom, buffet style dinner with a semi-formal dress code. We had a scavenger hunt too. It was so much fun! I learned a new country line dance. We took dollar votes to see what staff member people wanted to see dress up as Santa....raising over $100 for Toys for Tots!

Anyway, here are the pics......Eddie's Christmas party is next week:)

Swine flu is spiraling out of control at my school

It took awhile, but swine flu has made it's way to our elementary school here. I am on sick leave through this month, so I am too thankful that I don't have to be around all those pathogens. My immune system is being over worked healing from surgery as it is!

I thought the picture was cute. We are all sick-free in this household :)