the only snow day of the season

Posted on March 12, 2019 by tara

I wanted to put a giant question mark after that title up there… because with the climate as it is, we can never really tell if we’ll nosedive right back into winter! Last year, we had snow into April, so I honestly wouldn’t be surprised by it. Mother Nature’s got nothing on us!

Almost two weeks ago, we had a small snowstorm. It was really just the perfect amount of snow- enough for the girls to enjoy playing in, but it only canceled public school for a day and melted quickly. We don’t generally follow the public school schedule, but when there’s snow outside, we obviously had to have a snow day, too!

We bundled up and headed outside! We only have two sets of snow bibs (something I’ll definitely need to remedy for next winter), so Nella ended up wearing double pairs of pants, and then socks on her hands because we also only had two pairs of mittens. I figured she wouldn’t want to stay out long, anyway, and I was right. After five minutes, she asked to come in!She did like the snow a whole lot more this year, though!I was going to take Evie out, but after realizing that she probably wouldn’t enjoy it and Nella would be coming in before too long, she ended up just hanging out in her bouncer next to the front door. I kept going in and out between both groups of girls to make sure everyone was doing okay!Kaya and Kaelyn were ready for some snowball fights!They threw one at Scout, right into the storm door (and that was banned from happening again)! Scout loved watching everyone from indoors. She isn’t really a fan of snow and prefers to avoid it if she can.They set to work on some snowmen… We ended up using broken up crackers for the eyes and nose, since we were out of carrots and wouldn’t be able to find any little rocks. Kaya’s turned out adorable! Kaelyn told me that hers fell apart before she could finish it.Nella watched from the window.
Those pigtails (her hair is finally long enough for them again!) and bunny slippers just slay me with cuteness.The big girls decided they wanted to sled!
They were having the best time. Just look at those faces!Seeing them happy makes me happy.They stayed out for a good part of the morning and just loved every second of it. We were out of hot chocolate, but happened to have thin mint cookies, so they all enjoyed a couple of those when they finally came inside.Happy snow day!

snow more

Posted on April 12, 2018 by tara

I’m writing about snow in APRIL… because in the past few weeks, we’ve had more snow than we did the entire rest of the winter. We had three larger storms (5-8 inches), and then a smaller one just last weekend. The snow can be magical in so many ways- it usually gives me a chance to sleep in and a day off of running; we can take a break from school to spend time together playing outside, and during one of these storms, work was even cancelled for Michael!

Even with all the fun it brings, I think I’m ready to say goodbye to snow until the end of the year. This has truly seemed like one of the longest winters ever!

I started a few mini snowball fights, and now Kaya is obsessed (and actually pretty good at getting people)! It’s a little disconcerting when she comes after you with a ball this big, though!Poor Kaelyn got took one right to the face (she laughed about it afterward, and I reminded everyone that we don’t throw anything at people’s faces)!Kaya and Kaelyn are both obsessed with making snow angels! Despite multiple layers of clothing, they always end up soaking wet after this. I bought some waterproof snow bibs (for $4!) for next year, so they might just end up liking the snow even more.My mini-me! (and another giant snowball!)Kaelyn, talking to herself as we went inside at the end of our playtime, said, “That was so much fun!” And that right there makes getting everyone dressed to go out, cleaning up wet clothes afterward, and walking up and down the hill a thousand times more than worth it.Nella currently still very much dislikes the snow… but I think that might change next winter. She lasted about 30 minutes out there, which is a record for her! She ended up just sitting in the stroller and watching us sled for most of it.And because this is just too funny, here’s Kaya’s view from the sled right before she rolled into the snow (laughing hysterically the entire time)!

five on friday (03/30)

Posted on March 30, 2018 by tara

Happy Friday!!! This has felt like a really long week, but I’m excited for Easter weekend and spending some time with my in-laws!

ONE. Are you tired of seeing snow pictures yet? We have had literally every type of weather this week: winter snow, March’s “in like a lion” winds, April’s showers, and then just plain glorious spring. Phew. I kind of can’t believe that’s all happened in the past few days!

We had the biggest snowfall of the year thus far on Saturday night, so when we woke up on Sunday, everything looked like this:I have never seen so much snow on the trees. Lots of limbs around the neighborhood came down.Church was cancelled, so naturally, Michael asked the girls if they wanted to help him make waffles. They love baking!Mmmmm.TWO. As soon as the snow melted (which was thankfully pretty quickly), we were eager to get outside and get some exercise. Kaya learned to do the monkey bars all by herself!We had another day where we spent the entire morning outside, and the sunshine felt so invigorating. Nella had her very first (albeit slow) ride on the merry-go-round!After all the precipitation we’ve been having, all the streams were full, which just fascinated Kaya and Kaelyn. They tracked the water’s path throughout our entire walk, and when we stopped to play, they were excited to “wash sticks” in it.My only child who didn’t get covered in mud…THREE. Who remembers Polly Pockets? Playing with these is one of the best memories of my childhood, and I’m so lucky that my parents saved them, because now I get to share them with my girls!

It’s been all about Polly Pockets, day in and day out, for the past couple of weeks for these two. I love seeing them enjoy them.I have to say, I am really impressed with how well these have held up. Most of these are around 25 years old! I only allow them to take one out at a time, and so far, that’s been working really well. There are just so many small pieces.FOUR. The girls’ costume parades have continued! The newest theme is “Pets”, which includes a cat, a Dalmatian puppy, and a baby tiger.Also, didn’t Kaya just wear that Dalmatian costume for Halloween yesterday?FIVE. Just because I love these four so dang much (and I love how much they love their Daddy)!Linking up here, here, and here today!

nella’s first sled ride

Posted on February 14, 2018 by tara

We woke up early one morning to the sounds of Nella’s cries and the snowplow scraping against the street. We haven’t had a big storm yet this winter, just enough for ice to coat the roads and public school to be canceled.

Of course, any amount of snow is enough to spark wonder in the eyes of three little girls. Nella kept excitedly looking out the window as she ate her pumpkin bread for breakfast.Of course, I made everyone get their schoolwork done before we could head out and play. There are always shenanigans on Kaelyn’s side of the table!It always takes a while to put everyone’s layers on before heading outside. Nella is not a fan of her snowsuit.
She had her first-ever ride in the sled! This little smile was probably the only one, because she realized how hard it was to stay sitting up, and quickly decided she wasn’t a huge fan of sledding after all.Kaya tried hard to make it fun, but I think she had a better time pulling Nella around than Nella did riding! Kaelyn hopped on for a bit too, to help Nella sit up.Mismatched mittens!They love playing in the snow, even if it is just the smallest amount.Nella was over it.We finished off the morning with hot chocolate, of course! It’s always the littlest things that make them (and me!) happiest.

five favorites (02/10)

Posted on February 10, 2018 by tara

It’s so late, but I just had to get my Five in for the week!

ONE. Probably the most unusual part of our week was finding an injured deer in our backyard one morning. I saw her when I came back from my run, and we watched her out the window for a bit (of course, the girls instantly fell in love). When she just kept lying there, I started to figure that something had to be wrong, so I walked out to get a closer look. When I came within 6 feet of her and she didn’t budge, I could see that her whole bottom was bleeding and raw.

Logically, I know there’s an overpopulation of deer in Virginia, but I just couldn’t help myself- I called Michael, sobbing, begging him to figure out who could save this deer. As it turns out, the local wildlife rehabilitator can only take fawns who are young enough to have spots, so although this one appeared to be quite young, she didn’t qualify. They actually sent the police deputy out to see if she should just be put down, but right before he arrived, she surprised us all and actually stood and walked a few steps.

I don’t know how far she got, but at this point, I just hope she didn’t have to suffer. Kaya and Kaelyn were heartbroken when they knew the deer was so hurt.

TWO. Kangaroo Kids started back up for the first time in the new year! I surprised the girls by not telling them where we were going, and hearing their squeals upon our arrival was the best.

Nella was all over the place this time! Climbing, chasing balls, and wanting to do everything her sisters did. When we started going to this one year ago, she would nap in her car seat the entire time, and last fall, I just carried her around for most of it. I guess she’s a real big kid now! They ran around so much that all of them passed out for long naps when we got home. The house was as silent as it’s been in a long time!

THREE. I’m still trying my best to get us outdoors as much as I can, but the weather hasn’t been helping. We actually had church canceled last Sunday due to snow that blew in just a few hours beforehand! We did get out for a couple of short walks after the ice melted, though!

And when you don’t nap during nap time, you might fall asleep in the stroller! Those are some very sleepy eyes. Kaya found this block of ice, named it “Toothless” (like the dragon), and carried it for almost half a mile home. She even had to check on Toothless several times that evening before she went to bed. This is such a fun, imaginative age.FOUR. Sometimes, you just need a chocolate chip cookie, quick! (Anyone else? Or is that just me?) Anyway, I tried this microwave chocolate chip mug cookie, and it was amazing. I actually cut the sugar in half and left out the salt, and it was just fine. I shared with Kaya and Kaelyn, who were pretty much the happiest girls in the world.FIVE. This sweet little baby girl, with curls on the back of her head and that completely wild ponytail, was just waiting for her Daddy to come home yesterday. She’s getting so smart- anytime she hears the lock on the door click, she immediately looks that direction and asks, “Daaa?” She just knows that it clicks, the door opens, and Daddy comes through! It’s the sweetest thing. Happy weekend!

first snow of the season

Posted on January 18, 2018 by tara

We’ve had snow days yesterday and today due to our third real snowfall of this winter season, so I figured it was finally time to blog about the first!

One mid-December Saturday morning, we woke to find our yard covered in snow! I was so excited to see everything turned white when I peeked out the window in the dark hours of the morning, and couldn’t wait to tell the girls when they woke up!

Two inches or twenty, these little girls would have had the same reaction when they saw what nature had made for us. Squeals of joy, quickly followed by, “Let’s go play in the snow!” were heard first thing that day. Kaya really wanted to catch some snowflakes on her tongue!
Kaelyn was fine with just catching them on her mittens!Nella honestly wasn’t too sure about the snow. She tried eating it……and clearly was not a fan.Then her snowsuit got the best of her, and we had a true “Christmas Story” moment…And she doesn’t like to keep her thumbs inside the suit, either, so there’s that.The older girls are all about taking this ancient sled down the hill. It always ends up with a ton of snow in the bottom of it, leaving everyone wet and cold, but they still love it. Honestly, I’m surprised that it’s even lasted for almost two whole winters! Nella spent a little time with Daddy before they both went inside. He had actually hurt his toe pretty badly the night before the storm, and wasn’t really feeling up for romping around in the snow, so it was just the older girls and me.Nella was really happy to get inside. I think she might have more fun in the snow next year!Michael sneakily snapped this one from the window. I pulled the girls up and down the hill until they were too cold (Kaelyn) or wanted to do something else (Kaya). And yes, that’s my DSLR in my jacket. Got to keep it warm and dry, haha!Little Kaelyn always gets cold first, so she headed inside with Daddy and Nella, while Kaya and I stayed out to play a while longer. I loved some one-on-one time with my big girl!Kaya really wanted to try the little slide in the snow. Her legs are almost too long now!Before we went in, I had to get a picture of these winter berries. There’s just something so beautiful and clean about snow.We headed inside, and as was the tradition when I was a little girl, we had to have some hot chocolate. I actually tried making some from scratch for the first time ever, and it was so rich and delicious. I really think the girls would love anything that’s covered in marshmallows, though!How perfect is this?This is a happy hot-chocolate face!I don’t know what it is about snow, especially the first one of each winter, but there’s some unmistakeable magic about it. Feeling the flakes touch my face, exploring an old world that seems new, and hearing my children’s incessant laughs makes my heart feel full. This was one of those simple days that I think I’ll always remember and cherish.

five on friday (01/05)

Posted on January 5, 2018 by tara

Happy 2018!!! I had to check that it is in fact a Friday, because we’ve still been in winter-break mode over here. Michael has been out of work, and we’ve had an enjoyable respite from our homeschool lessons. I think we’ll feel refreshed and ready to jump back into our routine next week!

ONE. I always wish the magic of the holidays would never end, so I am a little sad to say goodbye to the Christmas season. We made a lot of good memories that I’m excited to blog about, but for now, I’ll just share these sweet little girls, so excited to see the giant Christmas tree at the mall. I love how everything is extra magical at their ages.
TWO. This little angel has had a bad cold and is simultaneously cutting two of her molars. Yikes! You’d never know it from this happy face, but she has been crying a whole lot more than usual, and it completely breaks my heart. We knew she wasn’t quite feeling like herself because of the congestion, but when I looked in her mouth and saw those two top molars coming in, we finally understood why. Hopefully we get through this stage quickly so I can have my sunshine baby back all day long!Little by little, we have started working on decorating our bedroom, and last week, we got a good deal on a new duvet set that came with 1,000 pillows (okay, 7). Nella’s new favorite activity is playing peekaboo from behind them!THREE. I know that everyone and their dog is talking about the weather this week, but seriously?! Every morning I wake up eager to see if the temperature is suitable enough to run. Just to clarify, a “real feel” of 7 degrees below is not. I am really looking forward to next week when we have a little heatwave.Michael has been the best helper this week while he’s been home, especially because he’s been walking Scout every single day in this weather. He’s also been hanging curtain rods, and re-hanging all the doors in our house with new hinges. He’s the best.FOUR. I try not to write anything on here that might embarrass my kids later in life, so I’m really hoping this doesn’t fall into that category… but Kaya hit a really big milestone last week- she stopped sucking her thumb! I’m partly sharing this because maybe what we did will work for someone else with this struggle.

Every night at bedtime (which was mostly when she was doing it), we wrapped her thumb with medical tape. That way, if she tried to put it in her mouth, it wouldn’t feel right, and she’d take it out. I had actually read about this technique in Parents magazine, and decided I wanted to do it as soon as we could. So, I explained to Kaya why this was important, and she was completely on board with it… until I wrapped her thumb the first night. She cried and cried because she wanted it off, but we told her if she could do it for 10 nights in a row, she could choose a reward. Of course, she picked Sweet Frog! She was so proud of herself every single morning when she woke up, excitedly declaring, “I didn’t suck my thumb!” She chose to make our outing a mommy-daughter date, which felt a little extra special.FIVE. Just keeping it real over here… not everyone is always in the mood for a photoshoot, and this is how it goes sometimes.Grandma Gina made these adorable Hello Kitty dresses for the girls for Christmas! I love when all three of them match, even if they look a little (or a lot) grumpy.Happy Friday!

first snow (2017)

Posted on February 6, 2017 by tara

We had our first (and only, thus far) real snowstorm of the year early in January. My girls get excited about the tiniest flurries and always immediately ask to go outside and play. When they saw actual snow accumulated in the yard, over the street, and atop our car, they were absolutely ecstatic. Kaelyn started shouting “No no no! Ton!” (her way of saying “Snow, snow, snow! A ton!”) as soon as she looked out the window in the morning. Of course, Nella had to see her first snow! We bundled her up, brought her out for a picture, and took her right back inside. The real feel temperature was below 10 degrees, so her first encounter with the snow was definitely a quick one! The previous homeowners left this old sled in the garage, so we put it to use! I’m not sure how much longer it’ll last, but it provided plenty of entertainment for our girls this time. Kaelyn is big enough to sled down the hill for real this year! Last year, she was wary of anything to do with sledding or the snow. I love these happy little faces. I had a good 3-mile run over the snow. It seemed like our whole world had been covered with a fresh powder, making it look completely new. I love how snow has the ability to transform everything!

winter storm jonas

Posted on January 29, 2016 by tara

Snow has a sort of magic about it. It has the power to stop all our busyness and schedules. Nature’s white, tranquil blanket envelopes us all, creating a shining, peaceful world. The best part of being snowed in was definitely all the extra family time we were able to have. The university actually announced on Thursday afternoon that it would be closed on Friday, which is an incredibly rare event. This meant that Michael ended up having two long weekends in a row! Knowing that the school was shutting down preemptively, I felt a little nervous about how big this storm would actually be.

Kaya could not have been more excited to play in the snow. She has been waiting for winter weather so eagerly for months now, and in her mind, snow absolutely had to come after Christmastime. Our neighbor gave us their old sled! We were so excited for some good sledding… and then we cracked the plastic seat after only three runs down the hill. I’m thinking the plastic must’ve been a bit weak if we broke it so easily, but it was fun while it lasted.These next three photos happened in succession. I love how Kaya almost completely disappears in the snow at the end!
Happy happy little girl. 🙂 We thought maybe she could still use the sled on her own, even after we cracked it, since she doesn’t weigh all that much. Turns out, she isn’t heavy enough to even get it to move down the hill on her own! Kaelyn missed all the fun on the first day of snow because she was napping, so on the second day (Saturday), I finally bundled her up and brought her out for her first snow experience (we didn’t take her out in any last year).

I don’t know if she was upset because her snowsuit was uncomfortable or just because she wasn’t sure of what was going on… but our little marshmallow was quite unhappy at first.Michael ended up pulling the kids along in the broken sled, since it no longer worked going down the hill. Kaelyn didn’t cheer up when we first tried to give her a ride…
After a while, she started to like being out there, and even pouted when it wasn’t her turn to “sled”! This is our parking lot!I loved seeing both my babies riding in the sled together. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that they’re mine. They’ve grown so fast, and these kinds of activities just get more and more fun as they get older.

All our church meetings were canceled on Sunday, and in total, I think we ended up with about 15 inches.

The snow has mostly melted now, and our first snowstorm of the season seems to have come and gone so quickly.

five on friday (1/08)

Posted on January 8, 2016 by tara

I think I just keep pretending we’re still on vacation… so I know I still haven’t posted any photos from our Christmas day yet (maybe because I took too many and still haven’t gone through them all… ha), but we had a good week, and I couldn’t let it go undocumented.

These small, seemingly-mundane posts usually turn out to be some of my favorites when I go back and read them later.

ONE. Winter has finally arrived on our little hillside- we had our first snow! It didn’t really accumulate, but it came down in big, fluffy flakes, so I’m counting it. The girls were quite excited… especially Kaelyn, since she is too young to remember the many blizzards we had last year!

TWO. What better food to eat during the cold weather than warm, gooey pancakes? Kaya and Kaelyn have had pancakes for breakfast every single day this week. My mom gave me a griddle for Christmas, so I put it to good use by making a double batch of these and freezing them.

THREE. We also tried a couple of new recipes this week, including these buffalo chicken wings and these cheesy potatoes. Both were keepers!FOUR. We did get back on track with our homeschool preschool this week, after taking a couple weeks off for the holidays. Kaya has been SO excited and asks me to “do school” almost as soon as she wakes up every morning. We did the letter “D” and so of course, we had to make a “dog” craft.

FIVE. We had some fun times with Karl (and Kaitlyn) this week! Mario Kart Wii and Apples to Apples Pictures will never get old. I also love that Karl loves my guinea pigs as much as I do!Happy weekend! Keep warm (like Freyja)! 🙂 _MG_0708

Michael and Tara

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