Catching up

Well, we've obviously been away from the computer a lot. While I *love* the computer and enjoy blogging very much, I love that being away from it so much generally means we're doings lots of neat stuff and simply enjoying life.

And as the weather improves, we're definitely outside more. I tend to be a bit of a reclusive hermit in the wintertime, but summer? Let me at it!

So here is a brief run down of some of what we've been up to over the past couple of months (you know, besides Idol):

Thing 1's Birthday
(Aside from Harry Potter reveling)

Breakfast in bed

A REALLY fun game for a sweet girl from a sweet brother


Opening a very special gift from grandparents
(Sorry it's taken me so long to get it up here).

Thing 1 immediately called her friends down the street and had them come over with their dolls and they proceeded to play dolls all afternoon

We also went out for sushi and had donuts and candles (we're not much into cake so the birthday person chooses whatever they want for the placement of candles---donuts, pie, a mound of cookie dough, etc.)


Easter

We attended a Catholic Easter Mass. It had been so many years since I'd attended one and it was Mark and the kids' first time. It was very heavy in ritual--many sights, sounds, smells.

We also did an Easter lesson here at home that we do every year--12 eggs (that we hide and find) have symbols in them of the story of Easter and we share that together.
We also colored eggs.

We also hid lots of eggs filled with chocolate to find all over our yard. VERY fun!


Playdates, Learning, and BIRDS

Thing 2 and his really good Lego buddy--they build Legos together every week.

They also play games together.

A morning of learning

Another morning of learning -- she's looking so grown up to me.

Making homemade bird feeders using cookie cutters, peanut butter, and seed

Digging up a melon mound

Using more of our yard for growing vegetables and fruits

Mark teaching Physics Class

A field trip to the courthouse

We are having SUCH fun with our bird feeders--we watch them right outside the windows while we eat (and throughout the day in general)--we have a fabulous view!

Here is the male cardinal. We also get:

Cardinals
Bluejays
Mourning Doves
Robins
Sparrows
Finches
Golden Finches
House Finches (Red)
Crows
Starlings
And so many more!

We also have lots of squirrels and bunnies.

Spring is great. I have a whole other post about blossoms! Never mind--here they are:

These were taken several weeks ago. Springtime is gorgeous here. It's a sea of white and pink blossoms. Gorgeous.

And these are in our backyard by our carriage house:

More pics:

Husband and Wife Cardinal
(bright red on the feeder is male and lighter one on the branch is female)

The male cardinal eating on our patio

Bluejay on ground, female cardinal on suet, finch on stones.
The bluejay is HUGE!

This crazy squirrel also visits often.

The kids (especially Thing 2) are constantly checking our bird book and looking stuff up and researching birds, habitats, and habits. It's a lot of fun. We LOVE watching them.

Earth Day

It was a bit chilly for my liking (global warming, my foot) but it was a fun day at the Park with many from our homeschool group

Everyone traced and filled out a hand writing on each finger what they're doing to save the earth.


Flat Stanley

Cousin Andrew sent us Flat Stanley and we got to take him on a PA adventure. Here are the kids with Flat Stanley on the Chocolate World ride. We also took him out to eat at Fire Alley (which looks like an alley with graffiti and cool designs) and watched Bedtime Stories with him, too. He got to take some treats home with him, too!


Theater Class

Announcement of parts at .31 scoop night


May Day

Playing violin with Suzuki Strings

Going around the maypole - one of our favorite annual traditions.
Welcome Spring!


Home Projects

This doesn't even begin to show what we've done. This is just the playroom. That border HAD to go. It was hideous and so so so so so so not us. We also painted the exercise room and moved the schoolroom to the den and turned the old schoolroom into a LOVELY library/sitting room/meditation sanctuary/reading room (more pictures to follow in another post probably). Two of the rooms had borders. The borders took about 8-10 hours to remove. The rooms took about 2 hours to paint (both coats). Borders suck.

But the playroom/guest room is really pretty now:





Oh! Oh! We did get pictures of the schoolroom/den:




We pretty much do school wherever inside and outside so it's handy having all this downstairs where we spend a lot of time anyway.

And wait! Here are the pictures of the library:





Baking and Games

Bread, pretzels, cookies, you name it. We're so proud of ourselves.
We're good at cooking. We haven't baked quite as much. Until recently (cough-Kitchenaid-cough).

Making an American Revolution Board Game

Quest for Liberty!


Hawk Mountain

Our homeschool group went hiking at this beautiful place for .75 Fridays!


Sibling Love

Some nights they're snuggling in the top bunk . . .

. . . and some nights they're snuggling in the bottom bunk.

Every so often they do this.
We love when we go to bed and see them like this. So sweet.


Memorial Day Parade

Our small town is big on this parade. It's one of the biggest in PA! They throw candy at the crowd and the kids go crazy. It's really fun. We got to enjoy it with friends. As we walked to the grass to sit down before the parade (we can walk from our house), Mark got a big shout out on the microphone from one of his patients! That was kind of neat.

Hamburger Cookies



They don't taste so great in case you're wondering.