Week in Review

Sunday morning bagels ("Thank you Mama bagel!")



Valentine's Day card-making, Round II (note Karen and *P at stage right!)


I made a hat to donate to a fundraising auction for a local school. (Penguin pajamas optional.)


We have some sweet little daffodils (spotted while looking out the front door at the garbage and recycling trucks, of course) peeking out after all the alternating sunny and rainy days we've been having. I hope they don't get frozen later this month!


And we have the Children's Museum later this morning. Lots of fun in store!

Birthday Sledding

December and January were very busy months for us with lots of planning and travel, so for Alton's birthday we decided that in lieu of a big kid party, we would have a casual weekday playdate with a few friends, a special dinner out with Mommy and Daddy, and a day of sledding with his BFF *B and beloved cousin, *P.
The research started weeks in advance. We bought a molded plastic sled that would easily fit two riders and looked up Sno-Park areas online. We gassed up the cars, bought parking permits, procured a pair of snow boots for *P with only four days to go until Sled Day, and somehow Alton wound up with three pairs of mittens. We planned to enjoy some birthday cake (mmm, cake) after a hard morning of sledding, so the night before we left Andy baked the cake, and I got up early on Saturday morning to frost it, complete with choo-choo, of course.

When Alton woke up and we brought him downstairs, he was SO excited to see the train on top of his cake that he pleadingly requested, "Choo-choo out! Choo-choo out!" in hopes that we would release the poor little cake decoration from its glass prison.

But alas, it was eggs for breakfast and then time to get all of our stuff ready to go for the snow. This would not be Alton's first time seeing the snow (click here for that), but it would be his first time really playing in it. We drove in caravan with Uncle Zach, Auntie Karen and *P, plus the Lee family, with all of the kids in their respective cars chanting "Snow!" at intervals. Once we parked it was time to start suiting up the kids. On top of Alton's flannel-lined jeans and two long-sleeved T-shirts, we layered snow pants, wool socks, snow boots, jacket, hat, and mittens. Ready to go, he gives the camera a big cheesy grin (this is what we get now when we say "smile!").

Alton and *P are ready to go! Alton says, "Raise your arms up HIGH!" *P says, "I'm trying to!"

They admire one another's stylish knit hats, made by their mommies, of course!

Andy and I, along with all the other parents, got similarly bundled up for the cold.



We finally set out across the icy parking lot with our six adults, four kids, two sleds, and one BIG camera (thanks for sharing pictures, Zach!).


F in his monkey hat gets the sweetest ride of all.

We reach the edge of the pavement where the snow begins. We opt for a small, winding trail heading off into the woods, hoping to find a big, picturesque clearing with a movie-worthy slope for us to ride down. Once we reached the snow, we popped Alton and *P into the sled to pull them along and make the going easier.

*P is quite the daredevil and was ready to cruise! Alton took in the puffy, restrictive clothing, frozen bottom, and physical distance from Mom and Dad and decided that sledding was not for him.

After reassuring our upset little guy, we trudged onward down the vague path, stepping carefully across tiny, half-thawed creekbeds and admiring our surroundings. After awhile, we came to a wide, gently sloping section that looked slightly sled-able, so Andy and Chris hopped into the sleds, securing Alton and *B in front of them, and "paddled" forward along the snow with their hands. Alton was much happier to be riding in Daddy's lap, so he allowed the sled excursion to take place.

Andy mid-paddle; I had to include this picture for the identical expressions on their faces.

Chris draws on his Vermontian roots while he and *B glide easily forward.

*P runs to catch up; "Guys, wait for me!"

Alton and Andy are ready for a break.

The Rhyne family posing for the camera.

*P gets her turn on the sled, with her daddy pulling fast!

The Oregonian Rhynes, minus Karen the photographer.

The whole family gets a turn! Chris pulls Elizabeth, baby *F and *B (that little pink face that is almost obscured by her coat). Click on the picture to enlarge and see how ecstatic *F is about being on the sled.

Karen pulls *P on the sled, running to keep ahead of her down the decline!

*B gets so comfortable in the sled, she lies down...

...and proceeds to spend as much of the rest of the day as she can in this position. Chris looked like he was pulling an empty sled!

More cute smiles.

The moms wait at the top of the hill...

while Alton and *B get ready to take their turns down in the sleds! After spending most of the morning in Daddy's arms, Alton has finally warmed up to the idea of riding in the sled alone.

The kids do one last check-in with one another: "Are we sure we want to do this?"

Don't worry, it was a gentle little slope and practically horizontal! Andy and Chris trotted down as quickly as they could, with both Alton and *B giggling "Fast!" out to them. With the sleds back at the top of the hill, *P gets her turn with her daddy! Elizabeth and *F decide to join *B for one last run, too.

While we wait for the sledders to return, I amuse Alton by making a tiny snowman. Auntie Karen provides pine needles for his arms, and Alton's mitten serves as his hat (you might need to click on this picture to see the big version of the snowman--shown actual size).

Ready to head back to the parking lot, Alton is persuaded to share the sled with *P so we can pull them at the same time.

He is finally able to relax and wants Daddy to go faster!

Andy and Uncle Zach take turns pulling, and for the last 24 hours when we ask him about the snow or sledding, Alton says, "Daddy pull! Unko Gack pull!"

We stop for lunch at a nearby restaurant, then let the kids conk out in the car on the way home. Uncle Zach, Auntie Karen and *P reconvene with us at our place for cake.
Warm and dry, Alton and Daddy cuddle.

He blows out the candles in the choo-choo.

Don't want to let that frosting go to waste.

Alton and his chocolate-speckled cousin enjoy reading one of the birthday gifts that the Lee family gave him: a personalized book about Superman! It has Alton's name in it and everything!

But the greatest part of their gift to Alton is obviously his new cape! Elizabeth made him a darling, I mean manly, supercool, perfectly-sized Superman cape! She has been very busy at her sewing machine for several months with a new project always cooking, but little did I imagine that she would fashion Alton such a fantastic and unique birthday gift. We were blown away by the perfection of her creation and happily welcomed his first piece of dress-up costumery.

Alton sits happily in his playroom, reading the Superman book. He loves wearing his new garment and has learned to say "cape" already.

Oh, and did I mention that it's reversible? There is no end to the awesomeness of this gift!

Our first snow day was exhausting, but definitely a success. We had a really wonderful time celebrating Alton's birthday with everyone and can't wait for next year. By then, maybe Alton will be big enough to pull Mommy and Daddy on the sled. We'll see!