Saturday, February 26, 2011

Watch out...



I got a Nascar fan on my hands.

And not just Nascar - any circuit is fine with him.

A couple of weeks ago, he convinced me to find some car races on my computer for him to watch. He didn't just want some musical montage. He wanted some "talking" and "races" and "crashes."

Then last Sunday, he went to watch the end of the race. And then watched it again on DVR.

He's only 3. Soon he will be having us DVR entire races for him probably.

On a related sports note, he starts soccer Tuesday. I don't know who is more excited: me or Case!

Annie's Baby Bath Shower









Mom and I got to take the boys up to Wichita last weekend. It was so good to see family and celebrate Baby's Approaching Arrival. Meg "Little Mama" played with the boys a lot and took care of Liam. It was cute to watch them.

Mom made rubber duck cupcakes - only two came out okay - but aren't they cute?!?

The shower was a surprise, but as soon as we got there, Casen asked in front of Annie, "Where's the baby shower?"

We forgot to explain to him what a surprise was.

We told him the baby was in Annie's tummy. When it was time to leave, Case asked, "The baby isn't here yet."

I'm pretty sure that he thought that the baby shower consisted of the baby actually making her arrival...at the shower.

Later that night, at home during bathtime, Case wrapped a rubber duck up in a washcloth and put the combo on his stomach. Then he patted the cloth-duck and said, "My baby is in my tummy."

I have a feeling that he will have more fun things to say, ask, and do next time he's waiting for a little brother or sister - especially compared to when we were waiting for Liam's arrival.

And don't start thinking this is an announcement. No plans for another Nichols yet!

Dear Oklahoma Weather




Dear Oklahoma Weather,

You know, I usually don't complain too much about you. Sure we have horrible ice storms. Yeah the wind blows your over. And sure we have tornadoes from time to time. But that's the price of living in Oklahoma. I love your open spaces and beautiful sunsets so I put up with these other incidents. But lately, your split-personality behavior has gotten out of control.

After two blizzards in a two-week time period, you decide to send us sunny, beautiful weather. I was thankful! Who cares if there is snow on the ground while my kid is shirtless playing in the water? It was a warm lovely Sunday afternoon. I thought Spring was on its way.

Wrong.

As soon as I make plans to celebrate the arrival of Spring weather by planning a trip to the zoo, you decide that a cold front is needed. Snow again? Really? And just because the snowflakes evaporated before they stuck on the ground doesn't mean that it's warm enough for the zoo.

Sigh. So we spent another play day at the indoor playground area at the mall.

Please, please, please Oklahoma Weather, stop sending us cold fronts and snow! I was some sunshine.

Sincerely,
A Cabin- Fevered Mama

p.s. And yes, I do recognize now that you will probably send an unmerciful heatwave in a month to us.

Cousin Time




A few weekends ago, Kota and Graeson got to spend Saturday with us while Jar and Ocky went out on a day date. It was so much fun having the kids together!

Casen's Dream Birthday Party (AKA Heidi's Birthday Party)




Case was excited about Heidi's 3rd Birthday party because it was a Dora party! Anytime someone asked him about his upcoming birthday party he would reply, "I have racecar birthday party. Heidi have Dora birthday party."

The kid loves Dora. Can you tell?

I included some pics of Heidi and Case (they are only about 10 days apart)...when they were about 10 months old and then when they were getting close to 2 years old.

Oh, they are growing up so fast!



Monday, February 14, 2011

Scientific Rules

There’s no such thing as an unbreakable scientific rule, because, sooner or later, they all seem to get broken. Or to change. (from Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle)

Quote stolen from this great blog...

This quote caught my eye as a chemistry student and a chemistry teacher.

I don't know how many times I heard some prof say (or myself say), "Okay you were taught this in Gen Chem, but this is how it really is..."

It's not like we are teaching incorrect information, but as most people will agree, Chemistry is hard. You can't begin teaching quantum theory when your students don't even know where the electrons are relative to the nucleus.

I remember sitting in some advanced chemistry class my senior year of my undergraduate education. The professor just blew our minds in explaining something that was not at all what we thought was going on in that chemistry. I remember my friend Melanie said, "We're learning that nothing in General Chemistry was true." Not quite, but still, her quote reflected how we felt.

"There's no such thing as an unbreakable scientific rule, because, sooner or later, they all seem to get broken. Or to change."

I do love the idea that theories and ideas change. That's what makes science - science. I'll close with a story I tell my General Science students every semester to illustrate how our ideas about how the world works change.

Dr. Baxter, my chemistry professor for my gen chem and pchem classes, was once explaining some complicated theory. He suddenly stops and explains, "Of course, we could have all this wrong...one day in Heaven, God might tell us, 'You didn't have any of this right.' But, you still have to know it for the test."

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Snow Days

I got 4 Snow Days this month! I only have pictures of 3 days worth. Josh was sick the 4th day; I was exhausted from staying up late writing a chemistry exam and had 2 rambunctious kids trapped indoors.
Day 1 was too cold and windy so we didn't venture out until Day 2.





"So Mom, what are we gonna do today?"








We had a picnic lunch courtesy of Dad's Awesome Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.












Case and I went spelunking to find a hideout from the pirates.









One kid's delight....


...is another kids' nightmare. (L Child could barely move in his layers of clothes - like that kid in The Christmas Story. Then he fell facedown in the snow and couldn't get up. Poor kid.)









Had to get some posed pictures. Liam still wasn't happy with the outdoors. Now he was cold AND had his eyes covered from his hat. He got to go inside after these pictures. And he never asked to go out again during the snow time.














Newman shoved his head into a snow tunnel much to Casen's delight. Padme kept shooting us looks to say, "Can we go in already?"


















Case serenaded us with his singing and guitar playing: Coldplay's "Yellow" and Toby Keith's "Mockingbird."
















I taught Case how to throw snowballs against the house.
























Immie's idea of colored water: We tried to make the snow more moldable, but it didn't work. We did get some pretty colors in the snow. Case dictated the words.

















There's a rule somewhere about NOT having your kids match on Snow Days.

Snow Days Bring Out the Brotherly Love



Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Some Faves from Last Month







Okay so there's a lot.

But we had a lot this month after the holidays. My birthday. Casen's birthday. And lots of fun.