Be Cool Like Todd

School was closed again today, since there's still quite a bit of snow on the ground.  Being the adventurous, fun-loving mom that I am, I dusted five inches of snow off our minivan . . .

. . . and took my kids to the dentist.  One of Todd's brushing-challenged older siblings had a small cavity, but the rest of them passed their dental exams with flying colors.  Then they all got bouncy balls from the toy chest up front, which you can bet they bounced all over our house for the rest of the day.

Be cool like Todd.  Brush your teeth thoroughly every day (or let your mom do it for you).

Snow Day in Spring

Yesterday was the first official day of spring . . .

. . . so naturally, Maryland handed us the biggest snowstorm we've seen since we moved here last summer.  The girls headed outside to play in the snow with the neighbors . . .

. . . while Daniel stayed warm inside with the dance pad.

After Joy came inside and thawed out, she and Daddy squared off in a game of chess.

I think Daddy's going to win.

Smile!

Uncle Mark and Aunt Connie are here to visit!

Smile for the camera!

Or something. :-/

Todd's Buddies

When Todd and I ran some errands after Joy School today . . .

. . . Todd decided to bring Doggy and Tiger along . . .

. . . 'cuz you never know when you might need a pink tiger at the grocery store.

Scouting for Food

Daniel's Cub Scout troop did a "Scouting for Food" service project this morning.  Last week they left grocery bags and notes at people's front doors, and today they returned to pick up any food people wished to donate to a local food pantry.  At the first few housing complexes we visited, there were only a couple bags and ten eager kids running to collect them.  The faster kids got the bags every time, and Daniel was feeling a bit discouraged (and possibly resentful of his mother for urging him to go out into literally freezing weather when his help wasn't actually needed).

Fortunately, the last complex we went to had lots of food bags, and Daniel was able to gather a couple of them (with his little brother and sister along to keep him company).

The troop collected a lot of food to donate . . .

. . . then they enjoyed some well-earned donut holes.

Reading Day

The big kids' school invited parents to come read in their children's classrooms today.  I couldn't make it to all three of my kids' classes . . .

. . . but I was able to read two of our favorite Elephant and Piggie books to Anna's class.  It was delightful to share these fun books with Anna's classmates, using a different silly voice for each character. The kids even wrote me thank you notes afterward, which was really sweet.

Spring is Coming

We're slowly edging closer to spring in Maryland.

The crocuses are blooming.

The daffodils are THINKING about blooming.

And our temple is closing.  This Saturday will be the last day it's open before it undergoes a two-year renovation.  While Todd was at preschool today, I made one last trip to the Washington DC Temple before it starts "hibernating," just as everything else around here is starting to wake up.  Sleep well, Friend.