Snow fun

So it actually snowed last weekend...we got an entire half inch of the white stuff. Yippee! I've been hoping it would snow a lot this winter since it's our last in a "snowy" area. Alas, we're having more of a typical Southern VA winter, in that we may get one more dusting but that's about it. Regardless, the boys (well, actually Will...Archer by proxy) were thrilled and we headed outside to play in the white wonderland (we had to use our imaginations) as soon as we got up. Unless my memory is wrong (happens all the time), this was Archer's first time playing in actual snow. Fun! So we bundled ourselves up to face the mid-20s temps and played for roughly 10 minutes before we were frozen solid. And by "played", I mean Will ran around making tracks in the snow and Archer stood there looking bewildered. Our play came to an abrupt halt when Archer took a face plant into a pile of snow that had accumulated on a beach ball left outside (hey, we live in a beachy area!) Still not sure if it was intentional or not. But he had a face covered in snow, which didn't go over well. We warmed up inside with hot chocolate and a TV show (this is all before 8am, mind you). Since we knew the snow wouldn't last, we then headed back out for a second round once Keith got up. He's much better at snow play than I am. They boys (all 3 of them) had a great time. And the good news is that the weather man on the local news said it may snow more tonight. Yippee!

Archer before venturing out...he's ready to go!

Ready to Read

I had a total Proud Mommy Moment today when I picked Will up from school. He had gone to the "stay and play" extended care at school because I had an appointment. Stay and play is less structured; the kids just hang out, read books, play, etc. When I picked him up his teacher, Miss Janeen, told me that he had been looking at books and she noticed that he could read several (in some cases all) words in them. She asked Will if he had books at home that he could read all the words in and he said yes. So she invited him to bring one to school tomorrow and read it in front of his classmates! We went right home and picked out a book...I Like Bugs by Margaret Wise Brown. It really is a little thing but Will is so proud of himself that he is able to read and that he gets to show off his skills to his friends. Miss Janeen said that there are only a few readers in the class and Will is one of them! I'm so glad I've been harping on this...kidding! I'm just glad he likes to read and I hope he continues to enjoy it. There is nothing I'd rather do than pick up a good book. I think it may be time for Will to get his own library card when we move! Such a big boy!

Shenanigans and Tom Foolery

It has been a crazy month around they Heyen house. Both boys have been sick, Archer multiple times, which has resulted in a lot of time being stuck in the house. We don't do well when we're stuck in the house; we all start to get a little crazy, including Mom and Dad. The boys do a pretty good job of entertaining themselves...and each other. Legos are the most popular toy in the house right now (with the trains and train table coming in a close second). Both boys spend time creating Lego wonders every day. Will's gotten pretty good at letting his creative juices flow; he created this house complete with a guy on the roof holding a fish! Creative AND realistic! Archer can even create little sculptures of his own. Keith also likes to get in on the Lego action.

Archer has recently become obsessed with the kitchen cupboards. He wants to get into them, root around in there, dig out all kinds of stuff to play with. His favorite is the K-cups for my Keurig coffee maker. They are the perfect size for his little hands. He stacks them, arranges them in pretty patterns, carries them around the house. He figured out how to defeat one of the child locks on the cabinets so now he's got easy entry.

Once Will recovered from his virus, he was back at school in time for Cowboy Day. How fun! He really enjoyed dressing up, eating "cowboy" food (hot dogs and chips apparently qualify) and getting his own sheriff's badge at the end of the day. Keith taught Archer to say "yee haw"; he likes to get in on the fun too.

Speaking of Archer, he turned 18 months in January. Wow...time flies. He's picking up more words (recently aquired: apple, bubble, ball, the aforementioned yee haw) and is trying his best to keep up with Will on all accounts. He's gaining weight (this kid actually ON the growth charts...a first for one of ours) and currently tips the scales at a portly 21 1/2 lbs. A lot of that might be head though...he's got quite the melon. Perfect size for Tupperwear though.

We are busily finalizing plans for our move to California. Our renters will move in to our Virginia house on April 1 so I guess that means we have to be gone by then. :) We even think we found a place to live in Coronado. We haven't seen it but a friend looked at it and said it's small, slightly dated, and quirky but clean and in a great location...right in downtown Coronado across from the Hotel del Coronado. It will be a departure for us not to have a yard (nothing to mow!) or a lot of extra space (this place tops out at just under 1200 sq ft!) but I think we can make it work for a few years. The options in Coronado (of what we could afford) were pretty limited so we feel lucky to have found something that will work. Keith can bike to work, the boys and I can walk to school, and we're a block from the beach. We will have a small (that's the theme here) space for guests in our loft so I hope our family and friends will consider a Coronado vacation. There are also plenty of hotels for those who enjoy more than a corner of a tiny townhouse. :)