A random Tuesday snow day requires only one thing: hot cocoa with lots and lots of whip cream!
Have a little cocoa with your whip cream
Week 10 (March 5-11): New York in Winter
Caroline wanted a trip back to her old stomping grounds for Christmas. We finally made it happen this week and I’ll be the first say that a trip to the Hamptons in March just isn’t as fun as a summer adventure. But it was beautiful with some fresh snow. This picture will not do justice but I had to snap a photo of the trees covered in snow on Squires Ave (our old street).
Snow on Squires
Week 9 (February 26-March 4): Puzzle
Liam has always been our puzzle lover. It’s fun seeing him move from 12 pieces to 24 to 48. His current obsession is 200 pieces of football and baseball puzzles. He’s gotten so fast with these that I’m thinking it might be time to add a few more to the rotation.
Puzzle Champ!
Week 8 (February 19-25): A “Magical” Week
Caption this!
We were lucky enough to take the kids to Florida during their winter break. We had fun visiting with Pop Pop and Mom mom and cousins. The highlight of the trip was going to Disney! We all had such a good time and had a fair amount of pictures taken. The photos from the fast moving attractions are the best and there were a few of all of us smiling and looking in the same direction but this one is my favorite!!!
Week 7 (February 12-18): Just Call Me Devin
Football playing snowman
Liam has been working on this paper mache snowman in art class for a while. He loved the project and was excited to finally bring it home and show it off to us. The conversation went something like this:
Me: I love it but it looks like you brought home the wrong snowman.
Liam: Nope it’s mine.
Me: But it says “Devin McCourty”
Jeff (from the other room): Devin McCourty is a football player.
Me: Ah, of course he is!
And on further inspection I can see the snowman is holding a little pipe cleaner football. I am now convinced that football has over taken Liam’s brain and infiltrated every aspect of his life!
Week 6 (February 5-11): Guest Photographer
A rare Saturday night dinner out with the fam and Liam got ahold of my phone. I challenged him to take a “nice” photo of me and my old man. 50 shots later, they all ended up deleted because he’s 7 and silly. This one though, he made me promise to keep. I’ve got to admit it’s grown on me.
This is us. Photo by Liam, age 7
Week 5 (January 29-February 4): At the Car Wash
Winter in New England = Dirty, salty car
Sunny, warmish day in February = Chance to get the car wash
Automatic car wash with two kids = Lots of giggles
Cheap thrills and a clean car!
Week 4 (January 22-28): Magic Carpet
Not the greatest picture but the girl sure is have a great time! This girl loves to swim and is really enjoying her swim lessons. She’s working hard to someday be a part of swim team! Go Caroline!
Caroline at her weekly swim lesson.
Week 1 (January 1-7): Play to Learn
We started the New Year the same way we finished 2016, slow and lazy. No big parties on NYE, no late night countdowns. Just a quiet evening, followed by a quiet day hanging out at home. It’s how we spent most days since school let out for vacation on December 22. Both the kids were happy to just be at home and with each other. Until the last day of vacation. I could see it coming and had a plan. Cape Cod Children’s Museum in Mashpee. Even though I know it existed because I did my research before moving to the Cape, the kids did not. So when Monday morning rolled around and they were on their tenth arguement by 8 am, I pulled this little gem out of my bag of tricks.
It was a risk bringing them to CCCM. I wasn’t sure if they would have enough to do. And I was afraid they would be too old (yes, even at ages 7 & 8). They had already out grown the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton, NY and when we went to Maine over the summer, I didn’t even offer to take them to the children’s museum in Portland. But because it was January and they needed to get out of the house, we gave it a try. It helps that CCCM also has a great military discount.
Caroline was ready to go at ten, but I made them hold off until after lunch. I didn’t need them trampling any toddlers. The place is small but there was plenty for them to do. The novelty of a new location paired with finding some other kids their age to play with made for a fun afternoon. I had to bribe them with a treat at Mashpee Commons just to get them to leave. They were making plans to go back as soon as they got in the van.
Caroline spent a good amount of time getting this set up just so.
Liam is intrigued by a brain teaser.
A bad day at fishing sure beats getting on each other’s nerves at home!
Cold water and a cupcake hit the spot after a fun afternoon of play.
When you convince your mom that Cupcake Charlie’s and a hot cocoa are a must have.
Week 2 (January 8-14): Hey There Foxy
I’m not a city gal at all. But I’m far from being a country bumpkin. I like where we live. Lots of wide open spaces but plenty of civilization just 15-20 minutes from our door. Maybe too much in the summer months. Welcome to Cape Cod, Everyone!
When Jeff and I had our meeting with the base housing officer we were handed a packet of information that included multiple pages about the local wild life we’d see.
Deer. We see them a lot and they are full sized deer, not the scrawny dog-sized deer we had in Jersey.
Turkeys. Man do we have wild turkeys. I’m sure I’ll post a picture of them at some point. Thanksgiving, maybe?
Fisher Cats. Never even heard of them before moving here.
Coyotes. I’ve seen one on two separate occasions. The coyote is a bit more elusive in our neighborhood but he strutted right by our house one summer afternoon. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me. He (or they, I’m not sure how many are hanging around) has been known to spend summer evenings at one of the local playgrounds.
And then there is this little foxy guy. He hangs out near Caroline and Liam’s bus stop. He’s not shy but we also don’t encourage him. I’m sure he has a den somewhere near our house as we see him often. He’s a patient fellow, too. I saw him walking along the side of the road while on my way home from school. He waited while I pulled over, found my phone in my purse and snapped an easy half dozen pictures before he casually trotted off into the woods.
Foxy fellow in January
Maggie's 52 Project 