february / 17 months!

Remember when I was complaining about all the snow in January?  As it turns out, that was only the beginning.  This has been a record-breaking winter for Boston, as far as snowfall goes, and chances are it will just keep coming through March.  We have been keeping busy though...

At 3 years old, Harper has become really grown up in a  lot of ways.  I love being able to converse with her, and she is constantly surprising me with deep, insightful questions and comments.  She is always asking to do "a project."  This means that she wants more than coloring books, paper, or stickers.  She wants me to dig out paint, to think of something different or special so that she can let her creativity flow and get her hands dirty (only to obsessively wash them).  The month of February has been a dream for her in this way, as we worked on valentines for weeks.  There were valentines made for school friends, neighborhood friends, church friends, and family members.  That's a LOT of crafting, bordering on child labor (I kid, sort of...); but Harper was up for the challenge, and Hunter was happy to come along for the ride.

Painting pasta to make a pasta necklace

No matter the project, her hands always end up like this.

Harper drew her first "person" this month!  Don't get me wrong, she has been drawing people forever, or what she tells me are people, but this one was the first that resembled a person in a way that less imaginative adult eyes could easily discern.  The evolution of children's drawing is really amazing to watch.  We hang as much of it up in the kitchen as we can!  It makes me so happy to see these vibrant, creative expressions.  I would frame every single piece of it if I could.

Harper's first person drawing!

I tried to give Hunter a mess-free painting activity to do alongside his sister, where I put paint inside a large Ziploc bag so that he could squish it around without turning into a painted man--but he wanted no part of my tricks.  So I gave in and let him get his hands dirty too.  And basically his whole body.  He was thrilled, of course, and earned himself a bath directly afterwards.  I love my little artists!

It always starts out so clean and organized...

...And ends up like this!  All in a hard day's work as a little artist.

Harper and Hunter were really excited to deliver their valentines to their school friends especially.  I was pretty excited myself, having had inspiration all on my own without perusing Pinterest the way I often do!  Our valentines this year said: I only have eyes for you, valentine! and included a pair of glasses.  They turned out perfectly.

Valentines for school friends!

Glasses girls!
Taylor, Harper, and Alice (left to right)

One cute little glasses guy, plus his dinosaur

Valentine's Day friends,
plus power tools (pretend, of course).

The Friday before Valentine's Day, we were excited for a play date with our friend, George.  Coincidentally, we also got together with him on Valentine's Day last year.  So now it needs to be an annual thing.  Harper and George's birthdays are almost exactly a year apart, putting him squarely between Harper and Hunter.  He is such a boy, and it's really fun for me to see the direction Hunter is going in as he gets bigger.  Harper and George are the funniest playmates.  No matter where we are, they somehow end up in a huge hugging session, giggling uncontrollably.  Little friends are my favorite.

For Valentine's Day weekend, we were excited to welcome Dallin's brother, Harper and Hunter's Uncle Bryan, for a visit to Boston!  It had been years since we last saw Bryan so it was long overdue quality time, and we enjoyed every minute.  Bryan arrived on Saturday morning.  There was (yet another) snowstorm in the forecast for Saturday afternoon so we tried to make the most of the day before it hit.  We took a trip to the Boston Museum of Science.  We checked out a bunch of different exhibits and also went to the lightning show.  It was a little loud for Harper and Hunter's taste, but it was still fun to see and to learn a little bit about the different types of electricity and how its conducted.  

Big moose, littlest h.

Hunter was mesmerized watching the ball travel along the track.

On our way home from the Museum of Science, we stopped in Harvard Square to have a late lunch at Shake Shack.  It's one of our favorite spots to eat as a family (should I be embarrassed to admit that?), and we love to take out-of-town guests there.  Plus it was a good opportunity to at least drive through Harvard Square to show Bryan a bit more of Boston.  The snow was beginning to fall at that point so we headed home.  

Post Shake Shack, snowy selfie with Uncle Bryan!

The rest of our time with Uncle Bryan involved a lot of movies.  There was so much snow that it was impossible to go out and do anything else.  Still, we loved the excuse to hunker down inside, drink hot chocolate, and catch up.  He was the best valentine date we could have asked for!  We wish all of our family could live close, but we are just so spread out that we have to enjoy our time when we get it.  Hopefully he will come back for another visit when the weather is warm!

The following week, Hunter officially turned 17 months old--and even more exciting is that we have a WALKER!  We are so excited for this little man's major milestone, and he earned it with loads and loads of animal crackers.  What else does a littlest h need in this life, really?  It was so cute seeing how proud he was, not to mention how excited his big sister was for him.  Harper is his biggest cheerleader.

Hunter is as busy as ever at 17 months old.  He loves getting into mischief and thinks everything is hilarious, even when we might not agree.  This kid definitely has a sense of humor!  Fortunately, he also has a very patient big sister.  He has developed a particular fascination with the dishwasher.  Whenever I am loading or unloading dishes, somehow he just knows--and will come in from wherever he is to try to "help."  He also likes to "help" by adding things to the dishwasher.  On one snow day, he was just convinced that his basketball and football needed a wash, and so he got right up in there to make it happen.  That's the thing about Hunter: he is very focused.  When he decides that he wants to do something, heaven help you if you stand in his way.  He can be very dramatic; I have absolutely no idea where he gets this from.

Uh-huh, that's a football in there.

Yes, Hunter is sitting on the door of the dishwasher.

Hunter loves his babies!

There were several babies born the year after Hunter that he enjoys playing with.  For such a wild man, Hunter is also the most loving sweetie pie that I know.  Whether it's a baby doll or a real baby, he can be so gentle that it's touching to watch.  Earlier this month, a group of Hunter's baby friends got together and took a picture, all wearing matching Hanna Andersen outfits.  It was an "after" photo for a pregnancy picture the other moms had taken the previous summer; they were kind to include us in this one, even though he doesn't share the same birth year.  It was adorably hilarious, especially seeing Hunter dwarf these other little friends--both because he is older and also because he is so tall for his age!  Hunter was totally chill about it though; he gets that from his dad.

Can you spot Hunter?
He's the cutie wearing grey.

Sometimes we feel like we may go crazy if we stay indoors another moment, but field trips are pretty tough when the snow is piled up as tall as our toddlers outside.  We recently learned that there is free admission at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on Wednesday nights, and that the museum stays open late that night so that people can really enjoy this perk.  So, despite the little voice in my head saying that taking two kids under 4 to a fine arts museum was a bad idea (should I get that checked out?), the Hs and I packed up the car and went.  The traffic on the way was horrendous, but we finally made it.  Our friends gave us some excellent intel about these little tote bags that they lend out to kids at the visitor desk so that kids can make their own sketches as they look at the different exhibits.  What a great discovery!  It's so refreshing to feel welcome in a museum even with little kids; I'm relieved I didn't heed the nay-sayer in my head.  We were planning to meet friends at the museum, but they were stuck in the same traffic we had encountered so Harper, Hunter, and I got started on our own.  It was such a special experience to be there with my children, and I loved seeing the museum through their eyes.  It was particularly magical to see the Egypt wing with them; that has been my favorite since I was little, and it was neat the way they took to it as well.  They drew their own interpretations of the things we looked at and really got into it.  I could feel my father, their beloved and artistically gifted Grandpa Nick, smiling down on us as we walked through the silent halls.  At times like that, it makes my heart hurt that he isn't here to share moments like this with my children, that he never even got to meet his grandchildren.  I don't doubt that he would have loved it, loved them.  Still, it's hard not to wish things were different.  I can only hope that they will come to know him through the stories I tell them and the things I share about him.

Museum of Fine Arts selfie!

Hunter's not sure how he feels about modern art.

Harper, working on her interpretation of modern art

Studying the hieroglyphics

Appreciating the Impressionists

Our friends, the Lloyds, arrived a short while later, and we continued  through the museum with them.  Harper was thrilled to have Brenn by her side.  The girls especially loved the Degas sculpture of the little ballet dancer.  You can tell they found it particularly inspiring because these tiny dancers broke into their own little dance.  Their dance teacher would have been so proud!  The guards might have been a little nervous though.

The only dicey moment was when Harper climbed up onto the little stage where iconic movie costumes were displayed on mannequins.  Yes, a little alarm goes off when this happens (yikes).  Fortunately, she climbed right down.  She was looking at a Chanel outfit so I honestly can't say I blame her for getting a little over excited.  It was a really special night, and I'm grateful that we took a chance and made the trip.  I feel encouraged to try other museums and even other activities that might feel challenging with a double stroller and a diaper bag; the challenge can definitely be worth it.

Other days are less adventurous, and we get caught up by the mundane chores that can't be ignored forever.  Laundry is the bane of our existence.  For a family of four, it seems like we generate a heck of a lot of laundry.  I'm talking mountains.  How do you stay on top of it?!  I wish I knew.  As you can see, Harper is clearly unfazed.

Madeline at 75, Harper at 3

Encouraged by our successful trip to the MFA, we were excited to do another museum trip later in the month, to the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst.  There was an exhibit of the art of Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of Madeline, entitled, Madeline at 75.  The show ended on February 22 so we made it just under the wire, and I'm so glad we made the trip.  Madeline was a favorite of mine growing up; particularly after suffering appendicitis at age 5, I thought it was pretty cool that I had a scar to match Madeline.  I have been reading the various Madeline stories to Harper and Hunter since they were just born, and we even have some Madeline illustrations decorating their room.  So it was really special to see this exhibit with them, and meeting Mimi there was an added bonus.  Even Hunter, who doesn't have a ton of words yet, can recite some of the Madeline story.  Of course, it's the part:

          To the tiger in the zoo
          Madeline just said, "Pooh-pooh."
The Hs think that part is SO funny, though we have talked about the meaning of the word in this sentence.  Harper will tell you, "Madeline's saying, No big deal! I'm not afraid of you!'"  Even if they're being silly, I love that they are both so captivated by Madeline.  We keep the board book version in the car, and both kids can stare at those pages forever.  

Despite being so young, Hunter truly loves looking at art, and the Eric Carle Museum was the perfect spot for him--for all of us, really.  This museum is unique in that it is more than family friendly; they encourage children to be there.  On our last visit, I was still pregnant with Hunter so this was his first out-of-belly trip.  Celebrating Madeline's 75th birthday was a special treat, and we also enjoyed the other museum exhibits, an art project in the studio, and story time in their library.  Harper even brought home her very own Madeline doll.  My sister, Harper's Aunt Annie, had a similar doll when we were growing up; it's tender to see history repeating itself in this way.  This time, we left with our own museum membership so hopefully we can make more frequent trips now!  And is it wrong to admit that I'm hoping Harper will want to be Madeline for Halloween?  Just thinking ahead...

Harper, taking in the art of Ludwig Bemelmans with Mimi

Harper enjoyed learning about primary colors on the light box.

Hunter liked building with the discs on the light box too.

Inspired by the story of Madeline, Harper made her own book in the studio!

Mimi helped Hunter make a book too!
Hunter really took to Eric Carle's blue horse so they drew one of their own.

A visit to the very hungry caterpillar is a museum must-do.

On our last trip to the museum, Hunter was still in my belly--
so it was exciting for him to visit the very hungry caterpillar in person for the very first time! 

Harper and Hunter with their teacher and bestie, Becca!

Of course, no month is complete without the Hs having tons of fun at school!  Harper and Hunter's teachers, Becca and Nicole, do so much with the kids.  They paint, they build, they read, they play.  Even when stranded inside because of all the snow, they find a way to let the kids get all of their energy out in a positive, fun, and always loving way.  Dallin and I are seriously in awe of all that they do with the kids, and we are grateful for the handful of special playmates that Harper and Hunter get to spend their days with.  Some of the other kids were also babies when we started going there, and it's been really neat to watch them grow together.  I know that these are friends that we will treasure for life, in addition to these long winter days.

Dress up!

Hunter likes to build "tall towers" as much as his sister!

Learning the ABCs!

And did we mention the snow?  THERE IS JUST SO MUCH SNOW.  Truly, they are saying it's the worst winter in Massachusetts history, including the blizzard of '78.  Thank goodness for Dallin and for our beloved Deardens upstairs, because Harper, Hunter, and I have not been pulling our weight when it comes to shoveling.  However, we have been enjoying snow play.  The hill near our house is great for sledding, and it's so close, which is a major plus.  Even on days when Dallin and I have to work from home because there's too much snow falling to make it into the office, just as soon as we log out, we can get all bundled up and head over.

As much as we love playing in the snow, it has been intense.  We have really had to stay inside a lot.  Fortunately, one of my coworkers handed down their collection of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads.  Harper and Hunter love playing with them, and they can sit together forever, playing side by side.  It's a dream come true for a parent when both kids enjoy the same activity, simultaneously no less.  Hunter, of course, likes putting the Mr. Potato Head hats on his own head.  He also likes climbing into the bin.  I tell you, this little boy is such a goof ball!  And as you can see, he totally knows it.  

For the shortest month of the year, I feel like we have definitely fit a lot in! I'm glad that we have had the opportunity to make some special memories together as a family and with great friends. Now we are looking forward to the end of this eternal winter and the sunshine of spring. We know it will be here eventually, and in the meantime, we will soak up as much cozy togetherness as possible.