Valentines all year long

There really is so much to enjoy as a kid, your birthday, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, about every two months another party springs up. We have been celebrating Valentines Day for about a week now. It started with a package in the mail from Grandma Margie and Grandpa Buzz and carried on through more cards and stickers from loved ones. Friday, we made M&M cookies for Troy, and ourselves really. Saturday, there was a church Valentines party and nursing home visit and now today the grand event, Zada's school Valentines party.

As a special allowance she wore her pink party dress "with the two flowers" to school and her red/pink shiny shoes. She's been sharing some of her candy with her brother, though not as much as he would like, and the Halloween bags have resurfaced as a way to corral the candy away from the seams of the couch, the swirly pattern on the rug and the greedy mitts of two young children. (Also makes it handy for mom and dad to steal a kiss -- the Hershey kind, of course!)

We can only hope your Valentines Day is as filled with genuine sweetness, or at least high fructose corn syrup, as ours is; here's to love.

As much as they both want to sit on the counter they aren't all that comfortable doing it, judging from their "W" sitting. Our speech therapist told me sitting that way is insurance against falling over.

Divvying up the goods

Makes one glad these cookies will be sent into a hot, hot oven

Burrito night

I love this particular bean burrito recipe and apparently the kids do too, just look at these satisfied customers:

Walking down freedom road

When I was a wee lass of 21 I spent three months in Europe. I lived with an Italian family in Milan, assistant taught English in a high school there and toured a handful of cities on the weekends. Often my friend, Tenni, and I were in charge of the planning and navigation for these weekend excursions, although we were usually four girls traveling together. Typically armed with a free map, a Let's Go Europe book and our own fearless sense of direction and purpose we toured the grand rounds of Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Heidelberg, Salzburg and Verona. We also learned the secret handshake of Garmisch, Germany and spent New Year's Eve 1998 skiing in the Alps.

I had the opportunity to reclaim some of that sense of adventure this weekend, when Saturday morning Troy took the kids swimming at the hotel and later to the Boston Children's Museum. I embarked on a walking tour of Boston, following the Freedom Trail to sites of historical significance. Again armed with a free map and my optimistic sense of direction I headed out, though the weather was unpromising and the walking treacherous. Along the way I saw the U.S.S. Constitution "Old Ironsides," visited the Bunker Hill Museum and Monument, walked across the Charlestown bridge, toured the Old North Church and pondered the curious hilarity of the word "wharf." I missed my traveling friend and the times we'd had, but took pleasure in setting out on a sight-seeing adventure unburdened by my usual charges and inspired by the road ahead. I felt 21 again, well, almost.

U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides"

Tudor's Wharf

View of Charlestown, the Boston neighborhood surrounding Bunker Hill

Colonel Prescott and the Bunker Hill Monument

Paul Revere Park with Boston TD Garden in the background

Most of these markers were obscured by the above-pictured snow, ice and slush

Old North Church

Beantown

If you drive to an 8 p.m. basketball game at Boston (TD) Garden,

and you bring your children, and give them snacks to stay awake until the near end of the game,

be prepared to have a few extra things to carry into the hotel afterward (and a relatively rough morning).

Down at the farm's red carpet

We are lucky enough to have a working farm/petting zoo in our town and before the last dousing of snow, rain and "wintry mix," Zada talked me into visiting it so she and Darby could feed the animals. The rabbits prefer carrot tops, and the goats and sheep are partial to Rycrisp crackers, oddly enough. One can buy both at the farm's store for about a dollar each.
When we've visited the farm during better weather the animals seem pleased but not especially excited to see us. On this day they were down right desperate, clamoring against their pens to get to us, although I assured the kids they were also being fed by the farmers. Considering the animals' ardent appeals for love and Rycrisps, I thought, maybe this is what it feels like to walk a red carpet, but instead of a gown I am wearing rubber boots, and instead of people telling me I look gorgeous there are just sheep saying baa. Then Darby almost fell into a smear of poo and my reverie, alas, was broken.

This white sheep was surprisingly loud.

Zada prefers the little goats and doesn't like it when they get rammy. Funny, since she is an Aries. 

Darby, be caref-
(I guess we're washing those mittens)

Donkey! Donkey! Can I hear "I'm a believer"? Love your work man! Say hi to Shrek for me!

Still in shoveling shape

For those who may have wondered when we moved out East if it would make us soft, the answer is decidedly not. Due to the scads of snow we've gotten in the last four weeks, we have made a regular workout of cleaning off our two-level deck, stairs of slippery death, and driveway fit only for teamsters. I've heard taking the Oregon Trail was tough, but I'd like to see a Conestoga head up that incline. Tonight I took my inaugural run with the snowblower and survived, although my next machine (see how manly I'm already being from the heady mix of snow-tipped air and gasoline exhaust) will have smaller handles and maybe one of those plexiglass shields. Brrr, snow down the neck!

As a result of all this I can happily report the hubby and I are both still in shoveling shape and may even be relieved to move back to Minnesota so we can actually count on our winter schedule carrying on as planned. Yes, we already got the call tonight that school and skating will be cancelled tomorrow (school for the fifth time since Christmas break). Hmmm, maybe it will be a good morning for Speedy Rolls...

Here's to another full day in the house with kids! Ka-chow!

Not sure whose team I'm on...

The month of January got a little long for all of us, including Zada and Darby. Sunday afternoons can be especially tough when they are still in their church clothes but manage to act like animals fresh out of the zoo. Here Zada is clearing Darby out of her dancing space, and Darby is not taking it laying down, or at least he wasn't until Zada decided to drag him and the laundry basket out of her makeshift studio.