Can't We Always Turn the Clocks Backwards?

Well, well, well, look who decided to pop her head out and say hello. It's been a little while, so I'm here to play catch up in an effort to maintain some sort of consistency (if you can call once a week consistent in blogland). Here are some photos from the last (few) weeks...

One morning (perhaps in February), we made pancakes together as a family. I'm trying still to find more ways for Marshall to get hands on in the kitchen, and as long as I'm okay with a little mess we do alright. He can pour and stir, and that's quite sufficient for most recipes for him to feel involved. 

Look at that concentration!

Walks to UCLA have become a semi-regular thing. Last week we went for a long one.

Later that day, Marshall came down with a fever. He tried to go to sleep on his own, but we could tell he really wasn't feeling well, which led to one of the sweetest moments ever: I went in to soothe Marshall a little while after he tried to go down, and he told me, "Want cuddle" (I know...so cute!). When I sat with him in the chair, Terry popped in to make sure all was okay, and Marshall saw him. A few minutes later, Marshall said, "Want Daddy." So Daddy came back, and the two of them cuddled until M fell asleep, and my heart is now in a giant puddle on Marshall's floor.

The weather has been nice and chilly lately too, so we've had a few fires this week. Scout is a HUGE fan. He curls up or stretches out as close as he can get and lets his fur get piping hot. I think he would curl up there forever if he could!

In preparation for St. Patrick's Day, I made Irish Soda Bread scones, a mishmash recipe from several sources. They turned out incredibly well (although I've never actually had real Irish Soda Bread, so maybe it tastes nothing like the real thing, and apparently my sources are pretty Americanized versions of the recipe anyway, but hey, a delicious scone is a delicious scone). We topped them with clotted cream and jam and sipped tea out of my Gammy's china, and it was a really lovely afternoon.

This little guy has been dealing with a pretty solid growth spurt, from what we can tell. He's a bottomless pit, a little grumpier than usual, and sleepy all the time. Yesterday he ate a full dinner and was so upset that there was no more food that I had to make him a peanut butter sandwich. He was finally satisfied. I'll be packing some big lunches this week!

As for other updates around here, we leave for the Grand Canyon in less than two weeks! (Any suggestions? We're looking for a not-too-crazy hike or two, good places to grab food, tourist traps to avoid.) But we also scheduled another impromptu trip up north next weekend to visit my brother and Ashley, so we're super excited about that. I know Marshall will be thrilled to see his aunt and uncle!

Terry and I are both still adjusting to our new schedule with my work and whatnot. I miss being home with Marshall, but I love seeing how much he is learning at school, so it evens out. He picks up little phrases like "see you soon" that we love to hear. He loves to dance and now requests music when we're all at home. At school they dance with sticks, so he does the same now at home. So between 5 and 7:30, we squeeze in as much family time as possible each evening.

Here are some fun photos in no particular order:

Caught Marshall chillin' on the floor playing with his fire truck.

Terry and I finally had our at-home fondue date night! We also watched Charade, which I highly recommend (on Netflix)!

Terry's team won an award at work, and we went to the ceremony and dinner. So fun to celebrate the team!

A few weeks ago we went for a walk up in Beverly Hills that felt like a world away. 

Marshall got to play in the "stream" and splash in the water!

And a big stick!

Marshall now knows to say, "Go Bruins!" when he sees the UCLA logo.

We attended our annual Oscars party (Teddy came too), and had a blast seeing everyone and submitting our ballots, even though we saw none of the movies.

Marshall enjoyed the fish tank most.

Here's something I never want to forget: Long ago, when we taught Marshall how to make a fish face, we would kiss him every time we made the face. Now, he thinks we have to kiss every time! It's so sweet, and a great way to get him to kiss me (otherwise, when I ask for a kiss, he leans his forehead toward me as if to say, "Yes, mother, you may, in fact, kiss me," in his British accent).

Father-son outing: Marshall's first ice cream date!

We treated ourselves to True Food Kitchen a while back, and I inhaled the bison burger. Marshall has been a total champ at restaurants lately, and it's making eating out a lot more tempting!

Swim lessons are in full swing, and Marshall is getting really good at floating on his back. Not so great at blowing bubbles in the water, but we're working on it.

Juggling with daddy!

Sometimes I forget that Marshall still has so much to learn, like how to sit with his legs crossed. I love the look of concentration here for something we see as so simple!

And now we're all caught up. I am already looking forward to the weekend for a relaxing drive up north and some time with my brother and sister-in-law! Enjoy your week.