Happy Birthday Phoebe!

Phoebe wanted to bring donuts for her classmates and teachers to get the big day off to the right start.

She had to get measured to make it official.

She's grown almost an inch since the first day of school.

For her birthday dinner, she wanted pancakes.  But she was very specific about it - she wanted "nine pancakes, stacked on top of each other, with syrup dibbling down the sides."

Just like she pictured it in her mind.

Present time.  Her first record player.  She asked for it.

A stack of records to get started.

We'd picked out this Pete Seeger record for her before we knew that he had just died.

Of course!

The other present she asked for was a pogo stick.

Phoebe helped make the cake she wanted - a coconut layer cake.

Look at those layers!

The big NINE.

Wangs

During the NFL playoffs the kid got REALLY into eating hot wings while they catch a game. They're really excited for the Super Bowl pretty much because they think they'll be stuffing their faces with wings.

In other news, Phoebe's finally old enough to start grilling.  One of the ten important life skills each child must learn before leaving the nest is starting and cooking on a charcoal grill.

New Year's Day

We took the kids up to Shelby Forrest on New Year's Day and did a 3 mile loop to build up an appetite for some black eyed peas. Frank led the way most of the time and set a very brisk pace for a little guy.

Everyone loves a little bridge.

Trees.

Rest stop.

Gnome house.

Stationary log flume.

Big hill.

More Virginia

We saw this wise old bird on the James River Ferry.

Mimi, Popsy and the kids bundle up for the ferry ride.

Back in Colonial Williamsburg… a barrel of rum.  The pirate who wrote "yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" must've been a lightweight.

Phoebe saddles up to a local.

Grandparents.

Hippo record player at the Folk Art Museum.

Virginia

Between Xmas and New Years, we went to VA for a visit with Mimi and Popsy.

Shirley Temples on the airplane?! Someone forgot to tell these kids they were in coach.

We went to Colonial Williamsburg on our first full day there.

Fife and drum band.

A family friend was nice enough to take us on a behind the scenes tour of the stables.

The kids got put to work by this wise-crackin' kitchen boss.

No trip to Williamsburg is complete without rollin' the hoop.

Phoebe got picked out of the crowd to assist the book binder.

Public humiliation in the stocks.

Totally getting these for the backyard.

Christmas 2013

Phoebe finally got the kayak she's been asking for the last few years!

And Frank got the iPod touch he really wanted.

Cowboy boots.

Benji dvd.

And maybe Phoebe's favorite gift - the sheep vest from Aunt Kelly!

Modeling clay.

And a kayak made out of modeling clay.

The paddle tether ball was set up in the back yard ready to go rather than under the tree - they made it about 30 seconds before the first minor injury.

Elves on a Door