Eleanor & Oscar's Adventures: January 2011

Bad Storm

I noticed this cracked limb on Friday morning and will be much relieved when it has been removed. They will be coming with a cherry picker as it is over the roof. Lovely. Just when I thought the snowfall hadn't been bad, but rather pretty to look at and enjoy with the children.

We also have more bamboo to clean up. Ugh.
And this is after Kristian cleared the walkway so he could shovel it!?!

Anyone have a pet panda they can loan us?

You don't think the National Zoo will miss theirs for only an hour or so do you?

Sledding

Our street's gaggle heading down to Angel Park for sledding.

School was cancelled for the day and they were ready for action!

Eleanor loves sledding!

The faster the better as she is one brave girl!

Oscar found icicles on a picnic table and was all about collecting and eating them.

He put his truck bed to good use!

Snowplow

On Wednesday we got snow!

Eleanor had an early release from school at 1pm and Oscar & I's had our CBS (Bible Study)cancelled earlier that morning in anticipation of the winter storm. We had lots of fun sledding with the neighbors on our driveway and Oscar "plowed" the circle for us!

It was very wet, heavy snow. Reminded me of many snowfalls growing up in Ketchikan!

Oscar's Black Eye

Oscar got his first black eye...

when he and a friend collided on the playground at preschool. I had to fill out an incident form (Not my first for him! When he was about 11 months old we were swimming in Norfolk and he got out onto the pooldeck to retrieve a toy and slipped, getting a good bump on the back of his noggin and keeping me from bringing him to the pool for a very long time!) and he had a goose-egg on his eyebrow. After a few days I noticed he has a shiner!?! His teacher said he recuperated very quickly and even let her put ice on it!

He won't let me do that at home, turkey!

Operation...

is Oscar's new favorite game.

He giggles so hard when he gets the burping or farting. All boy.

Cookie Monsters

We love to make them AND eat them.

This was a new chocolate chip recipe with 3 sticks of butter...soft & yummy!

Silly Ellie

Ellie was being silly with Daddy's old glasses.

(There is a reason they are called BCG's, or Birth Control Glasses!)

Great Wolf Lodge!

Surprise!

We drove to Williamsburg to meet up with Daddy as he'd been travelling for work and surprised the children by staying a night at Great Wolf Lodge. We stayed in a room called a Kid Kamp with fun bunkbeds and a tv just for them. It also had a couch, coffee table & mini-fridge. From now on, all hotels will be judged by this gold standard per Oscar!

In front of the Wave Pool, where we spent most of our time.

And what a difference a year makes. Oscar still enjoyed the Lazy River, but he also went down his first solo waterslide and family one...in the dark! It was scary, I don't think we would have taken the children had we known it was going to be that dark...oops!

I wound up with a sinus infection, so Eleanor & I didn't swim Saturday morning. But the boys went again and had a blast. Eleanor was so sweet to sit with me in the lobby after we had checked out (you can continue swimming after check-out till 1pm!) and snuggle on the big leather sofa in front of the fireplace. I think I slept mostly, but she was right there with me, an excellent personal nurse!

Snow Fun

Oscar & Jasmine heading down the trail from our street to Angel Park.

Oscar setting up his sled.
He did such a good job getting his sled turned around and getting on it. AND he stayed warm, what a difference a year makes!

Hauling himself & his fast ride back up the hill for more!

Yeehaw! He was screaming and having a blast!

Jasmine & I.

We used to spend lots of time playing together in the snow in Alaska & Ohio, before the children came along. Being born in Ketchikan, she loves the snow.

I cross country skiied a little while watching Oscar sled, what a fun morning! I hadn't done that in years!

The creek next to the Park.

Snow "water" break on the walk home.

Hooray!

Daddy is home!

He had a whirlwind travel work week: San Francisco, Seattle & Honolulu in one week!

Unfortunately, here it is barely 24 hours later and he is already gone again. This month is crazy for some reason, he normally doesn't travel this much!

Oscar has been keeping busy working puzzles...we had a great week, even with Daddy's absence. We went swimming and had a popcorn & movie night, along with all our other normal weekly activities.

Eleanor modeling her lei & new sundress. She and I received matching sundresses & turtle, or Honu, earrings! My sweetie also brought me a matching honu bracelet and an orchid!

The lei smelled SO good...gardenias are so fragrant!

I couldn't get Oscar to model his new matching blue woody shirt & short set. Daddy also brought him a woody car, complete with a surfboard on top!

Truckin'

Oscar having fun off roading in the kitchen (a place I don't allow toys b/c I'm too busy to look down and most likely will fall & break toys!) with new toys.

It's Christmas!

Santa came!

Eleanor got a camera with a blue case (her new favorite color) & Oscar received Bruder trucks filled with chocolate!

He filled our new Santa sack with goodies.

Smiling siblings

Eleanor got a new 20" bike from Grandma Judi & Poppa Ronnie.

Watch out circle, here she comes!

"Furry Cousins" Sophie & Jasmine

Nanna popped the pig!

What a fun game, thank you Nanna & Poppa Brian!

(Please don't hate me for posting this photo Nanna, it's just too cute!)

Daddy & Oscar making train tracks with new bridges & risers.

Eleanor had fun working on her new mosaic tile art project.

Thank you Aunt Meredith, Uncle Mark, cousins Madisen & Carter.

Christmas Eve

Nanna & Eleanor at our Christmas Eve Seafood Feast!

We didn't attend Christmas Eve candlelight service because of illness (my strep throat & sinus infection, Eleanor's stomach bug & Oscar's cough!) so that seemed different but we all enjoyed being together as a family so it didn't matter.