Around Here

Finally!!!! Spring is in the air and all around.  We had two back-to-back beautiful days this week with temps in the sixties and low seventies.  The kids and I played outside most of the day and even had lunch outside on the porch.  The second nice day was pretty windy... perfect kite flying weather!  And I just so happened to have a kite that was in a box that someone donated to us a while back and truthfully I had forgotten about it until this day.  Everyone got a turn at flying it but I was the one who retained interest in it.  I bet it's been sixteen years or more since I had flown a kite and I found myself quite good at it and enjoying the heck out of it.  I also started some seeds this week that are in their incubator as I type.  I always have the downed thought of doing it wrong and none of them coming up.  Especially plants that are new to me.  I think it helps to feel that way because when they do pop their heads up I am most proud of my efforts.  And if they don't I can always try again.  

You just can't keep these chives down!  This is their third year. 

The tips of my lavender are greening up.  I think this is a good sign.

Our little maple tree at the day care is doing it's thing!

I have regulars at the pond next door, this pair and a set of three.  I have been seeing V's flying over head on the way to work all week.

Day Care play ground.

Tulips.

Happy Birthday to Mom and sister Tracy!!!

Spring Things

A tiny list of things on the first day of Spring that would make my Spring a whole lot springier!

1 new mirrored shades from Walmart $5.00 so it does hurt too much to get them scratched

2 new Converse because my old ones are wearing mighty thin from the soles to the holes!

3 This maxi skirt from Forever21 is they'd ever get it back in stock.

4 would someone please make a miracle cellulite cream?  I'm not eat up with it but I'm self conscious of it at the same time.  Avon used to make a good cream that I tried years ago.  Walgreens should have the Nivea pretty decently priced.

5 new garden gloves!  a gotta have for me!  I've got holes in the fingers of mine which goes against the point of wearing them!  I get these at Tractor Supply and they are about ten dollars.  I like the durability and the vel-cro wrists.

Looks like I need to put in some overtime at the dc!

Image Inspiration

Lately, my crafting inspiration comes in the form of Spring.  After all the snow it seems our April rains have come early.  Unless they will continue long into April.  But everywhere there are signs and even smells of Spring with buttercup and tulip pedals popping above ground for some air and light and certain trees anxious to bud putting a springy scent into the air.  But with the rains we are still stuck inside so what more to do than craft our tributes to the coming months!

Cascading Paper Flower Garland

This wonderful project from Liagriffith.com also comes with a tutorial and downloadable pdf of the flowers.  How wonderful!  I have made some in yellow and strung them from the ceiling.  I plan to find a branch once the weather allows.

Glitter Easter Eggs

A click on the title of this project takes you to twosisterscrafting.com.  The image that actually inspired was found on a blog that I like called bohemianvahalla.blogspot.com.  I was browsing her blog when I spotted the beautiful green egg in the above picture.  I also like the band of glitter around the pink egg.  An email from my sister Marty about a different post from twosisterscrafting led me to their tutorial of making the eggs.  Yesterday, before the tutorial, I tried my hand at making the eggs myself by mixing fine glitter in with mod podge then painting the eggs.  The plastic didn't want to allow for good coverage with one swipe and two barely did the trick.  I may try their version with the second round but am hesitant that some glitter will fall off which I don't want.  We'll see! 

literally on the library hold shelf

Fortunately and unfortunately I have a couple of kids headed to kindergarten in the fall of this year.  It makes me both sad and proud but it also makes me feel as if I have some sort of responsibility to do my part in helping prepare them as much as I can.  This should be a fun book to help with that and I love that Miss Bindergarten is a border collie like Katie Bug whom they know very well.

Spring is upon us and if the weather will ever clear up enough for us to take a good walk when they are all here we will have a discovery stroll looking around us to finds signs of spring right around us.  

We are still stuck on Mo Willems.  I try to include one at least one book of his every week.  They are easy to find a good coloring page online and the books makes the kids laugh which I adore both.

We have been eating healthier and cutting out sweets whenever we can here at the day care.  Shaun couldn't believe, when he was here during snack time the other day, that the kids were asking for more cut carrots.  It's funny that the foods they at one time turned their noses up to are now their favorites.  I hope even if they choose a junk food path for themselves that they always remember the healthy stuff too.  I am excited to read The Food Parade and plan to maybe have coloring pages of different foods to have our own food parade.

Lego DC on dvd.  This is for the older boys.  As much as I try to keep their minds off of weapons and violence... they are still boys (as Shaun pointed out to me).  I have one day a week where I only have the older boys and I reckon this will be the day next week that I allow them to watch a movie like this.  They have all seen it before but will love seeing it again.  I like to make the day with the bigger kids special and still let them be who they are. 

Looks like it's going to be an exciting week here next week! 

Especially when Mrs Laurie comes up with activities to go along with these books!

I'd better get to work!