A Fun Start for February

We had a fun, busy weekend, here in Colfax... starting Saturday, when Mom and Dad came for a visit. It was nice to see Mom doing so well after her surgery.

Mom and Dad had visited with Aunt Margy before coming over, so brought along with them a tub of her delicious home-made spaghetti sauce to share.

In these photos, Leila models a sharp-looking black and white outfit that Mom gave her for Christmas. She's looks all ready for a job interview, doesn't she? More ready than I do, I'm afraid...

After a record-setting 30+ days of below-freezing temps this January (with way too many of those days below zero), the warm weather we experienced this weekend came as a welcome relief. We were able to get outside a little and appreciate our beautiful country setting.

We met more of our neighbors at a sledding and skating party this weekend. One of our nearest neighbors with school-age children (they live about half a mile away from us), invited over all of the other neighborhood children and their families for a day of outdoor fun. It was a good chance for the kids (and us) to socialize.

This neighbor's house is set on a hill that's not only scenic but ideal for sledding... and there were a potluck of sleds available. They had fashioned a small skating pond on a flat spot just outside their patio door. Several of the dads, including Jon, came over on their snowmobiles and gave the children rides in the adjancent fields and woods.

It was warm enough that Leila and I were able to join everyone at the hill for about an hour so. I talked with the other parents but also did a little sledding of my own.

I claimed a sled and set my mark for a wide open spot, where I was not likely to plow down any small children or dogs... bad for neighborhood relations. But as I slid down the hill, my sled inexplicably veered left. It took me straight toward a small ramp that the kids had all been aiming for... a tiny but diabolical "sled jump".

Yes, I did some air time. My backside wasn't happy, but it was kind of silly and very fun. Just the kind of thing to shake the winter doldrums.

Next time around one of the moms kindly directed me toward a foam-padded sled, for a more... comfortable ride down. I heeded her advice, thinking that this other type of sled might not be as speedy as the smooth plastic kind and therefore easier to control. But again, the sled veered me left toward the dreaded sled jump.

No, I do not have any pictures of my frenzied attempts to avoid the ramp or the graceless spills that followed. Let your imagination do the work.

But the neighbors seemed friendly and nice, and I'm glad to find that now-- only a year after moving here-- the kids are acquainted with lots of boys and girls their age who live an easy bike ride's distance from our house. We have gotten to meet their parents and in some cases have exchanged phone numbers, so it should be easy to keep the kids set up with play-dates this summer.

Even Leila got to socialize this weekend! On Sunday we had one of Jon's co-workers and his young family over for dinner. Their baby girl, Olivia, is less than one week older than Leila.

It was very interesting seeing the two babies together! There were lots of similarities, but also some pretty significant differences. Leila was definitely bigger and had WAY more hair. She also smiled and "talked" more.

But Olivia CAN CRAWL. She can also pull herself to standing and walk (with help). She doesn't have teeth, either, but eats table food (pulled into small pieces for her by her dad). Her mother breast feeds her, but she is able to grasp and drink from a real cup (no handles-- just a regular cup!). It's really kind of amazing.

Maybe Leila will start getting some ideas! For now she seems content sitting pretty much wherever I put her, though she does scoot around a little and is starting to reach up for things on table tops, etc.

I'm kind of torn between wanting her to crawl (just to show those other babies what's what!) and wanting her to continue with this slow scooting for awhile (much easier for me). But we'll see what happens.

I'll close with a photo of Emma helping the two babies rummage through our collection of mittens and scarves.