Toads-in-the-Hole

The scene: A rumpled father and his daughter are perusing a picture book about animals.

Joel: And see, every continent has its own animals.

Adelaide: Different animals for different countries.

Joel: Right, kangaroos grew up in Australia, lions grew up in Africa, bears grew up in America-

Adelaide: They grew up there?

Joel: Well, yeah. Australia was just right for kangaroos, so kangaroos grew up there.

Adelaide: And God made them there.

Joel: Oh. Uh, well, a lot of people argue about whether-

Adelaide: And I don't like lions because they can bite you.

Joel: Whew.

Posted by Joel at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Snow Woman

Snow Cave

Snow Sled

We had what I fervently hope is our last snowstorm last night. Given that, and a surprisingly good night of sleep, Adelaide and I felt ambitious enough to pull of the child's winter trifecta. The snow cave is my pride and joy. All winter long I've been piling the driveway snow into a towering hump in the front yard. It's core has become ice, and I was able to hollow out a space large enough for Adelaide to turn around in. "I'm like a bear in a cave with dolls!" she exclaimed, jamming her Cinderella doll into a gap in the wall.

Posted by Joel at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Adelaide continues to look charming with her umbrella and other pink accoutrements.

Henry's got a cheeky new grin (since yesterday) that he's having fun showing off.

(Joel is coping with his fourth Surg Path rotation and I am coping with a case of walking pneumonia. Ophelia continues to teethe on our basement sofa. Nine seems happier now that her litter box is upstairs.)

Good times.

Posted by Aimee at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It just wouldn't be Valentine's Day without sugar cookies and sprinkles, would it? This weekend, Marmee, D, and Erin made the trip down to Iowa City to help us bake a big batch.

The cookies were a hit with everyone, even Ophelia, who snagged a substantial helping when no one was looking. Yum!

In addition to cookie-baking, we celebrated Valentine's Day this year with Henry's baptism. Joel, Adelaide and I look on while Erin - Henry's godmother - positions Henry over the baptismal font to receive Pastor Jan's blessing. With us in spirit, but not in body, is Josh Miron, Henry's godfather. In the background are a collection of Schularicks, friends of our family, who had their new little daughter baptized, too. After the ritual dip, both families celebrated together at the church with lots of coffee, decadent cake, and plenty of chat.

We're freezing a piece of the pink champagne buttercream cake for you, Josh!

Posted by Aimee at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

In addition to playing with the toilet water, Henry's new talents also include sneaking upstairs to play in Adelaide's bedroom all by himself.

It's been a busy weekend around here ... I worked the weekend, caring for four new people and their moms; Joel was on-call for Surg Path and grossed in two Whipples; Adelaide tackled a nasty snappy cough and fever; Ophelia did not make any new friends with our retiree neighbors with her excellent alert barking; Nine - in cahoots with our retiree neighbors - logged her 768th complaint about Ophelia; and Henry found untapped sources of entertainment in the bathroom.

Posted by Aimee at 7:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So, I finally learned to embroider ... or, I ought to say, I am finally learning how to embroider.

My little sis picked up the hobby from a chum and embroidered a cool set of dish towels for my parents' kitchen. "Wow!" I said to myself, "those towels look super cool! I wish I could do that!"

As it turns out, I didn't say it to myself. I said it out loud.

So, now I am embroidering.

I am especially proud of my little french knots.

(Thanks to Sublime Stitching the rad patterns.)

Posted by Aimee at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)