Easter 2017

It is our annual tradition that the kids set their empty Easter baskets out on Easter Eve and leave a little snack for the Easter Bunny -- usually a carrot and maybe a stalk of celery.  The next morning, the kids wake up to find their baskets filled and usually a note of some kind.

(These Easter baskets ... I can't be more pleased each and every year when I pull them out of storage.  You see, I found Samantha's basket when she was very young at Target and considered myself pretty lucky to find a coordinating one for Sophia a couple of years later.  I never imagined that I would find one for Jack a couple of years after that.  And then James too last year!  Thank you, Target!)

This year, Samantha left the Easter Bunny a little note, kindly asking him what his name is.  His reply, "Peter Cottontail."  Of course.

Reading the note that he had left, instructing the kids to find the 90 eggs that he had hidden around the house; 30 each for Sam, Sophia and Jack.  After they find 30, they are not allowed to find anymore.  This minimizes any and all most fights. 

Lots of goodies:

James really liked his book:

We gave Jack a head start and allowed him to find 10 eggs all by himself before we let the girls join in.  We laughed because he was SO GOOD at it that he really didn't need any extra advantage at all!

Sophia took her job seriously and found several eggs that were hidden among the disorganized desk area:

Samantha fared much better on this egg hunt than she did the day before down at the park.

James chose to just sit back and watch the action around him:

My little crew, opening eggs and collecting the candy and coins inside:

Happy Easter!

Coloring Easter Eggs

With the more mild weather this year, we chose to do something a little bit different for coloring our Easter eggs.  We typically color them on Saturday night, right before baths, in the kitchen with everyone standing on a stool.  But, Steve and I talked about coloring them outside in the afternoon and we invited our neighbor (and great friend to both of the girls) to join us.

We used our typical small, glass punchbowl cups (that used to belong to my grandma) and hauled our patio table out to the front lawn.

The kids took turns placing the eggs in the cups, rotating them and then removing them to dry on a tray.

Jimmy watched from the other end of the table and played with (non-perishable!) plastic eggs and the cooling/drying racks.

Creating her masterpieces:

Jimmy was certainly happy just watching the kids do their own thing:

The wind was definitely a factor, but the eggs sure dried quickly.

It's safe to say that Jack was pretty pleased with this activity:

 Drying in the sun/wind (for only a few minutes) before I whisked them away to the fridge.  Later, they made the most delicious deviled eggs for our Easter celebration the next day.

2017 Easter Egg Hunt

Each year, your subdivision association puts on an Easter Egg Hunt down at the park on the Saturday before Easter.  There are 900 eggs scattered all over the park, each filled with something ranging from erasers and stickers to candy and treats.  There are also six treasured golden eggs that, when turned in to the officials, allow you to choose a bigger prize. 

It seems that in all of the years before, that the weather has been downright frigid and cold.  We still go ... because, well, it is tradition and the kids look forward to it.  But this year, the weather was mild -- windy -- but mild, and we were excited to partake.

Camo?  Yes, Jack loves camo ... and in every color possible.

Listening to the rules at the start of the "hunt:"

Jack started along the perimeter of the lake, and you can tell by the ripples in the water that the wind was beginning to pick up in speed:

Sophia chose to travel right down the center and managed to fill her bag quickly:

Sam's strategy didn't work out so well for her this year; she focused so much on trying to find the few elusive golden eggs (which she did not find any of them) and then didn't end up getting very many small, plastic eggs for her bag.  She has already vowed to change her tactic for next year!

Even Jimmy chose to get in on the action even though he is not walking yet.

Watching the kids gather eggs in the distance:

By the end, Jack was pretty happy with his loot:

There was a photo center set up with a few props and lots of bubbles:

Like I said, it was a very windy day and a great time to fly a kite.  The kids had SO much fun!

James is Fourteen Months Old

As this last month seemed to fly by, I found myself making mental lists of all of the things that James had started doing.  He seems to be growing by leaps and bounds (his 18-month sleeper pajamas are getting a tad snug these days) but I'm not completely sure of his stats since we are not going back to the doctor for a scheduled well-child check-up until July. 

James cut another tooth this last month -- his bottom, right side one.  For the longest time, he has only had his two bottom front teeth with four on the top and three molars.  Eating has become so much better these days now that the molars are through (there is still one left that needs to cut until the two-year molars start).  He is not as picky and we often joke that we need to "back him away from the food trough."  He cries because he *thinks* that he needs more food, but he is stuffed to the gills.

His biggest accomplishments this month include:

* learning how to throw (some things are more appropriate to throw than others, and we are working on that)

* climbing stairs (he knows how to go UP stairs now, but we need to work on safely coming back down)

* attempting to walk by only holding onto one of your hands (not both); he is still a little wobbly, but he is getting the hang of it and becoming more and more confident

* sleeping more consistently at night (the last two months were filled with various wake-ups that I now believe were attributed to not feeling well and cutting teeth)

James is still taking two naps a day.  His morning nap runs from about 9:30 am to 11:30 am (sometimes shorter if we are running errands and he naps in the van), and his afternoon nap takes place consistently from about 1:00 pm to 3:30 - 4:00 pm or so.  He is often standing up in bed when I go to get him and if he is still sleeping, he is almost always laying on his belly.  I did have to remove the swinging animals on his mobile last week because he pulled them down.  I still wind it up for the music though and he uses that to drift off to sleep.

James is a "good napper" and this is because he is constantly on the go.  He tries to keep up with his older siblings and rarely stays still long enough these days to catch his breath.  Photo shoots are becoming increasingly difficult because most of the photos look like this:

Standing up, leaning over, sliding out ... generally an overall wrestling match.

This weekend, the sun came out for a bit and we took advantage of the Spring weather by having the kids outside as much as possible.  I reminded Steve that James needs sunscreen because his precious, pale skin and lack of hair do not yield much protection from the sun.  It looks like we will be getting him used to hats and sunglasses very soon.

 

Overall, Jimmy tends to be a happy little man that gives big smiles to most everyone.  Sometimes he will lay his head on your shoulder in a bashful way when talking to a stranger (it is the cutest thing ever!), but he will let just about anyone pick him up.  Amberlee, his cousin, had the best time with him a few weekends ago.

This summer is going to be a lot of fun with him.  He will be walking by them and will surely enjoy our trips to the beach, the park and going for picnics.  Lots of lazy days ahead ...