January jaunts

It's been a snowy month, but we're enjoying a brief bit of warmer, sunnier weather between storms. Today, the temperature got up to almost 50 degrees! This afternoon, Caden and Dada tromped through the squishy snow to fill the bird feeder wearing baseball caps instead of stocking caps.

Earlier this month, Mama enjoyed a break from the snow in sunny Merida, Mexico, where she attended the International Biogeography Conference. She had a great time meeting new colleagues (she didn't know anyone there before going) and exploring Merida and the Yucutan. A highlight was a tour to the ruins at Chichen Itza.

While Mama was away, Caden and Dada had a great time together. Sal invited us over to have a tasty fish dinner with his family, and Caden had lots of fun playing with Summer and Mae. While Mama was in Mexico, Caden and Dada also had fun playing at the playground, watching the snow fall, dressing like pirates, and reading lots of stories.

Dada's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and we had many of our lab friends over for dinner. Summer, Mae, Chelsea, and Savannah came over with their parents, much to Caden's delight. The older kids are independent enough that they mostly ate and played in the playroom while the adults chatted in the living room, and everyone had a great time. The following day, Mae and Summer visited again in the morning--Sal had to have a tire fixed--then we all headed over to their house. Caden played there while Mama and Dada went cross-country skiing on the railroad trail, then we all enjoyed warm drinks and snacks together.

Last weekend, we were invited to the birthday party of one of Caden's school friends. The party was at an indoor amusement park and pizza place (a local version of Chuck-e-Cheese) called Bonkers. Caden had a wonderful time playing with his friends from the Y, and it was great fun for us to watch him interact with them, as we usually only see them at pick-up or drop-off times. Rides included an indoor carousel and a Ferris wheel. Caden absolutely loved both of them, including the Ferris wheel. We weren't sure how he'd react to the height, but he and his friend Hailey chanted "Again! Again!" whenever the attendant asked them if they were ready to get off.

This past Wednesday, a daytime snowstorm hit, and schools were closed throughout the region. Caden and Dada spent a cozy day at home watching the snow turn our backyard evergreens into, in Caden's words, "Christmas trees." If you look closely, you'll see the cardinals in the snow.