Endless Winter

This year winter is endless. The white stuff keeps falling, and falling, and falling some more. The snow plow piles are out of control. The snow in our back yard is so deep that our fence is non-existent - we can just walk into our neighbor's yard. Oliver asks me on a daily basis when the snow is going to go away and when he can play in his sandbox and when summer will return - not soon enough. (Maybe when it does return we'll have an endless summer?)

Our house is showing the signs of us being cooped up. Not only are things in a constant state of disarray, but we've started to become a bit more lax about things (if that was even possible). For example, we've let the kids take up fencing. Oliver is pretty good with the sword. Henni, however, needs to work on her sword wielding skills.

Henni has, however, drastically improved her bottle drinking skills. The weekend before last she kept Davis busy warming milk and feeding her - the chunky little monkey devoured more than 20 ounces in 5 hours one day and 17 ounces in the same period the next day. Thankfully Oliver was there to help Davis out.

This past weekend I didn't have painting or yoga training so we headed to Maine. The weekend was, you guessed it, full of snow - another foot! With the adult to kid ratio much better than back home, we managed to get outside the majority of the weekend. We spent Saturday skiing at the Snowbowl. The skiing there was incredible. I grew up on the mountain and it was always a skating rink - all of the snow this year has transformed the mountain into, well, a ski hill. Oliver has decided that he is not a big fan of the snow plow - he'd rather just go super fast down the hill.

All of the new snow required us to make some modifications to the luge track. Oliver was too busy to sled - he just wanted to work on the track - "I too busy workin' to sled. Need to fix broken track." I am guessing that, given the age of our workers, we won't be eligible to host the Olympics.

Other fun outside activities included playing with Papa and Le Le,


And playing on snowmobiles and such things at the Owls Head Transportation Museum.

Inside at the museum Davis and Oliver tested out an ice sail boat. While the boat looked like fun, I think we were all wishing it was a nice warm day and we were out on the ocean.

This past weekend Henni also gave the exersaucer a go and she got to visit with Uncle Jon.

This is how we do it

I feel like someone pressed the fast forward button I am flying through life at the 4x speed. Henrietta is suddenly three months old, I'm back at work, Oliver is talking up a storm and asking questions like "Mommy, how was your day? What is your favorite book? How are you enjoying your chicken?" - Wasn't it just yesterday Davis and I met, unexpectedly, in the Bahamas?

I keep thinking we need to slow down, take a breath, relax - and enjoy where we are - BUT - the reality is that is not us. Just when things start to calm down, just when life becomes "manageable" - we decide to add more. You guessed it - you can't keep a fish from water - Davis will be jumping into Catalina Channel in July - swimming 21+ miles to the California Coast. This time, if we can wrangle my mom into caring for Oliver and Henrietta, I will be on the boat.

I think what I need to realize is that I need to figure a way to relish life's moments - relish the present- while at the same time tacking the challenges and craziness we keep inviting.

This past week I tried to do just that - Oliver, Henrietta and I savored the rare warm sunny days and played outside despite the fact that a little person who is around 3 feet tall should have been napping.

Us's

I love love love Oliver language; it is much more intuitive than the English language. Right now my favorite is us's. "What are us's doin' today?" "Where are us's going?" Or today as I stood in dreaded Walmart forever and ever waiting for someone to help us "Are us's lost? Where are you Walmart person? Us's so lost."

Did it!

Last night Henni rolled over! True to her personality she did it quietly and with a big smile. We were playing on her mat, I looked up for a minute to talk to Oliver, I looked back and Henni was on the other side of the mat, on her back, smiling up a storm. Davis, Oliver and I tried to get her to perform her new trick in front of us, but she would have none of it.

Laugh in

Oliver's language skills have really taken off. Not only is he now talking nonstop but he is also making long and rather complex sentences - the other day he said something and I was so shocked that I stopped and counted - 12 words! Much of what he says is hysterical; this kid is a jokester. Some recent examples-

When we landed in Boston after our trip to Florida I turned to Oliver and told him that he did really good job on the flight and that I was proud of him. He looked and me and got very serious and said, "Mommy you did a really good job too." Thanks buddy.

Last night he looked at Henni, who was quietly playing, and said, "That is a rocket powered baby." I asked for an explanation and he said, "Mommy, that's just how it is." I see. Good to know (perhaps that explains why the majority of the time that she poops she has to get a new outfit and sometimes a bath as well).

The other day Oliver farted and I asked him what he was supposed to say. He looked at me and said, "Somebody farted." Trying not to laugh I said that that wasn't correct and to try again. He looked at me and said, "Mommy farted." After several more tries I did manage to get him to say excuse me, but the lesson didn't sink in - he has been blaming other people and/or me for weeks now.

Seriously this kid cracks me up. And I have to say I am so glad that he has a sense of humor. The massive amount of snow, the cold, new baby, crazy schedules of late...if he didn't have a sense of humor it would have been tough getting past the last few weeks - last week especially.

Last week I had my first week of my yoga teaching training. I had put together 4 days of childcare, gotten us all organized, Davis had gotten us all dug out and then - two huge snow storms which brought two feet or more of snow, training rescheduled, more digging out to do, childcare provider sick, smoke alarms going off at our house for no apparent reason, rain... Thanks to Davis, Oliver, Henni and Jess - all of whom were amazingly flexible and full of humor - we managed to get through the week with smiles and fun (although Davis didn't get to spend much time at work).

Oliver went sledding
Oliver and Mark spent time sledding

Henni and I went sledding

Henni spent time smiling

Oliver and Davis put on head lamps and road bikes in the trails in our yard

They also built an even bigger and better snow fort

And donned their snow/rain clothes and played outside in the pouring rain - forever

Back inside we played quite a bit of dino bowling (Oliver's idea which I think is quite inventive)

Played on the mat
And tried to keep Henni from harm

Although we have been having fun in the snow, as Oliver said yesterday, "I think it is time for all this snow to melt. I am ready for sand."