Friday, April 29, 2011

Easter in pictures.

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.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Birthday girl.

We surprised the birthday girl on Tuesday by picking her up from school and taking her out to Red Robin, where both Daddy and Pappi met us. Of course there was the birthday singing and balloons that will hang around our house for awhile. The rest of the day we waited for Daddy to come home so she could open presents. She made me hide them.

The first year she is reading her own birthday cards!

The ones she could remember to get to before ripping open the gifts, that is!

We surprised her with the pink guitar she's been asking for since last summer.

She's smitten. The next Carole King, I think.

6:37 - officially SIX!

Oh, so patiently waiting for chocolate-chocolate chip cake! I saw her mouth the words of her wish - she's still wishing for a magic wand with real magic.

At bedtime, there were two more presents waiting in her drawers - matching jammies for her and Lily! She was over the moon, and said over and over all day long, This is the best birthday ever!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Now we are six.

When I was One,
I had just begun. When I was Two,
I was nearly new. When I was Three,
I was hardly Me. When I was Four,
I was not much more. When I was Five,
I was just alive. But now I am Six,
I’m as clever as clever.
So I think I’ll be six now
for ever and ever. {A.A. MILNE, NOW WE ARE SIX}

Friday, April 22, 2011

Six years ago.

Six years ago I was 37 pounds heavier and waiting not-so-patiently for my first baby to be born. It was also a Friday. I didn't know I'd have to wait three more days for my water to break and then one more after that for her to come into our world.

And now she's going off to school so confident in herself, and everyday making my world so wonderful.

I love you, sweetpea.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Ruled by weather.

Just two weeks ago we still had tons of snow on the ground (don't worry it's all gone now, at least from our yard, however our silly weatherman is predicting 3-6 inches tomorrow night).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.)
It's a good thing I watched and waited for those maple blossoms, because, as I remembered, their show was short-lived, only two or three days and the wind took the whites of them clear away. But for those two or three days, it was like someone had put light bulbs in our maple tree, which for those two or three days, was much appreciated while we waited for the piles of snow to finally melt.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Save the worms.

Sunday morning I hadn't gone too far on my run before I started noticing tons of stuff in the road, and shortly after that I realized they were worms. As in hundreds of worms. As in, suddenly I was leaping over them on my tippy toes so as not to crush the survivors.
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. It wasn't long before her sidekick came out to join us.

I'm sure we saved at least a hundred worms, but when it was time to come in (I had to shower and eat, for pete's sake!), Alla was sad for the ones we couldn't save. Love that girl!

Friday, April 08, 2011

I love her.

It's a shame there's no school today because it means Alla's teacher won't be treated to one of her colorful, crazy outfits. But I will.

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Lots of snuggles.

I am the lucky mama of two little snugglers. They snuggle me, they snuggle Daddy, and they snuggle each other.Which must be how they shared this lovely cold that kept Alla home from school on Monday and Fisher home today.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Ten on Tuesday.

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.

Friday, April 01, 2011

Kids at the counter.

They're up there for lots of different reasons. To help assemble muffin tins. To play with water and cups and spoons spread across dish towels. To bake muffins or cookies or cakes. To make Pizza Friday.
I'm just glad they're up there with me.

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