1. My husband is the resident candy-lover in the house and seems to pride himself on new discoveries. First it was the pretzel MnM, and now it is some Dove coconut creme egg.
2. I myself think I have kicked my sugar addiction, but would not turn down my favorite Easter treat, the ever-delicious Cadbury egg, should it turn up Easter morning.
3. Alla was home yesterday from school with a downer of a cold. All the extra resting must have paid off, because she woke up this morning before her alarm, and the first thing we heard was,
I feel great! She sounded so surprised and genuinely delighted. The simple things.
4. Nana and Pappi got a dog! The little guy's name is Joe and he is a really, really sweet dog. I don't throw that around either, since I really have no desire for pets of my own, however, this dog really is a good one. The kids were so sad to leave him after our dinner there Saturday evening, saying they were going to miss Joe.
5. We have happily reached the 50s, steadily, and the buds on the trees are just about ready to burst. You'd think that the actual leaves are my favorite part, but it's the burst of fuzz from the buds that glistens in the sunsets for just a few days each spring.
6. Alla and I are in the middle of the second Little House book. I didn't read the series as a kid, so I'm invested in it now. When we started last summer, and then [she chose to] put it down for awhile, I was certain that after Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it wouldn't hold her attention. I mean, a whole chapter on how Pa builds the chimney for heaven's sakes? But Laura Ingalls Wilder knew her audience because my daughter is hooked, I tell you. I want to get through three more this summer so we can read
The Long Winter during our next long winter.
7. Today was the first day the snow mound in the front yard was low enough to allow the swing to fly high without feet dragging across the snow on your way down, so Fisher wanted to swing, swing, swing,
beary high. 8. This week's swimming update: only five minutes of crying!
9. The kids and I had a brief discussion while making dinner this evening about going to school every [single] day when you're in kindergarten, to which Fisher responded by crinkling up his nose and saying,
But I will miss you! I don't want to go to Pinewood. 10. Trying to think of a poignant and enchanting and perfect book for Alla's sixth birthday...stay tuned.
It started at 6:20 am. Hence the moon.
But kiddos don't wait for Easter and eggs and finding and opening, do they?
We've had some super crummy spring weather here, but isn't this just the picture of Easter? I mean, I think it's always been this way, no matter what it was the day before or after, the nature of Easter is this glorious sunny blue sky.
Our third annual trip to the Minnesota Zoo - farm babies, tractor ride, cute baby piggies, stinky cows. 
And, new this year, topping it off with dinner at Nana and Pappi's!
Thank you, Easter Bunny, for a lovely, exhausting day.
When I was Two,
When I was Three,
When I was Four,
When I was Five,
But now I am Six,
{A.A. MILNE, NOW WE ARE SIX} 
All through the winter I wondered what on earth Fisher will do outside once the snow is gone.
That blue shovel was like an extra appendage anytime we were outside. It was his personal mission to shovel snow all over the neighborhood. Not necessarily to do anything helpful with it, mind you, just to pick it up and dump it out.
I never thought we'd get rid of waist-high piles of snow, let alone the piles that were over MY head.
(Oh yes, and it was Fake Moustache Day at school, too, for April Fool's.)
When I was home stretching, I told Alla all about it, and of course my little animal rescuer dashed out the door to save as many as she could.
I am the lucky mama of two little snugglers. They snuggle me, they snuggle Daddy, and they snuggle each other.
