Wordless Wednesday ~ Spring Break!

First Signs of Spring

  

Little J found an umbrella in the closet and
thought he needed to bring it along.

Today was the first full day of spring.

And it wasn't raining, or snowing, or sleeting. 

We had partly sunny skies and a high of 69*F, and only a light wind.  YAY!  The front door was opened to let in the light, and the windows were opened to let in the fresh air.

I couldn't let the day pass without doing a nature study walk, so the boys and I headed outside to look for signs of spring. 

Sign #1:  The grass is beginning to look green instead of brown.

Sign #2:  The trees are budding, but no baby leaves could be found yet. 

Sign #3:  The daffodils are up, but no flowers yet.

Sign #4:  The crocus are in bloom with gorgeous color. 

Sign #5:  Preschool boy finds the sand pile and starts digging.

We had a nice afternoon and can't wait for more.

HAPPY SPRING!!

Happy Birthday LittleJ !!

We celebrated LittleJ's birthday this month, and he was very excited to be turning 4 years old.

He chose a cherry chip cake with cream cheese frosting, and LOTS of red and blue sprinkles.

Yes, it was very yummy!!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE J !!

My Booklist This Year

I've decided to keep a running list of my book reading this year and I thought this would be the perfect place because... I can't lose the list! 

     At the end of last year I started reading The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald.  A classic children's fantasy novel published in 1872, but really a story for any age.  I greatly enjoyed it and it's sequel, The Princess and Curdie.  After that I chose to read The Complete Works by George MacDonald.  I don't think I finished the last few stories before needing to return it to the library, but some of my favorites were Little Daylight, and The Light Princess.  If you like fantasy and want something enjoyable and light, these would fit the bill.

Since starting to work on organizing our home library, I decided to read one I had picked up in a library sale several years ago.  Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a Newberry Medal winner from 1956.

       A great children's historical fiction/ biography novel about Nathan Bowditch and how he changed the world of navigation.  If you are looking for something inspiring and historically based, then this would be a fun read.

     Now, just so you don't think I only read children's stories, I'm currently reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.  

I am very much enjoying this Dickens right from the beginning, and I only say that because last year I read The Tale of Two Cities, which took about one third of the book before it was really interesting. I'm only on Chapter 8 of 53, so I'm sure I'll be here for quite some time, but so far it's been quite enjoyable.

The Full Snow Moon

Looking at the night sky is a favorite activity of ours; especially mine and Big J's.

But have you ever considered the morning sky?

Because the sunrise is so late this time of year, I am usually awake as it begins to color the sky. 

We've had some very beautiful sunrises this past week.

This photo was taken from our back porch looking west!  Yes, the opposite direction from the sunrise. 

The colors filled the sky Friday morning.  Gorgeous.

This is the Full Snow Moon shining brightly in the morning sky.

February's full moon is called the snow moon because February is typically the month with the heaviest snows.  The native american Algonquin tribes gave each full moon a name as a way to keep track of the seasons.  We still use many of those names today.  If you are interested in learning more, the Farmer's Almanc online has their names and meanings.  Enjoy.

Boys and Blocks

 Little J LOVES his Duplos.

We started out with just one box many years ago when LittleA was young.  And that box has been sufficient for everyone else ..... until now.

Little J likes to think big.

He needs more Duplos!

Every birthday and Christmas has included sets of Duplos so now we can build,

 and build,

 and build!

Almost every evening, he and Dad create something new. 

It's been a great way to fill the cold winter days.

He has a birthday coming up soon, and yes, he'll be getting more Duplos!

Just An Ordinary Winter

Yes, I said ordinary winter.

While family and friends experienced the Groudhog Blizzard of 2011, we only had ice and sleet, and about 3 inches of snow.  Definitely a let down.

What we have had is plenty of COLD though.

This is what our winter has looked like for the past 2 months.  Just an ordinary winter.... sigh.

So, not much exciting happening around here.

Just trying to stay warm.

 Happy Winter!