Mid-April Daybook, Part 2 (aka picture overload!!)

Hmmm, can I still call this "mid-April" even though we are almost at the end of the month now? And even though I just looked out my window and saw that "terrible awful bad white stuff" (to quote my dad) falling from the sky?!  (Don't worry, I don't think it's cold enough for it to stick.)  I wanted to continue the daybook since (as usual) I had more to chatter about.  And actually, this post will be less of a daybook style (though still a bit of that) and more a bunch of pictures that I hadn't posted before.  I've shared some of these on Facebook, which is my go-to place for quick little posts these days (sorry Mom! ;)), but I know my non-FB friends would probably enjoy seeing them also.  So here we go!

 One of the ladies from a Facebook homeschool group I'm part of is doing a few sewing classes for kids at a local library.  I took Julia and Ari to the first one back in March.  Julia had a great time and enjoyed making a heart-shaped pillow out of an old t-shirt!  

 Ari and I spend part of most Sundays out in the foyer or another room to nurse when she gets hungry or restless. We had fun taking a few pictures several weeks ago when everyone else was in Sunday school.

 One day Sam held Ari for me while he worked on handwriting.  

 I think both of them enjoyed that! :)

 Ari really likes to feel like she is one of the big kids.  We will often put her on the floor on her blanket or in the Bumbo so she can watch them and feel a part of things.

 She's getting so big already!!

 First time out on the deck in the Hop 'n Pop!  (Please ignore the Christmas/winter wreath and sled in the background...they have since been put away, although I still haven't replaced the wreath with a spring one yet!)

 We made  3 dozen "doubled eggs" for Easter.  Each of the kids got to peel 6 eggs and they were a big help!

 What's new around here:  We've spent a lot of time over the past couple months hunting for a new vehicle.  Jim and I have been scouring Craigslist ads, we drove around to some dealerships, and even took one trip farther south to look at a Yukon which didn't pan out. Oh yeah, not to mention my in-laws graciously looking at one vehicle for us in Ohio!  A different vehicle was a need because our Suburban was too rusty underneath to pass inspection this month.  These next pictures were taken during a nursing/get-Ari-out-of-the-carseat-break on our trip to look at the Yukon.  All we came home with were some cheap sunglasses from Ocean State Job Lot (because I forgot to bring mine along)...maybe the best $2 I ever spent because they are really comfortable!

 We went all the way to Maine for the Suburban we ended up buying.  The service center where we bought it happened to be right across the street from the Sarah Orne Jewett house.  (Thanks to which I was able to pick up free wifi and therefore wasn't totally bored while Jim was looking it over, taking it for a test drive, and doing all the paperwork and payment stuff.)  In the meantime the kids had fun putting Julia's sunglasses on Ari and taking pictures. :)

 The old and new Suburbans stopped at McDonald's on our way home.  We were SO hungry and I had a major headache by this time!  The new one is only a couple years newer than the old one, but has no rust that Jim could find.  Yay!  However, the check engine light came on on the way home (grrrr).  Thankfully it just needs a couple sensors replaced to fix the issue, and then it can be inspected.  Have I ever mentioned how THANKFUL I am to have a husband who can fix stuff like this?  Seriously, he watched a couple Youtube videos about how to do it, ordered the parts, and today he's replacing sensors.  He's quite a guy.

 Another fun activity:  Last Thursday it was time for another sewing class!  This time I took the boys with me too, because Jim was working.  The project was one that all the kids enjoyed doing!  They drew and colored a picture on fabric with crayons, then the lady set the design with an iron.  After that they cut and pinned their fabric, and she sewed it.  They stuffed their finished "buddies" with fluff and then I hand-sewed them closed at home, because we ran out of time to do it in class.

 Josiah with the front side of his "bad piggie."

 Sam's design was an airplane:

 And Julia made a butterfly!

 Cutting out the back:

 More coloring:

 And cutting: 

 Hard at work:

 I forgot to take pictures of their finished projects, so I will have to do that another time!  They all had a lot of fun though, and I'm grateful for opportunities that open up for them to craft and learn new skills with other kids--it gives me a break from "teaching" and gives them the chance to meet some new friends, too.

Ari news: Last Friday we tried Ari in the Ergo for the first time.  I still wear her in the Baby K'tan a lot, but she's getting heavier and sometimes it's just nice to have her on my back instead.  She's still a little small for this position, but I think we'll be doing this more often when she gets to be 6 months or so.  Can you find her in this picture?  (Hint: she fell asleep. :))

 Later she woke up, and she was pretty happy that way for a while too. Especially when Julia came along and talked to her. :)

 Family stuff: Taking some inspiration from our friends the A. family, we have started having a family fun night every Friday.  This Friday we didn't because it was Josiah's birthday (which equals automatic family fun!), but we've all been taking turns to plan the menu and activities for each Friday.  Last week, Sam requested strawberry shortcake for dessert (last minute decision) and since I had no strawberries, and Jim needed a few things in town anyway, he and Sam headed to Walmart.  When they came home, Jim whispered to me that he had gotten something that wasn't on the list.   It was a new bike for Julia!  She was rather surprised. :)

 Jim had told her a year ago or so that when she was big enough for this size bike, he would buy her a brand new one.  (Almost all our bikes around here are freebies from the dump or cheap ones from yard sales.)  As it turned out, she had forgotten that he ever said that, so she wasn't expecting it...but she was quite delighted!

 On my mind: On Sunday, our pastor sang "Cherish the Moment" as a special, which was requested in memory of the infant granddaughter of a couple in our church, who had gone home to Jesus 8 years ago.  It's a beautiful song and a good reminder that we don't know how long we'll have with our children.  Even if we have them till they're out on their own as adults, that time is fleeting.  I'm feeling the shortness of it every day when I realize how tall my 11 year old is getting, how the time from kindergarten to 5th grade flew by in a flash.  Truly, the days are long but the years are short.  Some days (like last Wednesday) are *really* long and I'm glad to see the end of days like that!  But I'm trying to treasure the everyday moments like this one.

 Because, you know?  We only get moments like that for a short time.  I'm so glad we live in the age of digital photography.  Thanks to that, and my blog, I'll be able to look back on memories like this for years to come. :)

Also on my mind: On a related note, last weekend my FB news feed lit up with the news of Jonathan Crombie's death.  (He played Gilbert Blythe in the Anne of Green Gables movies.)  He was only 48 and died suddenly due to a brain hemorrhage.  So sad . . . and another good reminder that life is short.

In the schoolyard:  I'm calling it the schoolyard just because we did some school outside one nice morning last week. :)  The bugs aren't out yet, and we just needed to go out and soak up the sun!  We didn't get a whole lot done before it started sprinkling, but it was fun while it lasted. 

Ari LOVES being outside.  She is very content out there for ages . . . and of course the kids couldn't resist putting sunglasses on her again.  She's a pretty patient baby--she doesn't really seem to mind!

Well, this has been such a long post that I'd better wrap it up . . . I'm hoping to (FINALLY) post some book reviews today while Ari is napping, plus I have some cleaning up to do around here, some emails to type, etc.  I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend so far!