Oliver's Birthday and February

Celebrated Oliver's 4th birthday last Monday

Thank you for your lovely cards, gifts, messages - he loved it!

Badge, Cap and book from Miss Heather's class

I made a triple layer, Red Waldorf Cake 

with his name and age in Almond Marzipan

G & G Parker sent fun capes and masks and glowing gloves

Singing Happy Birthday

(Cora added some homemade zip tie loop decorations and a unicorn to the cake)

Aaron gave Ollie a "Peep Pop"

He was WIRED on sugar!

Other happenings this month:

We tapped our maple trees last Wednesday

It was something we always wanted to try, and we had a lot of fun doing it!

After a few days collecting, I boiled down 3 gallons of sap to make about 1 1/2 cups of syrup. 

I could have reduced it even still, but it was fresh and delicious and lightly sweet on our waffles.  

Very much enjoyed it!  

Next time we need to boil outside.  It really did make our kitchen/living room into a sauna.  We kept having to open the windows and doors.

These fingers are loving the piano.....and.....(see how dirty?) building mountain biking trails too....yep....even in winter.

Aaron is working on several pieces, but I'm most excited that he has offered to play "Gethsemane" for the Easter Program at church.

Sweetie season is only 2 weeks long!  So delicious!!

Thanks Auntie Ahn!

Ollie and I have been playing several board games each day.

We pulled out the classic "Hotels"

Cora had to plan and build a bridge.  I helped her build a toothpick one.  

It was mighty strong for a lightweight little guy.  This watterbottle is full.

When kids are home for snow day homeschooling, this is what the house looks like.

Little crazy.

Betty gifted the kids homemade blankets!  Aren't they beautiful!?

For Valentine's Day, I made a homemade cherry pie with real whipped cream.

Ollie wanted a dinosaur instead of a heart, so that's his on the right. :)

Aaron, Timmy and I had a wonderful day at Cannon Mtn.

The trees looked like a fairy tale.

Valentine's bags from school

I couldn't figure out why there was an R instead of a U or a YOU.

Can you figure it out?  Ollie showed me.

Tim has Home Ec and has some food making assignments.  We made a microwaved coffee cake.

Sledding our backyard is a great adventure.  Don't miss the bridge!

Scott pulled out the old kiteboard and tried it out on Cobbett's Pond.  

It was slushy and icy, slushy and icy.  He got pretty sore.

Other winter moments:  Sending Timmy Cross country skiing on his own for the first time

Aaron's rocking "sitting" snowman.