Finally snow!

Chris and Riley enjoyed playing in our first significant snowfall, and Chris enjoyed building with the snow tools I gave him for Christmas. I, however, am thinking that maybe the snowballer wasn't such a great idea since I got nailed a few times when I went out to take a picture of their fort.

Toys! Toys! Toys!

A tale of two castles - one for each kid. Daddy is really enjoying Caleb's castle and playing with the dragon and ogre that terrify Caleb. Daddy and Riley also built a Lego set this morning and nana read to Caleb before she and Grampy left.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Homemade pizza for dinner; final viewing of the Grinch; reindeer food on the lawn; cookies for Santa; Night Before Christmas, and now they're in bed. Now we wait for Santa!

Today on the pond

Clouds that look like they're painted on the sky.

Such an artist!

Riley has been big into drawing lately and I'm amazed at the results! I also tried to take a picture of her my little pony drawing, but I don't know what happened to it on this phone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

On Skype showing Nana and Grampy their costumes.

Mickey and Rainbow Dash (one of the My Little Ponies)

Caught dancing before heading out

Happy and on the way home

Riley Flips

Yesterday Riley told me that she was going to practice jumping over her little pink foam chair. Once she was successful, she wanted me to come watch her do it. I got ready with the camera just for fun, and this is what she ended up doing.  

One Month

I know, I know. It has been over a month since I've posted anything on the blog. So long, in fact, that most of you out there have probably stopped even checking for anything new. Well, I have been so busy this school year that I would probably forget to breathe if it weren't an automatic bodily response. Riley has started her second year of preschool, switched from dance to gymnastics on Saturday mornings, and I started work on my Masters. I have had to leave right after the school bell more times than I would like and don't get home on Wednesday nights until about 9:30 pm. I'm actually contemplating not digging up the dahlias and just buying new in the spring because I just don't know when I will get a chance to dig. I say all of this, by the way, on a Sunday afternoon when the kids have been at Grandma and Grandpa's since Friday evening. T still have a giant list of things I need to do before we go to pick them up and have dinner, but that will mostly be left undone. And, no, I haven't been beading all weekend. (Though Chris and I did go out to eat twice and saw the movie Argo.) Anyway, here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

I can't remember why she ended up in the box...

Sweater that Chris's Aunt Susan made that Daddy wore when he was little.

Soup on a sick day.

On Riley's school field trip hike listening to the preschool director talk about how these big rocks got here. Riley and Nika are far left.

Looking at the pond. Miss SusanDrumm says, "Don't play in water where beavers live."

We were looking at a beaver house.

Riley's class - the Caterpillars. She's in the back and Nika might be the only one looking at me.

1st Big Girl Haircut

Getting her hair shampooed

Riley got her first big girl haircut today. Last week the kids had to come as I got my hair cut and Riley decided that it wasn't so scary and wanted to have Chrissy cut her hair too. Afterward when I asked her how she felt, she said she felt like such a grown up. Cute! She ended up getting about 2 1/2 inches off; just enough so that we could still braid it, but it wouldn't get stuck in her armpits anymore.

Meanwhile, Caleb sat on the floor playing with the Ipad. All of the other ladies in the salon just loved watching him do puzzles with his tongue stinking out.

Tada!

Labor Day

Today we went to the annual Labor Day Fair in town and this year they had a visiting circus group made up of teenagers from out region of the state. The kids really enjoyed watching what these teens could do, and I have to say that the adults were pretty amazed as well. After the show they gave a little workshop for the audience members who wanted to try out circus stuff. Riley and Leah were all for it and tried everything even though they were a bit small to really do well. Then we had 17 for lunch (including us) and hanging out and swimming in the pond. Everything was delicious and we had a great time visiting with everyone.

Watching the jugglers

Riley and Leah practicing with whatever this thing is.

Balancing on a ball

And Sarah, up for a last minute trip to NH, came too!

1st Day of School

Riley had her first day of preschool today. This year she is going 3 days a week instead of 2 and is at a new school since the old one closed. Here she is with best buddy Nika.

Cape Vacation

For one week ending this past Friday, we have been on a big family vacation down on Cape Cod. We all stayed together - 16 of us - in one giant gorgeous house. We spent time at the beach and had a great time eating, playing, and visiting with each other. I don't have a ton of pictures of this great time because with Aunt Lynn, who is always with her camera, I slacked. Here are some of our photos though, and I'll try to post more once I see some of hers that I can share.

Making Blueberry Breakfast Cake to share before heading down.

In the water with Aunt Lynn and Matt.

Building sandcastles with Jake and Brady.

They twirled around after this on the tire and Caleb was not a fan. He did not like being dizzy at all.

Twirling around

She loves being dizzy!

No spinning, just swinging

In downtown Hyannis.

Riley and her second cousin Luna.

Kids' table - Luna, Riley, Brady, and Caleb

Reading at the beach with cousin Amy.

Luna and Riley swimming with their floaties.

With a tired Caleb at the beach.

Reading with Nana.

Lindsay painting Riley's nails.

Mmmmm...lobster

Riley coming out of the sand after being buried.

Riley holding 4 1/2 month old second cousin Luke.

Second cousins! Luke, Riley, Brady, and Caleb

We forgot to take a big group shot. These were the people left on Friday: Amy, Aunt Susan, Uncle Del, Caleb, Katy, Lindsay, Matt, Riley, Molly with Luke, and Jake with Brady.

Also forgot to take a family photo of the four of us. This distracted photo is the best I could do.

We also say my college friends Tara and Shannon earlier in the week for dinner at the house. This is Tara's daughter Elizabeth with Riley.

Tara, me, and Shannon