Easter

Easter Sunday was a beautiful spring day.  We started the day with a basket and egg hunt in the backyard.  Then we moved to Hillandale park for a picnic with deviled eggs, hot cross muffins, strawberries and lemonade.  This was the third year we've picnicked on Easter and it's becoming a cherished tradition.  We use the time to enjoy the beauty of spring and celebrate the coming summer (that's why we always have strawberries and lemonade). 

Here are my 3 boys again.  Notice Sean's new haircut! 

We chose a spot near the volleyball pit for our picnic, so that Max would have something to explore and Chris and I would be able to sit still for a few minutes.  Our plan worked, well sort of- I think we were both able to sit down together for about 2 minutes.  Gracie had a blast in the sand, too!



Backyard fun with Darcy and Zoe

I often complain about the smallness of our backyard, but we do sure enjoy it a lot when- especially in the spring.  So, I think we have a pretty high enjoyment:square footage ratio.

Zoe was the potion maker this weekend, mixing flowers and food coloring in pots and vases.  Max thought this was a great idea and she was nice enough to let him be an apprentice.

Blowing Dandelions

This was the first park day where we saw dandelions in their seed form.  Faye and Annika heard me talking about how Max just learned to blow dandelions, so they found some and brought them back for him to blow.  It was so sweet- the pictures don't capture the blowing, which he did well.

Shoezzz

Max loves to put on "Shoezz" (he emphasizes the z sound) and likes to "Go,go".  He's also eager for us to put on our shoes, since it means he might be going somewhere.  He seems to like to be out and about- always looking for a new adventure.

Spring Begins

It felt so great to have flowers in the house again!  It was warming up outside, birds were singing and we were starting to believe that spring was here to stay.

Here is some Forsythia and Flowering Quince that we had on our nature table.

And the forced Dogwood branch was starting to wake up in the sunny window.

End of winter trip to Frostburg

 Max says "Ha, Winter, it's time to move on!" 

 In late February we took a weekend trip to Frostburg, where we were greeted with snow (the town living up to its name!).  We had a nice, cozy weekend full of cheese, chocolate and relaxation. 

 My 3 guys!

Fondue fun (although, Jack doesn't look like he's having much fun!). 

Early spring trip to the arboretum

The boys and I took a trip to the JMU arboretum one day in late Feb.  You can tell it was a while ago, because everything is so brown.  Max loved seeing the ducks- making a sort of quack, quack sound when he pointed at them.  We took a slow walk around the pond and tried to imagine how everything seemed to Max.

Swinging

Max loves his swing!  And he especially enjoys it if someone swings beside him.  Here he and Jack swing together.

We're back!

We've been away for almost 2 months!  The time sure flew- we were having lots of fun!  A more active toddler and more time outside has kept me away from the computer (which has its pros and cons!).  We've still been snapping pictures, though, so I'll work on posting them over the next couple of days.