Kumquats and such

New parenting advice tells us that we shouldn't tell our kids to "clean their plates" because it will ruin their body's ability to know when it's full. Horse poop. We serve the girls an appropriate amount, and if they want dessert, they darn well better clean their plates! I grew up with a rule that left you eating leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner the following day until that plate was clean. Just ask Julie, she quickly learned to swallow whole bites of food with a swig of milk in order to leave the table:)  But those who follow the clean plate rule are handsomely rewarded...with ice cream cones on this particular occasion. They were even topped with sprinkles, but those were gone before I could get the girls to "say cheese!" You can catch a glimpse of Savannah's "geographic tongue" here. It seems to have gotten less noticeable lately, but guess it's still there. Glad it doesn't bother her. And this is how ...

As I was getting bowls of cereal for the girls, I noticed Savannah was sitting with her head propped in her hands. Luckily my camera happened to be out! And Reagan couldn't miss out on the action:) Her "scary" face is gross. Sorry! Grump-a-saurus!

During the snowstorm, Tommy was confused and spent a lot of time in his favorite spot, our bathroom. I took this as an opportunity to photograph him:) Such a handsome boy!

On Wednesday, the forecast called for 100% chance of rain. We recently got Savannah her own umbrella, and to say she's happy about it is an understatement! She now picks out her own clothes, and though it's difficult to tell from these pictures, this particular outfit included a skirt AND a tutu:) Colleen got this tutu for Reagan a few years ago, and it's gotten a ton of use. Thanks, Colleen!  Look at these smiles!

A couple months before Christmas, Jason ordered Reagan some books from the Scholastic Book Club as a reward for getting a week's worth of big hearts - a sign of good behavior at school. In addition to the books, he got her a "digging for fossils" kit. She LOVED it!  For Christmas, Santa brought her two more fossil kits! When Jason returned from his European adventure, he and Reagan found time over the course of a couple days, to dig out some bones. Here, they are digging out a T-Rex skeleton. It makes a giant mess, but she (and Jason) have so much fun doing it, we just let her dig away and worry about the mess after the fact. They have gotten all the bones out now, and the skeleton just needs to be assembled. Whoever created these kits is a genius! What a great way to keep kids occupied and engaged! Plus, it's educational!

The entire week following the blizzard, Reagan's school was closed and Savannah's had a delayed start. I went back to work on Wednesday thanks to support and help from family members and friends! On this particular day, Reagan was going to a friend's house (she rides the bus with Milee) and would definitely be playing in the snow again. Her boots were still damp, despite being stuffed with newspaper all night. I gave her the simple task of drying her boots with my hairdryer. She managed to concentrate long enough to dry them completely and felt the accomplishment of doing it on her own. While Reagan worked, Savannah did her favorite thing...watched Mickey Mouse! She adores the Disney Junior channel and would probably watch it 24/7 if we allowed her:) Savannah looked so sweet, that of course I had to take a few pictures! Reagan's feet propped on a laundry basket as she joined the Mickey fun once her task was complete. The snow days were a r...

Eight years ago, Jason and I gave Gary Mike a Christmas present. It was a cocktail napkin that read, "Redeemable for: 1 Round trip ticket from Washington, D.C. to Boston, M, by: Jason and Jen at a prearranged date of your choosing. M.F.C. PS: We're going too!" With looming PCS orders, we decided it was now or never. Jessica came up and stayed with the girls, and Gary Mike, Terry, Jason and I hopped on the Amtrak at 3am two days after Christmas for a whirlwind adventure in Boston! We lucked out and grabbed two sets of four seats facing each other. For most of the ride up, we napped, did crossword puzzles, read, and Jason worked on his paper.  Finally, we were awake for the remainder of the ride and thought it was time to properly celebrate Gary Mike's birthday with a toast! We got some guidance from family on some must-visit places. Unfortunately, the number one spot on our list, was also the number one spot for everyone else visiting th...