Snow Day!

This weekend we took the kids up to see snow at Snowdrift Tubing Park in Running Springs, near Big Bear.  Due to this year's terrible drought, the snow was pretty pathetic (the snow layer was so thin you could see the dirt underneath in some places) but the kids have as much fun in three inches of snow as three feet, so they were perfectly happy.

On the way to the snow:

 

They loved building a (tiny) snowman that they named Olaf after the snowman character from their new favorite movie, Frozen.

 

Olaf

But they spent most of their time tubing with Dev while William and I watched and cheered them on.

Dev and Arthur shared a tube while Beatrice went down by herself - and I was so proud of her! That was a tall, tall hill for a little girl and she was so brave!



Beatrice on her way down

Unlike last year, when the kids whined about the cold after only a few minutes outside, this year they played all afternoon. Partly that was because we came much better prepared this year with snow clothing we borrowed from Amy and Lesley (thanks, guys!) - but also they were just having so much fun.


Feeling pretty proud of himself

I can't wait for William to join in next year ...

New Column in Trop

I have a new monthly column in Trop, starting this month with a discussion of broken gingerbread men, voluptuous sadness, and why I can never shop in thrift stores.

William, Month One

 

 

 

William is one month old! 

So far, he's a quiet, happy baby and a good sleeper.  He is awake quite a bit for a newborn, but mostly in a relaxed "quiet alert" phase where he's simply looking around and taking things in.  He only cries when he's hungry and then fusses a little bit after he eats until his digestion settles down.

Unlike his siblings, he doesn't like pacifiers, but usually he's calm and cheerful enough that there isn't much need to pacify him anyway.  He's happy to use bottles, though (luckily, since I had to leave him for two nights this month to go to Palm Springs).

He seems to already differentiate day from night - during the day he's mostly awake and eats every hour or two.  At night he usually sleeps in three hour stretches, but occasionally he'll do four or even five hours at a time, and after eating he goes immediately back to sleep again.

Poor William already had his first cold - at only three weeks old - and has had some problems with gas and spitting up, but he seems to be improving on all those fronts now.

Tummy time:

 

    

 

William is slowly coming to accept baths - he FREAKED OUT the first time but now he's just edgy about it.

 

First bath:



Third bath:

 

  

Dressed up for his one month birthday (thank you Amy Must for the amazing outfit, including baby's first sweater vest!)

 

Crying while wearing a sweater vest

William makes the funniest facial expressions I've ever seen, and I've been enjoying documenting them.  Here are just a few examples:

 

 

So far both Beatrice and Arthur have been great with him.  Beatrice is a little disappointed that she can't have a more active role in taking care of him, but I've given her some assigned tasks that make her feel more included, like letting her pick out his outfits and help with diapering.  Arthur doesn't pay William that much attention, but when he does spend time with him he's gentle and affectionate.  I think it also really helps that Beatrice and Arthur have one another, especially when I'm busy with the baby and can't pay attention to them, and I'd say William's arrival has brought them even closer together.

 

Brothers in sweater vests

Beatrice demonstrates crawling for William:

 

 

 

Also, William LOVES Dev - I think Dev is his favorite person.

 

Next month, more adventures!