Snow Day!

Wednesday afternoon, it started snowing. Actually, it started pouring ice. I was on my way home from the grocery store, and the sky just opened up and started dumping ice. It was something to behold! Other folks saw and heard lightening and thunder. Mom and Dad were at the house watching the kids for me, and I ran in and told them to go home right away unless they wanted to spend the night. They headed out immediately.

Right about the time Mom and Dad left, Tom called to announce he was leaving work. That was around 3:30 pm. The ice stopped and the snow started to fall and fall and fall. I expected it to take a little longer than normal for Tom to get home in the snow, but I never imagined it would take him 3.5 hours! It turned out that route 7 was closed because of a vehicle fire, so he sat in traffic for about 3 hours and then drove the really long way home. What a mess!

Thursday morning, we woke up to a winter wonderland. After all was said and done, we measured about a foot of snow. Sydney immediately suited up and was out in the snow with Daddy in no time! They made snow angels, snowmen, and snow castles, and she got him to pull her around on her sled. After all that playing, she was happy to come in, drink some hot cocoa, and make some cookies with mommy. What a perfect snow day!

Sick and Abused

Poor Cole. He's still getting over this massive cold, and now his sister is taking advantage of him in his weakened state. I couldn't help but take a picture of him in this beautiful princess crown before saving him. We can show this picture along with the one of him playing with Barbies at his wedding.

I guess Sydney has some right to abuse Cole. He managed to infect all of us except Tom (so far). Cole's on day 6 of the cold, I'm on day 3, and Sydney's on day 2. It's pretty miserable. Hopefully, Syd and I will recover faster than Cole. If you don't hear from us in a couple days, send help.

It's a Snot-Tastic Snot-Tacular!

We're under attack! We've been inundated with snot! For the past three days, Cole has been a snot-tastic snot factory. As you can see from the picture, he's covered in it. But - he's been in decent spirits. I'm hoping that this cold passes soon. I can't really complain, though. This is his first big cold ever... not bad for 9 months. I hope he turns out to be as "healthy" as Sydney, who really hasn't had a full round of antibiotics yet (great - considering she's been in preschool this year). Cross your fingers.

Hand-Me-Downs, Helping Out, and Happy Birthdays

Today was a busy one. Sydney and I drove all over NOVA checking off a big to-do list, while Tom and Cole took naps and hung around the house.

First, Syd and I headed over to Leslie's house to pick up another great load of hand-me-downs! We are so lucky to have such a great hook-up for awesome, gently used toys, clothes, and other must-have kids stuff. One of the highlights of this load is a complete snow suit, including snow jacket, ski bibs, hat, and mittens. Sydney is officially ready for some serious snow.

After Leslie's house, we dropped off some dinners for some friends who are having a really tough time right now. They have a sick baby, and making them a couple of dinners is the least we can do. If you think of it, say a little prayer for their son who is trying hard to beat cancer.

Finally, we headed over to help our friends Zachary and Isabel celebrate their third birthday! They had an awesome make-your-own-pizza party at Bertucci's. Syd had a blast putting the cheese on her pizza in the Bertucci's kitchen. The only thing she didn't enjoy was the messy hands - she's such a girly girl! Happy Birthday Zach and Isabel! Thanks for inviting us to help you celebrate!

Cheddar Broccoli Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

This is one of my favorite winter meals. It's definitely comfort food.

1 T olive oil
4 chicken breast
1 can Campbell's broccoli cheese soup
1/3 c milk
2 c fresh or frozen broccoli cuts
4 c mashed potatoes

Heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken over medium heat (I usually season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning) until browned and almost cooked through. Stir soup, milk, and broccoli into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and broccoli with sauce over mashed potatoes.

Original source: Campbell's Soup

Sydney Visits the Dentist

For the first time ever, Sydney went to the dentist! Overall, the entire experience was very positive. To start, she really enjoyed the chair. The hygienist was great - she gave Syd a 5-minute ride on the chair (up, down, back and forth). Then, she introduced all the different tools, including Mr. Thirsty - the suction tool. Next came the exam: the hygienist counted Sydney's teeth (she has 20!) and then brushed and flossed them. Finally, she applied a fluoride treatment. Phew! The hard part was over - at least that was what I thought! Actually - it wasn't. Right before we were home free, the dentist came in and announced that Sydney needs to stop using her binky (insert gasp here). Stay tuned for a blow-by-blow of how we stopped the binky cold turkey! In the meantime, here are some pics of today's trip to the dentist.

A Splishy, Splashy New Year

The Bergeman children have kicked off the new year in the pool!

Sydney continues her mommy and me swimming lessons for the next couple weeks. She's pretty much mastered jumping in, kicking and paddling, floating on her back (with mom's help), and going under water for short periods of time. For the next couple weeks, she'll work on actually doing some stroke work. After that, she'll be on her own! She'll graduate from the mommy and me classes to start taking classes by herself with an instructor. At that point, she'll also increase the number of lessons she takes from once a week to twice a week.

Cole took his very first swimming lesson this week! He did really well - a lot better than I expected. He seemed to really enjoy himself. He learned pretty quickly to splash and did not cry at all. His classes will just introduce him to being comfortable in the water (think lots of songs and toys).

Hopefully, we'll get these two swimming sooner than later!