Never Forgetting

This is a sticker they gave the boys for walking through the metal detector at the airport in Texas on the way home. Not sure if it will show up in the photo, but the small writing around the outline of Texas in the middle?
*9-11-2001* Never Forget*
One of my friends commented, it is a bit like Dec 7 being a infamous day in one generations memory (Pearl Harbor). Likewise, while we have no first hand memory of Pearl Harbor, there are kids born since 2011, who didn't get first hand experience. Interesting to think about.

Too little ambition

"It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Severe weather areas

I thought, when first seeing this sign in an airport on the way to Aus, that someone had a sense of humour, and possibly, a collection of stickers they left behind them as they travelled. Maybe a comment on the sucking power of the American toilet, which terrified the baby for a good two months when I was trying to get him to use a toilet.
I finally put two and two together, just before the flight home, after seeing tornado shelters marked up on a mall map.
Its not someone trying to be funny about toilet habits, it is a Severe Weather [shelter] Area! Because like the school buses being yellow, the bad weather doesn't just happen in the movies....

Even Better Snow Day

Sun came out, so it was all sparkly and white, with a beautiful blue sky...
Snow makes the cold worth while. Snow makes everything brighter, and more beautiful. Snow relaxes people out of their usual routines, and creates opportunities to do things like shovelling (and chatting) together. And I love sledding with the kids! We had so much powder, barely melted, that we could roll comfortably down the hill as well. Still not good enough for a snow man, but maybe tomorrow?

Snow day!!

Just as I was feeling glum about missing all that lovely snow too. The storm has come through later in the day than expected, so we get to watch the snow fall instead of waking up to lots of snow.

Getting out the door to the park in Winter

How I got to the park this afternoon (written mid-Feb just before our trip but not posted)

Made tea in thermos for me

Mr 5 had to finish apple, then we read library book

Mr 5 needed jumper and jacket

Mr snotty insisted on fireman costume. But tried to take jumper off first. Also didn't want jacket on outside of fireman top. 

Put fireman top on outside of jacket - tight fit...put shoes and socks on baby Fireman. 

Initially he was going in pram. Then he changed his mind to riding. But wanted to wear fireman hat. Then didn't want bike helmet clipped under neck. Wanted it on chin, or undone, I can't work out which. Put his bike back in cupboard. 

Got other bike up from basement. Insisted on gloves for Mr 5.

Baby realised that fireman top was too tight and consented to taking it off. 

Put bike out on pavement, then carried pram out. Settled Mr Fireman, who refused gloves and was unhappy his helmet wouldn't stay on in pram. 

Shut door and then discovered that basketball wouldn't fit under pram. Went back inside and got bag. 

Got to tennis court. Baby constantly grizzled that he wanted to go to park. I ignored him to give Mr 5 time to ride around. Drank cold tea. Cheered Mr 5 as much as is possible with Mr Fireman grizzling in the background.
Went to playground, watched with heart in mouth as Mr 5 rode down a hill close to parked cars and around a corner almost completely out of control.
Pushed Mr Fireman on swings, but he started crying as his hands were cold. Got gloves on him, which involved taking off jacket, putting on gloves, putting gloves back on.
Mr 5 decided he needed his beanie, but I didn't have it. Baby copied the distressed noises. Got baby his beanie. Mr 5 decided he was freezing, but couldn't use my beanie when offered.
We went home. I think we spent close to 45 mins getting there, and about 15 mins there, all so they could get some measly (cold) outdoor time, so they wouldn't go crazy around dinner time...

Wait, what?

We are safely back from our trip. I hesitate to call it a holiday, or even vacation, as it was pretty tough on our family, especially the little one. The down side to the timing of our trip is that we appear to have missed the SNOW! I think we are the only ones disappointed by this. Some are suggesting some sort of genius. It was simply not thinking things through enough, we assure you, because given a choice, we wouldn't have missed this...
However. Here is a photo of the beach we stayed near. I would happily stay here again. And everytime I start feeling disappointed about the snow, I look at these pictures.
PS - for those unfamiliar with The Flags on the beach - the red and yellow one is one of a set of two that designate a safe swimming place between them. The black and white flags are set on the outside of this area, and the gap between the black and white and the red and yellow create a buffer between surfers (outside the flags) and swimmers (inside the red and yellow flags), because being hit in the head with a surfboard hurts. Small children on boogie boards are ok in the swimming zone.
This photo was taken at low tide, on a pretty flat surf. The kid in the bottom photo is not mine.