Ye Olde Crazeytowne Bakeree

Snow 2012

2012-01-21T17:13:00.005-05:00

While Hana napped, the snow was enjoyed.Giant snow pile.Post-nap.

Bobsled training

2012-01-07T12:27:00.000-05:00

Danny trains for the bobsled team.
Hana continues her war of terror.

Children play, Nick visits

2012-01-05T19:28:00.004-05:00

Hana is the third child to rock the Christmas overalls, here with her own football.
Fumble!Danny with Emperor Palpatine's shuttle.Nick came to visit and was corraled into reading.Then we went for a long walk around Guilford and checked out the progress at the new old new house.

Hana Videos

2011-12-25T16:21:00.002-05:00

Hana ruthlessly bosses Leigh around.

Plays patty-cake with her stuffed animals.

Celebrates Eagles' touchdowns.

Christmas

2011-12-25T12:07:00.005-05:00

Santa came!
Danny Hawkins went heavy on the Star Wars this year.Angry Bird.Sister's broom and brother's slippers, no need for her own presents.Christmas Eve purchase was well-received.And the piece de resistance!

Christmas

2011-12-24T12:50:00.004-05:00

We set sail for Long Island for some early presenting.
The Hawk took control early.Grandpa Lee surveys the chaos.
Aunt Molly and Jeff relax.Hanako plays hide-a-head.Merry Christmas Eve!

Seeing Santa

2011-12-19T14:50:00.004-05:00

We rode the East Haven Santa Express Trolley (last seen in 2009).Leigh was the only one brave enough to sit on Santa's lap.Then she shoved a whole cookie in her mouth.

Haddonfield Time

2011-12-19T14:44:00.002-05:00

Time in Hfield means time with old toys. The Girls exploring the hotel.I like Hanako's aggressive catcher's squat.Lounging with cars.Danny discovered a top. He invented a knock-over knights game."Daddy, will you get me that wooden dreidel?"

Vocab

2011-12-13T15:14:00.000-05:00

Hana talks.
Danny bites.
Leigh wails each time she sees this video.

Good Morning

2011-12-13T07:22:00.001-05:00

This beach house is cold when it's 29 degrees out, but the views are killer. Both taken this morning.

Sheetrock

2011-12-11T14:49:00.006-05:00

The sheetrock/gypsum wallboard is up! The new/old/new house looks like a real house now.
Our new entry. SHV and H-ko in the mudroom, silhouetted in the new back door.
The kitchen (right) and living room (center) from the dining room.
Same view from before.The view from the kitchen; dining room (left) and living room (right). The view from the rumpus room. Dining room far center, kitchen on the left.
Before:Our new master bedroom.

Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T14:45:00.003-05:00

SHV was gone yesterday, so we struggled to keep the ship afloat. Danny suggested some train time; the girls enjoyed it.Today we cut our Christmas Tree.

Post Thanksgiving update

2011-12-07T17:18:00.003-05:00

We don't have many photos from Thanksgiving, but here's a moment in time. Danny making up the rules to Cars (the board game) for Lindy and Aunt Karen.Now that it's dark out, the girls like to stand in front of the window, look at their reflections, and shout their names.Ha-Naa!Li-Lee!

Helmets

2011-11-20T10:02:00.003-05:00

While Danny was playing Uno with astronauts,the girls busted into his room and busted out the helmets.Silliness.

Drilling!

2011-11-15T01:06:00.006-05:00

A big truck came by and started drilling our geothermal wells.Here's our project manager, Dan, explaining that they will drill down 375 feet, or until they hit ledge, whichever happens first.
They hit ledge after 8 feet. After much adjusting, they kept drilling.Obligatory toddler with shoes photo. Why do they love shoes so much?Bath time!

New Old New House

2011-11-07T17:10:00.002-05:00

The new old new house is coming along. Roof, windows, exterior insulation, and interior framing are all done. The guys are putting on furring strips for the siding in these photos.

Afternoon at the Beach

2011-11-07T17:04:00.004-05:00

It is certainly nice to have a beach to walk to when the weather allows. Leigh rocked the playground and got dirty in the tidal flats while Hko napped and Danny tore up kindergarten.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T16:53:00.005-05:00

We lost power after that freak October snow storm, so we bugged out for a Brooklyn Halloween.
We spent the morning with these ladies. Their patriarch, some guy named "Blue Button Shirt Daddy" had an activity called "gainful employment".Quite the hostess.Even assisted in some diapering.Patented temper tantrum.Then, back to Lynn's house for some trick-or-treating. Anakin Skywalker and Lion; Hanako refused to wear her Baby Yoda hat.

Windows

2011-10-29T15:33:00.002-04:00

With our roof up, now it is time for windows!It's hard to convey just how big they are.

Exploring

2011-10-25T11:39:00.003-04:00

Leigh rode the bus home for the first time yesterday. She did not enjoy it.
Today we went for a walk on the beach.It was windy.Celebrating.We found a spooky old house.And a big tree.

2011-10-24T08:51:00.002-04:00

Hanging with the girls.
The roof is on.The house is ready for windows.
A not unusual dawn from our (rental) bedroom window.

Playing New York, Part 3

2011-10-10T21:14:00.007-04:00

For our finale, we met up with the Bradfords.
Leigh passed the time with some swinging.
DHawk as Anakin Skywalker, pre-Darth Vader, holding a lightsaber.Cousins hang tough!Elsie gets low,looks up,and tries it, too.Uncle Arthur was there, cinematographing.Hanako clung.This tire swing has been clinically proven to harm young girls.Later, girls were tired.

Playing New York, Part 2

2011-10-10T21:03:00.006-04:00

Here's Baby Alex. I don't remember her ever being awake during our visit, but here she is!
Big sister Kate, nee Baby Kate, now rules the roost.Danny found some balls.Kate shows Hanako how to chow. Leigh was not paying attention during this live demonstration.And the park was hot; ladies shelter.Danny worked up a sweat.
Leigh got sandy.

Playing New York, Part 1

2011-10-10T20:54:00.005-04:00

We brought all the kids to the city. Our verbal one told us, "it smells here". We tried out a few of the playgrounds.
We were happy to meet Ethan.

Little House on the Prarie

2011-10-05T21:30:00.008-04:00

Here's Leigh looking like Laura Ingalls Wilder, or one of those children from Big Love.
With a big head.
But these children get to stare vacantly at the TV.Like the Ingalls, we save hot water by bathing three-wide.
Don't worry Mom, just heading out with my friends!
Danny checking out the new garage.The termites were busy before we bought the house. This, we're told, is cosmetic.This is structurally unsound, but getting torn out, anyway.Strong like toilet paper!Our dining room is framed out. Before and afters.

Balancing

2011-09-30T12:45:00.007-04:00

It's important to get a good workout in before the school bus shows up. After some racing, we worked on our balance beam.Hanako likes being outside.Meanwhile, the addition is clad in rigid insulation.The old stairs are out,while the hole for new stairs is in.

Meryl Streep

2011-09-27T15:22:00.004-04:00

My favorite actress is in town! Traffic is snarled like there's a Hollywood star in a small town! I can't wait to see if this movie is as good as Adaptation or The Hours.
Meanwhile, we played in the driveway.I slam the rocks!Yeah.If not for snot, these would be keepers.Here's my favorite. I've been reading about photography, check out that depth of field!

Clown car

2011-09-26T09:33:00.003-04:00

Leave it to these fools to test out the max load limit on the cozy coupe.
She who perseveres will get the prize.Her new favorite perspective.

More Demo

2011-09-24T20:01:00.002-04:00

We wheeled the whole family to check out the old house.
No kitchen!
Downstairs.After-dinner rainbow.

Demolition Man

2011-09-23T12:58:00.004-04:00

When it rains here, the framers move into the old house and get on with the demolition. It's been raining for 3 days so they've made quite a bit of progress.
The living room. That's our old bedroom past the studs, and that window way off in the distance is in our new bedroom. The new bathroom. The tub is going to go at the end, under that crotch-height window. More of the living room. DKV got a new lens to capture the renovation. Here's a photo from the same spot with the old lens.It's nice to be able to get the whole house in without trespassing on someone else's property.

Evening Shenanigans

2011-09-20T19:17:00.004-04:00

It's starting to get cool here, so, while the mosquitoes are dying off, our daylight hours are diminishing. We got out after dinner last night to make the most of our beach house before winter strikes.
Good running weather.
Running, however, often leads to falling. Which leads to crying.Danny played with the neighbor's rocket launcher.Hanako showed off her favorite body part.And Leigh recovered.

The Addition

2011-09-20T14:17:00.006-04:00

After we got power restored, the building process really picked up.
One day we were playing hide-and-seek around the foundation walls.
Then they backfilled.
And then they built a garage.
Close up from the southeast.
Behind the dumpster from the south.
Farther back from the southeast.
And then the second story went up.
Behind the dumpster from the south. Farther back from the southeast.
They work fast, but somewhere in Washington, DC, an OSHA bureaucrat is suffering agita.

Football Season!

2011-09-20T14:00:00.006-04:00

September means the start of Eagles' season and the annual family photo.
Leigh wasn't so into it in the beginning.
Here she channels her inner teenager while flashing us the "loser" sign.Girls warming up on mama.
Baby wrangling!
Making the jersey look good.

Party!

2011-09-17T10:46:00.006-04:00

Lots of friends and family came to celebrate DHawk's birthday with us last weekend. The highlight of the party was the pinata, which DadKV rigged up with help from Counselor Pia.

Jack let Optimus have it.

Eddie got angry!

Ian did his best but was a little worn out after soccer practice.

The birthday boy gave it his all!

There were also Tranformers tattoos, applied by Dr. Daddy.

And Aunt Molly received a thorough balloon beating. This was accompanied by shouts of "we're gonna teach you a lesson!"

There was ice cream cake from Ashley's of course.

And lots of presents!

Leigh and Jerry had some in- depth discussions of dinosaurs.

And the babies took it all in.

See ya next time everyone!

The Hawk turns 5

2011-09-17T10:40:00.003-04:00

It's been busy here. We started school. Danny turned 5. We moved. And we had a birthday party. All in the span of 5 days. So we're a little behind with the blogging. Here comes the catch up.

Here's DHV opening gifts on the morning of his birthday. Daddy created a present hunt of sorts, in which the birthday boy followed the string from one gift to the next. It was a hit, as were the actual presents.

Thanks everyone!

School Starts!

2011-09-06T16:42:00.004-04:00

One week late, today was Danny and Leigh's first day of school.
Hammin' it up in their back-to-school outfits. Pete the Panda got to go to kindergarten, too.
Backpacks.Waiting for the bus!And the joyous return of the precious cargo!

Irene

2011-09-06T16:35:00.003-04:00

We don't have any pictures of Irene, but here's some hide-and-seek in the foundation before the hurricane hit.
Then we lost power for 6 days. Here's the Guilford Fairgrounds next door - 50+ trucks from 18 different states.

Back to School

2011-08-25T16:06:00.003-04:00

We're gearing up for school here. DHawk is getting on the big yellow bus and heading off to kindergarten. Leigh is starting pre-school. Big changes!

Danny's teacher requested that each student bring a family portrait on the first day. So this morning DadKV got out the tripod to snap a shot. First DKV hammed it up while daddy got everything just right.

Then we all got in on the action. Danny forgot to smile.

Mommy and Daddy got distracted.

Finally, success.

Okay Leigh, we're done...

Concrete!

2011-08-17T20:49:00.005-04:00

These guys get stuff done.
The excavator comes here one day, digs a giant hole, and the concrete guys come the next and start laying the foundation.
Here's the cement mixer. You can just see H-ko in the window.
These guys work fast. Guy's shirt reads, "We break our stones to please you."

Rise of the Machines

2011-08-16T12:10:00.000-04:00

It begins . . .

Cape Cod, v2011.5

2011-08-13T19:55:00.002-04:00

On the seventh day, the baby stayed close to mommy.

Leigh tried her hand at making a Navy Seal "sugar cookie".
On the eighth day, we were back at home, exploring our sandy-floored basement.

Cape Cod v.2011.5

2011-08-12T14:06:00.004-04:00

Step 1. Scan for submarines, sharks, and sailboats.
Step 2. Enjoy water.Step 3. Display tongue while enjoying salt water cocktail.Step 4. Explore biodiversity of Cape Cod Bay. Biodiversity today was two hermit crabs locked in mortal kombat.Step 5. Display tongue while taunting hermit crabs.Step 6. Build impenetrable fort, then pass out cold.

Cape Cod v.2011.4

2011-08-10T22:54:00.007-04:00

Life on the Cape continues. Mornings are dominated by playtime.
Playing with the incredibly unbreakable, soft-landing ball.
Looking sinister.
Mess-making.
Underwear-wearing is an all-day affair.
Some days the beach is foggy.This leaves the Hawk perplexed.While girls nap, boys hunt for crabs.While girls nap, mama relaxes.Even in the afternoon the beach can be cold. We call this Leigh's "FDR at Yalta" look.Late afternoon story time with Grandma Steffy.

Cape Cod v.2011.3

2011-08-10T22:37:00.006-04:00

Mornings on vacation are tough. Some people take a while to get going.
Others are quick starters.
The girls on a windy walk to the Edward Hopper house (seen at the bottom of this post).Grandpa Lee reading to DHawk and Leigh.

Cape Cod v.2011.2

2011-08-10T22:23:00.003-04:00

These guys take their beach seriously. It was a cold day at the beach. The sun was warm.
Everybody was happy.

Cape Cod v.2011.1

2011-08-06T18:26:00.006-04:00

Lots of love from us to you, from here on windy Cape Cod.
Where are the crabs, Danny?
Hanako doesn't know, either.Danny still doesn't know.Over der!
Windy hair.Windy face.Hko showed off her varying facial expressions.
While Leigh, having foregone a nap, fell asleep while she was eating. Ridiculous.

Danny goes on vacation

2011-07-25T14:58:00.003-04:00

We have a relative paucity of photos of Danny and his friend Jack because, frankly, they were off on their own playing nicely the whole weekend, or moving too quickly to be captured by camera.

Danny pawing his way through a tackle box full of Playskool small bits. This man has a sword and a scepter.Danny and Jack making a mess out of someone else's house like only 4 year-olds can.Wrestling with some green water snakes.

Leigh goes on vacation

2011-07-25T14:47:00.004-04:00

Slow mornings.
Followed by extended pool time. These people take their pool time seriously.And not so seriously.
I spent about 90 minutes repeatedly detaching the claws of this screaming, hyperventilating, trying-to-drown-herself child from my flesh. And then she became a water baby.
A quietly contemplating watery baby.A psyching-herself-up water baby.A jumping-in water baby.A tempting-fate water baby.
A proud water baby."I want to go swimming." For a girl who doesn't use full sentences, that is a big one.

Hanako goes on vacation

2011-07-25T14:42:00.002-04:00

We all had a nice weekend away with a family from Danny's preschool.
It didn't hurt that our rental had air conditioning while our solar oven back in Guilford was roasting!

Sunday with Mom

2011-07-17T19:19:00.009-04:00

DadKV had to work again today. Since we were just hanging at home, I decided to get the real camera out and do some documentation. Here goes.

Hanako spent the morning reading books, cruising, and being entertained by her siblings.

Danny enjoyed some early lego time, along with his morning coffee.

Leigh read books and hammed it up for the camera.

As did Danny.

Then there was a trip to Stop and Shop. And naps. During the latter, Danny got his guys out and got slimy.

A large chunk of the afternoon was spent in the yard but I didn't have any free hands to bring the camera out. Literally. Maybe next time.

iPhone

2011-07-11T14:43:00.009-04:00

Yes, we have been remiss. I blame my own failings on my iPhone. Now that I have one, I take my pictures with it. The big camera is gathering dust. And so there are no pictures on the computer to create precious blog posts with.

That said, here are some iPhone pics to illustrate what we've been up to.

Daddy participated in a an open swim. Here he is coming in 2nd in his age group.

Hana has been busy looking cute. And finally eating some fingers foods. And standing and cruising (but we have no documentation of that).

Lindy came to visit. We hung out on the green, looking crazy.

On a rainy day, Hana and Danny played some crazy butt-slapping game at home that they both found pretty amusing.

On a nicer day, we finally hit the town beach for the first time as residents. It was pretty sweet.

And on yet another day, we visited Ninny at her new place and Leigh got to play some drums. Danny was too busy with foos-ball and air hockey to get loud. We were thankful for that.

We did indeed celebrate the 4th of July. DadKV had to work on the actual 4th so SHV took the kids down to Milford to hang with the Pia family. Danny and Jack love that pool!

Once it got dark, there were fireworks.

On the 5th we celebrated the 4th at home. We played some outdoor hide and seek waiting for it to get dark.

And then more fireworks.

On the 9th, the town of Guilford put on its kick-ass fireworks display, right in our backyard. There was some pool action at the neighbors' house. And Leigh got in some good night swinging before the show started.

Purple Belt

2011-06-29T10:20:00.002-04:00

We've been slacking on the blogging. And the picture taking. School is out and SHV and the kids have been keeping busy with play dates and outside time (when the weather and the mosquitoes allow) while DadKV has been working. A lot.

We did manage to all attend and document Danny's purple belt test last week. He passed and received the coveted belt, as well as a matching trophy. Dude was pretty happy.

Citizens Bank Park

2011-06-18T21:15:00.004-04:00

We took the monkeys for a tour of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The view from a luxury box.In the locker room.In the dugout.And on the on-deck circle.It was exhausting.

Summer

2011-06-04T13:14:00.005-04:00

It got hot here. Danny got a neighbor to play in the sprinkler.
Leigh was awake, but stayed out of the water.
And Hanako was silly.

Memorial Day Festivities

2011-05-30T21:30:00.006-04:00

Birthday Party Fun

2011-05-15T06:25:00.005-04:00

We welcomed friends and family from near and not so near yesterday to celebrate Hanako's first birthday. She got dressed up in her birthday finery for the occasion and enjoyed some playtime with Janine.

Leigh didn't let her party dress stop her from getting down and having fun either.

After some burgers and dogs, there was ice cream cake of course. Two of them actually! Hana seemed to enjoy it.

Happy girl!

And of course we ended with some gifts. This one, from Aunt Molly, was a hit with the whole crew.

Thanks to all who came and celebrated with us!

Happy Birthday Hana!

2011-05-11T14:13:00.000-04:00

Here on the east coast, we believe in celebrating a child's birthday. As many times as possible. So we started bright and early this morning with some presents. It was a group effort.

Hana enjoyed playing with the bunnies that Danny and Leigh gave her while modeling her new hat, courtesy of cousins Ida and Miki.

Leigh liked the new bath boats. No bath necessary.

The happy birthday girl, runny nose, mouth breathing and all.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:48:00.003-04:00

Beautiful weather meant enjoying postcard-like conditions on the Guilford Green.With running.And racing.
And sharing.
And alone time.And Croc time.

Soldiers vs Pirates

2011-05-04T17:59:00.004-04:00

Danny's old friend, Anu, came to visit. A serious game of soldiers vs pirates ensued.

Bath Time

2011-05-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

A Sunday Morning on the Guilford Green

2011-05-01T12:11:00.004-04:00

April 29th

2011-04-29T13:30:00.002-04:00

More Cake

2011-04-29T10:40:00.003-04:00

Visitors in the BK

2011-04-28T19:59:00.004-04:00

After leaving New Jersey, we headed to Brooklyn to see Lindy. It's been a while since we were there but Leigh had not forgotten her beloved piano.

Matt, Stacey and Kate were brave enough to risk their health to come see us. Kate was wary at first but eventually she warmed up (after being plied with grapes and crackers).

Here she is soaking up some mama love. Better get it while you can Kate!

While we were sleeping the Easter bunny was busy hiding treats around the house. Danny was 100% ready to find them upon waking.

Leigh, on the other hand, was still not feeling well and chose to remain in Daddy's arms. Danny was kind enough to hand deliver her basket to her.

Hana enjoyed the festivities as well.
Happy Easter!

Birthdays, Haddonfield Style

2011-04-27T09:46:00.006-04:00

We arrived in Haddonfield on DadKV's birthday. We celebrated with dinner at Sagami and, of course, more cake at home.

Grandma Vining conducted the chorus.

Leigh received some new books, which she investigated after enjoying her chocolate cake.

Unfortunately, we were beset the next morning by some nasty eye infections and other maladies. Leigh needed some extra cuddling in the morning (after having her eyes pried open). Danny followed suit.

But he soon tired of that, and moved in to the highlight of any NJ visit: legos!

The Actual Birthday

2011-04-26T19:49:00.005-04:00

Leigh's birthday began with presents. The nesting dolls were popular with everyone.

Leigh modeled her new back pack.

And Danny tried out the mask that came with it.

Hana had some fun with the wrapping paper.

Her good mood persisted throughout the day.

And of course we finished off with a delicious ice cream cake and a hearty rendition of "happy birthday." Leigh seemed to enjoy both.

Leigh is 3!

2011-04-24T21:59:00.010-04:00

Leigh turned three on Wednesday. Since then, we've been on a grandparent visiting spree and have not had a chance to properly document her big day. We've yet to upload our own pictures but here are some from her Brooklyn birthday party today, courtesy of Lindy.

The birthday girl got pretty excited when we started singing.

And she didn't mind the chocolate cake either.

She performed at the piano for the entire family.

And was quite proud of herself!

Danny helped her open her gifts.

Her babies and their accessories were big hits.

Mama and Hanako were feeling pretty good.

Daddy and Danny were not.

Happy birthday Leigh! More posts from our busy week to come...

Hanako Splashes

2011-04-11T19:39:00.001-04:00

Guilford Eggstravaganza 2011

2011-04-09T14:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday Morning Fun

2011-04-02T08:01:00.009-04:00

Some of us are old school and spend our Saturday mornings watching cartoons.

Others prefer to play.

Girl power

2011-04-01T11:04:00.007-04:00

When the Hawk is at school, the girls like to play.

Now that Hana is mobile, she can fully explore all the toys of the house. This morning's discovery was the dollhouse.

Leigh adopted 3 babies from Hana's room. They received many cuddles.

And were shown the outside world.

When she got tired of that, Leigh fell back on her old favorite: reading herself books in the corner.

Success!

2011-03-28T13:33:00.000-04:00

Almost Crawling

2011-03-16T19:58:00.003-04:00

We're still here.
Preparing for the renovation and looking for a place to live is keeping us busy.
Hana is very busy as well, trying hard to figure out this crawling thing.

Step 1: Get excited

Step 2: Lunge

Step 3: Stretch

Step 4: Complain

These pictures are a little out of date. These days she tends to follow the stretch with a belly flop and then loud, frustrated whining as she slides backwards on her belly across the floor, further and further from the coveted object.
Fun times for all.

Dominican Vacation v

2011-02-28T19:44:00.005-05:00

And then people started to get sick.
When this one felt better, he'd drive around the neighborhood. We took this special trip just to take some beach pictures on our last day.And if the fever stayed away long enough, he'd ponder life and death.And then crawl into bed to watch Transformers.When we ran out of gringo Tylenol we bought some Dominican poison acetaminophen. Danny thought it tasted so bad he puked in our bed. Our top sheet thus soiled, we slept under a comforter to keep the mosquitoes off. Some of us with the "sangre dulce" slept fully clothed, and found that socks offer no protection against the skeeters.

Dominican Vacation iv

2011-02-28T19:42:00.001-05:00

And then we got all prettied up for the wedding.
This one pretended to be a plumber.This one was a bulldozer.

Dominican Vacation iii

2011-02-28T19:39:00.002-05:00

Dominican Vacation ii

2011-02-28T19:27:00.003-05:00

Some crazy ball game was invented.
He imagines himself a goalie.Ball retrieval with monkey feet.Taking over the "pirate ship".
This one does not like sun, sand, or water.
This one is in charge of silliness.

Dominican Vacation

2011-02-28T19:23:00.001-05:00

This picture just about sums up how we're feeling these days.
Before the downfall, there was lots of pool time.

Dominican Wedding

2011-02-27T10:06:00.002-05:00

We still haven't uploaded our vacation photos but here are a few wedding pictures, courtesy of Aunt Vida.

Choices

2011-02-12T14:34:00.002-05:00

We're diving into the renovation process here in CT. We brought all 3 troublemakers to the local "spend your money here" place and got cracking on the 1001 decisions .

Troublemakers 1 and 2 relaxed with a "Bob the Builder" DVD from the local library. Danny liked it so much he proclaimed "I like it here, I don't want to leave".

Hanako liked it, too. Much kicking and growling.

Nutella Joker

2011-02-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

H-field II

2011-01-30T21:25:00.006-05:00

Don't you worry, DadKV found those missing Legos. Well supplied, the Ds then built set 6950, the Mobil Rocket Transport. Hawk helped G-toko work the internets.Leigh likes to call the dolls .Hanako".Here's some couch-jumping.This went well until G-DRV tripped the Hawk as he was jumping down. Then it didn't go so well.

H-Field

2011-01-30T09:59:00.003-05:00

Playing with everything the house has to offer.
DKV spent a few hours organizing Legos. He woke up the next morning with a catalog of missing pieces in his head. Attic search efforts have been fruitless.

Snowball Fight!

2011-01-30T09:55:00.001-05:00

Making Snowmonade

2011-01-27T18:13:00.002-05:00

When life gives you snow, make snowmonade.
Massive snowpile.
Turns to snowcave/quinzee.Standing room!

Sledding

2011-01-27T16:51:00.002-05:00

Off to the Guilford middle school for our first sledding in one year.Danny is getting old enough to do it himself. Leigh is getting old enough to not cry getting on the sled.

More Snow

2011-01-27T10:40:00.004-05:00

Hanako sitting up.14 inches of New England's best.The D's versus the snow.

A sampling

2011-01-16T08:46:00.002-05:00

A video sampler of home life.
Hanako jumps while Danny plans mayhem.
Leigh asks for chocolate.
Danny invites planets into his bed.

MegaSnow

2011-01-12T19:23:00.006-05:00

We had a major snow event today.2+ hours of shoveling. Good thing DaDKV didn't have to be at work.Leigh did not want to come outside.Danny did not want to come inside.Quinzee! Or, a snow tunnel with a sitting area.

Daddy Skates

2011-01-11T20:51:00.002-05:00

The town Mill Pond was closed for skating, so we headed to one of the elementary schools for the temporary rink there. It was locked up, but the helpful school folks called Parks and Recreation and got it opened up for us! DadKV is quite proud of his second ever ice skating experience, the first in 15 years. Danny wouldn't stop talking about it, either. Two days after he couldn't get up without the boards he was popping up without using his hands.

Skating (Now, with movie)

2011-01-09T21:23:00.002-05:00

Ice Skating

2011-01-09T20:12:00.003-05:00

We bought Danny skates and a helmet last week. He's been wearing the helmet ever since.Today he got his chance to get on the ice. This is his primary pose; "pre-fall guarding".
He became good friends with the wall.And got acquainted with the ice.He spent the first half of the lesson on falling down or having fallen down. He kept getting back up and eventually walked across the rink. His attitude was the best part of the day.

Uncles are fun

2011-01-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

These uncles sure are fun. The children allied themselves against the horrible Arthur beast.
The children slew the horrid creature!
And then rode his carcass while it twitched.

Bradfords!

2011-01-06T06:55:00.000-05:00

More cousins from Portland, real chaos!
Leigh decided that Uncle Arthur looked friendly, and demanded to be carried around.Theo did not want to be left out.More craziness on the couch.EABSeeking shelter in the storm.Refueling on ice cream.

More Dancing

2011-01-04T20:24:00.003-05:00

Uncle Arthur, the old ACDC fan that he is, brought Danny's dance party to whole new level.

Girls

2011-01-04T19:43:00.003-05:00

While DHV is at school and DKV is at work, the ladies have some quiet time.
And a late photo of our tree with snow.

Dance Party

2011-01-04T10:07:00.002-05:00

Post dinner.
Danny dances.
Leigh underfoots.

Christmas

2010-12-26T10:54:00.004-05:00

Nobody rocks the present-opening like DHawk.Bumblebee!Truck!While DHV is distracted by other toys, Leigh snatches his favorite.The next morning. Lego men trade body parts.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T20:03:00.003-05:00

Christmas starts early here in New England. Grandpa Lee, Grandma Steffy, and Aunt Molly came bearing gifts.Talking Ironman had the honor of first toy and held the pole position throughout the day.Leigh wanted some of that action [figure].Hanako!Gingerbread cookies and milk for Santa Claus.The new house at night. Walk to town, check out the stars on the way.

Danny chasing Leigh

2010-12-23T16:48:00.001-05:00

Here's a video from before the move. A bit on the long side, but it really gives you the flavor of Crazeytowne.