Why am I always playing catch-up?

I love how Robin's artwork is becoming more and more recognizable.  Can you guess this one?

It's a fire truck

And this?

It's Nemo, the fish.

This one is a self-portrait he made at preschool a while back

Long, scruffy bangs.  Time for another haircut!

I thought Liam's feet were so cute, dangling down below the cape and the stool

Ta da!

Having a play group at our house.  The toddlers blasting off for outer space

And the four-year-olds were not to be outdone

Liam convinced Grandpa to get into the rocket!

What great pics!  I love catching Del laughing

A chocolate mess from the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral

Poppa with both boys

A visit to a park with friends

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Liam liked following the geese around

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We tried to feed the geese, but unlike the domestic ones in our neighborhood, these are too used to a diet of white bread and junk food to appreciate our gifts of lettuce

One day while Robin was in preschool, I inagurated Liam into the cookie baking club.  It was the first time he'd ever helped me in the kitchen!

Don't eat the batter!!!

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Getting ready for more time in the snow

Sledding!

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Grammy thought it would be fun to teach Robin how to knit, since he's often interested when he sees his Grammy or Ama doing so.  So she brought him some needles and some bright blue yarn, and she cast on for him, and she's helping him make a wash cloth.  About two stitches at a time :)

Ama helps from time to time, too.  I had to discourage him from doing it when neither of his grandmothers was there (at least so far, until he gets better at it) because I don't knit and therefore can't help him.

Finishing off February

Dean holding the boys

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Close to ten inches in the next snowfall

Robin helped to shovel

...sort of, if you think the grass needed to be shoveled too

Robin tried to sled a bit in the front yard, but there isn't as much of a hill--and my rose bushes awaited him at the bottom (not good for the boy or the bushes)

It worked a bit better once I piled a lot of the snow from the driveway into one big pile.  Good thing this sled has brakes--he needed it!

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Robin had a friend over after school one day, to share lunch and sledding.  Feeding other kids is always tricky, but we got through it.  Here they are, sledding together

Whee!

Then they built a snowman--or I believe it was a snow octopus--together

Ta da!

This indoor play area is at a nearby mall.  I needed to get the kids out of the house on this day.  Liam loved the slide and did it probably ten times in a row

Both boys sliding together

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Liam was proud that he climbed onto this one himself

Robin and Liam, playing together with the St. Patrick's themed sensory bin

Snow!!!!!

We finally got enough snow to play in!  Liam got to try it first, while Robin was in preschool

It took until last winter, when Robin was three, for Robin to be willing to sled down our hill in the backyard.  It also took that long for him to truly appreciate playing in the snow for more than ten minutes.  Kids sure are different.  Liam was 20 months, and absolutely loved this!

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Liam also learned that it's fun to throw snow--especially at Dada

Hee hee hee

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hee hee hee!!!

After preschool and lunch, while Liam napped, Robin took his turn in the backyard snow

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This orange sled can seat two, has brakes, and comes from Dean's childhood.  It was recently unearthed from Dean's parents' old garage, and was delivered to us because we have kids that fit on it.  I have to admit, it's quite a good sled.

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Dean loves this sled

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Attempting to make snowballs with the snowball arsenal maker thingy Robin got for Christmas

Well, after all that snow, we had to come in for some hot chocolate!

Yum!

This is just day one.  I have plenty of other snow pictures, but I think this post is plenty long already, don't you?