Rails to Trails

Pat discovered this beautiful hike during his commute to work. There are a whole bunch of trails that were once train tracks and have been converted into hiking paths.

This particular one is in Lexington and is maintained by the cadets from VMI. It follows a river and goes through farmland, you even pass through gates and have to be sure to close them behind you so that livestock can't escape! We were all excited to see what it would be like, and at least one of us (Ahem, Sebastian) had his heart set on seeing horses and cows.

Pat packed us a picnic lunch and we headed down after Mass on Sunday.

Oh my goodness, was it lovely or what! 75 degrees and sunny! Just gorgeous. 

We enjoyed our picnic near the river and then headed out for the hike.

Kia rode in the stroller rather than the carrier, and it was SUCH A LUXURY for me!

Especially since Pat pushed the stroller pretty much the whole way!

Bashy's version of a smile

Who needs a triple stroller when you can improvise with a double?

It was so gorgeous. Many flowers were starting to bloom, and one area had a bunch of daffodils that were just about to blossom.

We also passed a dam, which was in disrepair. This was on one side of the dam, maybe used as a lock? 

As we kept walking, it became windier and windier. We heard the branches creaking and groaning above us. 

And soon, dark storm clouds came tumbling in!

We did NOT want to be caught in a cold front with the kids out in the middle of nowhere! So, sadly, we turned around (we hadn't even gotten to a SINGLE farm gate yet!) and started to RUN!

It was soon raining, and so we yelled at Sebastian (who was riding on the front of the stroller by this point) to HOLD TIGHT! and we ran even faster. 

Kateri must have noticed that her parents needed some serious motivation, because she started yelling

"RUN, guys, RUN!"

"Whoever runs FASTEST, gets a TREAT"

"Go, Daddy, GO, you are going to get some CANDY!"

Thankfully, we made it back. . . 

Just in time for the sun to come out again!

And I have to share this pic of Sebastian on the way home.

Something about it looks just like an old man smoking a cigar and reading a newspaper.

No one slept on the way home, but they did have fun!

All in all, it was a lovely hike and we are hoping to go back soon so that we can open and shut at least one farm gate.

And, totally unrelated, sometimes I turn around and wonder why oh why I ever even attempt to prevent the spread of germs around here!

Inspiration, wreaths, and dates

Don't you just love this magnolia wreath? 

I love the natural colors and the faded green shades. 

But what is not to love is the price! It is $95.00, a little steep for a wreath, don't you think? 

So what could be easier than DIY a wreath like this? 

After reading Lisa's post , I was inspired to kidnap Kateri and take her along to scout it out.

These were the closest leaves that would work at Michael's, and as you can see, they are really mehhhh and almost downright ugly.

So, what other place has nice silk flowers? 

Of course, fresh in my mind was mom's post describing a fun trip to Merrifield. I had to return something at a store in Gainesville, and, we all know, the Gainesville Merrifield has the most lovely silk flowers around. So off we went! 

Now, this was a lot more fun! Honestly, this place is absolutely perfect for a date with a little person (as opposed to a date with little personS,)

Kateri got to pick out one little thing to buy, and she picked a little duckling statue.

Free popcorn is all it takes to elevate this to a grand experience!

And, they had magnolia leaves! Very realistic looking and feeling! Score!

Aaannnnd, they cost $13.00 for about 8 leaves . . .

And, after quickly guestimating the amount of leaves needed for the wreath, I figured it would cost me about $130 just for the leaf portion of the wreath. No can do! 

But we didn't let that deter us, and enjoyed the rest of the trip. 

We figured that Pat's favorite miniature garden would be this one:

And Kateri felt sure that this little angel was Sebastian. 

For the life of me, I can't keep indoor plants (other than orchids) alive, but I AM tempted to try one of these. 

(Too big of a risk considering my indoor black thumb?)

As we kept walking, 

we saw some party preparations!

And found what happened to all that sand Mom described in her post.

A lovely indoor beach! 

Kateri was exceptionally behaved, and only touched the sand once.

There was even a beach-fire.

Kateri's favorite part of Merrifield Nursery is the koi.

Which we studied for a long time. It was such a treat to have just Kateri because we had the leisure to go at her pace and not chase after any eager explorers who are off on the next adventure every moment (cough*Sebastian*cough).

Were these up for grabs?

I almost took one, but resisted the urge!

Kateri climbed up on a stool for this shot . . .

And I should have climbed on one for this one! 

The shot I wish that I had was Kateri taking the picture! She looked so darling and was so happy. 

All in all, it was such a lovely trip. On the way home, Kateri was quiet, and then she said, "Next time, I want you to kidnap Daddy, Bashy and Kia, too."

And then a few minutes later, she said, "I am going kidnap Sebastian when we get home and give him my duckling."

And, thanks to aunt Betty's post, I made some of her delicious bread. I didn't double the recipe so *only* ended up with 4 loaves. No after pics, but it is delicious and the perfect whole wheat/white combo. Thank you aunt Betty!

What they said

Lately, we have all had a cold, maybe slightly more than a cold since fevers and croup have been involved as well. 

Kateri asked over and over again to try a cough drop, and each time I would give her one, she assured me she really wanted it. But, inevitably, after trying it again she would change her mind and toss it in the trash. Finally, after a very strict, "this is the LAST TIME you get to try one" ultimatum, Kateri: (coming up to me and patting her tummy) The thing for coughs is in my tummy! I will be better now! 

(later)

Kateri: Mommy, can I please have a hiccup? 

Took me a few moments, but I realized she meant "cough drop"

Kateri: (Running out of her room and yelling at Bash who is making noise) I am trying to sleep, YOU MUSTACHE!

(ouch!)

Kateri: Mama, where is my doll?
Me: (pointing it out on the counter) It's right over yonder, see it?
Kateri: Yeah! In the pawpaw patch!

As we careen around a curve on the windy road to St Andrews (yes, slightly late for Mass):

Kateri: (shouting) Hold on to your car seats!!!

After Sebastian trips and falls, and then lies down still

Me: Bashy, are you OK??

Bashy: (lifting head) No. NOT K!

And lastly, I usually don't record their conversations, but I had my phone with me during this one and just typed it up as they went. Probably I am the only one interested in this sort of thing (the sort of thing only a mother could love and all that). But it is a very accurate snapshot of how their games usually go, complete with Kateri coining a new word or two to suit her narrative. 

Bashy: Dinosaur coming, Teri!

Kateri: Yes! Yes it is. So we have to hide our little ones. (gathers up her baby dolls)

Bashy: Quick! HIDE!

Kateri: NO! You have to FIGHT the dinosaur, remember?

Bashy: Ok, I get my hammer and hit him!

Kateri: You have to wick him on the nose! Like this: Wick wack wick wack!

Bashy: (runs off and starts hitting things on the other side of the room, then runs back with a look of accomplishment and pride)

Kateri: Yes! You did it, Bashy! Bashy saved the day! He hit ALL the mean things!

Bashy: (proud smile spreads across his face)

Kateri: The monster was on the counter, Bashy squurked him off like this and he was dead forever! 

Christmas catch-up

~1~

We have a mouse in the house! Or many . . . 

Who carefully filled this one shoe, and no other, with their winter store.

As well as many of our storage boxes with kids clothes. 

So we have slowly been going through baby clothes in the garage, which was desperately in need of some serious organization, so really I have a lot to be thankful for to these little creatures! It doesn't look like they have taken any of our food, and they have only destroyed a few items. 

~2~

Sebastian enjoying the hat Mom knit for him: 

~3~

We did our best to truly celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, which included ginger bread man decorating

~4~

And building many things with these blocks

Hands down, best toy we have ever gotten the kids.

~5~

Christmas was absolutely lovely, and shockingly, Pat and I were the first up Christmas morning. All was calm and quiet when I snapped a few pics . . .

Just before opening presents:

Santa brought a baby with blue clothes and a blue hat!!

Darling little Kia on her first Christmas!