Easter Festivities

Last week and this have been filled with Easter activities thanks to school and church sponsored festivities. And I love it! Whenever we talk about Easter, we talk about the real meaning of the holiday: Christ's sacrifice for our sins through His death, and the miracle of His resurrection and complete healing. Though I know my kids are young, they (well, at least Leah) aren't too young to understand the important truth that Jesus is alive. (And if you ask Leah, she'll state this truth with the appropriate level of enthusiasm.)

Our school activities have been a mix of religious and secular (eggs), but they all have provided an opportunity for us to talk about the importance of the day. We made stained glass crosses, used goodie-filled Easter eggs to practice addition and writing numbers, and dyed eggs. Such fun! (Aside: Seeing the joy and excitement on the kids' faces when we complete these lessons/ projects is a great motivator for me to continue planning more activities. Plus, watching them have fun brings me joy, reminding me of what it's like to be a kid again.)

Saturday was the annual Easter egg hunt and festival at church. The day was sunny but cold (especially when the wind blew), but that couldn't dampen the kids' enthusiasm. (We had been practicing our egg-gathering skills by holding egg hunts at home... regularly.) Hunter was all about gathering eggs and putting them in his bucket... until he discovered that they had candy in them. After that, he'd pick up an egg, crack it open, and check out the candy (or try to put a piece-- wrapper and all-- in his mouth). [Since the egg hunt for the various ages in held simultaneously, Scott and I split up, so no pictures of Leah's quest.]

After the egg hunt, it was time to check out the other activities the church had to offer, and there were plenty! The kids went in a moon-bounce (Hunter didn't exactly jump, but he did stand up a couple times with the help of cousin Alyssa. Even though he couldn't jump, he had a blast; like his sister, he had a permanent smile plastered across his face.) to work up an appetite. We then took a break to refuel with hot dogs before venturing out to the playground. (How interesting that in spite of all the activities -- additional bounce houses, crafts, face painting, a cake walk-- the kids preferred the playground.) Well, there was ONE exception to the playground: pony rides. Leah was the only one who wanted to take a pony ride, so Scott waited in line while Mom and I took the kids (Leah, Hunter,  and their cousins Alyssa and Kenzie) to the playground. The wait (for Scott) was worth it: Leah LOVED riding the pony. [Hmmm, will she one day ask us for riding lessons? I wouldn't put it past her; every time she has a chance to get on a horse or pony, she takes it.]

By now, it was late, and past due for both kids to rest/ nap, but before we left, we picked up some snow cones (because that's what all kids eat when it's cold outside). Hunter wasn't happy about leaving, and I couldn't blame him. After all, who wants to leave a grand party for Jesus?

"You mean I have to wait to get those eggs?"

Candy!

Notice the chocolate mustache. A peanut butter cup had melted, prompting Hunter to try to eat it wrapper and all.

The successful egg hunters: Leah, Kenzie, Hunter, & Alyssa

Enjoying a purple snow cone. Yummy!

Just a tad bit windy out.

Checking out the loot. Hunter didn't like when we told him he couldn't eat anymore of the candy at that moment.

PSL Science: Sink or float. Then dump all the Easter eggs in the sink and mix them up.

So, when I took this picture, I didn't realize what Hunter was doing. Apparently he had opened the egg, discovered the water, and then proceeded to drink it. That's my boy!

Leah wanted to paint some of our eggs this year.

Guess he was done painting.

Hunter liked dyeing eggs as much as painting them. Despite having plenty of colors to choose from, he wanted two orange eggs.

Playing in the dye. Moments later, Hunter CRUSHED the egg in his hand. So much for trying to take photos while dyeing eggs with a 21-month-old.

Have I told you how much my kids love the hairdryer?

Leah shows Hunter how to hold the egg in place so that Daddy could shrink the egg wrapper.

Life is full of disappointments for Hunter: he wanted to play with the egg, but Daddy wouldn't let him.

Snow Day!

About two weeks ago (March 6), we had our first significant snow all winter. For a little girl (Leah) whose favorite season is winter, that Wednesday was an answer to prayer. She finally had snow to play in!

Since the roads weren't bad, we headed over to my parents' house so that the kids could play with their cousin Skyler. As soon as we got there, Mom (Nama) and I dressed the kids in their snow-garb: Leah in 2T snow pants (on loan and way too short!) and rain boots (she doesn't have any snow boots. What's the point buying them if there's a good chance she'll go all season without wearing them?), and Hunter in a 2T snowsuit (way too big!) and tennis shoes (again, no boots, see previous reason). Michelin Man, his big sis, and his cousin bounded outside, ready to play. (Well, Michelin Man lumbered outside.)

First item on the agenda? Coloring the snow with water bottles filled with colored water. I had thought that they could draw pictures in the snow, but they didn't quite see it that way. Their interpretation involved dumping out the water in one big spot on the snow.

Next up? A snowman! Mom and I started the snowballs for the kids, and then they proceeded to roll 'em down the hill. Once Leah and Skyler had rolled the bases, we tried positioning and stacking them by the tree. Unfortunately, when we placed one on top of the other, the top snowball was so heavy it crushed the base! Oops! So... we made snowbears instead. This actually worked out better since they were kid-sized, which meant all three of them could add the necessary appendages. (I did move the paws of one bear, though; the initial placement made the bear a bit busty.) The final touches involved more colored water (this doesn't show up in the photos).

By the time we had finished, runny noses abounded, so it was time to go in for hot chocolate and cookies fresh from the oven (thanks to Nama and her little helpers). Ahhh, snow days. For all the fuss and hassle with wet clothing, it was definitely worth it!

Coloring the snow. Leah's in the purple coat. At least the rain boots reached the too-small snow pants.

Michelin Man.

Leah rolling the base of the snowman. Notice the hat. It partially covered her eyes the entire time (I never noticed), so in every photo, she's lifting her chin up so that she can see.

Two snowbears, two girls, and the Michelin Man.

Hunter tried rolling a snow ball with Nama.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday, Leah!

 
My princess turned 4 this past Sunday. Four! It's so cliche to say "my how time flies," but it's the truth. I look at Leah and realize that she's no longer a toddler (though I admit she outgrew that title long ago); she's a pre-schooler. (And when I think how she only has one more year before kindergarten... well, I don't want to think about that.) Like any mom, I think the world of my baby girl; she amazes me by how much she knows and how much she's learning every day.

Since her birthday is March 10, here are 10 items that make Leah special, amazing, a joy, a blessing... you get the idea.

1. She's kind, loving, and considerate. (She told Hunter he could help her open her birthday gifts.)
2. She's creative and imaginative. (When asked why she ripped the hair off her toy's head she replied,
     "Because God didn't want her to have any hair." Who can argue with that?)
3. She's learning how to read.
4. She loves ice skating... but only with Daddy. (More details below.)
5. She enjoys doing school. If she's awake when I'm prepping school for the next day, she asks to do
    school right then.
6. She's focused. She could sit and work on art projects all day long.
7. Her favorite colors are pink and purple (like most little girls, I suppose).
8. "Yeah, sure" and "Oh, yeah!" are two of her most used expressions.
9. She still prefers Mommy and Daddy's company to that of her friends (probably because we play
    whatever she wants to).
10. Her favorite game is "dogcatcher". (Basically, it's chase. Scott is the dogcatcher, and Leah and Hunter
     are the dogs -- Lady & Tramp, respectively-- that try to escape from the pound.)

To celebrate Leah's big day, we had both sets of grandparents as well as Great Grandma over for lunch and cake. (Leah didn't want a party with all her friends.) I'll let the pictures (and accompanying captions) narrate the weekend's events. All in all, Leah received all the attention and love that she deserves.

For some reason, she wanted a lion cake. I opted for cupcakes, as they were a bit easier to decorate. I surprised her with pink and purple lions. After all, I had to include her favorite colors somehow.

Leah's birthday flowers. She chose the multicolored roses this year. Not sure how the florists did it since each petal is a different color, but the effect is beautiful!

At her first ice skating lesson Saturday morning. Everyone went to watch... but I guess she was a bit overwhelmed by the class (coaches and kids she didn't know) and upset that Daddy wasn't out there with her, so the class didn't exactly work out.

Guess who was much happier and eager to get out on the ice once Daddy laced up his skates?

Love this girl!

Happy Birthday!

Leah received a doll with a dog. The dog barks and the doll talks, which fascinated Hunter. When Leah opened another gift (another doll), Hunter immediately pressed down on the box in an effort to make it talk, too.

Saturday afternoon (after naps/ rest and the party): time to play in the small patch of snow leftover from last week's storm.

Notice the one gloved-hand here...

and the removal of said glove here. "I don't need no stinkin' gloves to play in the snow! I'm tough!"

And now we STOMP on the snow!

So, about the helmet. Leah had been riding her scooter (a gift from her uncle, aunt, and cousins--- THANKS!) prior to playing in the snow. Rather than taking it off, she just left it on. You know, in case anything might fall on her head.

Her miniature snowman.

Tips & Tricks

A few tips and tricks for those who might not thrive on tidiness as much as I do, yet wish their homes were neater. (Please don't take this the wrong way! I just thought I'd share some "secrets" -- that really aren't secrets-- to help others who would like to be better housekeepers [another person's phrase, not mine].)

*Do the dishes/ clean the kitchen right after dinner. I know, you'd rather play with the kids or have a few minutes of downtime. But, if you know that you'll be even less likely to do the dirty work after the kids are in bed or you've had some time to relax, then do it first. That way, they aren't waiting around until the morning. (Or, if you're fortunate enough, have your spouse do the dishes. I have several friends who are blessed by their husbands in this way!)

*Open and sort the mail as soon as it comes in the house. Put items where they belong (bills by the computer or checkbook; magazines on the coffee table; junk in recycling or trash) rather than allowing them to pile up.

*Designate a spot for items to be returned and keep all such items there. For us, it's the bookcase in the kitchen. Placing an item there serves as a visual reminder that it needs to leave the house. (This also applies to items that belong on a different floor. I put items that need to go upstairs on the steps. Then I just grab them on my way up.)

*Pick up before bed (you could enlist the kids' help on this one). To be honest, I do this when I put the kids down for a nap and before we leave the house (though sometimes not as thoroughly as at naptime) so that the toys won't accumulate throughout the day. Though enlisting the kids' help often prolongs the process, it's well worth it; the kids learn responsibility for their toys as well as respect for me. (And it's so cute when Hunter starts singing the clean up song!)

*When it comes to toys, designate sections in the toy room/ family room. In our family room, we have a bookshelf for movies and books; one for games, puzzles, and early readers; and a shelf for toys. If, like me, you really want to be organized, you could then sort and group toys (all vehicles in one bin; dress-up in another; miscellaneous in a third); however, I understand if that's a bit much. So long as all the toys belong in one general place, the kids will know where to find them/ return them after playing with them.

*Plan a time to clean/sort/ plan meals/ do laundry/ complete house projects. I know, where's the spontaneity? Plus sometimes you won't feel like tackling what's on your list. (I feel that way every time I have to sit down to plan out our meals.) BUT... think of how you'll feel after you've completed the task. There's just something about crossing it off the list. If you really want to be organized when it comes to your tasks, you could (like me) assign one to each day at the beginning of the week. However, if that's too specific, try assigning the tasks to the week in general. Then you know what you have to accomplish by the end of the week.

Obviously, each of these involve a little time and forethought, but if you make them a daily habit, you'll be amazed by what they'll do for your homemaking abilities!