Kitchen Racing

A little post-dinner exercise...

Despite being really tired, the kids got wired after dinner and decided to "do Girls on the Run."  They raced and raced around the kitchen.  No wipe outs or injuries and, I think, they sufficiently wore themselves out for bedtime.

so fast they are blurry!

a little drama as she passed by

she was going so fast!

look how happy they are...lots and lots of laughing tonight.

this is what happens when they have a near miss...

Future endurance athletes in the making, don't you think?

Snow Day

I was the first one to scoff at the forecast last week when they were calling for 3-5 inches of snow Sunday night.  I mean, it is November, after all.  But I was wrong.  And we got every bit of 5 inches.  It was really pretty coming down in big fluffy flakes, but it has been bitterly cold.  Almost too cold to really get out and play in it, especially with the wind blowing the way it was.

We had a rare day at home with Eric on Monday and bundled up the kids (including one extremely crabby Ben), and headed outside for some play time in the snow.

daddy teaching the kids how to jump on a snow covered trampoline

(which is way harder than it looks)

Ben has been revisiting his bad sleeping habits, and that has left him so grouchy and tired all day...

plus snow.  It gets in your gloves and in your boots, and that makes a sensitive 2 year old so mad!

(but look at those big brown eyes)

loved all those snow-covered branches

(I really wanted to try a front flip, but chickened out.)

I really love winter and snow, and this weather always makes me miss Boston a lot.  But winter and car seats are enough to make me want to pull my hair out.  I am definitely looking forward to a little bit of a warm up this weekend!  Besides, it is way too early in the winter to have two stir-crazy kids!

Tumbling Toddlers

Ben is finally old enough to take "nastics class" with Natalie!  Today was his first day, and he was pretty excited about it.  We have been having plenty of talks about how to act in class, and Natalie has been getting some pointers about leaving Ben alone and not bossing him.  He got a little distracted about halfway through and wandered away from the group.  Probably equal parts 2 year old patience that had run out and that some of the other kids, sister included, were touching him more than he cares for.

Mr. Safety was pretty hesitant about climbing up the ladder,

but boy was he proud of himself after...

he's told me a few times now how fun it was to climb and how it's not scary anymore.

front rolls on the balance beam!

Natalie is an old pro, no help needed for her

(I like how Ben is supervising)

My Favorite Faces

Fall makes the prettiest backdrop for pretty faces to have their pictures taken.  Let four little people roll around in piles of leaves and the whole scene gets even better.

can't believe Anna is getting so big already!

handsome Ben

Natalie, who lately has been introducing herself as "Princess Natalie"

(seriously, what am I going to do with her?)

crazy Jack

almost the whole crew

(missing our littlest cousin, which was probably a good thing after watching the bigger kids get wild in the leaves)