Game night

We were expecting the Griffins to be in town, but they were held back by commitments at home. But why waste the pre-done meatballs and hold on the calendar?

Game night with the St. Pierre side! ‘Twas fun.

But first (and the only part of the fun that was captured “on film”), a jaunt down to the “red playground” where it’s always windy and 10 degrees colder. But hey! they have swings and the twisty slide!

Dagnabit! running while clicking does NOT equal focus! But I still think it’s a beautiful shot.

Sisters on top

Takin’ a spin with Auntie Erin

Nana and Zo

Retreat

A bit of spring

Just a bit.

Seattle likes to tease us in late winter. We’ll have a spate of your typical (to us) grey, wet days. Then! a brush with the glory of sunshine in February! Then, frigid-cold temps, a bit of snow and yes, more grey, wet days.

So, during a recent flirtation with the kinder weather, I finally let the girls bring out their new Xmas scooters (thanks, Nana and Pepere!) from the play room (we have the room, so why not let ‘em ride inside?)

Both girls were fairly new to the new scoot idea, but a few tumbles aside and I’d call these girls pros.

Lovin’ the round-and-round in the neighbors’ cul-de-sac

Such a tease. The next day it was raining and 40.

Pumpkin, too

Our little guy is growing up pretty quickly.

He’s certainly made himself part of the home.

He’s naughty: he loves to attack Oscar and to steal socks from the laundry basket.

He’s sweet: he tolerates being picked up by the girls and makes a lovely warm snuggle buddy at bedtime.

He’s handy: he eats chicken scraps from the dinner table and yes, I oblige, because the boy also cleans up after Maggie!

He’s also ever-present and inserts himself into any situation he can.

Case in point:

Snow day

So waaaaay back in January, the day after the MLK Jr. holiday, Maggie caught a cold that kept her and I at home…to be re-joined quite quickly by Dave and Zoe who were dodging an in-coming snow storm. Snow, in Seattle, despite our being more North (Latitude: 47°36′35″N; Longitude: 122°19′59″W) than NH (Latitude: 43° 12’ 29”N; Longitude: 071°32’17”W) is quite an event. Having lived in both locations I can honestly say that Seattle’s propensity for snowing, then raising temps enough to cause a thaw just before they drop again to cause a freeze makes for prime ice conditions. Add that to our high frequency of hills and well, that’s a recipe for disaster. Or, for us, a recipe for staying home.

Back to the snow…

So, we actually got enough inches this time to warrant pulling out the snow gear (note to self: mom & dad need snow gear, too!) and hit our hill with the sled:

View from a front window – the storm begins

Testing the sled out on our hill (aka, the driveway)

Slightly skeptical, totally fever-spacy (well, wouldn’t it have been more abusive to keep her out of the fun?!)

Daddy gets a go

Still tentative

Then loving it

Oh, and there was enough (though not the good sticky-kind) for snowman-making:

Snow man

Snow cheeks

Birthday girl - 2.12.12

Maggie’s THREE!

Whoopee! I’m loving three! Three means she is open to and will stick to negotiations. Three means she’s more excited at the prospect of earning a sticker for her calendar than she is to come to our bed in the middle of the night. Three means she sees preschool on the horizon and CAN’T WAIT! Three means she’s growing up way too fast and that I really can’t say that I have a baby any more.

And as heartbreaking as that is, I’m so, so happy about and proud of this little girl.

With that, here are a few shots from the family party we convened for her big day.

She’s only three, so we started with gifts

Three of the Alonzo’s four

Some St. Pierre’s

Z’s belated

Pumpkin, too

Hannah helper

Candle, wishes

Chocolate girls

Happy three, Moo. We love you so much!