To Nap or Not

It is indeed the question around here!

Honestly, he needs a nap. But in a never ending cycle, he is exhausted and wakes up late which means a late nap if any. And if he naps late, he has a hard time falling asleep. So, more often than not, I skip an official nap only to find him sound asleep elsewhere.

 One of his favorite spots is curling up in the seat beside a big brother to watch Minecraft.

The boy LOVES minecraft; and while he still does not speak in full sentences, he can say, "TNT, chests, ice, bow n' arrow, meat....

His other favorite spot is the stroller. I am convinced he will ask for a walk, knowing he is tired and can take a nap... sneaky boy.

Yep, he is a funny, smart little man alright!

Last night, he was quietly lying in his bed. He pops up all of the sudden to put his hands on me with a big grin... cold hands. He was delighted! Can't say I didn't deserve it ;)

EXERCISE!

Walking in deep snow is exercise, especially for a little boy!

It takes determination,

balance,

and strong muscles!

The snow was deep enough to form a perfect-sized seat... can't say I blame him for taking a breather!

Silly boy tends to leave his tongue hanging out when he is outdoors in the snow... the better to eat it with!

More Fun in the Snow!

There is a plow guy that eventually shows up in his pickup truck after a big snow storm.

As he clears the parking area and driveway, all of the now is pushed into these huge mounds which provide endless possibilities for the boys:

. a new road for the tractors and trucks

. an elevated point which is the perfect height for free falling into the fresh (not packed) snow

The largest mound near the barn, approximately 6-7 ft. high and 15 ft long, was turned into a "ski slope" for sleds. The "Buttermilk" was the longest hill with a gentle incline. The "Expressway" was short and steep... you get the idea :)

Can You Spot the Birds?

There is one in this tree.

And no, Aidan is not the 2nd bird... look more carefully!

One Board...

with TWO feet securely strapped to it.

  

Drew is definitely the snowboarder in our family. 

Sean goes back and forth between skiing and snowboarding. 

Even I gave it the old college try for a day... never made it off the bunny slope, but neither did I give up.

Sean and Drew with a couple of their buddies from school.

Eagle Watch - Sheffield Mills

Patrick and I (and Aidan... sort of ) are members of NSBS. It is a fantastic place to learn about birds; and oh, the photography is amazing! So we went to this with high expectations. We imagined we would see Bald Eagles landing and taking off, fighting over the dead chickens; ample opportunities for fantastic pictures. In reality, the eagles did soar over the field... occasionally. And I'll admit, one adult and one juvenile did grab a side of chicken to go. But mostly they just rested in the top of the branches of the old, huge hardwoods about as far from the humans as possible... pretty disappointing.

Bald Eagle - an rare flyby

Who knows?

Eating snow... not much else to do.

 Thankfully, the Red-tailed Hawk was showing off!

See all of the black spots in the trees - quite a congregation of "sleepy" Bald Eagles.

This doesn't even begin to show just how many birders/photographers were camped out on the edge of this field with their GEAR.

"I'm not sharing!"

"Keep your distance!" ~~~~~~~~~~~ "I'm gonna get you!"

"Got you!!!"

 I think these two stole the show ;)