Snow

Last week we had just a skiff of snow that didn't last at all, but I thought I'd try taking a picture of it through a couple windows.




But then this weekend we got a bit of snow that stuck. They forecast more than what would happen of course and the mass hysteria was ridiculous, but the boys certainly enjoyed it. Wednesday morning we got about this much and then it melted away.


That meant Thursday (when more snow would come) was set for school delays or cancellations. I didn't think it was worth all that but then on the way to taking the boys up to Papa and Grandma's house (they're at a higher elevation and always get a bit more when the snow comes) I had to take a detour up the hill. Why? Because the person directing traffic at the bottom of the hill said they had had 12 cars in the ditch so far that morning and it was blocked off with getting the last few out. Good Grief! School delays and cancellations aren't ridiculous, complete and utter inability of the people here to drive in the snow is ridiculous. When we were done at Papa and Grandma's the road crew had cleared out apparently done pulling people out. And then I passed another truck in the ditch. Make the count 13 in one morning.

Anyway, we obviously had no difficulty getting up the hill and here's the boys playing in the inch and a half or so of snow there.

"Look Mom! I made hands--look I made mittens" -Emmett


Get busy shoveling!


Avery tried to show Carson how to throw the snow to the side


It didn't take long for Emmett to head out the the horse trough and promptly stick his mittens in and soaking them.




Watch out!


No matter which way he leans, he can't seem to get the snowball out!


Grandma came home then and decided to make a little snowman with the boys. When she went inside to find some gloves, Emmett started to take off with her snowman start


After too much frustration with the snowballer, Emmett decided to try the old fashion hand method!


It works! He got Grandma. Good shot, Emmett


Watch out, Grandma will retaliate!






Why must tears always accompany everything with this kiddo?


Here comes Emmett with another snowball!


Oh, I guess he's going to be helpful now instead of violent.


Avery didn't have anything to do with the snowman after a brief attempt at rolling. Instead he worked hard at shoveling a pile of snow together and then pulled the little track-hoe over to dig.




The final little snowman with some dirty rocks and a pine cone nose


That day had a lot of off and on snow and sun so in the evening I saw the snow sparkling in the sun through the window


By the time I got outside with coat and gloves the snow was petering out again but I still like the little bit of sparkle.


Since the snow was stopping I paused to take some macro shots of our snowy rhododendron bushes shining in the sunset.




For a few more see Laurie Marie Photography.

Crazy E Has Style

Here are some pictures from my cell, catching Crazy E these last few days:

Those are Nerf gun darts applied by his own father


A sweater vest pulled on backwards and Dad's snow pants. Um, fashion police?


More snow pants fun






Dad's boxing gloves utilized in a new style




Watch it, Mom...

Hobo Avery

After the boys' crazy game the other day, Travis suddenly shouted for Avery to show me his feet. Hobo Avery. GO THROW THAT SOCK AWAY! He didn't. Travis found him wearing it again later and marched him to the garbage himself. I don't know how that one got so bad, but for some reason these kids don't want to get rid of their holey socks. Ugh. Meanwhile, that's Carson checking his socks for holes too!

iPhone pic played around with in the PS Express app.

Boys

Yesterday the boys started playing a new game. I took these pictures with my cell.


Who's king of the mountain now?


Unfortunately, this was directed straight at the tv stand and one of them was bound to get their head bonked, so Dad told them to stop and why.


Did they stop? No. They took into consideration the "why" and simply changed direction. *sigh* Boys.

Bellevue Trip

Early this month Travis and I went up to Bellevue, WA for Travis to attend a dental seminar and for me to have a nice break with him. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency where the seminar was and we had a great time!

This was our room:


We were happy to eat again at Maggiano's which we miss from our time in Milwaukee, WI and the Bellevue location is the closest one to us now! We also hit up Jimmy Johns which we've missed since Milwaukee too! Those are in Oregon, but we need one in Salem! While Travis was at his seminar I enjoyed great shopping across the street from the hotel at Bellevue Square Mall, and traveling around with my camera. Some of my photographs from the trip can be seen on Laurie Marie Photography at:
Bellevue Botanical Gardens
Bellevue, WA Downtown Park
Bird | Fine Art Photography

February is Dental Health Month

February is National Children's Dental Health Month so last week Avery's kindergarten class went on a field trip to the dentist office of the mother of one of his classmates. Avery had a great time, but was sure to tell everyone his Dad was a dentist too. Thankfully, according to his teachers, that's all he said and they thought he was cute about it. That's good since the morning they went he was a little cranky about the class not going to his Dad's office.
Avery brought back a bag of fun stuff from the office and the following day while Avery was gone to school Emmett played "doctor."






The timer for how long you're supposed to brush your teeth kept getting taken out of its casing and it didn't take long for it to get broken... thankfully on the hardwood so there was no blue sand in my carpet.

Pirate Glasses

They're not sunglasses anymore, they're Pirate Glasses! Gratuitous iPhone pics from this morning when we took Avery to school.
Arrr, Matey!