Family fun in the sun

We just got from a wonderful week vacation with the extended family in Florida. We've been to the Alden Beach Resort at St. Pete Beach twice before with one side of the family. This time we went there with the other side of the family. Last Saturday, we arrived and met the grandparents at the Tampa airport. Late that night, Aunt Sonja and "the cousins" arrived. We had six days of fun and relaxation.

Poor Elaine wasn't used to walking in the outdoors without boots. She refused to walk on the sand, regardless of whether she wore sandals or went barefoot. I had to carry her on the beach and she would only sit down on a blanket. Once there, she loved spooning out sand and sorting sea shells for hours.

Meredith loved building castles, finding shells, and jumping in the ocean--especially with Zach. Meredith spent countless hours in the pool too. Both girls never wanted to leave the pool. Every time Elaine caught sight of the pool she desperately wanted to get in it.

We saw a dolphin. We saw pelicans and fishing hawks and storks and egrets and lizards--all within 100 yards of our room. The week also featured a trip to the zoo in Tampa and a eco-boat ride and an eco-safari adventure involving ziplines. Jen was interviewed by a local television station on the latter one. Meredith fed a giraffe at the zoo (it had a blue tongue!) and allowed a parrot to sit on her head for a bit.

While enjoying the sunset on the beach one evening, we turned around to see the space shuttle taking off on the other side of Florida. Meredith thought that was pretty cool.

The girls were excellent travelers and we dealt with minimal tantrums from kids and adults alike!

All an all, a great, relaxing time. Pictures to be posted soon.

More recent pictures

Valentine's fun

It's raining a cold, thin rain outside tonight. In Minnesota this is a joyous sign of spring! Here's some of the highlights of what we've been up to in recent weeks:

--Derek has planted his tomato and sunflower seeds in the basement under UV lights, hoping they will get a head start towards our too-short summer. There is a lot of dirt down there, nestled in old sour cream containers.

--We have enjoyed the karoake machine that I got for Christmas! Mer's standby is "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees.

--We had a 612-neighbors progressive Valentine's Day dinner, and the men cooked: Derek did a wonderful tomato-basil soup and assortment of gourmet cheeses; Tim made a mushroom risotto and sea bass with pine nuts and raisins; and Frank did cheesecake with choice of toppings (freshly reduced blueberry sauce, freshly reduced strawberry sauce, or chocolate sauce). We had five couples (Derek's folks and John and Ericka joined), and the six kids rampaged through each house in turn. It was really lovely! Some pics are below. The unofficial 612-neighbors motto: su casa mi casa.



--I am deep in my busy season at work (10-K and proxy season), but am really enjoying being a securities lawyer and the people I work with. And in these tough economic times, I am also glad to have a job. Hopefully that will continue.

--For Martin Luther King Day, Mer and I both had the day off, so we spent all day at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Mer is still fascinated by dinosaurs, but even more by the human body, and she has a quick and deliberative mind for the medical problems posed by one exhibit, in particular. She also enjoyed learning to weave, and after we got home she picked up a beginner sewing project and did a nice job.



--Elly's speech is really taking off, though she still says quite a lot that we don't quite understand. She enjoys pointing out dinosaurs, butterflies, stars and hearts whenever they are present (today's tour of an elementary school was an exciting one for Elly). She is also particular about her food and the arrangement of her blankets at night, which makes us very tired. But, she often says 'tank you!' in such a sweet little voice that it is worth it.

-JRR

milestones

January's starting off as a month of sickness for our family. Here's to hopes that we have all got our antibodies built up and can go another month or two before it makes the rounds again. But as Derek and I do dishes and blow our noses once again, our little girls are growing up. Here's what they are up to:

Meredith, at 5 years and 3 months, likes to:
--read her Easy Reader books to Derek and I, and "read" much more elaborate books to her sister after bedtime
--do art projects: making an intricate gingerbread house with Grandma was a favorite, as was the Bendaroos (sort of clay pipe cleaners) she received for Christmas
--sing enthusiastically into the mike of our new karoake machine, and make up words if necessary
--wake up very slowly in the mornings.

And she's working on:
--reading! It feels to me like she is on the cusp of being able to really read independently. It's very exciting.
--negotiating social situations with her friends. Cate, Mer and Junior together can explode without warning these days.
--independence. There has been a lot of talking back and demands made in recent weeks.

Elaine, at 21 1/2 months, likes to:
--keep track of all family members, and often asks where people are, including her grandparents (she calls both her grandpas "baba" right now, or even "bubba").
--play with the "big kids," even when they don't want to include her
--pet and follow the cat and dog, and laugh
--imitate her sister in every way she can
--play with her many toys that involve placing a ball in and then it does something interesting, and also sit and read books to herself.

And she's working on:
--eating. She's pretty picky, and just 19 lb still - a little peanut of a child.
--deciding whether tantrums or stubborness are more effective for getting her way
--jumping. She just bends and unbends her knees - no airtime yet.