Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Norah is on Easter break now, so she had her Easter party at school last week. They started with an Easter parade, followed by an egg hunt and a visit from the Easter bunny. She invited Dan and I (and Maddie) to come watch the festivities.

Norah was so proud to be able to show us what she's been doing at school. They've been working on learning their letters all year (A through V are now complete, so just a few more to go after break), but now they're also working on their writing skills. She's turning into such a big girl!

I also subjected the girls to our usual silly holiday picture (plus a few others from our pre-Easter activities)... I know that sometime soon they won't be so willing, so I'm going to get in as much cuteness as I can early!

Dying Easter Eggs

Relaxing in the Garden

Speaking of being less than willing - Maddie is no longer willing to stay put in her bouncer. When Norah was a baby, all she wanted to do was practice her walking while holding onto someone's hands. I guess Maddie decided early on that as the youngest, she wasn't going to get the undivided attention necessary to make that her primary mode of transportation. Thus, she has been much more interested in developing her crawling/climbing/diving skills. I'm not sure if I should be glad that she's adaptable, or scared of what's to come. Either way, the bouncer has now been put away.

Happy Easter to all!

Spring!

Happy (almost) spring! We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful springtime flowers blooming in our yard, so we headed outside for some cute (and silly) pictures of the girls.

Maddie has been practicing her new moves as she becomes quite a proficient (read quick) crawler. She's doing this yoga/headstand thing lately (see pics below), which she also uses to get herself from her belly back to the sitting position. Norah and I found her gleefully sitting up in her crib after her nap the other day... so proud of herself and so close to pulling herself up and right over the edge. (Her mattress is now lower.) We've resisted putting the baby gates back up, but I'm not sure we have much longer.

This past Saturday, March 16, would have been Phil's 60th birthday. We miss him so much, and though we wish he could have met Maddie and seen her and Norah grow up, we know he's watching over them every day. Happy birthday Phil, with all our love.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We had a little St. Patrick's Day fun today... silly headwear and pictures, followed by corned beef for dinner!

All Aboard

We have been enjoying some beautiful weather here in Fresno. So, instead of spending our weekend doing the usual routine of gardening and other projects around the house, we decided to head out to enjoy the springtime. Every year, the county organizes a "Blossom Trail," which highlights the local agriculture and gives people a chance to enjoy the blossoms in the many orchards that surround Fresno. There are lots of events as part of this... last year, Dan and Norah ran in the Blossom Trail race, and this year, we decided to head out to Hillcrest Farms to ride the train. Norah has been really into trains lately - model trains, trains that we pass on the highway, etc. - so we knew she would get a kick out of it. The farm also had a great play space for kids, with miniature houses, a suspension bridge, and trails through the woods, so it turned into a fun morning for all of us.

Maddie also turned seven months old on Saturday. She's still busy practicing her scooting and working up the courage to crawl on her hands and knees alone. It's hard to believe how fast time goes!