iPhone Shots

Day and night...courtesy of my phone.  Still blown away by the fact that these are from MY PHONE.  (Give me some time...I said I adapt slowly.)

iPhone shots

A few weeks ago Jon bought me the iPhone 4S - all stealthy and ninja like.  He actually sent me a text from the store to let me know that my phone might not work in a few minutes.  He loves me like that.  

I've noticed a pretty incredible difference from my old 3.  The picture quality is amazing.  These photos are both from outside...just natural light...no edits.  

The top one is a shot of the wood on our stairs.  Those 'stones' are actually large sand grains.

The second shot is of a flower in the yard.  The colors are amazing.  That's Owen's tiny finger pointing...just to give you an idea of the scale.  You can see the little hairs on the leaves!

I'm definitely a late arrival to the boat...but this stuff blows my mind.  This is my PHONE.  It takes far better photos than the $400 camera I got 5 years ago.  On my phone.  Crazy.  

All that to say...thanks again Jon.  You patiently wait for me to 'see' this kind of stuff.  Not that I didn't before...but I believe you.  Technology is kinda awesome.  

 

So Big

What's next?  Climbing on the school bus?  So not ready. 

My new rule for her is:  No more growing up until you get some real hair.  

That might buy me a few months.  

Just one more...

I meant to include this in with the cherry blossom shots.  Love this kid.

Spring!

Jon's dad is visiting us this week!  He's already been hard at work attacking all the little things that have been on the to-do list for too long - but we're also trying to get in a little sightseeing while he's here.

And what a great surprise that he managed to come during the peak cherry blossom days!  We got down to the tidal basin early this afternoon and managed to beat the crowds just a bit.  

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the beginning of spring.

Snack time

The other day I took the kids to the zoo.  It really was one of those incredible days that you want to remember forever.  Both kids were so well behaved.  The weather was perfect.  The animals were out and exotic as usual.  I remembered to pack snacks and diapers AND drinks for once.  I get happy just thinking about the day.

As we were leaving I stopped to take it all in and couldn't believe that THIS IS MY JOB.  

It's my job to go to the zoo and talk about animals with a captive (and captivated) audience.

It's my job to hold hands and jump across the lilly pads in the kid section.

It's my job to come up with fun snacks.

It's my job to teach Owen that good manners means holding the door for someone who needs help (say, is pushing a big stroller) and to have him practice with me.

It's my job to sing silly songs and laugh at silly jokes and make googly eyes at little babies.

Seriously?  It's like I get to be a kid again...only much wiser and more aware.  And with driving privileges (yes!).  

Maybe it's more that I get to appreciate what it means to be a kid.  With the added bonus of getting to steer Owen and Ever through those first time experiences.  And share those snacks, of course (double bonus!).

Not a bad way to kill 8 hours a day.  Plus or minus a few.

It was one of those beautiful, warm, pre-spring evenings last week and we walked down to the playground to soak up the last few rays of sun and get in some time swinging and climbing and digging.  Evan and Owen decided to aerate the 'swoil' around the trees in the area and spent close to 20 minutes digging away.  Despite the dirty pants I thought this was a much better activity then the "swat violently at imaginary bugs with long sticks while standing next to each other" game they had been trying to play.  Oh boys.  

I'm excited about lots of dirt play this summer.  It's the first summer that Owen will be able to really dig and now he knows the functions of all his little toy trucks.  They build imaginary roads and foundations and mountains under the deck already so I know summer is going to be a full of construction projects back there.

Everly, however, must still be schooled in the fine art of dirt play.  Granted...she's a newbie so I have to give her a few more months to develop some higher functioning thought processing skills.

But she went from this happy innocent moment with mom...

...to the inhalation of a flower pot in about 7 seconds.  

 I'm not sure she had time to close her mouth between photos.  

The last shot is after I wiped her mouth out a few times.  She had it all caked in her teeth.  This girl's super power is definitely speed.

As a result of our outing Everly's newest word is 'ucky'.  It hasn't quite registered that ucky doesn't mean "Hey mom, I'm going to PUT this yucky thing in my mouth, ok?"

At least it's a step in the right direction.  

Snow

My little bug.  Mesmerized by what was probably the last of the snow flurries for this winter.  

Owen found

Spring

The Experiment

owen does the first round of data collection

teaming-up to add credibility

everly texted me the results of her test.  multitasking!  real time data!

the twins agree...it's raining

These two had to 'test' the weather last week.   (And say hi to their outdoor twins.)

It was one of those time that I denied immediate access to the outdoors in favor of a warmer, less wet hour (with fewer jammies).  Two cooped up cabin-crazy kids didn't agree with that decision, surprise, surprise - so I let them tell me what they thought the weather was like outside at 8am.

Cold and very wet...apparently.  Their hypothesis (If it is daytime and I want to go outside then regardless of how it appears the weather is actually sunny and warm) was sadly rejected.  

Or not so sadly...because sticking  your hand outside to feel icy rain drops is apparently second best to going fully out.    Win-win, everybody!

And now...

I love the openness of our 'backyard'.  So much room for little legs to run.  

The kids have definitely inherited my need to be outside.  It's not too pleasant to be around all of us when we've been cooped up for too long.   

Though, we've only had to suffer through the occasional triple-bad-mood this winter.  It's been so mild - warm even - and we've been outside almost every day for walks and runs and bike rides and digging sessions.    Our sleds have stayed packed away in the closet downstairs...sad and forlorn.  I do love a big snowstorm.  Maybe next winter?

Because spring is just around the corner...bringing green, green, green, green, green.  I'm looking forward to exploring the trails and finding all different colors of flowers with my two helpers.  

Today I'm thankful for 4 seasons we have in DC and the refreshing change they bring throughout the year.  

Also thankful for: Jon, who has waited ever so patiently over the years for his slow-adaptor wife to join the 21st century.  But he finally put his foot down and signed me up for a twitter account.  Yikes!

Will I use it?  

Follow me @thehighpoint to find out!  :)

life, still

Two normal daily sights: trains and dinner.