We're melting! We're melting!

We are tentatively optimistic that the groundhogs may have been wrong. Pretty much all of February has had above-freezing temps during the day! And lots of rain, rather than snow. Time to break out the bikes now that we can see pavement!

How can you not smile when you see this? Makin' it work, girl!

And this guy suggested that we not allow any TV show viewing during summer, so that we can spend all our time outdoors! I was shocked, but I think it's because he was tired of waiting for Hadley to watch her show when he wanted us to go on a group bike ride. I'll have to see if he remembers making that statement once school lets out. Ha!

The chilly rain has kept us indoors, so for a change of scenery we took the kids bowling.

There's a lot of waiting for Hadley's slow-rolling granny bowls to reach the pins...

Owen was getting the hang of it and garnered several spares and even a strike! (Yes, we had bumpers in the gutters. It helps level the playing field.)

We also checked out the new climbing gym in town. They have a kids' bouldering room with padded floors and a super-tall slide, which was a hit! Both Hadley and Owen were fearless in climbing up the walls.

For a fun and tasty afternoon, we broke out the cutout cookie recipe, cookie cutters, and leftover gingerbread house candies (blech, but the kids didn't seem to mind).

Family game night saw the inauguration of Pie Face, which is just as it sounds. Definitely good for some laughs,

Especially when Daddy gets pie-faced! I wish I had Owen's laughter at that on video. :)

Owen thought it was the best thing ever and relished eating the whipped cream off of his face. Hadley, in true form, cried when it got in her hair. But.... that face! Too funny.

I took the kids to family day at the art museum for some culture. They stuffed panty-hose remnants and decorated them a la a local artist's "sculptures". I wasn't really impressed by the inspiration "art", but it was fun to make, and I loved how the kids' cat sculptures turned out.

Side note: love the art museum! I took a pottery class, formed these bowls, painted/glazed them, and took them home all for $20. The pottery wheel is so mesmerizing and therapeutic, I almost want to get myself one for fun. (I got a little too brave on the wheel with the lime green bowl though and it collapsed two times, so this was the best I could get with my overworked clay.)

Finally, we helped the patriarch celebrate another trip around the sun. The kids LOVE birthdays and excitedly anticipate the cake and presents. Hadley declared it "the best day of my life!", and it wasn't even her birthday!