Backyard pictures

We've had some unseasonably warm weather this past week which has meant, hooray, lots of playing in the backyard.  Ella's specialty is elaborate sand and mud cakes which she loves to make and serve to me.  I love these lazy days in the backyard.  I can take a novel on the porch and read, with periodic 'snack breaks' for things like cinnamon vanilla cake with chocolate candles.

Earlier this week, Ella decided she wanted to take a few pictures of our backyard fun.  It's so sweet to watch her trying so hard to hold my phone, frame her picture, and then reach her little finger over to push the shutter without moving the camera.  She still hasn't mastered it, so every picture ends up pointing towards the ground.  Someday her fingers will be long enough, but for now, I love these bottom heavy photographs by my small shutterbug.

Yum, sandy snacks. 

Attempted portrait of her brother.

There's his head.

Silent Sam

I was taking a stroll through the UNC campus last weekend with both kids, and they were rather taken by the statue of Silent Sam (see also Silent Sam).  Back in my undergraduate days as a tour guide, there were very strict rules about what we could and could not tell prospective students and their families about ole Sam (see here for what we were NOT supposed to say) and I wasn't about to start telling my 4 and 2-year old kids the legend.  But they sure had a good time climbing around on the statue's base and asking his name.  I told them he was called "Silent Sam" which they repeated over and over with great glee.  A few minutes later, Josh caught up with us, and Dash came running over and said "Daddy!  Look ovah dere!  It Silent Night!"

Silent Sam/Silent Night

Mail for Aunt Bebe

My sister, known to all as Aunt Bebe, just spent 3 1/2 weeks with us in North Carolina for the holidays.  We all miss her terribly now that she has gone back to Alaska where she lives.  Ella wrote her a very sweet postcard this week, putting a stamp on it and setting it out for the mailman all by herself.  I only hope the washable marker she used for her message doesn't wash off before it gets to Alaska.  Ella insisted on going outside in her pjs to put the card in the mail.  And being ever resourceful, she brought a stool with her so she could reach the mailbox.

Reading for donuts

Seriously, who are these amazing children, sitting quietly and reading books while waiting in the endless line that forms at Rise, our new local donut and biscuit shop? Josh and I talk each and very single day about how lucky we got with these two beautiful children.  Just. So. Grateful.