Easter 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Easter!

March Madness

This whole blog began with some boys and a ditch and a dam.  The days keep on ticking past but we keep coming back to the familiar and fun.

 

 

Days and days of rain finally ended leaving our ditches rushing with water:

the perfect playground for little ones.

 

 

 

Katherine was not to be left out and waded in barefoot

before I finally located a pair of boots a couple of sizes too big. 

 

 

With a little bit a direction, Matthew and Stephen constructed a working dam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan and Katherine experimented with a pulley system.

 

 

 

And Andrew supervised the lot.

 

 

Ah, yes.

 

 

The long winter is past and spring is upon us:

fresh air, sunshine and lots of outdoor playtime.

Pine Wood Derby 2015

It's Derby time again!

 

 

The boys have been busy thinking about their cars (although it seems like they waited until the last minute to get actually make them).  But they were ready for impound and are now ready to race.

 

 

Matthew and his den-mate Maxwell were first up.

 

 

 

Stephen flashed his driver's license and headed to the starting line.

 

Stephen's car is the gold one on the left.

 

Finally, Andrew was up for his third and last Derby.

 

 

As they speeded to the finish line, they were close.

 

 

 

Andrew came in second by a very, very, very close margin!

 

 

 

I'm so proud of these boys

 

 

 

 

 

and dads

 

 

 

 that keep this pack going.

Makeshift Mudroom

 

This week's weather and subsequent amount of garments needed has me thinking mudrooms.

 

 

I don't need anything grand, just a place to house shoes and coats.

 

 

Maybe with a checkerboard floor reminiscent of my grandparent's kitchen.

 

 

And place with a bench to sit and put on those shoes.

 

 

And something like this

 

 

 or this

 

 

or this would also solve the Outdoor Laundry Room Conundrum.

 

 

And lots of natural light, too, please (but no cats, thank-you-very-much).

 

 

Alas, I have found no magic genie to grant my wish so we make do as best we can and give thanks that there are so many little hands and feet and bodies around to wear this gear.

Third Time's a Charm

I realize I didn't post anything about Snow Day #2 because it was a .5 inch and quickly washed away by rain (and, really, Snow Day #1 wasn't anymore than that).  But last night, we hit the jackpot.

I've learned not to put much stock into weather forecasts and we never watch the local news.  But this time felt different, and we dutifully made a trek to the store for provisions "just in case." 

We waited and waited and waited.  And then it started.

Small flakes but lots of them that added up to a yard full of fun.

The kids played until 7 and then there was excited talk about plans for the next day.

Doug and I took measurements as the landmarks slowly faded under a white blanket.  A last glance at Facebook (to see how others were faring) noted a stranded churchmember nearby, and like my parents have done on multiple occasions, we took in an overnight guest who couldn't make it home.

The morning dawned bright. 

We are so blessed to be where we are for a multitude of reasons, but today it was the sunrise. 

We are situated in a valley between a large hill and a mountain.

 The sun rises behind the hill and reflects off the rocky mountain top, and today it was gorgeous.

The kids scarfed downs some toast and were OUT!

Doug and I wrestled Katherine into some miscellaneous leftover snow gear for her first real experience with white stuff.

Unlike her reaction to sand, she liked it!

The boys set to work on a snow fort/igloo.



 

The rest of us started in on The Happy Snowcouple.

 

 

 

 

But in the south, we know how to do it right: don't overstay your welcome.

 

 



By late afternoon, all the boys plans to sleep in their creation were dashed when the structure collapsed under the power of the sun's rays.

 

 

And there wasn't anything left of last night's snowmen save a lone carrot.

 

 



But it was Real. 

And it was Fun. 

It was Real Fun.