connectagons

Logan and Owen both received their own set of Connectagons for Christmas last year. Both boys "rediscovered" them on their toy shelves this weekend and spent several hours building and flying various rockets and space ships.

winter break: day five

Tracy found a recipe for pretzels so the boys and her spent the afternoon in the kitchen. Upon my arrival from work I was greeted with the wonderful aroma of fresh baked pretzels (still warm from the oven).

Logan surveys the ingredient list...



...and kneads the dough.



Both boys shaped their own creations...



...into the delicious final product.

winter break: day four

Very cold again this morning but it warmed up considerably by the afternoon. Lots of time spent cleaning and picking up today.

Logan assists in giving our houseplants some long overdue TLC.



The boys entertain their mama with an organ duet.

winter break: day three

Much too cold to play outside today so we kept busy inside.

We played games...





...read books...



...and watched a movie.

winter break: day two

AM: Logan tried ice skating for the first time today at Bayfront Park.



PM: We've got Guppy! Logan completed his last Polliwog swim class tonight and this time he passed!! He had made great strides over the last few weeks but tonight he totally rocked it. Without a noodle, he swam the length of the pool with both the front crawl and the elementary backstroke!! Logan also jumped off the diving platform multiple times without any assistance. As promised, he has earned a trip to the Omnimax theater for a show about the Grand Canyon.

winter break: day one

This is art at work--the boys handcrafted some get well cards for Great Grandma, who is recovering from pneumonia.



Logan's card (click to enlarge)

Owen's card (click to enlarge)

sharing the love

Happy Valentines Day!

happy blogiversary

eight feet around the bend has been online for one year. How is that possible?

"Time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me." - M. Jagger/K. Richards

owen's projects

Owen woke up and had two projects on the schedule today. Project #1: To plant the seed cup he received in the mail from Great Grandma Fitzgerald.



Once it sprouts, it apparently says "I love you" on the leaf.



Project #2: Berry Yogurt Pops from his HighFive magazine. Owen was excited to have his own recipe and couldn't wait to make it.



The chef approves of his creation.

caramel corn

Location: Maple Bend Kitchen
People: Tracy, Logan, and Owen
Project: Homemade Caramel Corn

The boys supervise the all-important popping of the corn.

The delicious final product.

sew crafty

The big ice storm caused school to be canceled today so Logan worked hard on his homemade valentines for school. He's decided to give mini yo-yos and wanted to sew two pieces of paper together to make a "pocket" envelope/card. After creating the artwork on computer, Logan was excited to use the sewing machine all by himself (with some needle threading assistance from mom).

Logan practices his sewing techniques on a piece of fabric...



...before creating one of his 24 valentines.

boot hockey

The warmer weather enabled an extended afternoon in the snow. After building snowmen and surviving a tenacious snowball battle, we brought out the net for some good old fashioned boot hockey. Owen learned how to hold a stick properly and Logan practiced his goalie skills.

lollipop concert

While Tracy toiled away at the bookstore, the boys attended the 46th Annual Lollipop Concert. This year's show was entitled, "Imagination! A Musical Journey to Magical Places." The theme used quotes from Albert Einstein to help illustrate the nature of imagination and creativity.

The Duluth Superior Sinfonia, Concert Orchestra, Youth Symphony, and a harp ensemble called Nell's Angels performed. There were also a few opera singers and ballet dancers who accompanied certain pieces. Logan really enjoyed the performances this year. Owen did too but the show is a little too long for his age group. That said, he did awesome! Both boys enjoyed the swirling lights, the floor that rises up from the pit to reveal the harpists, and of course, the lollipops in the lobby afterwards.

children's museum

Tracy and Owen visited the Children's Museum this afternoon. Kind of nice to have one on one time once in a while. Owen collected a bunch of food from the garden and went to the kitchen area to prepare an enormous meal.

Do you like onions?



King Owen observes Sparky the Dragon from his royal mirror.



A new traveling exhibit called "Body Shop" just opened. All the exhibits involve activities with bones, skeletons, and teeth.



Owen practices his flossing technique. Can a career in giant dentistry be far away?