A Year in Review via Shutterfly.

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A love of recitals

Ashlyn is big fan of dance recitals.  Is it the dancing?   A little. She enjoys ballet for sure.

The real reason?  Ashlyn is a fan of make-up!  She looks forward to recitals like Christmas and talked about this one for weeks before it came just so she could have the opportunity to wear authentic lipstick and mascara.

When the day finally arrived, she was in perfect compliance with whatever I asked because she knew what was coming... 

 Check out those lashes!!!  I secretly adore recitals as well because I get to put mascara on those amazing eyes!  

Oh, and of course, another reason to look forward to recitals?  The loot!

Yes, she put that sticker on her head.  And yes, she would not allow me to take it off.

Zoo Field trip!

There is a first for everything, and on a whim I decided it was time to have my first experience chaperoning a field trip!  I showed up bright and early to attend Eliza's 1st-grade field trip to the Zoo, and it was a breeze of a day!  The weather was perfect with a light breeze and warm sun,  I only had 4 kids to look after, and the schedule wasn't too rigorous or demanding.

Here is my crew:

Eliza saved me a seat on the bus and was practically bursting all day to have her mom with her. So sweet.  We spent quite a bit of our freetime at the Zoo playhouse.

Running...

...and playing...

...and running!

The kids loved petting the stingrays.

All around great day.  No complaints here!

Bedhead anyone?

This is Ashlyn on any typical morning.  I'm not sure I've ever seen such darling bedhead.

Springtime and Park days

Lately the weather has been absolutely delightful.  The kids and I have frequented various neighborhood parks in our thirst for frolicking.  All of them are getting so big now that I barely have to pay attention anymore--not that I would completely ignore them--but it's rather nice to be able to read a book in the grass and not worry that my little babe or toddler might fall off something or other. 

I made a seriously sobering realization though during one of our escapades.  I am officially old enough to get nauseated by the swings.  What, what??  I mean, prior to this particular park day, I can't remember the last time I actually pumped my legs on the swings to get some good height, but during this venture I felt that stomach-in-the-throat feeling every time I would swing forward!  I was so upset!  So upset that I forced myself to swing for a good 10 minutes as if to spite myself.

And I will probably do it again next time I go to a park with swings.

Ezra's First T-Ball Game

With wrestling done in December, Ezra has been looking forward to starting T-Ball.   He requested baseball stuff for Christmas and tried his best to figure out what to do with his glove, bat and ball.   By the time T-ball practice came around he squatted down like a "Pro" to catch whatever ball came his way.

Here he is at his first game:

The game was really more like a glorified practice in that the boys all took turns at the tee, then ran to first while the other team scrounged for the ball and threw it to first base as part of their training (no matter if the runner was already on base).   Each boy batted once per inning and all the boys got to home plate eventually through the inning (the last boy running a homerun by default).   They don't keep score in this T-Ball league, which I think is fantastic.  Ezra certainly doesn't know what he's missing by it, and in the meantime he is learning to hit and catch. 

Good stuff!

Oh, and did I mention that the girls got stuck in the mud during the game?  Classic.  Ashlyn kept stepping out of her shoes because they were swallowed up in the goo.  I laughed.  A lot.