Deja Vu

After enjoying a winter break 

filled with snow, D&D, and a haircut,

the kids went back to school yesterday.

Then we got a bunch more snow (which canceled class today),

so we played more D&D

(we defeated the yellow zombies,

then explored a spooky cave) . . .

. . . and one more Hendrickson got a haircut.

This time, I did the honors. :)

We also spent this final day of February . . .

. . . making some heart-shaped cocoa bombs . . .

. . . so we could sip hot cocoa

while slinging spells at D&D skeletons.

So long, February!

Thanks for the fun memories!

That's No Dog

When I arrived home from the store today,

I thought I saw my neighbor's dog in his front yard.

Then I looked closer and realized . . .

. . . that's no dog.

It's a bobcat!

Going Short Again

Anna hasn't had a haircut in nearly three years.
I trimmed her hair short right after the pandemic shutdown

(we couldn't leave the house--might as well give the kids haircuts!) . . .

. . . but since then she's opted to let it grow out.

Long hair is a nice look for her . . .

. . . but lately she's been looking at old pictures 

like this one from Easter in 2020,

and talking about how much she wants to try a short haircut again.

So she went to her very first appointment with a hairstylist this afternoon.

Before shot ^^^

After shot^^^

When I saw how the haircut turned out, I had two thoughts:

1) It looks the same as when I cut it!  I'm just gonna trim her hair myself next time!

2) I'm so used to Anna having long hair that I can't quite wrap my head around 

her having a short little bob again.

She likes it though, and that's what matters!

Snow and Zombies

The weather has been all over the place this week.

MONDAY: So warm and sunny that we went for a hike

and joked that it felt like Spring Break.

TUESDAY: Mother Nature says,

"Nope, it's definitely Winter Break."

Wednesday: Warm again! All the pretty snow melts away.

Thursday: More snow! Enough to go sledding

at the hill by the library!

Then we went home so Daniel could lead 

his first full-fledged D&D session for us.

Will our intrepid adventurers

defeat the scary yellow zombies?

Tune in next week to find out!

From Alewife to The Common

On their second day of winter break,

Joy and Anna asked if we could ride the subway into Boston.

The boys opted to stay home while we girls went on an adventure

to Alewife Station . . .

. . . and across the Charles River . . .

. . . to Boston Common.

We spent a little time in the Chinatown Branch

of the Boston Public Library,

before buying food at a cafe 

and then catching the train back to Alewife.

We had a great time exploring new places . . .

. . . and pondering deep questions like,

"Why is this sidewalk hollow?"

and

"Why does anyone need to warn drivers not to park on sidewalk???"

I know it's hard to find a parking spot in Boston,

but really now.

On (and Off) the Boardwalks

Today was the first day of the kids' winter break.

(Is Massachusetts the only place that takes a week off of school in February?)

The fifty-degree weather was so beautiful that we decided to go on a family hike.

We had never hiked this trail before, and we got a little lost at one point,

but we soon found a marked tree that helped us get back on track.

Part of the trail was on boardwalks through some wetlands.

It will probably be a great spot for birdwatching in a month or two . . .

. . . but for now, the temps are still so cold most days

that the ice on the marsh hasn't melted yet.

Near the end of our hike, we found a little bench

and decided to stop and have a snack.

The little bench was kind of crowded . . .

. . . so Daniel and Todd went over to sit on a stump with Daddy.

The stump looked just as crowded to me as the bench was,

but I guess they liked sitting with Daddy so much that they didn't mind.

The Carrot Train

For tonight's FHE activity, we set up a treat train the basement.

The kids connected the tracks,

(and Daddy explained how to fix one of the loops

so it wouldn't cancel out the electric current) . . .

. . . then we loaded up the cars

with Tollhouse cookie bars, peppermint bark, peppermint almonds,

and baby carrots ('cuz that makes it a healthy activity).

Daddy carefully set the train cars on the tracks 

and connected them together . . .

. . . then he drove the train around the track,

stopping periodically in front of each of us so we could choose some treats.

After a few rounds, he let the kids have a turn at the controls.

Everyone had a great time.

We even invited the squishmallows downstairs

so they could see how much fun we were having

eating carrots (and other stuff).

Mario Life and Paper Candy

We celebrated Daniel's 14th birthday last night!

Joy's flaming daisy candle was such a hit

that I decided to try another quirky candle for Daniel: sprinkle cannons!!!

Alas, the sprinkle "blast" was so weak that we barely noticed it,

and the sprinkles tasted like burnt plastic.

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn.

Daniel said he didn't want any candy for his birthday,

but I thought of one kind he might like.

My birthday card to him asked, 

"Are you sure . . ."

". . . that you don't want candy for your birthday?"

He doesn't look very sure to me.

One thing Daniel was certain about was that he wanted The Game of Life.

I felt torn, because I wanted to buy him the gift he requested, 

but I personally detest that board game.

Fortunately, Daddy suggested a brilliant compromise:

The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition!

Happy birthday, Daniel!

I love your creative games, your love of music,

and your deep desire to live with integrity.

Cici Says

Last night's FHE activity was a game called "Cici Says."

We stood in a circle,

and each took a turn telling the group . . .

. . . to do something our parakeet Cici would do

(like preen your feathers, stand on one foot, or try to peck someone).

Since Cici is a hyper, nutty bird,

we decided that each new instruction should get added to the others . . .

. . . so by the end of each round you're trying to do several crazy things at the same time

(while trying not to fall over).

Once the round is over, all of the commands are canceled,

then a new "Cici" begins the cycle of chaos all over again.

Actual Cici: "Humans are sure weird."

Actual Tia: "No joke."

Cookbooks

Back in 2008, I printed up some of my recipes in a spiralbound cookbook

(I even had the hutzpah to sell it at a local boutique).

I printed another edition a year later, and a third in 2012.

Most of my recipes reside on my phone now . . .

. . . but my kids occasionally pull out the old paper cookbooks

when they want to cook an old favorite recipe.

Today they went looking for cookie ideas . . .

. . . but then ended up just squirting Reddi Whip on Pirouette wafers.

Sometimes the "easy and novel" option beats "homemade and familiar."

Birthday Gift Hacks

My name is Kimberly, and I am gift challenged.

I like giving gifts to people,

but I have a hard time thinking of things they might like to receive,

especially if the person is a child I barely know

who invited one of my offspring to their birthday party.

My kids rarely know what to get their friends, and I don't either.

The good news is that I've finally found a solution to that problem: dollar bill origami.

Money is the ultimate practical gift, 

and folding it in a cool shape makes it fun and personal too.

I ask each birthday friend's mom what their child is interested in, and what their favorite treat is,

then YouTube helps me fold $5 bills into shapes the friends might enjoy.

Daniel likes the treat part of that plan, 

but he prefers to decorate the box himself.

Fine by me.

Arctic Blast

We've had a fairly mild winter so far this year.

Don't get me wrong--no one is going to mistake our town for the tropics,

but we haven't had many of the bitter cold days that can make winter feel bleak and miserable.

Then temperatures abruptly took a nosedive this weekend.

Nighttime lows will return to the more civilized 20s in a couple days,

but tonight it's 13 degrees BELOW zero . . .

. . . with a wicked windchill

(see crazy number in lower left corner).

A notice from the Weather Service warned that exposed skin could develop frostbite

in as little as 10 minutes at these temperatures.

Needless to say,

we are holed up indoors tonight,

with our pellet stove burning merrily . . .

. . . and a space heater going in our dining room

to keep our little parakeets from getting dangerously cold.

When my ministering sister texted to make sure 

we were prepared for this weekend's "arctic blast,"

she jokingly asked if she should bring us any hot cocoa.

I assured her we were all set on that front.

"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."