Eric, in a dress

So - the story goes like this: my friend dropped off clothes for Sarah, who (as always) had to try everything on immediately. We were listening to music, and Sarah was dancing, spinning, and falling in her new clothes. First, Eric tried on the footie pajamas, and if they weren't pastel blue with pink ice cream cones, it would've made complete sense. I forget what happened next, maybe Sarah talked him into it, maybe he made the choice on his own, but he ended up in a dress, dancing, spinning, and falling with Sarah. They had a great time, and I was quite entertained!

our tree house, in progress

I missed a good chunk of the build and I'm sorry to say that I wasn't there to capture the progress from start to finish. While I missed each small step, maybe seeing it after a day's work was better - it was exciting to see how much had been accomplished. The first picture was taken after two full days of work, the second was during the third day, and the last two were taken on the fourth day. With the framework up, I can almost see my dad's vision, and I'm impressed.

On one of the nights, in between yawns, my dad said, "You know, I just really like the idea that I'm building something for my grandchildren. Something that will bring them happiness and lots of good memories." Uh, yeah, I'd say I'd have to agree with that. And I'll add this - I love that my dad gets to use the knowledge that he learned working side by side with his father and that he's sharing that knowledge with Brian. It feels like a big moment, and I think that Sarah and Eric, in their own ways, would agree. They already love it, and they're really excited to see the finished product.

Side note - While I wasn't around much, they did rope me in to helping pull up two of the sides. And when I was helping, my dad was swearing. When I asked about this, Brian said he'd been doing it a lot. I was entertained by the fact that while he was swearing, he was enjoying the process at the same time. What's up with that? Is that just a woodworking/carpentry thing?

Lego Monster

I was talking to my sister today, and she shared with me that her son Isaac is obsessed with Legos. Well, I told her, we have one of those too. Eric spends most of his time building. While I mostly appreciate his focus and attention to detail, sometimes it's really hard to get him to focus on anything but Legos. He has stories for every wacky thing he makes, and that (usually) makes up for his inattention when I'm pleading with him to "Put the Legos down! Now! It's time to get dressed!" Not only does he build, he looks at Lego books, plays games on the Lego website, tells me daily what new Lego product he wants, and dreams of one day having the most amazing job of being a Lego designer. I think he's not alone in dreaming this dream.

snow!

I had accepted disappointment. I had given up on the hope of snow this year. I had decided that we'd be okay without all that comes with it - their three layers of clothes and wild-eyed grins, snowball fights and sled rides, sips of hot chocolate and piles of mittens, boots, and wet clothes left by the door.

Spring hasn't come early - it's been here for most of the winter, and while I appreciate the warmer weather, it hasn't felt like winter should. But, just when I thought we didn't stand a chance, winter gave us its greatest gift (no matter the small amount), and we had a great time. (Except that Brian kept catching all the snowballs I threw at him.)

crazy, but true

Guess what? I get to call these girls my co-workers! (They're not nearly as thoughtful or interesting as my new human co-workers, but I'm entertained by the fact that I get to say hi to them everyday.) I finished my first full day as Garden Coordinator at Chestnut Ridge today, and it felt good. While I've had a range of emotions related to this transition - from pure joy and gratitude to indecision and dread - I've landed solidly in a happy place. I realized this morning, while planting carrot seeds, that today is probably the first time I've spent an entire day away from the kids, without feeling guilty that someone else is watching them. It was a passing thought, but it struck me that with this opportunity, I get to be independent, to learn and grow, to do something that I love. Awesome . . .

missing tooth

Sarah has finally lost a tooth from the top row! It fell out while she was eating her cereal - no blood this time, so I managed quite well. Although the way she moved it to a horizonatal position before it came out was sort of gross . . .

Eric, at the dinner table

Disregard the smoothie that's all over his face. (That's why I originally got the camera out. He used a straw, and we were blown away by the incredible amount of stuff that he somehow got all over himself.) But, the bigger question is - what in the world is going on in his head?!

The next day - I just showed Eric these photos and asked him what he was thinking in each of them. He happily told me, "Nothing!" for every one.