On the Hunt

The kids went on the hunt at  9:30a when all the uncles finally arrived. They woke to eggs decorating the back porch and splayed across the back yard... big ones too!

Last year, the Easter Bunny learned it takes quite a large number of eggs to keep the kids hunting for more than 2 minutes, so the Bunny really delivered this year, to the tune of about 100 eggs plus some giant eggs precariously teetering on branches and fence posts.  It was hysterical watching them go for the big ones first, and then trying to fit them in their baskets!

   

The hunting went on for quite a while, so much so, that they took breaks and settled on the porch to dig through their loot.  Some eggs had candy inside that rattled (jelly beans and reeces eggs) and those were the ones Josie went for first.  I found her picking up egg out of the yard, giving them a jingle, and if they made noise - she kept them!  Little did she know she was passing on many egg that had kit kats inside :)

One of the best prizes of the entire day was a trio of little plastic squirt guns - Nate and Josie both had a blast with them the entire day. 

 After the hunt was over, my mom hosted brunch for everyone at her house - a perfect way to start making this new house really feel like "home"!  For pinterest fans, one recipe I had been drooling over for so long finally had reason to be made. These egg cups were a big hit and my mouth is still watering for more!  I took out some yolks, added extra whites and used skim milk and they were incredible. Little Parmesan cheese on top...yum.

Easter Eve

I'm so glad it's beginning to look like a yearly Easter Eve tradition is forming.  Again this year, Nate came out to spend the night before Easter with us.  He makes the eve activities double the fun.  It, of course, wouldn't be Easter without chick cake pops... and a new dessert for the eyes especially - a peep sunflower cake.  Sneaking in time to make cake pops and a cake of peeps without the kids begging to eat the whole thing was tricky, but we got it done and I think worth those efforts.

We did luck out with beautiful weather, and knowing my fate of spilled egg dye, it was a perfect excuse to setup shop outside. This was Josie's first year of actually coloring all on her own, and she took right to it. I used lemon juice instead of the traditional vinegar mix and the egg colors came out beautifully pastel. Both the kids had fun dunking, albeit, every egg was cracked into a million pieces before it was all over.

We colored a modest dozen, and that seemed like the perfect amount to keep these guys entertained for aa good hour or so.  And before it was all said and done, of course a few cups got knocked over and hands were multi colored.  I hope we can make this outdoor egg coloring a part of our yearly tradition too! 

And for being extra good kids, I snuck a few cake pops out (before dinner! ooops).  The evening wound down to a restless Josie - she was ready to party all night.  Carrots and a pop tart were left for the E bunny on his special plate!

Down Goes the Crib

Today we took the crib apart and moved in the big girl bed.  Really bittersweet, let me tell ya!  But on with the happy stuff....  it's really cute.  I found the bed months ago and have been flip flopping for a while on what bedding and decor i wanted to do.  And complete honesty, I couldn't bear the thought of repainting the room.  I'm not usually sentimental like this, and would repaint anything on a whim, but the thought of not only taking down the crib but also covering up everything we put so much love into putting together for our baby, was too much to bear.  Everything was photographed with my fisheye, so the room (and specifically the bed!) looks wider than in reality.  It's just a full size bed.

So I decided it a good idea to coordinate her new bedding with all the stuff she already had, and in a few years when jj would really be excited about decorating for a big girl room, I'd probably be ok with painting the room by that time!  Josie and Winky both had a grand time tossing pillows and playing around on it this afternoon. 

And then I added a few more things above the bed, and have mirrors to find for above her dresser and hoping for a little reading/play area in her nook (you can't see), but it's cute for now and I *think* she's asleep right now taking her first nap in her big girl bed.  Pretty excited about that....  hoping I don't hear a big thud in the next few hours.  I didn't put the bed rails on yet.  Might I be so lucky that she stays put in the middle of that big bed??

In the Dirt

This past weekend, we really got a feel for the Spring/Summer days ahead.  Our high on Sunday was 85 degrees, and it sure gave us the bug to get out and work in the yard.  We have a long list of chores, but on this particular morning Ed and Josie were seeding a few bare spots in the yard. She's quite the gardener herself, a worm lover and dirt finder :)  PSA: These croc boots are perfect for playing outside this Spring, wet grass, playing in the dirt - they wash clean and her feet stay dry!

Ed's been hard at work the last few weeks building new raised garden beds for me.  My old garden location wasn't optimal for sun exposure, but this new spot is sure to get full day sun.  Thus, I have high yield expectations on everything I plant. 

After shoveling a trailer load of fresh black dirt, and several block of peat, and a whole lot of rototilling, the beds are ready for planting. I couldn't help myself when I saw the fresh plants at Home Depot on Sunday, so a snagged a few for less than $10.  They're planted and although it's early in the season, I'm a risk taker and just going to keep my fingers crossed that they make it through the next few weeks (with some care to cover them and keep them warm) until the warm weather really comes.  Maybe I'll get a jump start on the season and be the first on the block with fresh veggies!

And with high hopes, in the ground goes my first tomato plant from seed, the heirlooms that make life perfect! Grow baby grow.  And in the event of its unfortunate freeze or demise from planting too early, I still have 20+ seedlings warm and safe in the house.