The Man's Mini-Van

Thank you, James, for this version of our new car! Perhaps this will help with Cory's coming-to-terms.

My Dream Car

As of Saturday, we are the proud new owners of a Honda Odyssey!
Huzzah!
Posing with my dream car.

This will make life a lot easier!

Maybe Cory's not as thrilled as I am about it...

The inaugural family ride...to church!

We test drove a Honda Pilot, but as soon as I saw the cargo space (uh, NONE) and the room in the 3rd seat (could comfortably seat 3 children McKay's size who need no leg room), I knew it just couldn't be.

I *heart* my mini-van!

A Little Bit of the Every Day

We survived "Snowmageddon". We ended up with about 3 feet of snow, a record-breaking winter, no school or work for a week, and a lot of time together. Not bad, really. Not bad at all.
Let the record show (if you can tell me what TV characted used to say that, I'll send some snow your way), however, that I am now officially done with winter. Although, the 20-foot high snow banks all over the city tell me otherwise.


Now, a little bit of the day-to-day around here...

"I didn't 'do anything..."

A common occurence. When McKay is finished eating, he starts throwing food off his tray. Not just dropping. Chucking it. I've tried for months to get him to do the sign for "all done". He just laughs at me. In fact, of all the signs I do with him, the only one he will do is "baby",whenever he sees his baby cousin Natalie.

Lucas decked out in the "Armor of God" after a Family Home Evening lesson.

Another one of McKay's favorite activities: unrolling the toilet paper. I usually remember to shut this bathroom door, but, if I don't, he will find it. I laugh, he laughs, I carry him out and shut the door. The other day, though, I found him playing with the toilet lid. Whoops.


Gabey likes to draw on his face (I believe this particular time was...warrior paint, maybe?). And, judge me if you must, but I generally don't fight this battle. One time, I even helped him draw a beard a moustache. He uses it to pretend to be various things/people in whatever he's acting out, and it washes off easily.

Other random musings and events of late...

* I recently bought a lettuce spinner at Costco. It has changed my life. No longer do I have to try to dry drenched produce.

* McKay has taken to folding his arms (clasping his hands) whenever he hears the word "blessing". Before any meal, I say, "it's time to say a blessing" and, just like Pavlov's dogs, the hands clasp. Sometimes he'll even do it for family prayer. Yes, it is adorable.

*We have this neurotic cardinal that runs into the boys' window in their room. I'll hear "Bonk. silence for a minute or two. Bonk. silence for a minute or two. Bonk..." This happens at various times of the day. Sometimes multiple times a day. Sometimes there will be several days between episodes. The boys get a kick out of it now.

"Mommy, the bird is there again!"

What is she (we know it's a girl by the brownish color) doing? I don't know. But it makes me think of the neurotic cockatiel we had when I was in high school. He chewed his feathers out, then met his death one day when he saw his reflection in our toaster and flew into the side of it, breaking his neck.

Or was that two different birds?

I don't remember. All the cockatiels we had were neurotic.

Maybe birds with neurosis follow me.

This is why we will never have an animal.

P.S.

We've been looking at possibly getting a Honda Pilot this summer.


Sure would come in handy NOW.

The Grand Total Is...

Around TWO FEET! This is the 3rd snowiest DC winter on record (needing only one more inch to surpass the current No. 2 in 1995-96, and nine more inches to surpass the current No. 1 in 1898-99). The snow stopped around 5pmish on Saturday, and this is what it left us... Pretty sure that's our car in there.

You can see how much was added on after our initial dusting of the railing.

Our back fence.

Our neighbor's tree branch.

And the best part is...it STILL isn't over!

Another storm's rolling in Tuesday-Wednesday to drop another 4-8".

The good news is that we get a lot of time together, good exercise when we shovel, and a LOT of sledding and snow-fort building!

And it's Not Over Yet...

The snow started Friday morning at about 10am, and is supposed to continue until about 7pm tonight (Saturday). We haven't left the house since early yesterday morning, and don't plan to until (maybe) tomorrow. We have games to play, books to read, Valentine's to make, Valentine's cookies to make, naps to take, movies to watch, sledding to do, and snow to shovel. Gabey in his "fort" on our deck.

Cory did a quick shovel Friday night at about 9:30pm. Here it is then.

Here it is this morning at about 10:00.

The deck last night at about 9:30pm.

This morning at about 10.Gabey is standing in a hole on the deck.

Trying to relieve some of the weight of the snow off of the deck.

More to come!

In Which We Visit Fort Washington and I am Humbled

For MLK Day a few weeks ago, I packed up my boys (Cory was working) and took them to meet up with Scott and Brooke and their kids at Fort Washington. It is located on the Potomac River in Maryland, just about directly across from Mt. Vernon (on the Virginia side of the River). It was originally built in 1809, but over the next several decades saw many changes and upgrades. It was in and out of commission through WWII, after which it became the property of the Department of the Interior. This is a view from the visitor's center to the entrance of the fort. This place totally looked like a place Ghost Hunters would investigate.
Originally, I had planned on going into DC and visiting either the Native American History Museum or the Museum of American History, both of which were having some special events. Then Scott presented this plan, and I begrudingly went along. That's right. I totally played the martyr. "I don't want to go to some lame fort...blah blah blah..."
But it was the perfect thing to do. It was a gorgeous day, there were no crowds, it was really interesting, and the boys l-o-v-e-d it. And so, this is a post in which we visit Fort Washington and I am humbled. Climbing on cannons in front of the barracks. Of course, throughout the entire visit, the boys were staging a battle. It was awesome.


We'll call this "McKay being forced to be in a picture -- because the other boys are busy throwing sticks into the water-- so Mommy can (unsuccesfully) try to capture the look of the Fort and its grounds from various places."

See above caption.


From inside the fort. One thing about a place with a lot of deciduous trees...it is gorgeous three seasons out the year. But, in the winter, it looks like death.

This room was situated at the entrance of the fort, near the prisoners' cells, for the guards. You see that orb on the lefthand side? It's gotta be a disgruntled guard haunting the place.

Or the light from the doorway...

I think we'll have to go back in the spring with Cory.