So we had to have a bonfire.
We knew our little cold-hating redhead wouldn't last longer than ten minutes - if that.
Turns out that she stayed out there for thirty minutes and Hannah headed in after ten minutes.
Ains is so ready for spring to be here.
Done and done.
Like this replica of a human skeleton. We hadn't seen that before. It captured imaginations.
And this one always sucks Ains in for some reason - a recreation of a living space in a cave for American Indians that lived in this area.
They also have a room with art that changes every so often. The last time we were there there was a bloody and gruesome settler/Indian 'Hamlet on the Plains' display. We had to stay well clear of that one, but now they have abstract art in there. Ains loved this painting.
And Hannah, after spending 20 minutes having me read signs above dinosaur bones to her declared "You know, Mother, museums are my thing. They really are. You can learn so much here, and what's the point if you're not learning?"
She set Hannah to work making tea cakes.
I was assigned popover duty.
She wrote the invitations and handed them out.
"Daddy Come to my Tea Party. 10:30." We took it to work and put it on his truck seat.
Gray made sure he sat beside his elephant.
At exactly 10:30, Daddy showed up for the tea party.
Have I mentioned how much we have loved moving so much closer to his work?
Not that often, that's the truth.
and a popcorn store.
For the record, my to-do list has been thrown out for today.
Right now, writing everything she wants to can get really frustrating and tiring, so she writes as much as she's inclined to and I transcribe the rest for her -verbatim, which makes for some funny letters.
She signs her name and writes the addresses on the envelope and off it goes. She is loving this.
Now I need to make her a Letter List. Should I make one with pictures of the person beside the name? I'm thinking yes ....
It was so worth it.
The girls were counting on getting something very specific.
And there it is. Hannah, especially, has not been parted from it very much over the last week.
They were much loved.
Did I say much loved?
Matt played dolls with them for hours.
The day ended with satisfaction - and a show. Of course.
Lots of present making.
I tried my hand at tracing another pattern.
And then gave it up because the cutting board was needed for much more important things.
Grandpa comes tonight - the whole family is excited for tomorrow.
Hannah goes for the feel-better things like marshmallow crackles. (Same ingredient name, different basic ingredients - this is made with marshmallow root.)
Gray makes anything and everything that he can. He just loves helping.
Applesauce making was huge a few weeks ago - the girls insisted that I be Ma and I call them Mary and Laura.
Ainsley is big into pie-making these days. On this day, she asked her father for help, so she got to make a chocolate pudding pie - with extra flair, of course. Sprinkles in both the crust ...
and on top.
It was verra crunchy. Yum.
She can wear it in pigtails now. Happy Day!
She loves how it looks.
