Rainy, Cold February Weekend

Friday night you two came home with lunch plans, shopping lists, puppets of yourselves, and a lot of big ideas for the weekend. 

While Mommy was at school on Saturday we had a dance party, and then went to the green spot so Julia could see Girl Scout Cookies with her troop. Aidan, you and I were VERY willing customers. 

We went to Subway for lunch, and we got free sandwiches...because there was a dead rat in the store! Julia you screamed when you saw it, Aidan you thought it looked liked Desperaux (the main character of a book you were reading at school). You both mused on how you'd never seen one before. I hadn't either. So...we have that in common. Free lunch!

Then, Julia went to a playdate with Zoey and Ellie, Aidan you and I played chess (you won) and then we played a game you made up called "pretend chess" (you won too!)

Sunday was another funday. Julia, you set up a spy kit:

Then you tackled Mommy!

While Aidan was on a playdate with the Larson boys, Julia had a private ukulele lesson...from me! We learned two ukulele chords approximating John Lennon's Imagine!

We picked Aidan up and reunited. No matter the weather, no matter the excursions, no matter the temperature, we all can seek shelter together, in the warm, loving arms of our dear, dear family.

Life in Exile- Part 2 - Fun with Yaya and Baba

While this was going on at home...

...THIS was going on at Yaya and Baba's:

That's right...we were having a ball on the second leg of our life in exile.

There was a lot of music and learning and reading going on!

Julia, one day I decided to use Yaya's xylophone to teach you a song. You were way excited, and wanted to learn more and more!

Aidan, you got the reading bug in a BIG way...something clicked with you and you wanted to start reading more and more, and reading bigger and better books. You exclaimed "Dad, I'm a reader now!"

We spent my birthday playing, playgrounding, and Sweettooth Hoteling... and velvet tacoing...

We sang songs, we playgrounded more, we comic booked, we hung out with Yaya and Baba...

Lots of art and notes were made and received too...including these love notes to you, Julia!

These puppets by you Aidan...

And this request from a homesick you, Julia. (note: you did ultimately support me and Mommy going on a date)

Julia, you worked night and day on that frog, and Aidan you worked hard to master the art of the jetplane. 

We did a puzzle, danced about, and had some chess challenges:

All in all, we had a lovely time with your lovely Yaya and Baba...

Before we knew it, it was time to pack up our belongings, our chess set, wash up and head home...

While it was lovely to return to our own home, we'll never forget the fun we had living in exile.

Jumpin' Sunday

One Sunday morning, you both turned into superheroes. Julia, you had CANDY POWER and a little Sister and the powers of sticky power. You were SWEETHEART (and had socks to match, very cleverly). Aidan, you were FIREHEAD with the power of FIRE, then you were WATERMAN with the power of WATER, then you were CAMO-man, who could camouflage himself, and then finally wound up being STICKYMAN with similar CANDYPOWERS to SWEETHEART.

You were abducted by the villanous BOUNCER and taken to his lair- network of obstacles, tunnels, mechanical bulls, trampolines, and balls to dodge,-so he could steal your crystal power from you and never return it. 

Despite a temporary truce on the dodgeball court, the battle continued through the bouncey afternoon:

Victorious, and kind of forgetting about their super hero identities, the two of you were treated to popsicles- where you seemed to battle eachother for some reason? or maybe you were dancing?- and swimming with the now-reformed villain and his better-half.

And then you moved on to your next challenge: battling the CHESSMASTER!