A Break in February!

I've decided that February is the perfect time to take a family trip. Andy had the week off work so we headed down to Washington DC, and then to Williamsburg, Va. No crowds, sunny weather, cheap admission for homeschooling families....what else could we want?
In DC we had the chance to meet up with Zeb, his mom Barb, and Xander, at the National Zoo. Despite the cold, we had a great time being outside and seeing different animals. That night we got together with Great Grandma, Zeb, Laura, Xander, and Lisa for dinner....such a rare occurence!
After breakfast with Great Grandma the next morning, it was off to Williamsburg. We were looking forward to a suite, only to discover it was a studio suite-large, but one room nonetheless. However, since the hotel had an indoor pool....there was no way we could easily switch, without making two girls very, very unhappy. Seeing as they easily conked out both nights, sharing a room turned out to be very easy, and not that different from being at home.

Williamsburg, Va

Super cute colonial hats-but at $25 each, we just took photos! As you can see, we had perfect weather for exploring the historical district.


Once the girls learned we were taking a carriage ride, they refused to wander away from the area for fear we would miss our turn. It was a short, slow ride around the town and one of the highlights for the girls.


Both Alette and Abria were remarkably interested in the different stores, homes, and tradespeople we saw. However, by the end of the second day, the chickens proved far more fascinating.


The maze at the Governor's Palace was a highlight for everyone and we could have spent all day playing there!

Go Tribe!

Andy loved being back in his old stomping grounds, William and Mary. The girls meanwhile, were happy for the chance to collect weeds, flowers, and sticks. Ironically, everyone in our family but Andy, now owns a William and Mary shirt.

Valentine's!

I am not sure why my girls were so excited about Valentine's Day. They don't go to school or watch tv, and we hadn't talked about it alot. Nonetheless, they were busy planning decorations, activities and cards. So we made a special dinner together, they decorated and got dressed up. It was pretty low-key but they were so happy! No one ate a lot of the grilled cheese as we had brownies, ice-cream, whipped cream and strawberries waiting. Everyone stuffed themselves silly and after a brief sugar rush, the girls crashed in bed. Perfect.

Funny Stories, Thanks to Grandma

Andy's mom is wonderful. Two stories to illustrate:

1. Grandma's exercise program:
I go running almost every morning. Last week in the van, Abria asked how far I went, to which I responded '5 miles'. She then said 'Last time I was at Grandma's, we went running too.' I said 'I think you mean, you guys took a walk'. 'No, no', she responded. 'Grandma and I ran and ran and we did 8 miles, not just 5'.

2. Grandma is the believable teacher:
Again in the van, Alette proceeded to tell me about a very large ball that the chinese people had built to prevent their country from being attacked. It was so large in fact, that it could be seen from space. I gently said 'I think you mean wall, not ball'. To which she responded 'No Mommy, that doesn't make any sense, and besides, Grandma told me it was a ball'.

My 6 Year Old

Although I think she is extraordinary, according to the medical world, she is perfectly average. Alette just had her 6 year well-child visit and checked in at 46 1/2 lbs and 46 3/4 inches (50th and 75th percentiles). Those proportions have stayed the same since she was born. Her doctor encouraged her to try some veggies (no kidding), which she promised to do (yeah right). I was replaced as the source of comfort during the shot as she wanted Abria to hold her hand....The nurse told her to count to 5 and of course, gave her the shot on 2. To which Alette angrily replied, 'hey, you didn't let me get all the way to 5'. I offered to have the nurse give her another shot to make up for it. Alette got her lollipop treat, Abria got one for being encouraging, and hopefully, we don't see the doctor for another year.

January Days

There is nothing better than snuggling in the morning! I had gone out for a morning run-both girls were in our bed at that point, but Alette was sleeping at our feet. When I came back, they were all snuggly and cute. Love it!


I've been able to ride through the winter...and so has Alette! It has been mild enough for us to get out often. Alette is ALMOST ready to take off the training wheels-she is so nervous to take the next step.


I thought January would be a 'stay-at-home' kind of month. However, we have ended up quite busy with gymnastics, basketball, the nature center, churchgroup, playdates. All great stuff but I miss the unhurried nature of being home. One of our favorite 'at-home' activities is taking walks, so when Alette got school done last friday we headed outside. Good thing the girls got umbrellas for Christmas! Abria still got wet as she twirled hers around and around-away from her head of course.