Who doesn't love jumping in rain puddles?

Exhibit A to my left is the first pot holder Liv made with her kit from the Easter Bunny--it's the pattern I requested but she chose the colors and did the weaving on the loom.  It's doing a fantastic job in the kitchen already and is in contention for kitchen accessory of the month.  Kevin mowed the grass yesterday and it was windy enough today to blow all those flowers into the yard this afternoon--almost like snow.  When it started raining this afternoon, Josie said she wanted to go outside to "see more wet", so out we went and I let her go barefoot and splash around for a little bit.  She was loving it until the thunder started and she was done outside.  I do realize I've created a monster and now every time it rains Josie will want to splash in puddles...and that's ok with me!

The weekend

Our weekend was great, another weekend with nice weather and lots of family time.  Saturday morning Liv played soccer, and Josie discovered the joy of cheering upside down.  After that we made a mad dash home so Liv could be picked up for a slumber party with Kevin's mom and cousins and then headed to baby Mia's birthday party--she turned one.  After cookies and ice cream the birthday group headed to the Dogwood Park and fun was had by all.  The Denlers were accompanied by the Stewarts, Rhynards, and Mia's family.  It has been a million years since I seesawed and Josie's first time ever.  Even better than that is seesawing with all adult friends.  Still waiting to see those group shots...and like Jason Rhynard said, surely us all seesawing together was just a matter of time...Josie never skips naptime so by the time we left the party at 4:30 she was exhausted and asleep before we left the parking lot.  Sunday we went to see Ry act at Barnes and Noble with her PPP group and then we went to the Stewarts so Liv could show Ry her training wheeless bike riding skills.  She tried to help Ry learn the same way she was taught, by the end of the day both girls were zooming up and down the street.  Had tacos for dinner and then went home to watch Life Without People, Kevin's new fave show.  All in all, a great time....except for one video that Beau insisted I watch.  And a side note for all of my dedicated readers (so, prolly just my mom), the Denlers can now shower at home--I should have taken a picture of that too....just the curtain set up.   So, everyone who was on the edge of their seat to find out what we've been up to can lean back--you're caught up!

Liv's photo shoot

One day last week we took the girls to the Duck Pond after school and as we were leaving Liv told me that I could take some pics of her.  This is out of the ordinary, as Liv typically doesn't have time to sit still for silly things like that.  Maybe she was feeling beautiful that day, whatever the case these are the pictures I took that she loved.  Liv also would like everyone to know that she picked all the poses herself!

Earth Day Butterfly Release

Earth Day was last Wednesday, and in honor of that Kevin and I took Josie to a butterfly release at Sci-Port.  The website also purported that there would be several large tents you could go into and let butterflies land on your body--this is the part I was most excited about.  Alas, the tents were not set up, the marketing lady told me they also thought the tents would be large but upon arrival were so small that Josie prolly could not have climbed in them.  Eventually the butterflies were brought out and in my head I had created a very dramatic release where hundreds of butterflies were set free from cages and they would fill the sky.  This is not the way butterflies are released.  The butterfly people brought out the butterflies in envelopes, one butterfly per wax envelope.  Lots of schools were there that day and I pushed several grade schoolers out of the way to secure Josie her very own butterfly.  After that Mother Nature stopped by and gave a quick talk about environmental preservation and what not...then it was time for the big release.  On the count of three we opened our envelope to set free our little Monarch.  Josie was very interested in the butterfly while he was contained, when we opened the envelope the butterfly was "ew yuck, gross".  It took a minute for the butterfly to take off so we did get to look at him up close.  Then is was over.  Liv is gonna take a recycling class at school in a few weeks--she is excited to make her own paper.  Other than that, our Earth Day celebration ended there...really, we celebrate daily.  Josie hugs very tree she passes on our walks and Liv loves to recycle.  I tell the girls that doing all that stuff saves the polar bears and they are very proud.

E.T., new plants, Jacks birthday...more of the Daily Show

Lately things have been pretty calm at the Estate, but I have been having a great time with our daily stuff.  My Mom brought over some herbs (chives, oregano, and mint), clematis (the purple flower vine), and 5 azaleas that need some rehabbing.  The azaleas aren't pictures because they would be embarrassed to be seen now, but hopefully by next Spring they will have bounced back.  Josie and I spend lots of time saying nice things to them and watering them.  All these new plants has got me finally ready to do our Spring flowerbeds.  My annuals are growing great--I have day lilies, amaryllis, hydrangea, and hibiscus that will be blooming soon.  Now, I just want to add some color to the front of the house.  In other news, Spring Break is over and Liv is headed back to school tomorrow--she is not pleased about the return to school night schedules.  Josie is getting ready to start potty training, even though she doesn't know it yet.  Kevin wants a new job that doesn't require him to sell anything, so any leads send my way.  And me, same ol' same ol'--the way I like it typically.  I do want to plan a summer vacay for the family, and one for just me and the husband.  Other than that, I am looking forward to doing some more remodeling to finish the bathroom and I wanna get poolside soon.  Baby Jack's birthday party was today.  Baby Jack turned 4, so we're gonna have to start letting go of that 'Baby' business.  Also, he weighs as much as Olivia and wears bigger clothes.  Liv has a small height advantage, but prolly not for long.  Anyway, the party was a success--pretty simple to do at a kids party.  Trampoline+hot dogs+cake+presents=good times.  These pics are from Jack's party, some of my blooming plants, Josie showing us a fire truck and the hottest new trend for how to sit in a buggy, the girls (Thing 1 and 2) after a bath, and my fave---you know the scene in E.T. where he is hiding in the closet in the stuffed animals and all you can see is his face...I went to get Josie out of bed after a nap one day last week and she was surrounded by her menagerie of bedmates.  She was sleepy enough still that I had time to capture her E.T. moment....complete with a smile.

Easter Activity, Number Last...

Finally, we are to Sunday.  The girls woke up early to find their baskets.  Josie ingested about 37 pounds of chocolate in half an hour and true to her nature, Liv didn't eat much so she could save it all.  After church the family assembled at our house for lunch.  It was a delicious spread that I should have photographed, but instead I just ate it.  I also didn't take pictures of the girls in dresses, or the inside due to rain egg hunt, or the rest of the family.  Nevertheless, after lunch I put all the kids in Liv's room and we hid about 75 eggs in the house for the kids to find.  It took them almost three minutes to do that and that finishes up Easter 2009.  

Easter Party

Whew, that was about 2,000 pictures I just uploaded.  Anyway, Easter festivities continued Saturday afternoon with a party at the Stewart's church.  The kids were divided into age groups and they rotated through different centers.  Cupcake center, craft center, Easter Bunny center, and LIVE duck center.  Guess which one Mommy was most excited about.  Anyway, Josie loved the cupcake (duh), skipped crafts all together, wanted to look at the ducks and quack at them but not actually touch them, and wanted to chit chat with the Bunny and show him things, but not actually touch him either.  Liv was pretty much the same except that she did craft, did hold the ducks and did sit with the Easter Bunny...see, exactly the same.  The egg hunt was next.  The kids were sent to different outside areas to hunt eggs.  Liv was out the door so fast that I didn't even have a chance to get egg hunting pics captured on film.  Josie was pumped up to "fine heggs" because we had been explaining it to her all day.  When it was time she went crazy without stealing eggs from other kids, so we'll call that a success.  Josie was hilarious with the Easter Bunny and the eggs outside--again, wanted to chit chat but no touching.  Everyone went back inside to open their eggs and we were almost out of there when the announcement was made.  Yes, that's right--the baby ducks were available for adoption.  You had to adopt them in pairs so they wouldn't lonely and free with your duck adoption was duck food.  Liv just knew she would die without a duck and we just knew the duck would die shortly after meeting our lab when we got home.  After breaking Liv's heart (actually, she took it well) we were off to dinner.