And We're Back

It's been a while, hasn't it? Time just goes by so fast! Especially when spring suddenly appears. We've been spending all our time outside, soaking up that warm sunshine.

These are the "farmers". They are gathering "hay" (grass torn from our lawn) for the "horses" and "cows" and "pigs". I feel like that's an "excessive" amount of "quotation" "marks".

It seems Libby is perpetually digging. She's putting her new birthday gardening tools to good use.

We don't need the actually trampoline in the frame to have fun. Although, a couple days after I took this picture, we did put up the trampoline and the kids have lived on it ever since.

It really has been wonderful out there.

I wish I would write more things down. The kids are saying and doing so many funny things but if I don't write it down immediately it goes right on out of my head. Hudson said more funny things last night at scripture study and I thought, "oh, that's going on the blog." But half an hour later it was lost.

I do remember one thing. Ethan was asking if I wanted to live in such-a-such place and I said, "No way! Don't they have tornadoes?" To which Hudson asked, "What are tormadoes?" Immediately I thought of tornadoes made of tomatoes.

It Makes Me Smile

-Spending two hours outside this afternoon and almost getting hot wearing just a jacket.

-Tender young shoots in the flower beds.

-Watching the kids trim the old flowers while I sit on the grass and soak in the sunshine.

-This sky:

It Makes Me Smile

-When, after Monday's family scripture reading, I asked the kids "does anyone have anything they want to talk about?" and heard Libby respond, "piwates!" (pirates).

-Hudson's promptness to get outside Wednesday morning after a night of snow.

-Counting the times Lincoln said, "watchee" consecutively before doing the thing he wanted me to see (I counted 20).

-Seeing how devoted Hudson is in taking care of his baby.

-Ah, Lincoln's new obsession with light switches. On, off, on, off, on, off. "Lincoln, stop it." "Liiiiiight!" On, off, on, off, on, off.

-Making friends with Jason - the caterpillar we found out in the grass. He lives in a jar in our house and is getting fat on lettuce.

-Binding off. Actually finishing a project! See the pattern here.

-Realizing that when Lincoln says, "gacapoo!" he's really saying "peek-a-boo!"

-Receiving next year's school supplies in the mail. So many fun books!

-Hearing Hudson declare this morning, after putting on his hiking boots, that he was going on a hike to kill animals for food.

-These guys:

Libby's Birthday

I suppose it's time to finally post pictures from Libby's birthday. It was a very fun day. She had a blast.

Libby blew out the candles before we were even done singing "Happy Birthday". We relit them just so I could get this picture. And yes, she's in a swimsuit. That's Libby for you.

She got a couple of new books,

and this fun thing, whatever it's called, i don't know, but it kept her busy for a long time.

And we gave her garden gloves, tools and a tote because she loves to dig in the yard. The tent in the background was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins. And yes, she's in a different swimsuit. She changed between cake and presents. Come to think of it, she changed between dinner and cake as well.

Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins also gave her a cute little purse with pretend make-up, keys, phone, sunglasses and money purse in it and a super cute fuzzy pink jacket. Libby loves these gifts and I'm sad I don't have a picture of them yet. She's so adorable in her fuzzy pink jacket and I admit, it's pretty cute to watch her put on her "make-up" or as she calls it, her "hiccup". My goodness it was so funny to hear that. I remember calling her one day and her yelling back, "just a minute, mom. I'm putting on my hiccup!"

It Makes Me Smile

I missed this last week's "It Makes Me Smile" because it was a very busy weekend. But Sunday is here now, and things can calm down, and we can get back to normal at our house.

Here's what made me smile the week of February 5 to February 11:

-Maria's excited face as she watch the fairy godmother on stage present a ball gown to Cinderella in "The Slipper and the Rose"

-Hearing, and remembering, during the homeschool convention that I'm not the only one that has struggles.

-Listening to Libby count her steps as she dances, "One, two, three. One, two, three."

There were more, I know there were because I remember thinking on Monday (because I already had several at this point), "I'd better write these down or I'm going to forget them." But I didn't, of course and now I can't remember what they were.

I'll try to do better this next week.

It's a Ninja

Hudson: What's that?

Maria (drawing): It's a ninja.

Hudson: What's a ninja?

Maria: Chinese fighters with curved swords.

Hudson: Why is he wearing a black suit?

Maria: So he can blend in with the night. See, you can't see his mouth; you can't see his hair . . .

Hudson: You can't see anything!

Maria: Only his eyes. And that's a ninja. And this is how you spell ninja: N-I-N-G-A

I'm going to try to record more of their conversations because they crack me up and I can't remember any of it after about three minutes. I think they'll enjoy reading these when they get older.

It Makes Me Smile

I can't believe it's Friday already. My goodness, time goes by much too fast.

Here's what made me smile this week:

-Hearing Hudson quietly sing the theme song for Agent P (Perry the Platypus) while climbing into bed last night: "Doo bee doo bee doo bah, doo bee doo bee doo bah."

-Watching the pattern take shape as I knit and knit - and get close to the end.

-Seeing Maria play with her Justinian and Theodora paper dolls over and over again.

-Reading through the small stack of books I scored at the DI.

-Seeing the excitement come to Lincoln's face when he saw Ethan crouch down on the floor, because he knows that means wraslin' with dad.

-The sunshine. Glorious sun shinning through my windows.