Vacation success and coaxing spring along

Despite the spring that just can't seem to pick up speed, we had a great April vacation.  By great I mean we got to see lots of family, the house was filled with hours of laughter, no one had to cry over Everyday Math (me or Ella), Sandi didn't work extra and was home every afternoon and I didn't come unglued at any point during the week despite missing my yoga class.

It rained a ton during the week and I had to keep visiting the wood pile and work hard not to complain about that fact.  Kristi came for a couple of days with Brevan and Makenna and then we had a sleepover with other niece and nephew, Braeden and Michaela.  The kids made up dance routines which is one of my all-time favorite thing in the world in general.  I took the kids out for their first ice cream cones of the season (we froze) and a woods walk with Ange and Emilie and their packs.  It was an awesome week.

Some snapshots of the week:

Ella turned into a teenager and spent her Easter money on a new jean jacket.  If fishnet stockings or M.C. Hammer balloon pants come next then I will have no choice but to pull out my blue eye shadow and eye liner.

Maya, on the other hand, obtained this stunning bird and nest.

 

We found things to keep us happy while the snow tires finally came off the car.  (Yes my child is watching an iPad while sitting in a cart at Sam's Club.)

Kiddos making grass heads. (Yes, that is Superman doing crafts.  What can I say- he is a crafty guy.)

Rain need not prevent a cycling obstacle course:

Or rodeo riding.

























Maya took off on the straightaway and yelled, "I'm faster than everyone!!" Then, in an act of instant karma,  she promptly fell down.

Our bunny, Cinnamon, was overjoyed to get outside after 100 months of winter, even if it was on a leash.

One of the highlights of our week was volunteering for Bangor's first annual Color Run.  It was a fundraiser for the American Folk Festival and it was so much fun.  Originally we were going to run it but I wasn't entirely sure how the girls would tolerate having color thrown on them.  I wasn't too excited to get halfway through a 5K and have them decide they didn't want to do it.

So we were on water detail.  To be honest, this is the first race I have ever volunteered for.  I am usually a runner.  It was awesome!!!  I loved cheering everyone on and seeing such joy in the girls' faces to be a part of it.  They thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Maya decided she didn't like to compete with the other water stop volunteers so she hauled a 24 pack of water all by herself to the corner about 50 feet in front of the actual water stop and set up her own station there.   People found it hard to say no to her.   Her water would be gone in under a minute and she would yell: "MOMMA!! I need water!!!"  and I would shlep more over for her.

Soon Ella saw the monopoly Maya had going and set up shop next to her.

Our friends Ashley and Billy and their girls actually ran in the race.  What fun!

And since not much is growing outside, we have decided to start growing inside.  Maya really, REALLY loves to garden and she picked out a cantaloupe seed pack at the store.  This requires quite a bit of advance development before transplanting outside so this is perfect for right now.  I love to do these projects with her.  She is studious and serious and incredibly devoted.

 Perhaps we will see some green soon.  Maya keeps saying to me: "This summer we will NOT have to buy ANY cantaloupe at the store!!  We can just go in the garden and get it!"   I love my little optimist.

Happy eventual spring to all of you!  Today I saw a real, live tulip.  And forsythia.  And they weren't even fake.