on the farm. again.

We had another incredibly warm day last week so we decided to spend the afternoon at Oxon Hill Farm. We were there right at feeding time. Oliver was mesmerized by the noisy pigs eating their food. He also had fun laughing at the chickens.

Once again I left the big camera at home and opted for the iphone. I must say I'm pretty impressed with that little thing.

Presidents Day

We decided against the more presidential options for Presidents Day and instead took the girls to a movie. Well, Ben stayed home with Oliver and worked on taxes and I took the girls to see The Secret World of Arrietty. I think I won that deal. We absolutely loved the movie. It really sparked the girls' imaginations. Such a nice change from so many loud and in-your-face kids movies.

Ben needed some fun so he took us all swimming at the Rec Center after dinner and treated the girls to ice cream. Oliver was unbelievably happy (and adventurous) in the water. Amelia and Elsa wouldn't stop talking about how lucky they were to go to a movie AND go swimming in the same day.

100 days

Amelia's school celebrated the 100th day of school a few weeks ago with lots of fun activities revolving around the number 100. I was able to help out in her class that day. Elsa jumped right in and did all of the activities and made lots of friends. All of the kids loved Oliver and loved to smother him with affection.The whole class was in hysterics when he climbed into their laundry basket full of stuffed animals.

I helped the kids make portraits of their 100-year-old selves. It was amusing to hear what they would do when they were 100 (sit in a chair, sleep, go to the bathroom a lot, go fishing, knit, etc). 

"When I'm 100 years old I will have nice grandchildren."

oreo truffles!

I spotted a recipe for Oreo truffles on Pinterest awhile ago and decided to test them out today. Super easy to make and awesomely delicious.

I made two kinds. The first were standard oreo truffles (one package of double stuffed Oreos crushed in the food processor and mixed with 6 oz of cream cheese, rolled into balls, then dipped in white chocolate).

The second kind were the same, but with the addition of NUTELLA! (I used about 1/4 cup) and then dipped in dark chocolate. I rolled some in coconut, some in cookie crumbs, and some in a cocoa/cinnamon mixture (my favorite).

You can get creative with these truffles which makes them fun. (Someone just told me about a key lime version, mmmmm!)

 

camping: cabin edition

A few weekends ago we cashed in a groupon for a two-night stay at a nearby park (Bull Run Park...scene of the amazing Bluebells) in one of their rustic cabins. Our last cabin stay was incredibly cold at night so we were grateful for the heater. The cabin was small and cozy and had a mini fridge and a microwave. The only downside was walking down the street late at night by myself to get to the bathrooms. I was pretty good at freaking myself out. Aside from a few RVs parked in the distance, we were the only campers around which made it extra creepy.

There was an awesome playground right behind the cabin. It seemed to be adult size and was a little scary watching Elsa climb up certain parts. Luckily Oliver was too small to even get up anywhere. He just circled the playground searching for a way in.

We had a campfire Friday night and made s'mores. Saturday morning Ben cooked us a delicious pancake breakfast. It was a little chilly but we bundled up and enjoyed a fun hike. We ended up getting a little snow storm in the late afternoon and it was nice to watch the snow come down from inside our cozy cabin. The late night bathroom run that night wasn't as fun.

We spent the rest of our time reading, making Valentines, doing puzzles, playing games, eating, and watching movies.

I've been neglecting my big camera lately in favor of the smaller, more convenient iphone...

S'mores made with Petit Ecolier are dangerously delicious.

The mini snow storm.

a baltimore adventure.

A few Fridays ago we loaded my friend Jessica and her three kids into our van and headed to Baltimore for some fun! (I let Amelia skip school so she wouldn't miss out on the fun.) We spent the entire afternoon at the children's museum (Port Discovery). We were lucky enough to have most of the museum to ourselves and the kids were in heaven running from exhibit to exhibit. A big highlight was the massive 3-story play structure in the middle. I had intended to use a groupon I purchased but it turns out it wasn't valid on Fridays. Of course. So we may have to go back next month before it expires. I don't think the kids will object.

Ben was working at Johns Hopkins that day so he met us for dinner at Panera and then we walked to the Baltimore Aquarium. On Fridays after 5 in the winter admission is only $8. (Normally the admission is crazy expensive and not worth it. You can also get the $8 deal at the Science Center which is super cool.) My favorite part was the jellyfish exhibit. Somehow the kids found more energy to explore the aquarium although they weren't super excited about walking back to the car at the end of the night.

Amelia requested a fancy hairdo that morning.

And Elsa got a much needed trimming of her bangs.

Oliver LOVED the water tables. His main goal at home is to get into the toilet, so this was close.

A debate about who dares to go first, perhaps?

Elsa was mad because she wanted to skip dinner at go straight to the aquarium.