Spring Break Staycation 2011

Today the boys returned to school after a week at home. Full-time. With me. Since we are all still standing and relatively sane, I am counting it a success. Actually (and I never would have believed this before the week started), I quite enjoyed it! We kept busy with playdates, swimming, a trip to the zoo, indoor camping, bowling, tennis, and a climb to the top of Stone Mountain.

*Small disclaimer: Jess was kind enough to take off a few afternoons and took the boys on some of these adventures.

We kicked off our night of indoor camping with a backyard cookout and marshmallow roast. S'mores!

Eliza chillin' by the "campfire." Then it was off to bed in the tent (which was set up in their bedroom).

The week's culminating event was a climb to the top of Stone Mountain, an approximately 2-mile hike, and pretty steep at points. The boys did great, and Miss Eliza loved it. She rode happily in the Bjorn, and I happily toted her up and down the mountain.

Summit!

Six Months Old

Our sweet Eliza girl.

Look! No Training Wheels!

Last weekend Ben asked to take the training wheels off his bike. As soon as Jess gave him a push, he was off. He practiced a little while that first day, and then a little more yesterday. Such a classic childhood rite of passage. (Sorry - the video is sideways, but you get the idea.)

March Madness

March is just half-way through, but it feels like we've done a month's worth of activities already. To highlight a few ...

Ben had winter break a few weeks ago, so I took the kiddos to the aquarium. We hadn't been in so long, and Eliza had never been before. It was such a fun outing!

Noah took this pic - not bad by 3-year-old standards.

The boys just finished a round of swim lessons, so we all headed to the pool a couple weekends ago for them to practice their new skills. It was Eliza's first time swimming.

She loved the water!

We commemorated E turning 7 months old last weekend by introducing her to finger foods - some baby puffs. After a few attempts, she did finally get one into her mouth ...
however,
she was not real keen on it,
and it came right back out. We've been practicing all week and finally, just today, she did actually keep a few Cheerios in and "chewed" them up.

And last weekend Ben had his first soccer game of the season.
After a slow start, he really got in to it! He chased the ball up and down the field.
Go Giants!

And, finally, some random Ben, Noah, and Eliza goofiness ...

February Feats

It doesn't seem possible, but somehow Eliza turned 6 months old last weekend. And with that milestone came her first foray into solid foods. Oatmeal cereal - yummm (or at least she thought so).
" More, Daddy, more!"
"Y'all have been holding out on me!"

Another major event in our household has been the end of the paci era for Noah. We've been talking about giving them up for oh, about a year now, but things kept seeming to get in the way. We were adamant, though, that the pacis must go in the beginning of the new year. So, we concocted a scheme and convinced him that the new baby panda at the zoo NEEDED his pacis.
He happily holds them up just before handing them over to the panda.
He sets them down in front of the panda exhibit.
We explained that the keepers would come and give them to the panda. This all went surprisingly well ... until bedtime ... and every bedtime and nap since then. "I MISS my pacis!" he cries, "I don't want to be a big boy! I want to be a baby!" Not a fun process.

Ben has not had any major feats this month, per se, but he has had a ton of fun birthday parties and playdates.
He became a fire-breathing dragon at a friend's circus-themed birthday party.
And had a fun playdate at the zoo with his good pal Joanna.

Eliza Goes to Washington!

Jess, Eliza, and I spent a couple of days in D.C. earlier this week. Jess was supposed to have a business meeting, but it was cancelled, so we had the whole time free to see the sights. And did we! Eliza was such a trooper. We walked that girl ALL over the city, and it was coooold. We saw the Capitol, the White House, all the monuments and memorials (6 to be exact), and a ton of museums (6 to be exact).

With a Renoir at the National Gallery of Art.

At the gates of the White House. They were getting ready for Chinese President Hu's visit.

Washington Monument. These pics crack me up. We have a bunch of them at various historical landmarks - her sleeping in her stroller - just for the sake of capturing the fact that she was there.

Vietnam War Memorial Wall.

Eliza and I on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It was neat to be there on MLK Day.

Jefferson Memorial

Smithsonian Natural History Museum

And there was no shortage of fun back home for the boys with Aunt Julie Ann. Thanks, Aunt Julie, for taking such good care of them!

Snowpalooza 2011

It started snowing late Sunday night, and by Monday morning, the city was shut down. We got a good 4-5 inches at our house ... Now, you Midwesterners might scoff, but that's a TON of snow down here. And to make things even more interesting, it started to freezing rain/sleet, which meant we weren't only snowed in, but ICED in as well. And still are, actually. We are on snow day #2. Nobody's working, the mail is stopped, roads are closed, and the stir crazies are starting to set in. Yesterday, though, was full of SNOW FUN!
Look closely - there really is a baby in there.
And this was the extent of Eliza's snow adventure. Not much fun when you can't even sit up yet.

The boys, however, had a blast.

Of course, there was snowman building.

And even sledding. We brought our garbage can lids down to the park, but some neighbors had actual sleds that they let us borrow. Give Southerners credit for their creativity. Some of my friends used recycling bins, planters, and even a water heater drain pan to sled!

The boys in action ... this was Noah's first run down the hill, and you can hear him screaming "the wrong waaaay!" as his sled spins around backwards ...

And while the boys were outside playing, Eliza was inside practicing her newest skill ...

We think she's gifted.