Tube Sock Snowmen

Today I did a craft project wit the kids. I don't do many project with them because I am not crafty. Lydia loves crafts and makes up her own projects.  I got this snowman idea from a friend who is very talented.  She even gave me the supplies.

First the kids stuffed tube socks full of "crafting filling" or something.  Then I tied a knot in the sock and pulled the opening of the sock down for a hat.  We tied a ribbon around the socks for scarves.  The kids glued on the eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons.

I helped Josiah glue on one eye but he did the rest of the gluing.

Lydia with her snowman.

Josiah showed his snowman some love.  I couldn't get a good picture of the snowman because he just wanted to hug him.  Sweet.

Wesley with his snowman.

Wesley's, Lydia's, and Josiah's.  Each snowman reflects their different styles.

The kids loved this project and Lydia asked if we could do it every year.  Maybe one year they will get to make real snowmen.

Dress Your Best

Today was "Dress Your Best" day at school. Wesley wanted to wear the blazer Jacob gave him.

Lydia wanted to wear one of her twirling dresses.

Notice her princess pose.

She came home with a side ponytail.  She has been experimenting with doing her own ponytails.

She also came home with another tooth missing.  When she came up to the car after school, she was crying and I first thought her lip was bleeding.  Somehow, Wesley was making one of his grand moves and was jabbing the air with his fist and she walked right into it.  I know this sounds unlikely but this is what both of them are saying happened.  It turned out her lip wasn't bleeding, but the gum around her already very loose tooth was bleeding.  I was able to easily pull the tooth right out and it quickly stopped bleeding.  She thinks the whole episode was very funny and she is thrilled to have lost another tooth (four total).

Water Play

Josiah loves to play in the sink. He often says, "I need to wash my hands." I don't think he really cares as much about cleaning his hands as he does playing in the water.

He recently figured out that he could fill the sink with bubbles if he used enough of the the foam soap.

Josiah loves to find cups by the sink.  He likes filling them up for drinks of water and dumping the water into another cup.

He also dumps them in the sink.  The counter around the sink and his shirt usually get soaked.

This all started almost a year ago.  The first time, he figured out how to turn on the water was February 11, 2012.  He was only 18 months old.

 At this point, he couldn't pump the soap by himself.

I think we need to take him to an indoor water park soon.

Bowling

Tonight we took the kids bowling with Wesley's cub scout den.  At first, Josiah was very into bowling.

Lydia really liked it.

Wesley liked bowling but he was frustrated that he didn't do as well as he wanted.  I tried to remind him that it's been three years since he last bowled and that real bowling is a lot harder than Wii bowling.

There were two lanes of younger siblings.

And two lanes of the older boys.

Chris and I took turns helping Josiah.

Lydia also helped him.

A picture of the boys in the den.  Wesley is showing his "I'm mad because I'm very hungry" face.

We might try bowling as family.  After a big meal when no one is hungry.  Or maybe we will just eat pizza there in the middle of bowling.

Jones Point Park

Today was a beautiful day to go outside and play. It was 45 degrees, but it felt warmer in the sunshine. We went to Jones Point in Alexandria. The park has been on my list of places to visit for several months now and I am glad we finally made it there.  Lydia is already asking to go back and have a picnic.  

 Lydia wanted to show us that she can now swing all by herself.

This is the playground for younger kids but Wesley still had fun.  He was pretending to be captain of a ship and Lydia and Josiah went right along with him.

 Somehow Josiah managed not to get hurt despite how rough and high and fast the older kids were making the dolphin teeter totter go, sometimes even while he was trying to get on or off.   

Josiah really liked the periscope.

This is the older kids playground.  Josiah wasn't tall enough to make it past the first ring.

There is a cool spinning thing.

Chris gave it a whirl.

Wesley also climbed on the spider web.

Wesley's favorite thing was this bouncy thing.

Josiah needed to help to not be bounced right off.

This is the best picture I got of the kids at the lighthouse.

Here is a picture of the plaque from one of the boundary stones.  I would like to bury jealousy and selfishness forever!

Looking across the river to the National Harbor.

Another attempt at a picture of the kids.

I'm glad we got outside today.  The next few days, the temperature won't get out of the twenties.  How much longer until summer?

Vegas

Chris and I spent a long weekend in Vegas at the Mandarin Oriental which is now my favorite hotel.  It was beautiful and very quiet and relaxing.  The first three nights, we ended the night at the hotel bar.  It's on the 23rd floor and has a nice view of the strip.

This was our room. I wish I had taken a picture when we first checked in but this is how it looked when we left.

There is never a coffee maker in the hotel rooms in Vegas because they want you downstairs in the casino.  You usually have to walk through the casino to get to the front desk or any type of food service place.  The Mandarin doesn't have a casino but it also doesn't have coffee makers in the rooms.  They offer free coffee from six to eight every morning.  They do have electric tea kettles and tea in the rooms so I had hot tea in the afternoons.

This was the pretty bathroom.

 We had a view of the south part of the strip.

On Friday, Chris had something to do for work, so I went to spa.  After working out, I enjoyed the spa and a hot stone massage.  My first massage in four years!  It was wonderful.

We stopped by Todd English's P.U.B. for happy hour that afternoon.

We enjoyed a beer and the tuna tartar appetizer.  Later that night, we ate at Rao's in Caesar's which was also wonderful.

It's the year of the snake.  The Bellagio Conservatory was decorated for the Chinese New Year.

I loved watching the Today Show and getting to work out every morning.  It was so relaxing. It's just a slower pace without the kiddos.

We enjoyed the brunch at the Bellagio on Saturday.  That night we had a very over-priced, but delicious, sushi dinner at barMasa in Aria.  Later, we saw the new Cirque show, Zarkana.  It was awesome!

For lunch on Sunday, we ate at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris.  The prime steak sandwich was very, very good.  We might have to visit the restaurant in Bethesda or Reston so I can have that sandwich again.

We walked around some on Saturday and Sunday.  The shoppes at Palazzo were also decorated for the Chinese New Year.

The Wynn had several of these beautiful flower balls.

Here is a picture of us squinting into the sun outside the Wynn.

Sunday night we ate dinner at Javier's in Aria.  The food was delicious but I would love to go there again for their jalapeno margarita - my favorite drink ever!  

All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Vegas and head home.

The kids had a great time with Chris' parents and I don't think they missed us at all.