Snoopy Update, Philadelphia, New Years, and Winter

Snoopy thankfully has recovered from his self-inflicted infection we wrote about last post and is no longer wearing the cone of shame. We made sure to give him plenty of attention when he had it on, so he knew that we loved him, despite the unpleasantness of wearing it.

We got him this smaller inflatable version, but he was just as miserable wearing it. I have speculated it might make a useful neck travel pillow for us instead...

We took a trip to Philadelphia for a night the week after Christmas so we could take the kids to the Franklin Institute museum that they enjoyed so much the last time we went. They had a good time there again, and we will likely make at least one more trip there this year. Here's Derek playing in the water and learning how to dam it up with "sediment".

Peeking through a lava tube and trying to decide if they wanted to crawl through.

I think this exhibit was about magnetism, but I am not sure.

Derek loves trains whether he is at home or in a museum.

Lydia played with an erector set in the space exhibit where kids were supposed to design their own rover vehicles.

Karina trying out her balance on a surfboard simulator.

Part of the reason we go to the Franklin Institute is that they have a membership sharing agreement with the Maryland Science Center that we got a membership for again. We heard about the Maryland Science Center's Noon Years Eve party for New Year's Eve and decided it sounded fun. We got to make silly masks, confetti poppers, and mouth harp noisemakers. Then everyone gathered around the large foyer around noon with a band playing until the countdown ball drop. Here we are in the confetti-filled party.

They had a Baltimore rowhouse themed gingerbread house display that was pretty and fairly detailed.

That night, we went to the church for a New Years Eve party that one of our friends was hosting. Our kids had said all day that they were going to make it to midnight. I was skeptical and dismissive of their beliefs and self-confidence. However, due to all the other kids running around and being silly and crazy at the party, they were hyper and made it all the way to midnight (even Derek). It was a late morning in our house on January 1st.

Last week, we had a decent sized snowstorm. I think all told, we wound up with somewhere between 10 and 13 inches of snow. It's hard to say how much we got since I kept going out to shovel, and the periods of sleet weighed down the snow. Derek took a turn helping shovel off the deck.

Lydia liked making snow angels before she decided it was too cold.

Karina wanted to help brush the snow off my car, so I brought a step stool out. Of course, Derek saw it too and decided he needed to climb up and help as well.

When it's cold outside, it's a good time to stay inside and do some crafts. Lydia and Karina worked with Tanja on these Christmas crafts (Ferris wheel and carousel) that were really difficult to keep upright.

Lydia has been particularly protective and friendly with Snoopy lately. She has decided that it is her job to feed him, and she is frequently found sitting down next to him and petting him. But the cutest is her belief that she needs to sleep next to him. She has taken the comforter off her bed several times (sometimes in the middle of the night), pulled it down to the floor, and cuddled up with Snoopy. This picture was taken late at night when Tanja found both Lydia and Snoopy asleep on the floor.

Here are the girls in their school pictures for this year.

Karina, 2nd grade:

Lydia, kindergarten: