3 With One Blow

This daddy loves to wrestle his boys...



and pin them down.



Three with one hand is the goal. Jon thinks he still has a couple of years before Shakespeare gets too big, but then he will only have to go to two hands for all three.

D.C. Sans Kids

Last week, Jon was in Boston. He drove--all 13+ hours. Uggg. I was in North Carolina. He was supposed to leave on Saturday morning, but ended up delayed until about 11am. That meant that he wouldn't be home that night. I hung up the phone, sighed, then picked up the phone again. I called a good friend who agreed to watch all my kids overnight. Then I talked to another good friend. She would take them the second night. Then I called Jon, booked a hotel, and headed north.

That night, Jon and I arrived at the hotel only 10 minutes apart. We went to a wonderful Chinese restaurant. The next morning we got up and went to a great place for brunch. The servers all wore suspenders and bow ties and there was more Mahogany trim and paneling in that place than I have ever seen. Gas lights, original paintings, gorgeous flower arrangements and a crowd even on Sunday morning. Lovely brunch.

Then we bundled up, braved the elements and headed down the street for the Smithsonian museums. We went to the National Archives and the National Museum of Art--both things we wouldn't dream of taking the kids to. I lugged that big camera everywhere and only took one picture the entire trip. Actually, Jon took it for me.



You would think that I would choose the Washington Monument or something iconic, but this painting was a must take. It is the painting that is depicted on one of our timeline cards that the kids study--St. Benedict and Monasticism. They had to see me standing next to the original. Of course, I couldn't use the flash, so even this picture isn't good. But, there it is.

That evening we headed back to the hotel and ordered pizza and a Philly cheesesteak. I asked the concierge where to find a good Philly cheese and she laughed. She is from Philly and used to work at a hotel in Philly and was always asked that question there. She hadn't heard it in years. She named a place that almost gets it right and we ordered delivery. She was right--almost right, but not quite. I love the real deal.

Then we got up the next morning at 5 and left at 6. Jon had a lunch meeting.

So, that was our whirlwind excursion without kids to D.C. It was lovely.

Myrtle Beach on a Whim

We woke up on Saturday morning and Jon had the itch to travel. It was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and the extra day was tempting. He got on priceline at 11am and by 1 we were frantically packing for Myrtle Beach. We ended up at the Marriott resort in North Myrtle, where we had stayed with Jim and Natalie (cousin) years ago. (Nat, they finished the complex and it is amazing).

We only stayed two nights, but it was glorious. They heat their outdoor pools to 85 degrees during the winter. The kids and Jon spent 4 hours in the water.

Sugar and I visited, but mostly hung out at the villa. There was also a treehouse playground that was a big hit.

One evening, the resort hosted marshmallow roasting over big fire pits. Great atmosphere and great fun. We only caught sight of the ocean for a moment, the morning that we left. It was way too cold to enjoy the beach even though the gray-blue water was beautiful.

Christmas Cont...

Grandma and Grandpa V. sent Christmas presents a few weeks ago and it was wonderful! What a great thing to have Christmas again. So much fun watching the kids enjoy their gifts.

The excitement!



What was all the excitement about?



Thrilled!



Even little one got into the present opening. She had slept through present opening on Christmas day so this was her first exposure to it.



That is GIANT sidewalk chalk!



Happy girl!

More Christmas

Jon took the kids out to spend their Christmas money from Nana and Grandpa.



Here's the loot! Sugar scored a car and cell phone! Not bad for a 20 month old. Sinatra brought home a puffle for Club Penguin and a Toy Story pop up tent. Popcorn put some of his money in the pot with the other two big kids and got two Wii games. He's saving the $23 left over for something else. Shakespeare got the video games and blew the rest on a Nerf dart gun. Gem did the same thing Popcorn did.

Thanks G-Pa and Nana! Happy smiles all around. So much fun for them.

Christmas 2010

This year we had Christmas at our house. We didn't travel anywhere else. We just stayed home. It felt lazy and wonderful. We certainly love family and felt torn about not being with them, but have come to the conclusion that this year, home is the place to be.



Here is our steady tree--12 years and going. I love fake trees! No watering, no falling needles, no stringing lights, no dragging the prickly thing out the door and hauling to a dump. Ahhh! Fake trees. If I want the fresh tree scent, I'll burn a candle.




Jon worked for 45 min. on Christmas Eve, putting together our GeoTrax around the tree. It was wonderful in the morning when Shakespeare and Popcorn came down first and hand something to play with while they waited on the rest.




And the rest did come (except Sarah. She didn't wake until 12:20--I kid you not. It was wonderful). Here's a grateful hug after opening a present.




This little guy was a perfect Christmas child. He got so excited about each gift and as he opened it that his feet moved constantly. He was adorable!




Here he is with his Diego Wii game. He's been asking for it for months.




Here are the big boys opening their suction dart crossbows. Big hit.




And the big present went to Sinatra! He was speechless--and embarrassed at the attention--and adorable--and in awe--and just adorable.




Here is Gem receiving the only Christmas gift that she didn't already know about. She went shopping with me on Black Friday and knew most of what was under the tree for her. This was a good surprise though. Daddy hits a home run with the Webkinz stash. He found them at Cracker Barrel for 50% off early in December.




Yesterday afternoon we went to our friends' house where they laid a feast before us. It was great food and wonderful friends and even made-to-order snow. A white Christmas indeed! We got about 6 inches!




I love the way these trees bend under the snow and look like they belong in a Dr. Seuss storybook.

Last night when we came home from their house, Jon stopped at the end of the driveway and shoveled it before we drove into the garage. A couple of the kids sneaked out of the car while Jon fetched the shovel from the shed and an hour long snowball fight began. They even pulled out the sled (originally used as a shield) and took a ride down the hill.

We finally tucked our brood in bed at about 10:30. What a great Christmas day!

Climbin' Critter

Okay, she's not a critter, but Sugar is definitely a climbing fiend. She reminds me of a raccoon that gets into trash cans. Yep, that's the kind of critter she is.



Here she is dragging the chair. Notice the chocolate covered face--from reaching the pot of hot chocolate that was (thankfully) cooled on the stove.

She takes these little chairs from our school table around the house everywhere and climbs to whatever she wants. Now the stove is in reach. The cups of water on the counter are fair game. The microwave buttons are a fun toy. The refrigerator water dispenser is handy and pens in the holder are available.



That's one small step for a toddler, one giant nightmare for a mom.



Ahhh. The triumph. I hope to have the last victory, however. Planning on putting up a little thing called a gate. She may be able to climb over it, but I'd just like to see her clear it with one of those chairs in tow.

I Call Him "Toothless"

I call him "Toothless" and he hates it. Makes it all the more fun. But isn't he adorable.



He lost his first tooth last week during a visit to a local nursing home. He was so excited. The residents loved that it happened in their presence. The delight on his face was precious.

He was so cute that the Tooth Fairy got all mushy in her heart and left the largest sum that our house has ever seen--five dollars, and not even an incisor. She must be getting soft. Not with those first kids--$1 max, usually a quarter.

Well, he's a rich boy with a hole in his smile.

Hallway Reveal

It's been a long time since I finished my hallway/stairs--end of October, but has taken until now to remember to show you the results. I like it. The stair treads are wearing rough, but they just look distressed. I wasn't looking for pristine, just clean with a bit of character.

Snow!

It started with flurries. I thought that would be it. 20 minutes later, I knew that it was going to be something more. It's now come down steadily for almost 4 hours.



Popcorn rolling the head of a snowman.

Shakespeare with revenge in his eyes and a snowball in his hand.

Moving to a new location while the enemy is making new ammunition.

Cute little guy.



Forget snowballs. A catapult works better.