when the fire starts to burn, right, and it starts to spread

We brought home a buddy for Mani this week but unlike the last unanimous decision on a name, 

things got a little hairy this time around.

 

 We made a list of eight names, wrote down our choice and then (like last time) went around the table scratching names out that we did not want. Anna wrote down Thor, Sophia and Mom wrote down Lucky and Dad had Sid. Sid was the only name to make the cut but Anna was having none of it and threw a fit. We made a new list but it was bad. Anna felt his name should be Fire and since Mani was named after a Nordic God and Lucky was half the families choice, Loki the god of fire seemed like a good compromise. It also matches his character for he is very low key and super chill.

Loki on the left, Mani on the right.

making the best of the worst winter ever

 This season has been quite challenging for everyone with the long stretches of sub zero temperatures and larger amounts than usual of accumulated snow. We are trying to stay positive and focus on the up side of the days getting longer and sunnier which will eventually thaw us out of what feels like the longest winter ever.

 On the days that it has been too cold to venture out we've been keeping busy conducting science experiments in the kitchen.

 These are "Thirsty Crystals" made with polyacrylamide. They are called that because they soak up water and become soft and squishy. 

 Sophia and Anna are now Daisies (aka Girl Scouts) and they have been very busy with their new business venture of selling cookies. Its been a great learning opportunity and naturally it was necessary for them to purchase one of each box so they could truly know what they are selling which was deliciously convenient.    

 To top things off; last night we jazzed up their bedroom with some wall decorations.

 Shown here in before and after pictures.

 And one extra bonus with the fairies is that they glow in the dark, which as seen below made real fairies show up (red in the picture) to show their approval. 

little máni joins the family

 We brought home a new addition to the family today and we are very excited to have a kitten in our midst once again.

We made a list of names but before we revealed our picks to each other we each got a turn scratching off one name that we didn't like. As a result everyone picked their second option and as it turned out, no one would scratch off the name they wrote down. 

in the halls of government

 Today we ventured over to the state capital and it was really quite amazing!

 I have never been there myself in the forty plus years of living in this great state but I sure was impressed with what we saw today.

 The girls had many questions, mostly: how do people get down on the floor of the court room and why did they build the dome so tall?

 Sophia was most impressed with the house of representatives gallery. 

 And we were all in awe with the governors reception room.

 I was glad that the girls did not ask me any questions regarding government.....

 ...not that I'm cynical. I'm just old.

back in the polar vortex

We left Minnesota last week grateful to be leaving before the big chill hit but nature decided to save the really cold weather for our return. The photo from above was from before we left. All the schools state wide were closed yesterday with wind chills in the -50 ranges and that continued through today. At least we can still look back on some of the good times had in Florida last week. 

the princesses return to the kingdom