Easter

Ok, so I'm a little late on my Easter post. This year, Easter didn't feel very Eastery. Instead of wearing shorts and sundresses, the kids had bundle up in winter coats and scarves! The high was in the 30s and it was drizzly and just plain icky outside. Apparently the bunny comes regardless of the weather, so the kids were outside hunting for eggs in the wee hours of the chilly morning. It feels a little bizarre to be collecting Easter eggs and finding new sand toys and jumpropes when the temperatures are barely above freezing!

Waco Zoo

A couple of weeks ago we went back to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. We just love that zoo. It's just the perfect size.

Griffin spent the whole time yelling and the animals to "Come 'ere!" Shockingly, none of them followed his instructions!

Pookie the puppy

So Griffin's latest thing is pretending that he's a dog. Not only does he crawl on all fours at all times (including in disgusting places like grocery stores and restaurants), he pants and barks at us. And the most thrilling development of his dog impersonation is that he now dumps his food on the floor and eats it directly off the floor with his mouth. Mmmmm...clean.

Update

We've had a lot going on recently, both good and bad. My great uncle lost his battle to pancreatic cancer last week, so we spent last weekend in Houston for his funeral. We are really going to miss him, but we are glad that his suffering has ended. He was a great man and was much loved.

On a much lighter note, Rhys started swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago and is really enjoying them. He is taking a semi-private class with a friend. He's not quite swimming yet, but I have high hopes that he will be soon. I'll be relieved when I have two swimmers. Having two non-swimmers to one adult is a recipe for disaster.

I have been busy with sewing in my free (and not so free) time. Benign neglect of children is ok sometimes, right? I've made Avery two shirts and two dresses, and I made myself two skirts (one successful and one not). I'm really enjoying this new hobby! If only it didn't require me to stay up until 1 am!

Oh, and regarding Griffin's sleep...wait, what sleep? He did sleep through the night for two magical nights in a row, but has since returned to his old waking patterns. Oh, well. At least I know he has it in him! Hopefully we'll manage another night or two of solid sleep before college. ;-)

My last little tidbit of exciting news is that we will have a new addition to our family soon! For everyone out there that just fell out of their chairs, no, I'm not referring to a baby. We are going to be getting a kitten soon! A friend's cat had three kittens a couple of weeks ago, and they are going to let us take one when they're ready to leave mama cat. We're all excited, but Avery is particularly thrilled. We've felt a void since we lost our Wolfie, and we're happy to have a new four-legged baby to love.

Weiner Dog Races

This morning we drove down to Buda to attend the 10th Annual Weiner Dog Races and Fair. It was hilarious! I've been obsessed with Dachshunds ever since I met a friend's little weiner dog puppy. So, to feed the obsession, I just had to go see it. Some of the dogs understood what to do, but our favorites were the ones that had no clue that they were supposed to run. They would just wander slowly out of the starting gates, and sniff and bark at the bystanders. In the crowd were more Dachshunds than I've ever seen in one place, and many of them were dressed in little outfits. You haven't lived until you've seen a little Dachshund in a bowler hat and tie!

So, how long do we think my self restraint will hold out? Should we start the countdown to the end of my willpower and the addition of a Dachschund puppy to our household?

Josephina Day

This month, we met with friends to study the American Girl Josephina. It was a special day, because we were invited to spend the day at our friends' house and land in Coupland. It was a beautiful, cool day, and we spent the afternoon exploring and enjoying nature. The host mom led the kids on a nature hike, pointing out and gathering plants to make natural dyes. Afterwards, we gathered for a Mexican food lunch and the kids dyed washcloths.

Who needs blocks?

Hallelujah!

Light shines down from heaven and angels sing. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! At 2 years, 1 week, and 6 days, Griffin slept through the night for the first time. He slept from 8 to 5:40. Woohoo! Yippeee! Yay! Let's hope it doesn't take another two years for him to do it again!

Bluebonnets '07

It's that dreaded time of year again. Yep, the annual bluebonnet pictures. Although this year nobody sat in ants or contracted any sort of rash, the experience was still torturous. I'll spare you all the outtakes, and just post the few that have children with their eyes open and actually not crying.

When I grow up...

A conversation in the car:

Avery: Hey, Mom, when you were a kid, did you ever want to be a doctor?
Me: Mmmmm...no, I don't think that's something I ever considered. But it does seem like an interesting job.
Avery: Yeah, I think I'd like to be a doctor, but I don't really like touching other people's body parts.
Me: Well...you might not feel like that when you get older....You know, when I was younger, I always wanted to be a vet.
Avery: Yeah, that might be better.
Rhys: You know what I want to be when I grow up?
Me: What?
Rhys: A TRASH CAN!

Sewing dreams

During the 98673679th fitting of Avery's Easter dress (which I'm making), she started to get a little impatient. So I said, "Avery, not many girls have moms that will make them dresses. It's pretty nice of me, isn't it?" And, Avery, in her typical Avery way, said, "Mo-om, sewing a dress for me is YOUR dream, not mine. I'm the one nice enough to try it on a thousand times!"

Sometimes the truth is hard to live with.