Another Snowy Day

 Everything was closed and cancelled due to a (very minor) ice storm, so we stayed in and made cookies.

Asian Princesses

Eole and Sofia dressed in traditional Korean dresses.

A Visit from the Grandparents

We were so happy to have Grandma and Grandpa come visit.

 We visited an old historical home and plantation in Raleigh...

 ...where Davyn earned his keep picking cotton.

 We visited the Raleigh Oakwood cemetery where many of the Confederate soldiers who were killed at Gettysburg were buried.

 Many of these soldiers were only 17 or 18 years old when they were killed.

 Eole in front of a civil war cannon.

 We visited Bentonville Battlefield where the last major battle of the Civil war was fought. 

 Then we headed out to Wrightsville beach to visit Fort Fisher, a Confederate fort make out of sand walls. 

Happy Valentine's Day

I'm not into celebrating holidays, but I don't want to be accused of that by my children one day.  

 So I made a very simple treasure hunt. Eole loved it. 

 Then we invited friends over to help us use up all our Valentine material.  

 

 We threw in some cookies to frost and called it a party. 

The Best Neighborhood Ever....Part Two

Did I mention how much I love our neighborhood? Due to a snow storm that dropped all of six inches here in the South, our town shut down and we all met on the abandoned streets for an impromptu sledding party.

 A snow like this comes only once in seven years. These kids have never played in snow before. 

 Davyn, born and bred here in the South, was not so sure of this cold, icy stuff...

...until Daddy started to make lots and lots of "balls."

 The snow brings out the kid in all of us.

The Fire House

We walked past the neighborhood firehouse as the fire engine was returning. The fire captain invited us in for a visit. Isn't this every little boy's dream? 

Brave Little Girl

WARNING: Viewers may find the following images disturbing. Viewer Caution Advised.

 They brought the tarantula out to play at the Museum of Life and Science. Most people shrank back in fear (including yours truly). Others, who were braver, were willing to touch the tarantula's legs. Eole hung around until the crowd passed, then shyly asked if she could HOLD THE TARANTULA on her own! 

The tarantula crawled up Eole's arm and nestled in. The attendant explained that "Rose really likes sweaters!" So there you have it. "Rose" was rather reluctant to leave Eole's arm in the end. I may have nightmares about this, but Eole thoroughly enjoyed it.