Outing

Nora and I went to see the local ballet perform Madeline. She was very excited and has been talking about it all week. It was fun and just the right length for the young audience. Best of all, we knew two of the dancers!

Camelids

There was an alpaca showcase in town this weekend. Mark was working on Saturday, so the kids and I headed out for some free entertainment. It was more fun than I thought it would be. Nora and Henry were a little nervous at first, but they got over it. One nice lady let us pet her gentlest alpaca, Teddy, and another owner let us feed pellets to Connor. Henry even asked for a second handful of food. Then we wandered around and looked at all the different animals.There were a wide range of sizes, colors, and styles of alpaca. This one had funny hair. Some of them were sale priced for the show for just $15,000.

Helper

Helena woke up starving and in no mood to wait for pancakes on Saturday morning. Her big sister fed her homemade yogurt while I made breakfast.

At three years

Henry weighs 28.25 lbs (12.8 K, 10th percentile)
and is 34.5 inches (88 cm, 3rd percentile) tall.

A wide selection

These are some, not all, of the shoes that have been loaned or given to Henry. We are grateful to have friends that are willing to share!

Helena : 14 months

Helena is as adorable as ever. She loves peek-a-boo and riding in the wagon. She has started crawling in the traditional manner and pulling up to her knees. She hasn't gotten to standing on her own yet, but will stand with a little help. She learned how to climb stairs, although her technique is unorthodox. She climbs on to the step sideways and lays down, then moves to her knees to tackle the next one. She babbles and laughs a lot.

Happy Easter

Henry had an attack of the squints early in our photo session, so this was one of two pictures that turned out. We had a lovely day. Fruit salad and waffles for breakfast, followed by a chocolate egg. Then church. We had lunch at home and went to my parent's house after rest time.
It was raining, so the kids "picked eggs" in the living room. We had several rounds. Nora and Henry would leave the room to give me a chance to do some hiding. Then dinner and dessert. A day full of treats.

Third Birthday

Their joint present this year was a wagon. Says Nora "A John Deere wagon? Just what we've always wanted!"
Ready for a party.
Henry outsourced some of the present opening, but supervised closely.Henry chose stromboli and glazed carrots for his birthday dinner.Even the baby had cake.Mark made Henry the ramp for his motorcycles. Helena loved seeing them jump and would crawl over to retrieve and return them so they could jump again.Henry went to bed with a handful of cars from Grandma and Grandpa and the truck, trailer, and excavator from Iso.

Train cake

Our friend Hans had a train cake for his 5th birthday. It made a big impression. It was a train and everyone was given an entire car to eat. Since August, any time the subject of birthdays would come up (and it comes up pretty often in the toddler set) Henry would mention that he wanted a train cake for his birthday. Like Hans. I was nervous about attempting this but didn't feel that I had any choice. I think it turned out pretty well. It's obvious that it was made by an amateur but I think the birthday boy will like it.

Going up

Time to start closing the baby gate again.

Coloring eggs

Always a favorite part of preparing for Easter.
Next year we might need more than a dozen.

Another poem

Aware

When I opened the door
I found the vine leaves
speaking among themselves in abundant
whispers.
My presence made them
hush their green breath,
embarrassed, the way
humans stand up, buttoning their jackets,
acting as if they were leaving anyway, as if
the conversation had ended
just before you arrived.
I liked
the glimpse I had, though,
of their obscure
gestures. I liked the sound
of such private voices. Next time
I'll move like cautious sunlight, open
the door by fractions, eavesdrop
peacefully.


Denise Levertov

Making pizza

I don't often get time with any of the kids alone, but Saturday Nora fell asleep during rest time after our exciting morning, so Henry helped me start dinner. I measured, he added all the ingredients and did some of the kneading. His favorite was the oil. "When do we add more oil?"Then Nora topped the pizza. This division of labor felt easier than having them split each task. Next time Henry has the job of adding the toppings, we'll see how that goes.

Poetry Month

Mystie is posting poems. I may not do one a day, but will try to post some favorites.

Marriage
So different, this man
And this woman:
A stream flowing
In a field.

William Carlos Williams