Hooray for getting these up before 2015!! This morning, the first of November, we shoveled our jack-o-lanterns off the back patio and Maggie sobbed as she said goodbye to those gross, moldy pumpkins. We had such a fun day picking them out and carving them, so I totally get her sadness in saying goodbye to them. Here are far more pictures than anybody ever wanted to see of our family at the farm. My favorite? Audrey showing off her candy corn that got painted on her face. She was sooooo excited to get it and show everybody…even though there was no mirror to show her what it was. Just feeling the bristles of the brush on her cheek was enough for her to know she had something special there….
This was the year that Mags became an expert in the easter egg hunting part of Easter. Earlier in the week we went over to visit the Merks and had a practice session of finding eggs. The eggs were stuffed with crackers, cheese, and slices of sandwiches, so that at the end of the hunting session, each kid had their lunch to dump out on their plate. Both Connor and Cameron were remarkably sweet to Maggie in helping her find her eggs. After doing the hunt, we walked to a nearby park and Maggie’s dream came true when she got to wear a shark helmet and use Connor’s scooter. It was a fun way to get a bit of practice in before the Easter Bunny arrived on Sunday and a great way to get together with our friends.
Every single year I get this feeling when the first days of REAL Spring weather arrives. I get all giddy and ‘we need to get our projects in order’ feeling. The sun just has to make a tiny bit of an appearance for us to drop what we’re doing and head outside. We busted open our shed and pulled out some of our toys. Maggie pretty much remembered the entire inventory and wanted to take EVERYTHING out. I’m not entirely convinced that this weather is here to stay, so we left many things in there.
Maggie spent the afternoon practicing on her bike and Audrey enjoyed sitting in the bumbo watching Syd roll in the grass. When Barry (a.k.a. Captain Safety) got home, Maggie was strapped into her helmet and she continued to ride her bike until dinner was served. Seeing her enthuasium for her tricycle reinforced the birthday present that we got for her this year, a balance bike. She’ll be pumped.
I finally looked at my garden, probably for the first time in nearly a year, and called my mom to find out what some plants were and what I should do with them. I really love the part of gardening that involves rippin’ stuff up and I’m not so good at the planting part. Describing plants over the phone, when I know next to nothing, is very funny. I think this year, after tearing out that dang plant that went to seed, I’m going to actually plant some things so that our late summer garden will look beautiful. I’m determined to have some dahlias this year!!!
We also shot Maggie’s 3rd birthday pictures. This is the first year that she was involved in the process and helped to pick out fabric and set everything up. She was also very helpful and cheerful when getting her picture taken. If I hadn’t been wearing a baby on my chest while taking the pictures, I would have said it was no sweat.
Today we’re headed over to the Merk’s to do a practice egg hunt and tomorrow Bri & Darcy come to be here for the REAL egg hunt on Sunday morning. I can only imagine where ‘the Easter Bunny’ will hide eggs this year, especially with both Barry and Brian together.
