Grandma and Grandpa Engelhardt gave Abby a pretty little plant for Valentine's Day. Abby named the plant Rutabaga and sometimes calls it Rutie for short. She takes very good care of it. A few minutes ago she came running and told us that Rutabaga "has a new baby leaf!!" She's pointing to the new baby leaf in this photo!
Well, it's snowing again! So, we are having a perfectly fine snow day!
Abby loves to paint and I love to paint with her. She provides a running commentary of everything that is going on in her painting. She also paints the table, herself, and anyone in her vicinity (i.e. me)!
Today's painting started out with a whale and a huge wave. Abby then added a spider's egg sac, which contained one million baby spiders! Her final masterpiece, I think, is quite lovely! Mine on the other hand, is a bit mediocre, but as I said, I LOVE painting with Abby!
Abby loves playing in the snow! She was momentarily surprised by how deep the snow was, but quickly jumped right in, so to speak!
The last couple of days have brought the strangest winter storm. We had thunder and lightening and freezing rain Friday night, and then beginning in the wee hours of Friday/Saturday we started getting snow. The snow continued into Sunday. We got well over a foot of snow! Thanks to Lisa's snow blower and Will's hard work, the sidewalks and driveway are clear! Will may be the only Minnesotan who listens to his IPod while snowblowing!
Last night we went to see a performance of Lippizzaner Stallions at the Rochester Civic Center. We took a friend of Abby's named Aiden along with us. Abby recently came home from school and announced that she and Aiden were going to get married. She said that they weren't able to get married right away because she "didn't have a dress!" Will and I promised Aiden's mom and dad that no wedding or elopement would take place under our watch!
Last week Abby brought home a large bag of laundry from her Oaks classroom at Montessori. Needless to say, I wasn't very excited about the task, but Abby loved folding the items. She was very serious about it and refolded things until they were just right!
Will and I are now reading King of the Wind to Abby. Both Will and I are enjoying this Newbery Medal winner by Marguerite Henry. If Will reads her a chapter, I read it later to stay up on the story. If I read Abby a chapter, he asks us to fill him in on the story before starting the next chapter!
A few weeks ago, Abby had a playdate at her friend Jili's house. Abby told Jili about her moose who was at home sick because "her antlers are falling off." Abby liked playing with Jili's doctor toys and asked if Jili could come to her house sometime and bring "her doctor stuff."
So yesterday we invited Jili to come to our house and help Abby tend to moose and her antlers. Jili brought her own caribou and a bag full of really cool "doctor stuff." Jili's mommy Andrea helped the girls tend to the animals!
Abby's Uncle Alex (Will's brother) and Aunt Stephani celebrated the birth of their daughter Isobel Marie Stott on Valentine's Day.
Abby was a bit concerned about being a cousin until I explained to her that as the "big cousin" she gets to help Isobel open her presents and teach her about animals. Abby got excited and told me that she knows about a new animal -- the golden lemur -- she'll tell Isobel about.
Tonight Abby told me that Isobel is no longer in Aunt Stephani's tummy. Abby explained that Stephani said "ouchy" and pushed Isobel out. Abby then turned to me and asked why Aunt Stephani had to say "ouchy." I said, "because it hurt to push Isobel out" and Abby said, "Oh, yeah! That's right!" 
Will took Abby to school this morning and on the way there, she asked him what paradise is.
Will explained that it is a perfect place. They talked about heaven being paradise and then Abby asked, "Is California paradise?"
The Californian readers of this will think that Abby made this comment based on experience, but Will and I believe it can actually be linked to Nanci Griffith, one of our favorite folk singers.
Abby's been listening to Nanci Griffith's Other Voices Other Rooms album as she falls to sleep and one of the songs, Do Re Mi, includes the following lyric:
"California is a garden of Eden. It's a paradise to live in or see."
While the Iowan readers of this will argue that Iowa is "God's country," who are we to argue with Nanci Griffith!
Today is Dick's birthday! We celebrated by going to the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts.
The dramatic eye roll is currently Abby's favorite expression. She uses it often to great effect!
Today we finished reading the Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. And we immediately started reading Ribsy by Beverly Cleary. Noni sent the book to Abby in Granddad's suitcase!
Granddad and Noni are buying a house in Rochester! (Dick flew in to see the house and be at the inspection.) Will, Abby and I went along and helped take measurements of the rooms for Noni.
This morning Abby woke up and waited for her breakfast in front of the dining room heat register! It was about 11 degrees BELOW zero outside!
Granddad (Will's dad) arrived late last night and Abby was so excited to see him! She did her best to keep him entertained! This included sharing her Viewmaster, her Mister Potato Head and telling knock, knock jokes!
