Spring Break

It's spring break!  This break always seems to come seconds before my "breaking point".  Who knows what happens every February and March.  The whole universe seems to start unraveling.  I suppose it's something to do with the ending of a long winter, the really really annoying daylight savings time thingy, the basic cellular need for some daytime exposuse to the outdoor elements.  Whatever it is ... I felt like a teenager when the bell rang after my Healthy Homes training on Friday afternoon.   We've pretty much been outside ever since.

we are trying to build a patio thingy where the grass is permanently deceased due to the huge swimming pool we have set up from June - August.   Lucy has rediscovered her love of bugs and promptly got enough gathered in a sled to have a rousing game of "house" with the bugs being her children.  They amused her all day. Totally grossed me out.

upon hearing that Gabriel was coming for a visit Lucy oddly started creating conversation clusters out of the living and dining room furniture.  In case we needed to have meetings.

and he came back!  Gabriel is learning and growing. Was fun having him and his momma for a visit.

and now we're off for a couple days. Heading north.  Gonna spend time at a waterpark and meet up with Sherry, Harper, Hana and Masresha.  Very exciting times.

 

Spring Sprung

Ahhhhh nothing beats a grand spring weekend.  Two days with nothing to do but have fun with my babe.  We basically started the party on Wednesday after work (St Patricks Day), carried it into Thursday after work (my birthday) and Friday after work - Sunday was one big ol' barrel of fun!  Here's the proof:

Zep is obsessed with playing pacman with bubbles

my two st patricks day loves

swinging in the sun

our friend Sara came and brought BBQ for my birthday

saturday morning we prepped our veggies

set up our living room for indoor camping

had some good friends and some neighbors (not pictured) over for a back yard campfire and smores

had a sing-a-long with Ivy

gave our puppy some love

zep had breakfast in bed on sunday morning thanks to Lucy!

simple illustration

for those of you who aren't a FB friend I had to share this photo.  I spend a lot of time trying to explain Lucy, trying to figure her out, trying to break her code.  A lot of people do. Lucy is just MORE. She's more beautiful, more joyful, more smart, more loud, more bossy, more sassy, more more more.  Only thing she doesn't rate more on is the amount of sleep she gets.  Anyways.  I dropped her off at preschool this morning and went to collect some of her artwork (it's an arts preschool, I end up taking home a lot of art).  When I looked at the kids clay pot projects I had to smile.  There, right there on the preschool project table was a perfect illustration of who Lucy is.  See all the clay pots on the orange plates???  Those are the other kid's projects.  See the one specially displayed on the white plate???  That's Lucy's rendition.  That's Lucy right there.  Not one to be told how to do things, how to keep things, ... she's more then that!

Happy St Patricks Day!!

I just LOOOOVEEEE

introducing new friends!!!!    Our friend Amy has been waiting like an eternity for her precious little son Gabriel.  She waited with such grace and she's entered parenting with that same grace.  Maybe she puts on a good front. Maybe she doesn't share with me since we're not like BFF's (yet) but she seems so calm, so relaxed, so in the moment.  Her little guy Gabriel, Gaby Baby, Abite ... has definately benefited from his mom's laid back ways. He seems like he's been with her forever.  Honestly, maybe he's honeymooning her right now but serious he's a 15 month old guy who acts like, well, a 15 month old guy.  A little shy at first, grabbing his mama, peeking out ... he takes a crawl away from her, turns back (is she there???, ahhh yeah there she is) and the takes another crawl (glances).  We (the non moms) swoop in, only to scare him back to the shelter of his mom's lap.  A few minutes later and Gabe the toddler emerges!  He crawls, he climbs, he grabs HE IS PERFECT!   Ahhhh Amy, thanks for stopping by, really lifted our day and we know that forever we have a new 'Opia friend. 

it's ok Gabriel try not to be overwhelmed by all the ladies wanting your attention

"I have a lot to teach you about life in Minnesota, let's talk"

"see Gabriel, read up on what they are telling our moms to do and we can stay one step ahead of their game"

"that's right, tear up that page that describes how to tame a tantrum, you're gonna need those tantrums, your mom doesn't look quite worn out enough yet"

7,8,9, 10

March 2007

March 2008

March 2009

March 2010

at the beginning of March

we have lots of evenings during the week with our friends (we babysit for them)

excited that when we leave the house for short trips lucy can wear a spring jacket!

we hang with morgan at least one night a week

balloons - cheap but fun

and the diva of fashion strikes again

i mean who else can pull of tap shoes, cherry pants with a swimsuit as a base

we started our veggie garden - cant wait till the seeds sprout!!

ahh yes spring is definately in the air.  it's been dreary and cloudy the past couple days but the snow is melting, the huge ruts of ice are almost gone and the yard is almost ready for the big spring dog de-pooping experience of 2010 (anyone want to join me????).  I love spring. Lucy loves spring. My heating bill loves spring.  Next week we find out if Lucy "won the lottery" for a spot in kindergarden at a school I really really really want her in.  Send winning vibes our way please. 

kitchen updo

as a reward to myself for all the purging and organizing I've been doing I decided that a kitchen redo was in order.  When I moved into the house the kitchen was really nonexistant.  It had a bathroom sink/cabinet, no counters, no cabinets it was not functional.  We got some inexpensive laminate cabinets from Menards and made a countertop out of tile.  I painted the trim bright red, got a red ceiling fan and a bunch of chili pepper accessories.  The kitchen was happy, bright and functional.  It's been about 12 years.  The kitchen needed fixing again.  I didn't do before photos because the process of priming all the red trim was slow and it NEVER occurs to me to take before photos.  I dug one up that shows a little of the kitchen before:

I decided to go bright again but this time tone down the trim and jazz up the walls.  I love the outcome. It was just what I needed to get through the end of winter blues!