Craft Projects

Today I'm camped out on the couch, studying. (Thanks, Nana and Papa!) Just taking a quick break to post a few pictures.

The kids made their own Easter baskets this year from some stuff we had laying around the house. We did it after we finished dying eggs. First, we cut the bottoms off of two oatmeal canisters and painted them.





Then we just stuck scraps of construction paper onto the wet paint to decorate. Atticus did his all by himself, but we obviously helped Franny with hers while she did some fingerpainting. We poked holes in the sides and ran ribbon through for handles. They were the perfect size for little people hunting eggs.



By the way, we were worried about Atticus picking up all the eggs before Franny-bug had time to find any, but we shouldn't have been! She totally held her own in the Easter Egg Hunt.

Yesterday, there was a garage sale around the corner, so I walked over while the kids were napping. I picked up some pretty hideous framed pictures for $2. We emptied out the frames and painted them black. (When I say "we," I mean my awesome husband, obviously.) Then I framed some of the Doodlebug's artwork and hung it in his room.

Here is a watercolor titled "Helicopter and Boat."



This one is called "Dinosaur Teeth." (His names, I swear!)
He was excited about hanging them in his room.



Oh! One more picture of the Doodle holding his new second cousin Judah on Easter. His face is absolutely glowing with joy. He was blown away over getting to hold such a tiny baby. Hopefully they will have many fun years of cousin-ship ahead of them.

First Visit to the Emergency Room

What we planned on doing this morning: church and Easter Egg hunt.
What we actually did: go to the emergency room.

While we were getting ready, Franny was running around the house, tripped and smacked her head into the wood molding around the fireplace. It was a pretty big gash and bleeding pretty good, so we decided to take her in. Apparently the E.R. is not a super-busy place on Easter Sunday at 9am, because they whisked her in and fixed her right up.

She turned out not to need stitches, they just glued it back together. It looks like she's going to have quite a bruise, but she doing Silly Girl in the car on the way home, so I think she's fine.



Yesterday I took the Doodle in for a haircut. His very first haircut was great, but after that he had some "stranger danger" and didn't want anyone cutting his hair. It got quite traumatic, kicking and screaming, etc.

So I've been cutting his hair the past few times, just to get him comfortable with it. He's gotten outgoing enough that we thought we'd give it a try again. I can get the job done, but it doesn't exactly look professional.



He did awesome! I told him that the ladies would be so nice, like the librarians, and he could tell them all about coloring Easter Eggs. He perked up at that, and ended up doing awesome. He smiled and laughed and talked to the stylist. Thank goodness, because she could cut it in about 1/4 of the time it takes me!

Saturday Morning

We made our weekly trip to the Farmer's Market this morning. (There is a 8 year old girl there who has a business selling beautiful bouquets of fresh-cut flowers for $4! How can we pass that up?) While we were there, we noticed that there was a horse-riding competition happening right there at the fairgrounds. (A "horse-riding competition?" Some of you will judge me for that, probably. I don't know, people were there riding on horses and getting ribbons.) Anyway, we took the kids over to watch and they got to pet some horses. Here they are at home later:



My little bugs are really playing together well. Looks like they are conspiring against us:



I wish this picture weren't so blurry but there was just so much joy in it that I had to share anyway:


We are all doing well. Finals start for me in a week so I am trying to keep my sanity and make myself stay in the library when the weather is beautiful outside. Lucky for me, it has been windy enough that staying inside hasn't been too much punishment. The kids are hilarious, as usual. Franny is using more and more words every day and knows about half of her letter sounds. Atticus has devised a list of the people he wants to invite to his birthday party, which won't be for three more months.

They both just woke up from their naps, so I'm off to dye some Easter eggs!

What we found in our yard this morning:

This morning Craig was working on the fence and noticed something stashed around on the side of our house: about 30 rolls of toilet paper. I don't know if someone was about to TP our house or another one, but they apparently had to ditch the goods and make a run for it!

Have to say we are pretty excited about this because it means we don't have to buy toilet paper again for a very, very, long time.

Well, we knew this was coming...

We took the kids to the Farmer's Market this morning, and two separate people stopped us to ask if the kids were twins. Actually, one guy just assumed they were and started telling us a random twin story. It's the first time that has happened but I'm willing to bet it won't be the last.



After the Farmer's Market, we went to an outdoor fair. Atticus rode a pony, which he thought was great fun. We were going to let Franny-girl ride a llama, but she didn't want anything to do with it.

They were also doing elephant rides, which we didn't do, but we did get within about four feet of the elephant. I told Atticus, "Look at how that elephant is eating the grass!" He gave me a Look, sighed, and said "That's not grass, that's hay, mom." (He was right.)

Sweet little ladybug at the park:



The Doodlebug playing with his trains:



The Doodlebug has two teddy bears, Stinky and Bert. This afternoon he told them it was bedtime and rocked them both in his little rocking chair (while pretending to listen to Yo-Yo Ma). Then he made Bert go to bed but told Stinky he could stay up and watch Cars. Goofball.

I've been working on the railroad...

The Doodle got this little wooden train set from my Dad quite some time back. He's been getting more and more into it, and for Christmas he got some more track and two more train cars. Lately, something about this has really started clicking for him, because he will completely immerse himself in playing with the trains. Anyone who has spent time with a two year old will understand my amazement that he will spend over an hour playing quietly with anything.




He has built little tunnels out of his books for the trains to go through. He has a few matchbox cars, which he will put on the train tracks. "Oh, no! A car on the tracks! Stop the train!!" (Acting out the final scene from this fun little book):




It is so fun to see his imagination taking off!

Spring has sprung!

Yesterday the Doodle comes into the house with his hand in a fist. Says "Dad, look at this fly!" Opens his hand. Bee flies out. Nice.

Climbing the "snake" at the ladder park:



Here's the Doodle climbing one of the ladders:



With little sister right behind him!



She was scampering up the whole thing by herself. Daddy was hanging on to her in case she fell, but she did all the climbing by herself.



Sweet Frances was smitten with this little bear this afternoon. It was Craig's when he was a baby. It is darling and squeaks when you squeeze it.



Great things about spring:

-Daylight Savings Time! We can actually do things outdoors after dinner. Like go for walks.
-Strawberry shortcake. Strawberries generally.
-Sandals. Shorts. Skirts.
-Daffodils. Next year we will have some at this house. I love them.