This is crazy!

Well, here I thought I had seen the most snow of my life in DECEMBER but boy was I wrong....Scott and the kids and I decided to take a trip to New York/New Jersey last weekend and missed out on two feet, but seems that was only the beginning. When we returned on Sunday (very scary drive, by the way...the highways after Baltimore were not even plowed and cars were wrecking everywhere), we had to dig our way to our front door! It was the most snow I had ever seen.

We didn't get to enjoy much, given that we brought a stomach bug back from New Jersey with us and had Ellie and Nathan alternating vomit and then me catching it too...but it wasn't long before MORE SNOW came! Last night and today it has been snowing nonstop and maybe now I can officially say I have never seen this much snow! Holy moly! Schools have been cancelled for the week, public transportation is closed, I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper, no mail, etc. It is amazing. Today it was too cold and windy to enjoy the snow but hopefully tomorrow we can get out and go sledding. As always, I enjoy the peace and quiet that the snow brings but who knows how long it is going to take for things to return to normal?

Kids are doing well. Nathan, like his father, loves the snow, so he is happy as can be to go outside and run around in it, even though it comes up to his shoulders. Ellie, on the other hand, is not so fond. She really likes to eat it, but doesn't want to stand in it or touch it. I remember that was how Nathan was last year so maybe next year she'll change her mind. Of course next year, it probably won't snow like this. In the meantime, we are watching the preparation for Vancouver Olympics where they have barely enough snow for the winter sports! It is so funny how things happen this way sometimes....We have done pretty much every indoor activity we can think of and are spending a lot of quality time together. Hoping everyone is recovered from the stomach bug (seems to be lingering a bit with Ellie) soon so we can get back to normal. Though I think it will be a while before things turn back to "normal" in this city.... Backyard table - you can see how much snow has accumulated.

Our street.

Front of house

Nathan getting buried in the snow!

Scott and kids in snow

Christmas!

Wow - what an amazing Christmas we had. Yes, I know it is February and I am just now writing about it, but it was that amazing that the memories are lingering! We really just spent time together as a family and didn't overprogram. It was so fun to be surrounded by family and to celebrate togetherness and the Christmas spirit, which was constantly around us because of the kids.

Ellie and Nathan loved Christmas! We finally made it to see Santa which was a hoot. Nate told him about the racecar pillow that he wanted and was upset when he left that he forgot to tell him about the toothbrush he wanted too! I assured him that I mentioned it. Ellie was having none of the Santa visit! She was totally not into it and so we ended up having a picture all four of us just to get her to cooperate somewhat. Not what I was intending with my sweatpants on....but it will be a good memory, just like all the memories I have of seeing Santa with my family, well documented on film. Hopefully a new Evans tradition!

Christmas Eve we all went to church together and then had a great baked ziti (made it myself) and went to bed (well, some of us went to bed)...Christmas morning was hilarious because all of us (everyone, including Brian and Maryanne who were on California time) woke up early in anticipation of the kids and to catch every moment on film and the kids SLEPT LATE! Nathan slept until 8!!! We were all going crazy waiting for him. The irony.

However, when they went downstairs they were immediately enthralled with the trains and the Santa toys - Nathan got his toothbrush and racecar pillow and Ellie got a slide. It was great fun watching the joy on their faces as they navigated around presents. Nathan quickly got into the fun and started ripping open packages without real regard to what he was opening and Ellie had no interest in opening anything. She just played with the boxes and wrapping paper. Good. That might save us money later. Everyone was so generous, especially with the kids. The gifts were amazing. Reminded us again just how blessed and fortunate we are.

The rest of the visit really flew by - we had a great visit from Scott's cousin Lee Ellen, her husband Ian and Brigid and Ian's daughter. Really fun to see them and Nate loved his new "friend"...didn't want her to leave. Also went to the Baltimore B&O train museum which was really cool, especially for Lee who loves model and real trains so much. Also meant a lot to me since my Grandpa Wilson was a train conductor for so long, on a steam engine.

We miss everyone already - distance really stinks.

New Year's was a lot of fun - we celebrated a "Greenwich Mean Time" New Year's and had the neighbors over for dinner and poppers. All the kids played nicely together and the grownups actually were able to get some conversation and laughter in, and it all wrapped up by 8:00! The more time we spend with them the more we love our neighbors...

Feels like January has gone by in a blur of kids constantly being sick. We have become regular visitors to the pediatrician which really bothers me. I am hoping this just means they will be well for the rest of their lives....We've stayed local and really had some good family time together. Scott took Nathan on his first skiing trip to Whitetail, PA, on MLK Day, and Nathan LOVED IT! I couldn't be more thrilled than to hear that. He really likes "french fries" (going straight) and hates "pizza" (stopping). Sounds like his Dad! They have already been back once, and Scott snuck Nate into ski school (for 4 year olds....was quite an issue when Scott asked Nathan to tell them he was 4..."but I three Dad, I three!!!!") which he loved. I really hope they get to do more of that together and that Nathan develops the same passion and ability that Scott has for skiing. He also went to his first hockey game with Scott - lots of fun Daddy and Nathan events which is so cool and heartwarming. Nathan is currently back and busy with classes - Little Olympians, Gymnastics, and Swimming.

Other than the doctor, Ellie has been enjoying her Parents Day Out on Tuesdays. She is so cute with the other kids - no separation issues at all - really loves playing with them and the other adults. Quite a social butterfly. Her intelligence is constantly amazing us. She is initiating sentences and talking quite a lot. LOVES taking a bath and "swimming" in the bathtub, and has a smile that can melt hearts. At the doctor, she knows the routine so well that she grabs the instruments from the doctor and puts them where they should go, while using the correct words at the same time "ear" with the ear instrument, etc. It is fascinating. She also loves to read and seems not to be bothered if there are no pictures - I caught her with one of my historical fiction novels the other day thumbing through and "reading" to herself. Wow. A wonderful little girl.

Snowed In!

Wow - we have lived here almost a year and it has snowed about five times....this last time was the most snow people have seen in years, and the most snow I have ever seen in my life! Estimates are about 20 inches. The entire city shut down and it was so quiet and peaceful. Except for being locked inside the house with two stir crazy kids! Thank goodness a neighbor hosted a caroling party at their house. A normally 10 minute walk took about 30 in the snow but it was well worth it! The entire weekend was spent just having fun sledding, playing, and spending time together (plus a little shoveling for me....I am very proud of my handiwork and my "skills" in that area compared to last year). Snowplows were only plowing the major streets so our neighboring street got turned into an awesome sledding hilll...LOVED it.

Nathan loved the snow and the sledding, but Ellie was another story. Didn't much like the wet and cold and especially the fact that the snow was taller than she was! She'll come around eventually.

Here are some great pics from the weekend. We are getting excited for Christmas! GG and Pop Pop, Aunty Maryanne and Uncle Brian arrive tomorrow and the fun begins! Happy Holidays! Formerly a street, now a sledding hill

Trudging to the neighbors

Ellie and Daddy in the snow

Our house

A boy and his Christmas tree

Orlando in winter! Is Christmas coming soon?

Nothing like Florida in winter! Due to a training event in Orlando for me, the entire family packed up and headed to GG and Pop Pop's house for five days, just as it was getting cold in Virginia. It was great fun for the kids, though I am sure a little overwhelming for Geri and Lee, as they had just returned from a month long adventure to Australia two days earlier! Nothing like jumping from jetlag and exhaustion to two kids full-time! They didn't let their fatigue show, however, and immediately began to entertain the kids as they always do with Christmas preparation, cookie baking, trains, swimming, and lots of quality play-time.

One funny story from the week was Scott and I coming home from a night out at midnight to find Ellie watching the Grinch movie with Pop Pop. He said "she woke up...already slept five hours..." The two of them were so cute together nestled on the couch watching the movie. I guess since five hours of sleep is enough for Pop Pop, he thought Ellie would be fine too! Needless to say it was a bit of a struggle to convince her she had to go back to bed.

The biggest drama of the week occurred when Ellie swallowed fork tines. My dear daughter has quite a talent at the use of utensils, actually, and expanded her repertoire to forks while I was in training. Plastic forks. On Friday at breakfast when I cleaned off her tray I noticed that two halves of fork tines were broken off and missing. Needless to say, one of them came out a few hours later and the other one is still missing....I have been reassured by 3 different doctors that it will come out eventually or else she will start showing some ill effects, but I still have dreams of a plastic fork piece floating around my dear daughter's belly....I guess this explains the child safety warnings on things, "i.e. not for children under 3" or "Ellies under 3." Maybe I should advise they add that warning to plastic forks. Yikes.

Now back home in VA, we are settling in for Christmas and so excited about it. Have the tree up and with lights on it, Scott just put lights outside, presents are wrapped and in the process of being purchased, I am planning the itinerary for our family while in town, and we are looking forward to a fun holiday prep weekend visiting Santa, decorating, and making gifts for family. Really excited to spend some time together with the kids. Feels like work has been busy lately.

Can't believe it is only two weeks until Christmas! I love this time of year! Nathan decorating GG and Pop Pop's tree

Ellie up way past her bedtime watching Grinch movie with Pop Pop

Nathan, chef extraordinaire, baking Christmas cookies

Lots of fun in Pop Pop's T-bird

Snack time at the playground in the backyard

Sliding....

Happy girl sliding!

and swinging....

and watching trains

Nathan helping to carry the Christmas tree

Thanksgiving

Well, we did it. Our first Thanksgiving! With the help from Grandma and Grandpa Wilson, we actually did a good job, if I do say so myself. It was nice to stay home and relax and spend time with family. Scott did a great job with his first turkey (not that I had any doubts given his natural cooking ability) and we had the traditional fixins' of green beans, sweet potato casserole, and then a home made from scratch chocolate cream pie (no, I did not make it...my mom did). It was really fun. Nathan even contributed with homemade cranberry relish from school. We have a lot to be thankful for and I am so happy that we had the opportunity to celebrate.

Nathan and Ellie had a great Thanksgiving too. I think they really enjoyed the time with their grandparents. Nathan went on a turkey hunt in the backyard with some neighborhood kids which he loved. The big backyard really comes in handy for that. Also another example of where my husband is the pied piper...he mentioned the turkey hunt to the kids earlier in the day and we went to run errands. When we came back, as soon as our car pulled into the street all the kids (who had been waiting on the sidewalk watching for our car) started running after the car down the street to our house. One of the many reasons why I love my husband. He is definitely fun. Always an adventure.

Got some good snapshots of the kids over the holiday. The first few I had to share...our attempt at getting a family photo that we could use for Christmas cards. Laugh out loud. This isn't even all of the pictures that we took in our attempt. Really fun and really true to life.
Attempt number 3 (we stood up this time)

Attempt number 2

Attempt number 1....Ellie was really not into it

Family photo around the table

Cheese

Thanksgiving table - Grandma Norton's china and silver, flowers from Mom and Dad

TURKEY!

Scott carving the turkey

Turkey hunting with the neighbors

We're official members of a church

Well, it is official! We are now members of the local Methodist church! Very excited about it and we got a good family picture out of the whole deal too!

Everyone is doing well. Excited about Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa Wilson, who are arriving today, and spending some good quality family time. Then we get some GG and Pop Pop quality time when we head to Orlando for a week, for me to go to a work conference and the kids to hang out at Camp GG and Pop Pop.

Then we are back and hopefully not travelling again until after Christmas. We are excited to be at home...the neighborhood has already started decorating their houses which is hilarious (it is not even Thanksgiving) and inspiring some jealousy in Nathan - he already wants to put lights on our house. And we plan to do the whole deal....holiday party, lights outside, Christmas tree, etc. SO EXCITED!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nathan was a line leader this week

Nate and Daddy after rolling down the hill at the middle school

Ellie on the tricycle

Ellie and her neighbor friend Alina

Nate in the leaves!!

Daddy about to throw nate in the leaves!

Just had to blog for that one statement. I am such a proud mom. Tuesday was the big day and his teacher commented on what a good line leader he was! So cool! He is still quite the ladies man...all the girls in his class love him and today he went to a play gym and had another lady following him around...very cute. We have started to tell stories at night rather than reading and Nathan comes up with the topic, like "windows," or "pandas and lions," and then we take turns contributing to the story. Of course Nathan always throws us for a loop...like "the kid fell from the tree and got a big boo boo...your turn" which makes my brain scramble but all stories end with "they lived happily ever after" and he then throws out the topic for the next night's story. Tomorrow it is "pictures." Cool to see how his brain works and I get a kick out of the storytelling, as does Scott.

Also new is his continued independence. Everything is 'I do it myself' which is so awesome but sometimes results in a clogged toilet or five pairs of pants on the floor as he decides what to wear and also decides he can wipe his bottom by himself. Keeps things interesting and of course we want to encourage it, just keep it clean. : ) As an aside, a very funny thing that happened this week was Nathan finding out boy's underwear has a hole in it, for easy access. Has made me laugh several times - "mommy that is so cool". It's as if we discovered chocolate or cured world hunger or something. God I love my kids!

Big transition this week for Ellie too - I decided we are giving up bottles. Yesterday. Boy has it been rough, but I gave up two times before and so I am determined to see it through. Ellie has thrown her milk cups at me, spit milk at me, thrown tantrums....and REFUSED to drink milk all day both days. Good news is that she is eating a ton to make up for it so I think we are doing ok from a nutrition standpoint. And she is still getting her bottle at night before bed (do you blame me for not wanting to ruin a good thing?!) so she CHUGS that as if it was water on a desert island. Just a baby step towards regaining the upper hand with my daughter. : )