January photo dump

We got a tiny bit of snow! That doesn't happen much in these parts.

Any guesses how the Idaho transplant felt about the cold snow?

We decided to sign Kevin and Heidi up for once-a-week swimming lessons. They are making good progress. With traveling last year and moving the year before, learning to swim got put on the back burner for too long.

Kevin had fun making this plane with the brain flakes.

The tail:

Bathroom mirror selfie at eight months pregnant!

Ann Marie came with me to a doctor appointment. I was dizzy that day and we had to wait a while, so when Ann Marie started looking in the "telescope" I let it happen. When the doctor came in he actually just smiled and said, "Oh, we're looking in the telescope, how fun!" I think this was the last time I brought Ann Marie with me because I was getting cervix checks every time, but the doctor asked me every time why I didn't bring her.

I braved Science Night at the school with the three kids. We had a fun time.

Making brain cell cookies:

We made rockets from straws, duct tape, and craft foam. I got the idea here. The kids all enjoyed it.

Kirk and Eliza Visit

We were excited to have Ryan's sister Eliza's family come visit us after Christmas!

We took them to see the locks at the Augusta Canal.

This picture of Ryan's turned out really well:

Heidi and Ann Marie loved their cousin Lucy.

We came home for lunch and then went to see the Augusta Museum of History. The kids' favorite exhibits were the trolley car and the train. That's where they spent most of the time.

Here is Kevin trying to lift a pack that was carried by a Civil War soldier.

When we came home, Eliza helped me figure out my new Instant Pot and we made some chicken for taco salads. It helped me out a lot because it's a different way of cooking and I was scared to try it.

Playing in the playroom:

Christmas Eve/Christmas 2017

I forgot to share this video in my last photo dump post. Ryan made a Leyden jar and got all the kids to touch it. That's what it's like when your dad teaches physics labs. I refused to try it on the grounds that I'm pregnant. Yes, Heidi was exaggerating.

 

We had the Christmas program in Sacrament meeting on the morning of Christmas Eve, and that was the end of church for that Sunday. It was such a relief to have the program out of the way.

In the afternoon the kids and I decorated sugar cookies. We had some fun sprinkles and ended up with some pretty cookies and some pretty interesting cookies. The kitchen looked like Candyland.

We delivered cookies to some of the neighbors and some friends in the ward. Maybe to some people this is a small thing, but for introverts like us it takes a bit of effort to get the courage to go knock on someone's door to give them cookies. The neighbors were very appreciative, though, and I was glad we did it because we don't talk to them enough.

For dinner we had potato soup, rolls, and our traditional cheese ball and wassail. I thought the cheese ball looked pretty rolled in the slivered almonds this year.

We did the nativity with the kids. Kevin was Joseph (he insisted on getting tools and building things because Joseph was a carpenter), Heidi was Mary, and Ann Marie was the angel. Ann Marie finally consented to dress up when I offered one of my white shirts as her costume.

Then we got the kids put to bed and worked on getting Christmas presents put out. I actually worked on wrapping presents ahead of time, so everything was pretty much ready to go under the tree.

I always want the magic of the present-opening to last longer, but the kids went so fast that it was over pretty quickly. But then there was the magic of everyone playing with their new presents for the rest of the day, which is also lovely.

We received so many lovely packages from people and had a very full Christmas.

The girls both got Barbies. It turns out that Barbies don't have obnoxious baby doll voices like their dolls do, which to Ryan and me is a bonus. They played with them for hours.

Ryan gave me an Instant Pot. I was completely surprised! I didn't expect it at all. It's turned out to be pretty handy in the kitchen. I actually haven't taken it off the counter to put it away because I use it at least a few times a week. I kind of want to giggle like I got away with something when I use it to make mashed potatoes because it's so easy and there's no starchy mess all over the stove. I also really like it for "boiled" eggs because I can time them exactly and they're super easy to peel. I'm still trying out recipes and figuring out how to use it, but it's been fun.

Kevin got modeling clay and Legos from us. I gave Ryan a book and some water beads (which was a random gift, but it was on his wish list, and as I expected they've been interesting to play around with).

We got the game Forbidden Desert for a family gift. Kevin really enjoys it.

These are called Brain Flakes, and they're very fun. They were a family gift. I think if the kids asked I said that these were Santa's gift (because they were the only present nobody saw before Christmas . . . I'm not good at hiding presents). I think I played with them more than the kids on Christmas. One thing I've learned is that if I'm going to play with the kids, it's a lot easier if we have toys that I like playing with too. I made this little person.