Trip to Teela's

We recently visited Aunty Teela in Virginia and enjoyed some AMAZING weather.  We even went to the beach, although Darwyn was the only one brave (crazy) enough to go in the water.  Besides the beach, the kid's enjoyed botanical gardens, multiple children's museums, an aviary and a zoo.  We took lots of pictures (see below).  For half the visit, Dad, Jose and Teela watched all the kids on their own while Gus and I frantically renovated our kitchen.

This book was a real page turner.

Darwyn goes swimming in February!

The botanical gardens were actually quite beautiful given that it was winter

The botanical garden had a neat kaleidoscope display.  You pointed it
at a turning pot of flowers and watched the image change.  The video below
shows what the kids saw in the kaleidoscope.

This might get the picture of the year award.

This bird was named Gus.  The kids found that very exciting.

Can you feel the love?

I was sitting with Max and Darwyn on the couch.  Darwyn said something nice to Max...I can't remember what.  Max was lost in thought.

Me:  Max....what do you need to say to Darwyn?

Max:  (staring blankly into space) 19....plus...

Me: Max!

The distant look clears momentarily from Max's eyes and is replaced with an "oh crap...what did I miss?  What do I say?" look.

Max:  (hurriedly and with little expression) Ummm... I love you Darwyn!  Now 19 plus....

Sigh....like father like son.

Christmas 2016

Sorry the Christmas update is so late.  Christmas proceeded in its usual fashion:  We saw lots of family, we were overwhelmed with gifts and we were exhausted.  Gus asked me when the holidays would be done so he could go back to work and relax!  Nevertheless, good times were had by all.  Gus gave Max a huge box of magic cards and they have spent a great deal of time bonding over it.  I gave Darwyn a homemade set of boxes for building dollhouses, complete with different flooring and wallpaper materials to be added to each room.  Gus and I teased each other that we liked the kids presents more than they did.

My favorite moment from the holiday season was when Gus opened the present the kids had made for him.  It was a mug (that they had decorated) and this was rather obvious even when it was still wrapped.  Gus picked up the wrapped present and said " Geez, I wonder what this is....It's aaaaaa...."
In an attempt to keep from completing the sentence and thereby telling daddy what was in his present, Darwyn clamped both her hands over her mouth.  From underneath her hands came a muffled and tiny "mug" that instantly melted Gus's heart.  Merry Christmas daddy :)

I've included a few videos and pictures from Christmas and the holiday season.  Enjoy!

Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Lee visited for Christmas with the "kiki".
Kiki was especially popular with Ada.  Kiki got MANY treats (as pictured here)
during her visit to Waterloo.

Darwyn and Max enjoyed making mini ginger bread houses
from kits sent by Aunty Heidi.

Mandatory pose in front of the Christmas tree.  Max is not impressed

Better

Too much

Max and Gus putting the star on the tree.
For those of you looking at Gus's facial hair and thinking "woa..."

here is a close up.  Not to worry, he has returned to clean shaven.

Max reads to Ada

Christmas Eve feast

Not at all Christmas related...but cute.

The kids with our Christmas "fireplace"  

Winter fun

The whole family got out a couple of days ago for some winter fun.  The weather was perfect for building with snow and we really took advantage of it.  We built some snow men, a couple of great snow forts and, of course, we had a snow ball fight.  All Ada wanted to do was the same thing she does all summer, go down the slide.  Anyway, we got some cute photos that I thought I would post for everyone to enjoy.

Darwyn and her snowman

Dar peeks out of her snow fort

Ada LOVES the slide

Look out mom!

Look out again mom!

Daddy (Ada) the tyrant

Ada was a lot of work today.  She is at that "terrible twos" age where she gets into everything.  She loves everything about the bathroom and regularly pulls it apart.  This includes unrolling the roll of toilet paper and sticking it in the toilet than taking it out again and smearing it on the floor.  She takes magnets off the fridge and puts the in the cupboards.  She grabs things off the counter and dumps them on the ground and she regularly climbs up the furniture to get at things we have deliberately put out of her reach.  Today was one of those days and Daddy had the misfortune of watching Ada for much of it.

Finally we reached the end of the day and I was quietly nursing Ada to sleep.  She looked quite pensive.  Suddenly she pulled off and looked up at me.  "Daddy said no,,,,"  she gravely informed me. "Daddy said NO!."

Halloween 2016

I've already had some requests for pictures from this years Halloween, so I figured I better make a Halloween post (because wanting to see pictures is the same thing as a desire to listen to me drone on).  The kids had a blast this year.  Max was a cowboy and Darwyn was a bride.  They have now totally figured out the process of trick-or-treating (a bit different from last year) and tore from house to house collecting candy.

At each home they offered to do a trick.  Max waved his lasso in circles, whipping anyone near by in the face.  Darwyn would look up with bright eyes and say, "do you want to see my trick?"  Then she stood there solemnly, while her audience looked on in confusion.  Darwyn's logic was sound, however.  She figured Cowboys lasso things and brides stand there.  So she stood there.  It was adorable.

Ada plays pumpkin.  This involved taking the
pumpkin lid off and putting it back on repeatedly.
She did this for a good half hour.

Eww...pumpkin brains.  Darwyn got right in there,
but Max still refused to touch the pumpkin brains
with his hands.

Ada and Darwyn work together

The finished products

The crew

Scary faces