Spring: where....arrrrrre....youuuuuuuuu??

 It is still unseasonably cold out, but that doesn't stop the kids from playing on their new play set out back. 

 My company was between office spaces in February, so I spent some time in Connecticut with the fam.

 The kids love their lola/grandpa's house that has a ton of room to run around, with stairs to climb up and a basement that seems to multiply toys every time we come and visit...

 Zoe is still enamored with puzzles.  I found the hat she's wearing at a store in New Canaan and she insisted on wearing it everywhere, including to bed! 

 The 6+ hour drive was actually a whole lot easier than I was expecting.  I'm not a fan of being in a car at all, but this trip was so mellow I actually enjoyed it, and the kids spun tall tales in the back and got excited every time they say a "super big water balloon" (water towers) and especially the planes coming in around Newark.  We stopped somewhere in New Jersey for monster pretzels (verdict: look good, task horrid) and overpriced fruit/veg juice (verdict: worth every penny). 

 Around the corner from the house in Virginia is a local Pancake House.  I took the kids there one Friday morning after having one of those work weeks where I felt like I barely saw them.  They ate every last bit of the pancakes, sausage, and eggs.  

 We spent a chill afternoon one Sunday on top of the swing set fort.  Caleb likes to lie down and watch the clouds move across the sky and call out what shapes or animals they are making.  Who doesn't remember doing that as a kid? It was a lot of fun lying up there with him, picking out elephants and dinosaurs and Bruce (the shark from Nemo) in cloud form.  I'm pretty sure we capped off the day like we usually do on at least one weekend day: going out to eat at Four Sisters (pho) or the Beach Shack (shrimp) or order in Punjab Dhaba (Indian yum-yums).

 Higher, daddy!!!!

 A few weekends ago, we went to a fundraiser at a local Mason lodge for one of Scott's workmate's who is battling cancer.  A local high school band came out and played recent rock covers (no GnR or Bon Jovi, what's with these kids??) Zoe was totally jamming out, watching every move and completely taken with the music.  It was good re-connecting with old friends. 

 How young is too young for guitar lessons?

 So...we kind of take the kids out for a lot of meals...or maybe we just think to take pics when we're out at restaurants.  We have a local Mexican place where they love the kiddos. Zoe is yet again in another dress. She's entered something of a "dresses only" phase...and wrestling tights on is just crazy, presenting reason #1,598 that we're READY FOR SPRING.  

 Thanks for the ice cream, daddy. 

Blast off! In the past month or so, the kids have really taken off with the little make-believe stories they tell, and get so engrossed in playing.  Everything is a rocket ship or we're being chased by dragons or the lights are fairies etc. etc.