The Binker Files

Winter Wrap-up

It is April 9th, and although it doesn't look like it in Greenwood, Spring is here.

Closing day yesterday at Mt Abram:

Levi and Arlo started to enjoy skiing a few weeks before the last day.

We spent a nice day skiing with Sam!

After helping ski patrol open the trails all season, Silas and his buddies were invited to the Ski Patrol end of season party, where the new "Junior Ski Patrol" were thanked and presented with hats and certificates:

Mark continued his relentless search for gold and found this in Toronto:

Silas and Levi volunteered at the Dunham Farm's Maine Maple Saturday. Arlo came for the pancakes.

We had a fun visit with Suz.

It was a pretty great winter! We are looking forward to Spring, though and seeing more of Silas.

 

6!

Our little Nugget is 6 years old! For his birthday, he received a few gold nuggets from his Dad.

Arlo had his sugar-filled birthday celebration planned out months ahead of time. The minute he woke up, he had an Easter egg hunt, inside and outdoors (his brothers got up early to hide the eggs, which his Aunt Karen had sent a birthday gift). He selected spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, with multiple fruit toppings, and two different types of ice cream. Arlo did the decorating himself:

Lastly, he made a beehive pinata, complete with bees:

And it was filled with a three foot long, three pound gummy worm! It may have been Arlo's best day ever.

 

11

Levi turned 11 on March 2nd!

A few days before his big day, Levi and I went on a "privacy vacation" (named after Arlo's habit of privacy play - claiming any room he is playing in to himself for said play) to Salem, Massachusetts. We stayed downtown in an AirBnB and spent a couple days exploring the town.

At The House of Seven Gables:

Levi especially loved that there was no snow, there were even some dandelions blooming, he did parkour as we walked everywhere.

Salem is famous for the witch trials of the past, and visiting the witch trial museum was interesting, but they really go overboard with the stores, every block has a shop selling crystals or magic wands. Levi really got a kick out of the "real witchcraft" for sale.

Our favorite spot was the Peabody Essex Museum, which had a 200-year-old Chinese house as one of their exhibits.

It was so fun and quiet to travel with just the two of us! We made it home to enjoy cake and presents with the whole family.

Big Snow

We had so much snow this winter. During one week, we received 57 inches of snow. The snowbanks were so high, the sheep were able to walk right out of their 48 inch high fencing. Luckily, we all really like snow.

Every time the snow falls off the roof, we have to dig ourselves out of the house.

It is April 9th today, and we still have a couple feet of snow covering the ground.