Week 3: Just warming up

It feels like only now are we starting to get into the groove of this new year. Winter and early spring months are typically the calmest around here, so I'm definitely strategizing how to make the most of this relative down time. The beginning of last week I was still at Jen's; the rest of the photos are from cub scouts, a skype call with Abby, playdate/babysitting swap, and yesterday's trip to a playground. We had to take advantage of the warmer weather!

Week 2: Charlotte singing

Last weekend I went to Jen's for a visit and Frank stayed home with the kids. She and I went out with some friends, visited with her and Andy's family, worked on the nursery for baby boy (no name yet), and got pedicures. Earlier in the week Frank and I had the excitement of ordering my new computer. Other than that, it's just school, video games, and Charlotte having a bit too much energy for me to keep up with.

Week 1: The family photo

We're not doing much since Christmas. It's cold, and all we want to do is sit by the fireplace and play video games or watch TV. It snowed a little, and there was no school on Friday. We are reminding the boys (over and over) that they don't need tablets everyday when they have dozens of new toys and games to play. The struggle is real, apparently.

I'm really happy with the photo we took this year. I only had to swap out one person! The outtakes are always really funny :)

We realized we took very few photos this Christmas, and essentially none of the tree.

So 2016. Silly photo = dabbing.

One of those images where your baby starts to look like a big kid.

Gabe stayed in. I don't blame him.

This was unexpected. I knew Charlotte had fallen asleep during quiet time, I just didn't know that she'd climbed into her rubbermaid tote full of stuffed animals.

Weeks 51 & 52: Some more of the elf, and other visitors

Christmas (and before and after) highlights. Happy 2017, everybody!

Minecraft play dates

Day 18: The closest she got to TPing anything.

Day 19: Flossing mishap on the bathroom shelf

Charlotte's first experience with a three-sided mirror at Target was priceless. "There's two a me. There's three a me! Mommy! There's ten a me!!"

Day 20: The kids loved her climbing up the window.

Day 21: Playing with Gabe's Minecraft toys

Gabe's class holiday party

Day 22: On Charlotte's dresser. She was fine with the elf there all day, then got sort of creeped out at bedtime.

Day 23: Ally was running out of places to hide.

Playing lots of video games together. Or trying to, and then fighting about it.

Building gingerbread houses

Styrofoam for Charlotte.

The boys got their own icing bags this year, then used them for about 5 seconds before declaring their houses completed.

Day 24: A goodbye letter to the kids. Charlotte was really upset that the elf was using her megablock car.

Sprinkling reindeer food

Charlotte's not sure it's actually going to attract any reindeer.

The blur of Christmas day

Grandma, Emily, Bailey, and Nathan arrived two days later.

Zach's crystal (still need a photo of the result)

Gabe's Minecraft Lego set

Charlotte's jewelry

Nathan's code-a-pillar

Grandma's birthday

Watched lots of movies

Played lots of trains

Zach and Bailey played in the snow

Wah hoo! New TV!

Dress-up was hilarious

To infinity and beyond!

Chili's

New Year's Eve fondue

and a magic show

Sending 2016 off in style!