Fancy Nancy

Ailey and I went to see a Fancy Nancy ballet today. The Fancy Nancy books are popular around our house (Ailey says "Posh Puppy" is her favorite), and we were really excited to hear that there is a new Fancy Nancy chapter book series coming out in a couple months.

One of the best parts about our trip to the ballet today was that we got that news from the illustrator herself - Robin Preiss Glasser. I didn't think to bring my camera with, so we don't have a picture of that conversation, but here is Ailey with her autographed Fancy Nancy book.



We also enjoyed telling Ms. Glasser that Ailey's favorite book a few years ago was Garrison Keillor's "Daddy's Girl", which was illustrated by her too - it was Ailey's go-to book at reading time for at least a year when she was around 2 years old, and she could read it front to back from memory.

Ailey really enjoyed the ballet today, so we're both now looking forward to our next one!



Happy Birthday Party

Marin and Silje turn 4 on Wednesday. We had a family/friends birthday party today with a cowgirl theme - that is a fun one!

A friend of mine - a totally crafty, energetic, generous friend - offered to embroider some cowgirl shirts for the girls when she heard I was planning to do some iron-on ones for them. They turned out so cute, the girls LOVED them, and they now have a fun memory of their fourth birthday.



The other kids (neighbor Lucy, and Parker and Levi) also got hats, bandanas and sheriff badges and had some fun play-acting as cowgirls and cowboys.

We had some coloring and some farm stickers out to work with.

The cake (thanks to Wilton, and the over-zealous urge that comes to me only for my daughters' birthdays) and the horse-sprinkled cupcakes.

We sang to Marin first...

Then sang to Silje 3 hours later.... (Just kidding. We didn't make HER wait that long.)





Silje - excited to turn 4!

Marin - excited to turn 4! 

It Just Keeps Falling...

The snow just kept falling this week. The weather forecast kept calling for warmer temps and rain, but instead we got more snow and, in some places, ice. Now, give us a day of snow, maybe even two, and we'll appreciate the chance to play for a couple days in something we don't get every year. But a week of it? Let's just say that I am happy to hear the dripping sounds coming from outside as the warmer temps and rain start to take away all this white stuff! :)

Before the snow began to fall from the trees and the roof today, I got some pictures the couple of days before....

The birds went crazy for the bird feeders, since apparently they couldn't find their own food under the snow. The hummingbirds even fed when I thought theirs must be frozen.

The girls were quite put out that the new snowfall "ruined" their snowman.

My favorite part of the snow - how it can decorate the trees so precariously.

Marin in her new gear. Aunt Sharon, what do you call these? We differentiate from the pants and snowsuits by calling these "snowbibs".

Marin's snow gear must have been working well, because she enjoyed some time just laying out in the snow. You'd have thought she was at the beach!

Silje's favorite thing to do was to sled down the hills. She tried sitting, on her knees, laying down, and even tried to go down on her back once. I'm not sure why. It didn't work.

Her second favorite thing to do was to make snow angels. She buried herself this time and couldn't get up!

The last day of snowfall yesterday, the trees were weighed down, and the sled even got stuck in the thick powder.

After a whole week off school, I'm ready to get out and about this weekend. With the girls all home I haven't been able to get ready for the birthday party on Sunday, so I'm hoping the current 40 degrees and falling rain will help and I can get out to run errands tonight when Andy gets home.

Minnesota family: I hope you enjoy getting your snow back - we're done with it!

Snowgirls

We finished off the snowman today, took the sled out to the street and had some good runs, and had a Mama-against-everyone-else snowball fight (a couple trees took most of the hits). All three girls enjoyed warm snow-bibs (I got lucky at the sparse clearance rack at Target!) We're still wondering what to expect tomorrow - more snow, or rain to wash it all away?



Snowball Fight!

Well, what do you know. The weather forecast came true today! We've been hearing predictions all week of snow on the weekend, something I usually ignore until the white stuff is actually falling from the sky. Unfortunately, I ignored it until the girls started asking to go out and play in it, and I discovered we were short one pair of snow bibs. Boo!

I bundled the girls and sent them outside with Andy - with Silje in double-layer pants in place of snow bibs - and started to head for Target and the racks of snowgear. I got as far as the stop sign on 92nd just before the steep part of the street, where I watched two cars being "pushed" up the hill and another one stopped at the top trying to decide where to leave his car before walking home. Ah, at least the street was wide enough for a u-turn.

(In our neighborhood we can get out of our driveway, off our street and about a 100 yards up the road before we have to choose between two steep inclines up to the main highway - our only two exits. In snow, without chains on the tires, we're pretty much homebound until the city cleans up the streets. Not usually a problem, and luckily today Silje didn't seem to mind her cold, wet jeans!)

Marin thought she would start a snowball fight with me.

Andy started one with Ailey.

Ailey and Silje also worked on snowmen. Today's snow was perfect for snowmen ... and deadly snowballs. It was REALLY wet, and packed hard.

The girls took the sled down our two steeper backyard hills. Silje couldn't get enough of it and probably would have appreciated a black diamond run! The little daredevil....

Smile! Or at least try to with wet snow falling in your eyes!

Yum!

We're hoping the snow sticks around all weekend ... and that I can get out to Target ... and that all the snowbibs aren't already sold out. :-)