Viking Scalas

 AI can be pretty fun to play with.  I was able to turn our family into Vikings.  We look pretty tough.

Myles

Myles

Grady

Grady

Emma

Emma

Josh

Josh

Josh

Kat

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.