Easter 2016

Our Easter Celebration always begins with our traditional Seder the Sunday or before Easter. I love the Seder because it is a very special way to remember our Savior as we begin Holy Week.  Plus, I think of all our family traditions, the kids adore the Seder most of all, which makes my heart very happy. This year we were all sick but we forged on anyway, albeit in pajamas and with wild hair. For detailed instructions about how to host an Easter Seder visit our Seders past, HERE or HERE!

We only made time for one Spring/Easter craft (this whole working thing has really cramped my style), but I think it is adorable.

The Saturday night before Easter around 9;30, just after everyone had showered and gotten ready for bed, Harley reminded us we desperately needed to color eggs and since she is in charge, that's what we did!

Sunday morning the Easter Bunny came and I tortured the children by making them take pictures in their Easter finery, before partaking of our Easter feast, which for some reason, always consists of a  supermarket cake.  This year's was particularly precious!

 

Our October Tradition

 October is here and it is one of my favorite months. The weather is perfect. I can officially break out the sweaters and hot chocolate.  Plus there is pumpkin and apple flavored everything.  One of our October traditions is the building of Pumpkin Head followed by donuts, cider and the watching of Spookley the Square Pumpkin.

Pumpkinville 2014

It doesn't really feel like fall until we make our pilgrimage to Pumpkinville.  So, now it is official!  Did we have a good time? I'll let the pictures do the talking.

National Book Festival

We made our annual pilgrimage to the Library of Congress' National Book Festival this weekend. The festival moved from the National Mall to the Washington Convention Center this year and I am still trying to decide if that is better or worse. The highlights of our day included:  

1. Visiting of the Hall of States where Atley collected maps from each of the fifty states and from all the U.S. Territories

2. Exploring the PBS Kids Booth where Harley got to meet Peg and Cat, plus Curious George

3.  Meeting Captain Underpants and having his author sign our Captain Underpants book

4. Getting lots of free books, pencils, coloring books, book marks, stickers, buttons, rulers, posters, etc.

5. Lounging on the comfy bean bags enjoying our books

3.14-Pi Day

Happy 3.14! The only day when having pie for dinner is perfectly acceptable and a family tradition. May I just add it couldn't have come at a better time, after getting a call from one son's teacher, an e-mail from another son's teacher, an unrelated fight at the bus stop where one of the aforementioned son's was beat-up by a girl and a 3 year old that has decided she no longer wants to be potty trained and prefers that we call her Lady Bug Dracula-I really needed a sugar fix.

A Change of Season

I have noticed that with each change of season come the annual events that have gradually become our traditions as a family--summer trips to Colorado, first days of school,  playing in the fallen leaves, winter's first snowfall, Christmas Eve, Kite Festival, and the inevitable first creature- captures of spring.  On the cusp of my 35th birthday, I somehow find it comforting that each change of season brings something new and exciting and the chance to solidify these little traditions with my children.  With spring we have already captured a furry fat caterpillar that we named Fuzzo. We watched it build a chrysalis and turn into a beautiful yellow and black butterfly that has been fluttering around our backyard for 4 days straight. Yet, he keeps eluding my camera lens.  We have also caught exactly 3 noisy toads and 45 million worms and grubs. Today came our first turtle of the season.  He was an exceptional afternoon playmate for the children and I couldn't help but take lots of photos of our annual turtle tradition.

Christmas Eve 2012

We spent most of Christmas Eve driving home from New York City and feeling deathly ill. Unfortunately, for Scott and I this will be the Christmas we remember as being the sickest we have ever felt.  The kids were sick too but seemed to handle it better than us.  We are all still feeling pretty horrible three days later and since the doctor says it is JUST the flu, we have no choice but to tough it out.  

Christmas Eve the kids got to open one present-their pajamas, a game, and a Christmas book.  We mustered enough energy to read the book, play one round of the game and snap a few pictures before collapsing into our beds heavily medicated.

Christmas Trains at the National Botanical Gardens

Visiting the train exhibit is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  The National Botanical Gardens are right below the U.S. Capitol and their Christmas Exhibit is always exquisite.  This year was a fairy theme, which Harley loved and the boys pretended not to love.

This is one of my favorite pictures of late. It pretty much sums up my life-Atley is never quite paying attention, Nash is generally plotting something very mischievous, and Harley is picking her nose or doing something just as unladylike while I am smiling/faking my way through it all.

Turkey Day

We went to one of our favorite local restaurants, J. Gilbert's for Thanksgiving. We did the same last year and I would be perfectly fine if it became a yearly tradition, although we would love to have some family or friends join us.  We have lots to be thankful for this year, as always. Those things include, but are not limited to, the prime rib, turkey, salmon, potatoes, pie, and chocolate we inhaled this afternoon.

"LEAVE" Me Alone

Sometimes it feels like leaves are the bane of our existence in the fall, but without them we couldn't take photos of the boys working and playing in them.  I guess leaves aren't so bad afterall.