Professional sleeper

I am never quite sure what to do when I go in to check on the kids before going to bed and find Eva like this... 

How does that even happen?  Did she get up to get something and fall back asleep by mistake on her way back to bed?

Away we snow

Just to assure our readership that the majority of our weekend is not spent playing Mario Galaxy, a few pictures of a beautiful and very cold sledding day... 

Ready... 

Goooooooooooo!!

That was a cold and long walk back

New level

This weekend Chad taught Noah and Eva how to play Mario Galaxy.  It was pretty hysterical listening from the other room, between Chad explaining how to move Mario around and Eva shrieking "look at those coins over there you have to get those coins over there" I expected a lively session... 

Apparently "lively" in the video game sense is actually pretty relaxed.  But not bad for a freezing cold Saturday morning.

More Royalty

We were honored by a visit of the prince and princess of Newton.

Actually, his highness corrected himself a few minutes after arriving.

They are, in fact, the prince and princess of America.  Duh.

Eva's Birthday Post

Well, she finally turned three on Wednesday.

And in addition to beautiful, she is also impossibly tall and strong and competent.  She clears her own plate from the table and can put on her own clothes and shoes (when she feels like it) and draws figures with limbs and eyes and backstories.

Look mommy I drawed a picture of me giving you a hug!  Look at that (points to lines below figure) that is the kitchen all around.  I am giving you a hug in the kitchen!

 She can run and jump like a little athlete and is pretty good at jumping on one foot.  She can walk by herself down a balance beam, and has no problem getting up and down from the kitchen bar stools.  She still flings herself about and knocks into things and wails hysterically when she bumps herself.  For about 5 seconds.  Then recovers and it back at it, flailing and spinning and being her boisterous self.  She informed us about two weeks ago that she is finished sleeping during rest time, and instead she will play quietly in her room like Noah.  So far, most of the time she does.

 She recently caught the princess bug.

Me and Bawbie we're both princesses!

But because she has an older brother the story lines are not about finding a prince yet, instead about fighting bad guys with her super ice frozen power.  She does like to have princess dances, but there is no touching allowed.  When daddy and mommy attempt to dance together at one of these events they are sharply reprimanded, and instead everyone must dance in an Eva-approved manner (i.e. slow twirling and the occasional ballet-like move).

That kind of dancing is toooooo silly

For her birthday dinner we went out to Cabots and got ice cream sundaes for dessert.  Over her ice cream, she calmly informed us "when I grow up, I'm going to change my name to Dave."

I think Dave is a nice name, don't you?

After our initial astonishment she explained "remember Dave was a worker?  And he made us a new kitchen?  Remember that!?"  

I don't think Dave the worker is a reader of this blog, but apparently he made a big impression.  Especially considering our kitchen renovation was finished about two months ago.

In my defense, we do really love the new kitchen

She has two best friends at school: Natalie and Owen.  Her only response to what she did at school today is "I played with Natalie and Owen."  This has led to some awkward conversations with other parents whose children apparently like and talk about playing with Eva, but whose names I have never heard.

Eva is smart and sassy and can count things and sound out many letters and is completely disinterested in the sort of party trick where I ask her a question in front of another grown-up and expect her to show off.  She is a great little show-off when she wants to be "Look, Jesse's daddy!  I can jumping on one foot!!"  But my request to show the pediatrician this skill at her checkup is met with a totally blank stare.

hmmmm... shall I charm the adults today or instead refuse to speak?

My sweet special girl, she knows her own mind and remains fiercely in charge of herself and I hope this is always true.

I may be small, but I am in charge of myself and this chicken.

Happy birthday Eva, we love you.

Sisters

My new favorite picture of Cassidy and Ciara (Noah and Eva's cousins)

Birthday Party (take 2)

On Sunday we had a birthday party with the family.  Unfortunately I forgot to get out the party hats, but at least I managed a few pictures this time... 

princesses!

7yo superman is not so into the posing for pictures... 

our resident almost-three-year-olds at work

I'll get you my pretty... wait a second... I don't think we're in Oz anymore... 

psssst Noah, I think there's going to be cake!

fin

Birthday Party (take 1)

On Saturday, Noah and Eva had a Wizard of Oz themed birthday party with their friends.  It was fun and cute and I took a bunch of blurry and not very good pictures of a bunch of adorable kids in party hats then forgot to ask any of their parents if I could put them on the internet, and so in the interest of both quality and privacy you will not see the here.

Instead, may I present the following series which occurred right after lunch... 

What is this BS, I was told there would be cake

hmmmm... shouldn't there be cake?

heh... are you joking about cake?

CAKE!!

Ok Eva here is how you do it, no wait you have to sit back a bit please keep your braids out of the fire

Fin

Snowmen

Eva, Noah and Grammy made some new friends in the back yard today.

One of the snowmen is definitely named Bob.  The name of the other one depends on who you ask.

According to Eva, the snowmen are named "one named Bob and the other named Bob the builder snowman."

According to Noah, one is named Bob, and the other one is "Snowhead" or "Stupid head" or "Nose Boogers" or whatever super witty 5yo humor he can come up with, sending the both of them into hysterics.

Budding Scientist

 Noah is still interested in his microscope

Turns out it is very difficult to take interesting pictures of a kid who's face is bent over the eyepiece...

Rainy day chalk

It's a neat picture but can't someone pull her hair back please?

I mean seriously.  Who is in charge here?  Oh great now she's coloring her hands too.

Sigh.

Noah's dance

After seeing Eva's video, Noah wanted to do his own.  Music provided by, well, whatever is playing inside Noah's head.

Eva's Jump and Dance

Eva seems to have learned how to jump on one foot this week.  Please enjoy a video showing her new skill and our usual evening craziness.  Music provided by Noah.



Eva's speech at the end: "if you press this button, your drink will spill, and you will tip over and break in half."

Sleeping Beauty

Bad Hair Day

Good morning Noah.  How'd you sleep?

Well,  I guess.  And just maybe in need of a haircut... 

Batter up!!

A nice January thaw gave us a chance to practice a few swings in the mud (and another chance for fast shutter speeds)

hit it!

ready... 

strike!

eye on the ball... 

contact!

 ready... 

take your base!

one last hit!

Silly Game

May I present, a series of pictures of Eva's game "try to jumping on one foot and rolling the circles."  This study can also be known as "mommy tries out the fast shutter speeds."  Enjoy!

 

And the final move: 

"Mommy we are the winners!!"