Lego Girl

The hike must have worn her out a bit because when we got home she lost a few layers of clothes and camped out in Mama and Daddy's bed with her Legos while we worked out in the yard.

Future Patio

We staked out an area for the future patio. Notice the shadows? The sun was actually out for a few minutes.

Memorial Day Hike

It was supposed to be nice, but what do the weather forecasters know. We decided to meet up with one of CJ's friends and her family for a hike anyway. The weather actually did hold and it warmed up just in time for a post-hike ice cream.

A New Favorite

We've spent the winter making the veggie chili in the crock pot, but just came across a new recipe. This coconut red beans and rice we found last week is yummy. And since it still feels like winter here with the rain, we are making it again for a potluck.

Bad Economy?

Is the economy recovering? Or is the sale at REI just a great one? We've been there three times in the last week and the crowds and lines to check out have been amazing! Today we finally made a purchase - some sandals for Mama. Maybe the sun will come out soon so she can wear them...

The Math Book

One day CJ disappeared into the office and came out with this "book". She'd stapled a small stack of paper together and drew lines on each page. Over the week, she started to fill it with math equations. Then she asked Mama for help and she answered some more questions. She wanted to finish it by Friday to take to school for sharing. At the end, we even worked on a little subtraction.

I Smell Rain

Rain is in the air:

The rain chains can't handle it:

CJ and Daddy watching their paper boat float up the road in the river gutter:

Lego Creations

With all the rain outside, CJ has had a bit of time to stay in and work with her legos. Here's a girl in a wheelchair:

And a few other creations:

Flower Basket Girl

Mama ended her run at an estate sale the other day and picked up this beautiful find.

Bye, Bye Deck

We haven't cared for the "entertainer's style deck" since we moved into this house. So after spending last weekend making the yard look nice with fresh garden mulch, Daddy braved the rain today to start dismantling the deck.

It's pretty muddy underneath.

Yesterday we picked up a couple of paver samples.

Now we just need a new deck/patio plan and some hard labor.

Preschool Birthday Celebration

Today was CJ's birthday celebration at school. She wanted to wear her ball gown. Here she is in the crown that the school made for her, anxiously awaiting Mama and Daddy's arrival:

We shared pictures and stories of each year and then she got to blow out the candles on the birthday spiral:
All the children told the teachers their favorite things about CJ and they compiled them in a card for her:
We ended the party with hugs from everyone and the fruit sticks Mama had made. This year was strawberry/raspberry/banana. Yum.

Think She is Ready for Kindergarten?

It's not unusual for CJ to hide out in the office with paper and a pen or pencil. Usually she is doodling on the calendar or drawing a new masterpiece. Tonight when Mama found her in the office, she had been working on her math skills. Not bad - she got six or seven right out of eight before I caught her. I'm not quite sure what the last one is. She said you have to follow the arrow.

Getting There

It's been a while since CJ practiced bike riding, but she took her little bike on the dog walk tonite and is doing great at riding a block or so at a time without training wheels. She needs some help on starting and stopping and Daddy has been staying close, but it seems like she will be there soon if the weather cooperates and gives us some more practice time.

Roly Poly Girl

Lately our yard has been full of roly poly bugs (or potato bugs as we used to call them). CJ loves picking them up and moving them to better dirt. Today we found even more while Daddy was moving the mulch into the yard. They were all sizes from babies to big ones. This little bugger was really fast and tried to crawl up and down her arms before he found a new home.

How Does Our Garden Grow

Since the weather forecast looks so great for the weekend, we decided to get a jumpstart by planting some veggies in the garden and filling the beds with garden mulch.

Here are some of the strawberries that jumped out of a pot a couple of years ago:

This year's tomatoes (Sungold, Isis Candy (CJ's favorite) and Sweet Baby Girls):

Our "greens" planter - cucumber, arugula & a lettuce mix:

And here's the four yards of garden mulch that needs to be carried up the front stairs and spread out in the back yard beds.

Moody Girl

This is what CJ's art work usually looks like. A coloring sheet from ballet class that she colored and planned on giving to her friend from school:

And then there is the back side of the paper:

Quite a different technique. Maybe she is getting moody from the cold, wet weather like Mama is. When will summer be here?

It's Back

Little B finished her medicine last week and yesterday we noticed the bump started to grow again. So another trip to the vet and two more weeks of antibiotics. Hope we can avoid surgery on this thing.

Happy Mother's Day

She's been working on her hearts:

Here's the gift CJ made for Mama at school:

They each drew a picture of their Mama and then made it into a bookmark with an overlay of a poem the children wrote about their moms.

Daddy got Mama some flowers and a white chocolate candy bar. Yum.

The Other Side of the River

The River Part II

The River

Guess where we went today? Hood River in search of sun. We found a little and a bit of wind as well. CJ put on a smile as soon as we got there and it got even bigger once her feet touched the water.

How Old is This Girl?

Before school this morning, Mama found CJ in front of her princess mirror (CJ's favorite garage sale find) putting on her "lipstick"!

Crazy Weather

Hail!

May Day

Today was CJ's school's celebration of May Day. And, unlike last year, Mama remembered the camera. The party was held at an alumni's house in the country and we had acres to enjoy. CJ and the other children put on a performance they had written. The story line was hard for Mama to follow, but had mermaids, mice, pirates and bad guys (with jet packs) as well as a beast. I think all the kids had an opportunity to participate in the story creation and costume making.

Checking out the stage before the show:

One of the mermaids. CJ came up with the crown idea and they finger knitted the hair:

Hanging out with Ray the cat before the potluck:

After maypole singing and dancing CJ picked Mama this wild daffodil and then wanted to photograph it:

The New Pen

Did I mention that we picked up a nail polishing pen after the dog walk yesterday? Well Mama forgot about it, but CJ didn't. She went to work this morning, preparing for her school's May Day Celebration.

After the Walk