St Patty's through Easter

It's been a month since my last post, and what a fun month we've had!

On the day of Bean's final swim lesson, we encountered a tremendous traffic jam. It was the annual St Patrick's Day parade! I had thought it was the previous weekend. So, of course we scrapped our swim lesson plans and watched the parade. I was able to find a parking spot at the edge of the street, so we could stay in our car protected from the fierce wind and just come out now and again to cheer. After we'd been out for a few minutes, the kids' noses would start to turn blue, and we'd warm up for a bit in the car. The boys still talk about how their blue noses!

The snow was slowly melting, and we spent a good deal of time outside. Warm days when snow is still on the ground are so much fun! Then came leaf blowing and getting the tractor ready for the season.The boys LOVE to "help".

There was plenty of cuteness inside too!

Bean has been taking a class in TV Production. They've created television commercials and are working on taping a game show.  She is learning to work the camera, write storyboards, be on film, and edit. The final tape will air on the local community access channel.

 During the class, the boys and I spend a lot of time outside, dropping pebbles into storm drains.

We have been to the tire shop a few times this month. First we put on new tires. Then we went back to have them torqued. Then we went back to have them flipped because Daddy wanted blackwalls instead of whitewalls. Then, once again, we needed a torque. It's been fun to watch!

We went to a production of "ZooZoo" by Imago Theatre. The kids all LOVED it. Then we went back a week later for a workshop where they learned to move like the characters. The frogs and penguins were their favorites.

We also went ponding in the vernal pools of a local town. The kids found turtles and frogs, and of course mosquito larva. Most of all, they just had fun with the nets!

The boys had their first storytime at the library. They listened to the books, shook maracas to the songs, and did a glue project as a craft. They made modern-art versions of flowers, complete with lots of extra glue and paper strips.

And finally, it was Easter weekend. We had a homeschooler's egg hunt with about 40 kids and 1,000 eggs. Yes, 1,000. We spent a couple of days before the hunt hiding, and then had a full day of seeking and picnic-ing. The day was perfect! I didn't get any photographs, but a friend did, and when she shares them with me I will post them here.

We dyed eggs on Saturday after returning from the mall (we needed a laptop repair due to a collision between a cup of coffee and the keyboard), and Sunday woke to hidden eggs and some fabulous toys. One of the gifts was more GLUE!

What a HOOOOOOT!

This week Bean attended a class about owls at the local Audubon. Dad came along, and the whole family enjoyed seeing the live owls and handling the owl artifacts.

Bean and a friend examine a preserved raptor's head

Kian, Daddy, and Cosmo

When sitting quietly became too much for the boys, and their noise became too much for the owls, we took a walk around the facility. We happened upon one of the educators feeding the turtles, which was equally as exciting as the owls!

Cosmo in back, K in front - the turtle hunting the worm in the cage

Cosmo leaning over, K sitting up - the turtle eating floating fruit & veggies

Bean came home with an owl pellet, which she dissected to find the bones of a mouse. Using an identification guide, she determined which bone was which, allowing her to see the skeleton laid out on the table.

Bean dissecting an owl pellet

Though this was the highlight of the week, we had lots of other fun too. We played in a park waiting for band practice to start:

K in front, Cosmo in back

And of course we watched a little TV.

Cosmo getting "closer"

One of the lowlights of the week was the dental visit. 

Bean's teeth getting cleaned in front of an audience. Cosmo in stripes, K in solid

Although the visit itself went fine, and Cosmo left asking to have another "turn" getting his teeth cleaned, we learned that both Bean and Cosmo have cavities that will need to be filled. The appointments are next week, causing some apprehension with the parents if not the kids. Hopefully the fillings will go as smoothly as the cleanings!

2nd Day of Spring!?!?

K, Bean, Cosmo

K

Happy Spring!

It's the first weekend of Spring, and it's beautiful. The weather has been nice enough to get outside, and the kids are taking advantage. They don't want to come in, not even to eat.

The first picnic of the spring season

Building a sand castle

On Saturday, Greg's cousin visited with her daughter, and we attended a Maple Sugar Weekend event at a local sugar shack. Even though we ate before we left, the three kids ate:

• 3 hot dogs boiled in syrup
• 3 cups hot cocoa
• 5 maple cotton candies
• 5 bowls of popcorn with maple butter
• 6 cups of kool-aid 
• 8 fresh biscuits soaked in maple butter

We toured the syrup shack and watched the evaporator in action, but mostly we enjoyed the band. Mom even borrowed a fiddle and jumped in for a round of "Mairi's Wedding"... her first public performance.

When we returned home, the kids showed their cousin all sorts of fun things.... like splashing in puddles, going down the slide, and playing fire truck.

K and the puddle

Look, Ma! Muddy from head to toe!

So much fun to shovel! Cosmo is closest to the camera.

Cosmo in blue, K in yellow.

On Saturday night, the moon came the closest it has been to the earth it has been in eighteen years, and it coincided with a full moon on a clear night. It was gorgeous. I didn't get a picture, but this one is from Atsah Images.

What a fabulous start to spring!