Why babies have pockets, 10

To keep their teeny tiny hands warm! (Leigh had to help her out.)

A snow day

Because all is right with the world, we had a snow day today. Last year, if school was closed, I was home alone in the quiet. I napped. Cleaned up. Got things done. It was amazing. Now, Mia is home, too. So is Wren. And by a stroke of good luck, Leigh was here, too. It has a been a loud, loud day. But Leigh took Mia outside to play. Wren and I stayed inside and watched.

If I was in charge of playing outside, it would have been short-lived because the ground was really covered mostly ice with a little snow on top. But Leigh was running the show, so the four-wheeler and sled were involved. And then Leigh had a brilliant idea.

He took Skye outside on a leash. Mia sat on the blue plastic sled and held on to one end, shouting "Hee-yah!" as Skye dragged her around the yard. I would have taken a picture, but I was too busy trying not to wet my pants from laughing.

The Valentine's castle box

Mia's teacher sent home a little note last week about the class Valentine's Day party. Students were tasked with creating their own Valentine's mailboxes. But Mia's teacher didn't want them to just decorate a box. They were supposed to "think like engineers" - come up with a design first and then figure out how to make it. This is Mia's design: 

She decided to make a castle using three boxes, Christmas wrapping paper, duct tape, stickers and markers. She said her box was tied with a classmate's for the biggest mailbox in the room. I'm just glad she was able to carry it into school unassisted.