sleigh ride

The rides are free, but not very fast. But she will promise not to tip you over.

45

We are always, always, always happy to celebrate this guy. Happy Birthday to Daddy, who we love so much. He is and he does big and little things for us that add up to a very happy, very good, very fun life. He blesses us, so we did our best to bless him today.

touchy

Everyone loves his pudgy hands. And also touching him at all possible moments of the day.

current state

So, this is where we're at. Boys are down for the count (not Leo. He's fine. He's just a prop.) Our week has looked like this... two boys home for two sick days, then a snow day, then we just quit school because we're never there anyway.

recipe

Clara woke up one morning, eager to tell me about a dessert she had been thinking about. Apparently the idea came from God? That's what she told me. Anyway, I eventually bought her requested ingredients, followed her instructions, and this is what resulted...
layer of graham crackers
sprinkle with chocolate chips (white and dark), marshmallows, and raspberries
add another layer of graham crackers
bake in oven with "just a little bit of hot"
take out of oven and smush down
add chocolate sauce in a fancy way (we didn't picture that)

Ta da. It was actually delicious and I will probably make it again. Thanks, Clara. Or God. Or whoever came up with the idea.

day of the family

It's a holiday today and here's how we spent it...

Lounging.

And playing cards.

And that's pretty much it. It was a good day. 

backyard rink

Back and front yards, actually. The snow, then the melting, then the snow, then the freezing rain, then repeat has left us with this... a lot of ice. So the kids have been sliding around the backyard, and even shovelling the snow off the ice in the front yard,  so they can slide up and down while they wait for the bus. I'm waiting for one of them to end up with a concussion after banging their head on the ice. I guess that makes me zero fun. Anyway, please be careful.

And here is Janie. Less into the sliding on the ice... more into throwing snow over the areas Daddy has already shovelled.

thumbs up

Who has two thumbs and doesn't stick them in her mouth any more?

This girl.

Clara has been a very committed thumb sucker since she was about six months old. Four years later... she finally decided it was time to quit. And, oh my, the journey was a bit rough. The first few days she was extremely ornery with wicked mood swings and so, so sensitive. I was really wondering what was going on with her and then, spying the bandaid that prevented the thumb sucking, I realized she's getting over a habit, letting go of her comfort. This was really hard. But she persevered and now, ta da! She's doing really great. (And so are the rest of us, for having lived through her many, gigantic emotions.)

bouquet

Received this beautiful bouquet of flours from Girodat Seeds in the mail the other day... can't wait to turn it all into dozens of buns.

this guy

We really can't get enough of him, just as he can't get enough of his fingers.

tummy time

No one said it was going to be easy, Leo.

hey you

Happy Valentines Day and all that.

100

Will Annie look like this when she is 100-years-old? Doubtful. But this is what she looks like to celebrate 100 days of school (give or take... all those snow days really messed us up). Please appreciate her bowl of fruit and pile of pills (vitamins) just add to her elderly appearance.

that's me

All the years of having and feeding babies, and I've never had pictures like these. These. Clara took them, and I didn't even know. I had taken some pictures of Leo and then left the camera sitting on the bed while I nursed him to sleep. Clara picked up the camera, but I thought she was just looking at the pictures I had taken earlier. Then I found these. These. What a gift.

100 days

Annie will be celebrating 100 days at school next week and this is her homework.

Pretty scientific. She's a genius.

have an ice day

Today it's the ice that's keeping us home. Freezing rain cancelled school and David's drive to work. And just so David's boss can keep tabs... this is what working from home looks like...

three months

Here's our Leo, three months later. He's a solid guy, who likes to coo and sing and chat with Henry. Some days, he has a good sleep schedule and, other days, he likes to be awake to stare at people and things. He puts his whole body into getting some wordy exclamations out and, when anyone replies, he gleefully has more to say. He also puts his whole body into getting some other exclamations out... of his bottom (ie. he's a really good pooper) and at least once a day his efforts spread all the way up his back. The favourite parts of his day include bath time, a lotion massage, and Janie picking out the fuzz from between his toes... he likes being well groomed.

So, this is Leo. We like learning more about him and watching him grow. Some days it feels like we literally can.

Smooch, Leo. We love you.