TaxBirthDay

John's parents and younger sister celebrated Tax Day with us, and it was lovely. We stayed up late and woke up early and watched the snow fall in a world of white on white. Three days (and about a foot) later, they returned to the Island in a car much roomier than the one in which they traveled to our house, due to them unloading a hundred pounds of groceries on our kitchen floor. We had to have something to eat in case we were snowed in, you know. Three weeks later, we're still eating like kings-- thanks, guys!

Enough about food (I must be hungry).

For an Easter baby, I had a particularly wintry TaxbirthDay. We spent the day sitting and talking mostly, a slow passing of my 28th. They took us out to dinner in the evening, and I discovered anew that eating food my hands had no part in preparing cons me into believing I have three bellies to fill. Oh! And my birthday treasures! My three favorite gifts, in no particular order. John gave me a Gene Wolfe book, signed by the man himself (for those who don't know, Wolfe is one of my favorite authors in any genre), John's family gave me the most gigantic stockpot I've ever seen, sleek and shiny, and I can't wait to see how many Mason jars I can stuff inside it during canning season, and my mom. bless her sneaky bones, gave me a brand new cutting board for my fumbling experimentations with cloth.

We celebrated Annika's fake birthday with them, too, complete with presents and candles and more yummy cupcakes! (Oops. Food again.)


One of the gifts they brought for her was a bubble machine, but until we figured out how to use it, they found that bubble wands were more effective.


Sarah and Grandma played Kleiner Spatz with them, which involves wooden birds eating worms. (Oops. Food again.)



Millie and Annie packaged a longsuffering Dude with intentions of mailing him to Long Island. When he asked how long it would take for him to reach his destination, Millie assured him that it would merely take four days.



Aunt Sarah bought the girls Wizard of Oz figurines (courtesy of those yellow arches), so we sat down and watched the movie together. It was the first time the girls had seen it, and I now frequently hear shrill voices in chorus, "Frow water onna witch!!!"

Annie was frozen as she watched the monkeys approach.



Both girls were extremely nervous during this point in the movie and couldn't bear to sit.



This is an abrupt end to a wonderfully full visit, but I didn't take many pictures (once again, seeing talented Sarah wielding her camera made me lax in the snapshotting department). Maybe next time I'll squash my laziness and take more.