Easter Fun!

For every major holiday, and plenty of minor ones, Grammy sends Jocelyn a package.  



We talk about the package days before it gets here.  Jocelyn loves to get mail and at this point, if a package comes in the mail for me, I have to fight her for it because as far as she is concerned, all packages must be for her!

Anyway, Grammy sent Jocelyn a fun package for Easter!  I am forever amazed at the stuff she finds to put in these packages!



A dolly



Presents to open



Sporty eggs


















Note the Care Bears socks and the Some Bunny Loves You T-shirt

Dressed in her bunny shirt and Care Bears Socks!



AND SPEAKING OF THE EASTER BUNNY....

When the Easter Bunny comes to our house, he likes to make basket finding a challenge, so he leaves behind a treasure hunt of sorts. He somehow manages to take pictures of areas of our house and Jocelyn and Allie and Shelby followed the pictures to find their Easter Baskets! 

The hunt begins...

Are the baskets in the laundry room?...  the bathroom?...   the kitchen cabinet?...



Silly Rabbit left the baskets in the tent!

Yummmm!  Chocolate Bunny!!



And So It Begins...

This is what we started with...

This is what we have currently...

This is what it took to get there...

Not pictured...  because, you know, I was kinda busy...
About 3 bazillion screws and bolts, multiple screwdrivers, a sledgehammer, and two cases of carpel tunnel.  Hence the reason the hubby resorted to the crowbar for the shed roof.  (I think he secretly enjoyed this part)

What's next...
After we destroy the rotted shed flooring, Pepere is coming in mid May for a visit, and is going to build us a new shed / playhouse combination while he's here! 

So YES Pepere, the shed has been taken down...  Just in case you were still wondering.
Stay tuned, there's plenty more fun to come! 

The Flowering Tree

An Arborist I am not.  I can't tell you what kind of tree this is... 
Dogwood maybe?

I can't tell you why one year it flowers and the next year it goes straight to leaves, and then the next, it flowers again.
All I know is in 2009 and again this year, the flowers that bloomed are just too pretty to pass up for a photo op...   And of course, the inevitable comparison shots.

2009 with Daddy...

And in 2011

In 2009

2011...

2009 with Mommy...

And 2011...

2009...

2011...

And well...   she couldn't do this in 2009!  :-)

Dandelions

I know we all call those dandelions annoying weeds, but when your daughter decides to "pick flowers", and she looks this cute doing it, well then... they are really as valuable as Gold.

Fire Truck Fun!

Today was the monthly social for my Moms Club.  One of the moms asked her brother, a local fire fighter, to bring the fire truck out so the kids could see it. 

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! 

Jocelyn talked about it all morning and couldn't wait for the fire truck to arrive.  She got to stand in the truck and the ambulance, and chatted with a couple fire fighters.  She didn't want to try on the hat though because she decided it was probably too heavy!  She's too funny!

The kids got to see all the neat stuff on the fire truck.



Jocelyn checked out the Ambulance.

Then we had a chat with the Fire Chief.

She watched the fire fighter demonstrate his equipment.

And when it was time to leave, they turned on all the lights and sirens and we waved goodbye.

What a fun morning!

This could be bad...

Today was just another one of those days that Jocelyn would not take a nap.....  until.....
I'm sitting downstairs listening to her banging around and I hear the bifold doors that separate our rooms creaking open.  Now, Jocelyn can not reach those doors from her crib, so guess what that means?

Jocelyn climbed out of her crib for the first time today!!

I went upstairs and found her wandering from our bedroom back into her's and what does she say?  "I was looking for you Mommy."  Oh boy....... 

Now I know we have been very lucky up until now.  She is over 3 years old, so this was inevitable and probably well overdue considering previous activies:  note this event, and this one.  But that doesn't mean we are prepared emotionally or structurally.  We bought the convertible crib bed rail to convert her crib to a toddler bed, but her room still has plenty of things in it that would be just too tempting for a free child to get into.  So that will require a cleanout.

But worse than that, tonight I mentioned that she might be going into a big girl bed soon and she started to cry!  She was worried about her crib and her music box and her toys, and I just couldn't convince her that nothing would leave her bed!  I didn't mean to scare her!  I thought she would be excited about it!!  Oh well, I failed miserably at that.
We had been thinking about moving her straight into a big bed, even possibly the full sized bed that her crib will eventually convert to, but after tonight, it's obvious my little girl needs baby steps.

So this weekend we will stock up on door knob covers and bifold door locks, and clean out her room of hazards, and I will try not to cry my eyes out when I tuck my little girl into her crib-turned-into-toddler-bed.  I'm not sure exactly when that will happen, but I fear it will be sooner than either she or I are emotionally ready for!

Notice anything???

I put Jocelyn in her crib for a "nap" today, not expecting her to take one, but at least going through the motions so she doesn't get the idea that she's allowed to go without.
Anyway, when I went up to get her, I noticed something a little different....

Can you figure out what it is?...  I'll give you a hint, it's not the bag she's carrying.

April Showers?

Got the 'brella, got the "raincoat", got the froggy boots.

She's ready to take on any torential downpour!
Happy Spring!!

Baking Fun

In yet another attempt to entertain the little munchkin, I decided to do a baking activity. I had some over ripe "banAtas" and some blueberries, so how about some banana blueberry bread?!

Scooping the flour



Making a mess in the flour that somehow ended up on the counter by "accident"



Stirring away!



Washing dishes (also known as "I will use any excuse to play in the water")



The VERY YUMMY finished product!

 PS.  Thank you Grammy for the wonderful apron! 
As you can see, we needed it today!

Time for planting

Ok, just by the title, I'm sure you are rolling on the floor laughing.  Miss Black Thumb could not possibly have said anything about planting anything except maybe a rock!

No really!  Jocelyn and I did some planting! 
I decided that since she is getting stir crazy in the house, and can't wait to get outside (if only winter would just give up and GO AWAY!!!), that we would plant a few things for a potential mini garden of sorts.  My criteria is:   If it lives, yeah.  If it doesn't, well then we had fun in the meantime!

So Jocelyn and I visited our local Lowe's store and bought some supplies.

Then we planted some tomato plants in their little pots.

And added some label sticks.



So far, we've only planted the tomatoes.  We have flowers, pumpkins and watermelon seeds still waiting, but we had to take a forced break due to a nasty stomach bug that raged through our house this week. 

But in the meantime, look what happened to our tomato seeds!

Of course, my darling hubby tells me that the rabbits and squirrels will be thrilled with their new tasty treats.  Like I said, if it lives....  Yeah!  If it doesn't, well who doesn't like to play in the mud???