One Leg Viking Turns 40.

The Christmas lights did eventually come down. But not before we started lacrosse,

got away for our annual not-skiing MLK weekend (at our fave, the Chesapeake Hyatt),

saw Wicked at the Kennedy Center,

and replaced our Christmas decorations with Chinese New Year's ones. The Lunar New Year has long been a big crowd favorite.

We spent lots of only-moderately-chilly winter days catching up with old friends: from the Desjardins' annual Starlight disco,

to a DJ visit, and a Stewart fam trip to the reopened Air & Space Museum.

(We also spent a terrific winter day at the new Entertainment Nation exhibit at the National Museum of American History, which is a strong recommend.)

Ford tried miso soup (which went about as well as expected), and we got a Maryland amount of snow.

And our wrestling season finally ended. Unceremoniously

although not for lack of enthusiasm.

But the highlight of this winter was celebrating Seth's 40th, an occasion for which we dispatched to sunny (and weird) Florida.

The kids and I road tripped, and got in lots of roadside attractions and some north Florida beach time

before catching up with NC friends at Busch Gardens,

where the girls rode the scary rides, the boys rode the baby rides, and we all rode the river ride approximately 70 times.

It was good practice for our paddling adventure with April and Gunnar at the magical Weeki Wachi Springs, where actual manatees swam under our paddlboards.

We were lucky enough to be joined by the North Dakota contingent, and we all enjoyed warm resort pool days, backyard fun,

and copious amounts of red meat and Tito's. Cheers to 40 years for our One Leg Viking!

It's tough to top long weekends in the Sunshine State, so we celebrated Fat Tuesday at home, and spent a lazy weekend recovering with laundry, lacrosse, Whole Foods runs, and the theft of my bicycle by this big girl.

Prince Ford wishes everyone a happy Lent season, and is enthusiastically counting down to Easter and spring.

Holidays at Home

Although you wouldn't know it from all the "out of office" replies I am still getting at work, it seems that we are well and truly through the holidays and into the doldrums of winter. Unless you are Jayne and Tony, who are sunning themselves in Texas.

As much as I usually chafe at staying home when we have time off, it always winds up being lovely and relaxing. The kids loved their at-home holidays (and AACPS only got one week off!) We "staycation"ed, checking out the County Christmas trees at the Maryland State House

making our annual pilgrimage to the National Tree,

and even getting to "skate" on the Reflecting Pool with friends.

We made it to church on Christmas Eve, and to my delight there were glow sticks instead of candles at the kids' service. (Phew!)

I apparently took zero pictures on Christmas Day, minus these two evidencing some of my very favorite things: family hikes and mimosas for breakfast!

We spent most of the day in PJs, and the kids were ridiculously spoiled. (Pictured: all the new Pokemons, and Prince Ford in his Dad's massage chair, which he basically repossessed.)

I worked most of the week between Christmas and New Year's (taking full advantage of the holiday schedule), and the kids enjoyed downtime with Grandma and Grandpa. Seth, who has since recovered, was miserably suffering through the aftereffects of long COVID- although he did make appearances for soup and to try out new games. 

I couldn't resist, "holidays at home" plan notwithstanding, a quick trip down south for an early New Year's celebration with our best friends (NC weather in the 70s was bonus!)

and "Noon Year's Eve" at our favorite museum.

We made it back just in the nick of time for a quiet New Year's Eve of games,

an early "toast,"

and to witness Ford getting a jump start on the New Year's resolution we made for him.

Finley was beside herself to get to stay up until midnight (she made it! thanks in no small part to the Miley Cyrus/ Dolly Parton event)

and we kicked off 2023 the next day with another lazy day, lots of football, and fire. As God intended it.

(With one exception: Finley and I had a super fancy lunch date.)

And now we're back to the races! Kids sports and birthday parties are the name of the game. 

Cheers to a new year, longer days, finding the energy to take down the Christmas lights, and (hopefully) good health for everyone!