Today’s high is expected to be 34, this meant light coats for the kids today. It is currently snowing, it has snowed everyday since the first day of spring- including the 14″ we got the day before spring officially began. Unfortunately another round of colds has kept the kids from enjoying the freshly fallen white stuff and the adults from enjoying the new powder on the slopes, oh well. It is making seed selections and indoor plantings hard to reconcile in my head, so I’m writing a blog post instead (as you all hope for more snow for us to get more ramblings from me I’m sure!).
For those of you in Pennsylvania- sorry we haven’t seen you- we’ve been plagued with illness I haven’t been willing to spread or subject the kids to travel when they really need rest. That said we are hoping to make it central PA in April. In the meantime here are some of the highlights:

A mid winter trip to Lancaster to see Kelsey’s grandmother and cousins included a trip a children’s museum and a pool party playdate at the hotel, as well as dinner with extended family we see too infrequently.

Rayleigh is still asking if she can play with her cousins from the pool on a regular basis, a sad request as they just moved  to New Mexico for new jobs.

We’ve been doing plenty of crafts as the weather has been cold and the kids haven’t been feeling well enough to brave the elements.  We made Gak!  That was a big hit with the kids and a BIG mess for Kelsey.

Dillon is even starting to get in on the craft activities.

A bit early on the season perhaps but we made them anyway- Rainsticks

But its can’t always be craft time (well unless you ask Rayleigh!).  We do have to make sure other things get done.  Like the cooking… making homemade pasta for dinner,

and doing assembly line ‘ants on a log’ work.

Also, the shopping has to be done- we tried letting Dillon do it- but typical man thing- he only wanted Lobster!

There are records to record in the living room studio.

And fish to catch.

But when the hard work is over we are able to relax and have a family movie night.

We hope everyone is getting into the spring spirit, we however are still embracing winter’s snow and may try to go sledding/skiing this weekend.

Today, while Dillon was napping, Kelsey and Rayleigh went outside to make some snowmen. However, Rayleigh decided that she wanted to make snow penguins instead, and she wanted to color them purple. It was my job to make some purple water in a spray bottle and play the artiste.

This was a teaching opportunity for Kelsey to tell Rayleigh all about penguins. For example, she told Rayleigh that penguins can’t fly, and that they keep their eggs between their legs. So, Kelsey made some snow eggs to put between the legs of the snow penguins.

Afterward, Rayleigh decided that she wanted to do some snow-yoga. Personally, I think it looks like she was breakdancing.

The snowfall here was pretty pitiful for this time of year in this area, but we made the best of it!

A few weeks ago we went to The Dome for a local arts festival. We wanted to get a start on our localism Christmas Shopping.  Inside they had a series of 6 inflatable jump houses.  Rayleigh enjoyed all 6 without any hesitation… including this towering climbing wall. The trip had the added benefit of giving me an excuse to check out the venue before my indoor hockey season started.  A few weeks in and I am thoroughly enjoying the night out for adult league hockey.

We are currently in Texas enjoying our vacation. More pictures, posts and videos to be posted in the coming days.

Dillon has had great strides in the past few weeks.  While visiting friends in Connecticut August 25th Dillon perfected his crawling and is now firmly on the move chasing after the big “sisters” and collecting any small stray toys they leave behind.

The following Wednesday, August 29th, after laying him down on a mat we were excited (and scared) to return to him sitting up! Another skill mastered! He can now easily get from stomach seal like position to sitting to play with blocks with ease.

And since about that same week he has been chattering more and more adding consonant-vowel combinations.  I was convinced I’d heard “mama” but was afraid to say anything for fear it was wishful mommy thinking.  Well this Monday, September 10th, I captured the little man on video.  Kevin confirmed I wasn’t just wishing for a talking baby – and since then Dillon has assured me he means it by using his new “command” at naptime, bedtime, and any other time he is tired with the game/toy at hand!

That was going to be the end… but this morning, after nursing and diapering, he was getting tickled, and I noticed his gums were no longer smooth–he had a rather sharp white tooth poking out on the bottom right.  He is no longer toothless!  Although I think we’ll hold the corn on the cob til next year.

P.S. I have been regularly adding photos and albums of our adventures. Feel free to browse.

So I haven’t kept my resolution of a weekly blog post. Here’s my journal entry from yesterday also known as my excuse list!

5:55 am my 7 month old alarm clock goes off. Walk to his room, nurse him to submission (milk comma) put him back in crib.

6:15 am Crawl back into bed, check emails and pretend that I can fall back asleep

6:35 am Rayleigh is awake and Kevin is getting ready

6:36 am Decide I should face the day too

6:40 am Swap laundry, collect diapers, forget to brush teeth

7:00 am Print contract I need to review today, read the first page

7:10 am Wipe up floor from spilled milk (no crying)

7:12 am I Am in the kitchen now so might as well put sweet potatoes in the oven so they have time to cool

7:15 am Rainy day activity brainstorm results in idea to make salt dough

7:30 am Girls have had breakfast, I’m loading dishwasher and having them clean up morning toys to do “activity” while I make salt dough

8:00 am Commence Salt Dough activity

8:30 am Dillon is awake, changed and playing downstairs

9:00 am Decide to make beans for later in the week and to  freeze – start soaking dry beans

9:01 am Girls are done with “activity”

9:15 am Sweet potatoes are done, salt dough is in the oven, table is clean and I’m on page 12 of the contract

9:55 am Change Dillon for his morning nap, decide Rayleigh needs one (nap) or at least quiet time too, switch laundry

10:00 am Call Mom

10:15 am Hang Up on Mom to do daily briefing with the contractors

10:30 am Rayleigh is quietly reading books by herself, Eily and I are reading books  on the couch

10:45 am Eily watches a show to have some quiet time of her own

11:30 am Both girls are watching the last few minutes of the show while I am prepping lunch

11:45 am Lunch is served

12:30 pm Getting ready for naps

12:35 pm All three children are in bed- SHOWER TIME, switch laundry

12:37 pm I hear Dillon waking up and decide to wash hair – and not shave

12:38 pm Realize my clothes are in the room with a not yet sleeping child… I need clothes hence third “daughter” won’t get a nap today

12:45 pm Eily plays while I feed Dillon, beans are cooling

1:oo pm Sweet Potatoes have cooled time to make gnocchi! Eily picks up and washes hands to help.

1:01 pm Realize I have unused carrot greens in the fridge and I should add those to the gnocchi, start to boil water, drain beans which are done cooking

1:02 pm Eily is distracted coming back to the kitchen and plays while I make gnocchi and bag the now drained cooked beans

3:00 pm Finished with 4 trays of gnocchi, all are in the freezer cooling, switch laundry

3:10 pm Rayleigh is awake, drinks and snacks for all while I clean up the kitchen mess

3:30 pm Girls are playing nicely, I decide to start work on the second batch of salsa from Saturday’s 60# tomato purchase

4:15 pm Jessa is home for College of St. Rose, I start prepping dinner, she takes over children entertainment duty

5:00 pm Text from Kevin, he’s stuck at the office, dinner without him

5:15 pm Steam Tempeh for dinner

5:30 pm Start rice for stir-fry in new rice cooker

5:49 pm Rice is done and looks great (OK Kevin you were right it was a good idea!)

6:00 pm Dinner is served

6:22 pm Kevin is packing up to head home, he’ll be home about 7

6:30 pm Rayleigh tosses last bite of broccoli across the room… so begins battle of wills (to be fair she’s only known me for 2 years she couldn’t have known what she was getting into)

6:45 pm  Feed Dillon

7:00 pm J, J & e go for a walk, I pack up leftovers for lunches, clean up the rest of the kitchen, and start back into salsa chopping

7:05 pm Kevin is home eating his dinner, he encourages Rayleigh- still sitting at the table-to eat her (new) bite of broccoli

7:30 pm Decide we are going to a walk too, J.J&e inform us bugs are bad, change our plans for a drive.

7:40 pm Realize our destination is closed and change course

8:10 pm All home again, baths and bedtime routine commence for Rayleigh, Dillon passed out on the way home so I do 7 month photos while he is alseep in the crib (SEVEN MONTHS)

8:40 pm Kevin and I start back in on salsa (thankful it only has to can for 15 mins!)

10:00 pm Kevin is finishing the last of the fresh from our garden hot pepper chopping and I have folded massive laundry pile I accumulated today

11:oo pm Salsa is being canned, Kevin is finishing homemade coleslaw for the week,  we (4) start a new episode of Downtown Abbey

11-12:15 periodic interruptions for kitchen, canning and child crisis’s

12:15 pm Salsa is nearly done, girls (Jessa and I) are out voted on another episode

12:30 Bed , remember I forgot to call mom back

Perhaps tomorrow you’ll get a blog post with some pictures.  As I apparently didn’t learn my lesson yesterday. The camera is in the room with a sleeping child and as all 3 have been sleeping long enough for me to write this post… I’m not messing that up on your account!