Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This morning, I gave Margot a pinch when I woke her up since she wasn't wearing green. She sleepily retorted, "Take that back! I have green eyes!"

Alas, she does.

She tumbled down the stairs, ready for the day and excited at the prospect of eating green jello at school. A crafty leprochaun dyed her milk green before breakfast. She guzzled it down.

I like to remember St. Patrick's Day six years ago when Uncle Tim and I took Margot to an Irish bar for a mid-afternoon pint. That was back on Capitol Hill. She slept through the whole thing. I wish I had a photo from that day.

But look at her now!

Margot's Reading List

Margot and I are huge fans of our public library. It's close by, and she loves to get books and movies every few weeks. She usually leaves with a stack of 10-12 books.

Recently she's discovered non-fiction. (A girl after my own heart!) And some people in our family (I'm looking at YOU, Aunt Carol and Grandpa Daileader) will be happy to know that she has an interest in American history. Yesterday Margot wanted to find books on the Star Spangled Banner and the origin of the American flag, so we did. We also checked out books on the oceans, glaciers, and polar bears. She also is in the midst of the American Girl series on Rebecca Rubin.

It's exciting for me to see her so excited about reading and learning. Also, the refresher on American history will serve me well (you would think I'd know more history with all of the historians in my family, but I can definitely use a refresher on the War of 1812).

Visit to The Homestead

In order to break the monotony of winter, we took a quick overnight getaway to The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. The trip down there was rough - windy roads and hills make Margot extremely carsick - but she managed to hold it together with the help of a ginger ale.

Once there, we threw ourselves straight into the activities offered at the lodge. We swam, we had teatime, we went tubing, and we stuffed ourselves silly at the buffet dinner. We slept a few hours and then ate again, went skiing, and caught some trout. For a 24-hour getaway, we were busy!

Skiing at The Homestead

Here is Margot skiing earlier today in Hot Springs, VA. (Skiing in Virginia seems rather counterintuitive, doesn't it? There wasn't much snow.)

Long Winter

Time has dragged since Margot's birthday, but for some reason I've been unable to squeeze in an update. So here is a quick rundown, and I will try to be better about posting.

Strep has been Margot's most vile enemy this winter. She seems to get it every month, and is on yet another course of antibiotics. Her tonsils are constantly swollen and we're keeping an eye on them.

Swim team is Margot's new activity, and she loves it. She swims every Sunday afternoon and is always the last kid out of the pool. She's learning the backstroke currently.

Report cards came out a few week's ago and M's was glowing, for the most part. Of course, there was a note that her love of talking is occasionally problematic (my words, not her teacher's). This makes me smile a bit, as I was constantly in trouble for talking in elementary school, too. The apple doesn't fall from the tree at all.

M lost another tooth in January, and the top ones are very wiggly. I anticipate a gap-toothed summer this year.

Today it is 75 degrees. 75 degrees! But tonight it is going to drop into the 20s. Tomorrow we are going skiing. I will post pictures upon our return.