Myles SWIMS

Oh, my stubborn child.  Myles does things on his time and when he wants to do them.  He is not one that will easily succumb to peer pressure.  We have been trying to get him to swim for years.  Not only would he not try, he wouldn't even put his face in the water.  Well, a few weeks ago he decided that he could swim.  Guess what? He could and he's really good at it.  He can swim across the pool, no problem.  I guess he comes by his stubbornness naturally....look at his parents.

 

Off and swimming

 

The pool is a great place to pass the cold winter days.

 

and again

 

Baby is content to sit in her float until she gets too cold.

 

Josh giving me a heart attack.

 

Keep in mind this is a kid that wouldn't get his face wet a few weeks ago.

 

When it gets too cold, Baby likes to scoot around on the disgusting pool deck.  Yuck.

 

Two down, one to go.  Come on, Baby Girl, it's your turn next.

Snow Days...Ahhhhh

We live in the mountains, right?!  You would think that things would not shut down with a light dusting of snow.  Wrong.  We got about an inch of snow and you would think the blizzard of 2014 hit us.  School was cancelled for 3 days and there was a 3 hr delay on the fourth day.  Insane....well, I was going insane.  Not only did the snow hit our house but so did a virus.  Josh and I were sick Tuesday and Myles threw up a few times.  So, we couldn't even enjoy the snow.  No sledding for this family. 

We tried to make the best of being stuck inside.

 

 

Do you see the "crazy" in their eyes?  Isn't it frightening. 

 

To pass the time, we took some ideas from a book Mimi bought the boys for Christmas, Kids Concoctions. 

 

First, we attempted to make soft pretzels.

 

The kids had fun shaping them into interesting things. 

 

Baby had to sit up high in the backpack so she could see what was going on.  She is very nosey.

 

The finished product.  Edible but not that great.

 

Next, we attempted to make taffy.  Not edible.  Yuck!

 

The boys were allowed to play a few video games.  Baby really wanted to join in the fun

 

You can tell we didn't get out.  This is what Grady's hair looks like if not brushed and washed for 3 days.  Gross.

 

It took a lot of conditioner and man-power to tame this rats nest.

On a Winters Day

Monday was Martin Luther King Day and we took advantage of having a day off.  Kirsten and I took the kids on a hike up in Ridgecrest, 5 min from our house.  I love that we have amazing hikes just minutes from our doorstep.  We had never done this particular hike but it turned out to be wonderful.  I forget how happy walking in the woods makes me.  With all of the rushing around we do I need to make to to just get out there and enjoy nature.  I think the boys feel the same way about the outdoors.  Lets hope I can pass this love on to baby girl as well. 

The boys and I also enjoyed time with Kirsten and the girls.  We use to hang out everyday but with school and work our time "playing" has dwindled.  Listening to them laugh and stomp through the woods makes my heart sing!!

 

 

The four amigos

 

My little rock hopper

 

How cute are they?  Myles and Anika, you are growing up way too fast.

 

The big kids on Copperhead Summit

 

King of the Mountain

 

Hanging on the edge

 

Grady found a hidy hole

 

I hope they stay friends forever.

 

Of course baby girl was tagging along in the backpack.  She decided that a handful of dirt was better than the lunch I packed.

Happy New Year Hike

Kirsten, Melissa and I took the kids hiking today.  We hiked up by Warren Wilson College and enjoyed the mild winter weather.  Things have sure gotten busier as our kids have grown up.  The days of staying at home with the kids went by faster than I thought.  The three of us use to meet up at parks on a regular basis.  Those days were long but the years went by quickly.  It's always nice to get together with these lovely ladies whenever an opportunity arises. 

 

We stopped in an apple orchard to have a picnic lunch.  The lunch quickly turned into wrestle mania.

 

Everyone joined in the dog pile.

 

 

I have to say, I was impressed with the girl's ability to hang with the boys.  They got right in there.

 

All except for baby girl who watched with a big smile on her face.

 

What do you do after a long day of hiking?  Have a tea party.  Who knew Thor liked tea. Turns out he is a connoisseur.

A Very "Scala" Christmas

A few days after Christmas, we drove up to Baltimore to visit Josh's family.  The Scala/Fradkin crew are so much fun to hang with.  Eating, drinking and catching up.  They sure know how to entertain.

 

 

We met up with Brittany and AJ in the city and walked around. Luckily, Myles was feeling a little better at this point.

 

Maryland Crabs

 

Poor Myles.  Look at him, he's green.

 

The cousins

 

The whole gang

 

Oyster time

 

We were so excited that Uncle Will came with us.  As you can see, he fit in perfectly.

 

Eat, Drink....repeat

 

Shot time

 

We had such a crazy night, Baby had to drive us home.

A Very Merry Christmas

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year.  We made the big drive up to Virginia to visit Mimi, Papaw and Uncle Will.  This was actually our second Christmas as we let the kids open their presents from Gramma and Grandpa before we left.  They were so generous and the kids loved their gifts.  So, for round number 2 we descended upon Onion Patch Dr.  It is always great to go "home" for Christmas.

 

 

I sent this pic to my mom on our way up.  I wanted to let her know what craziness to expect.  They are crazy.

 

We began making food for Christmas.  Grady helped make deviled eggs.

 

Mimi made a pie.  Ha. As she finished this masterpiece, she said, "I bet you are going to take a picture of this and put it on your blog".  So here you go, Mom.  (It actually tasted really good)

 

I attempted to make Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning.

 

On Christmas Day, Josh, Uncle Will and Grady went bird watching.  I doubt many birds were spotted due to Grady's incessant talking.

 

Mimi was posted in her usual position.

 

Uncle Will and Caesar manned the couch

 

Myles loved his gangster costume.  Notice the "fart guns" in the background.  I am going to strangle Mimi and then send them to her in pieces. Or...lock her in a room with the boys and the guns.  Talk about annoying.  BUT they love them so I won't torture my dear mother.

 

This is what Myles looked like for most of the vacation.  Poor guy came down with strep throat.  He was miserable.

 

Baby girl got a new rocking horse.  She was in heaven.

 

One of Grady's presents was a union suit from Gramma and Grandpa.

 

Baby loves her Papaw.  Here she is begging food from him.

 

My poor Dad is probably still recovering from all the action.  Their retired life is usually much quieter.

 

Wax lips and moustaches, courtesy of Mimi.

 

This is my favorite picture of all.  Mimi was snuggling with the baby and didn't realize that she has a very bad habit of biting.  She took a nip out of Mimi's cheek as I snapped this pic.  LOVE IT