Spring is Here!

every year i think about buying all yellow pansies….

but every year i can’t resist all the other colors!!

a little spring decorating

this is our 3rd batch of lemon cookies this week…..

so easy to make and so yummy they keep disappearing!

found a new blog with a wonderful idea…..Just be Blogged by Tara Whitney has come up with a great “personal project” of photographing her family….six people/twelve times….go check it out!  i am going to give it a try! except it might be called 4 people/once in awhile!

and my next link goes to Darby over at Fly Through Our Window….last year she posted this great recipe for Easter Cookies…and it tells the wonderful Easter Story…..this is a must if you have little ones….my kiddoes loved it and i am looking forward to it too!

getting ready

 

           i heart Easter…i love it all!

pastel colors, Easter dresses, bunnies, eggs

our church has a tradition of making Easter Eggs on palm Sunday

Rob got to work finishing them up….

after the eggs are colored and waxed in layers…..you melt off the the wax to reveal the beautiful design and colors!

we received this book from our neighbors…a wonderful story about an old woman named Babushka who decorates beautiful eggs.

the egg insides are then blown out and a ribbon through the holes…we hang them from the chandelier!

this weeks agenda:  get the house ready for Easter dinner and Spring cleaning……they are forecasting 70 degrees for Easter weekend! that is unheard of…..we are usually hunting for eggs in coats, hats and mittens!

hello spring, goodbye Irish step

spring is here, but you wouldn’t know it.

high of 33 degrees today….so cold!

spring is always a tough season around here…

we have a million coats out…winter, rain, light jackets, vests, fleece…a different jacket every day with this crazy weather.

and we don’t dare put the boots away…it might just snow again!

Caroline had her last Irish step class.

as they were stretching…Coop got in on the action.

i love to watch her dance….she is a natural…i think….i can say that, i’m her proud mamma! i think she is pretty amazing at what ever she decides to do….but most all…she loves it all! almost everyday of the week i am dragging her somewhere…swimming, ballet/tap, basketball, skiing,Irish step, gymnastics….when she tries something new for the first time i hear, “can i do this again?” we have had to make some “parental veto” on baseball and horseback riding….just not enough days in the week!! And we make sure to leave time to just play…so important!

so…goodbye to Irish step lessons…for now anyway.

bike ride

on Saturday we took the kids to the Cape Cod Canal

there is a wonderful bike path that runs along the canal

we started out at the old train bridge

and headed to the Bourne bridge…about 1 mile.

Cooper rode like a champ!! ringing his bell along the way…and loving it when someone rang their bell back!

it was fun seeing the ships go through

the kids waved like crazy…..and got a horn hello from this ship.

 

we liked that it was from Dublin

    

oh happy day!!

finally

Finally a free weekend

to pack up the car and make a trip to our happy place

 

 

hand in hand the kids explore the beach

 

cousins connect

  

cooper digs

i finally find some perfect light.

  

there is something about getting away….

and being together.

the kids were calm and happy.

so sad to have to leave….but dreaming of returning soon.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

kiss me! I'm Irish!!

the kids woke up this morning to find little treasures in their shoes.

happy feet with new socks from the leprechaun!

Irish Eyes are Smilin!!!

Dear Spring,

thank you for showing up today!

we skipped swimming lessons, to spend the afternoon outside.

 

look! no hats, coats, boots…

but we don’t dare put them away

because we know that rain and snow are on their way.

cooper doesn’t understand that winter is not over.

as much as he likes to dig in the snow….he can’t wait for summer.

he prefers bare feet over boots.

swim suit over snow suit.

Spring….this 3 year old doesn’t understand your silly games

here one day and gone tomorrow.

This concept is completely frustrating to cooper….he wants summer NOW!  (or maybe Caroline took his chalk.)

Spring, you are a bit of a tease.

Saturday sunshine

the plan on Saturday was to spend it outside to enjoy the GLORIOUS sun!!

we started out the day snowshoeing in a family fun race

we all got snow shoes for Christmas

the kids just loved having a number!

a pre race rest

of course i didn’t get any pictures of us during the race…..because i couldn’t possibly carry the camera and snow shoe at the same time!  And even thought he race was only a mile…..it was long! Cooper hopped in the sled about 20 steps into the race, we slowly started taking clothes off because we were working up a sweat, the first part of the race was downhill and unfortunately the last part was uphill! We didn’t give up….and i learned that i need to be less frustrated and more encouraging when my little ones get discouraged…..we finished the race together with smiles on our faces…and we can’t wait for next year’s race!

next on the agenda……Nana and Grampa’s house for some snowmobiling!

at one point cooper looked up from diggng the snow and said, “ahhh, a nice summer day!”

Caroline and Cooper learned how to go together on the sled….and this was hours of fun!!! and hubby and i were actually able to have a conversation!

if you look closely at this picture you will notice the four wheeler to the right is through the ice….and his buddies are taking pictures of him….after a few comical attempts they pulled him out.