Fishin' Hole

Ok, so it wasn't really a fishing hole...it was a concrete pond that is stocked with trout, but Owen and Lauren didn't care. For the past few years we've gone to this place with Mim and Pops (Abe's parents). The first year Lauren was too little to fish, but she's an old pro at it now. They had a great time feeding the fish, catching the fish, and looking at all the other animals (they had rabbits, peacocks, goats, etc). We managed to keep them at 3 fish each, although I think Lauren would have caught fish until her arms were too tired!

Craft Time

I found this cute Easter egg diorama project in the Family Fun magazine, and the kids were game to make them. I wasn't sure how they'd turn out, considering for 2 days we had wet, sloppy paper mache' dripping all over our table, but they ended up being very cute, and the kids were very proud of their creations!

At the Zoo!

Looking outside and seeing snow come down in April is not what you expect during spring break. Yes, there was snow during Owen's spring break...just plain wrong if you as me! Luckily, the day we planned on going to the zoo was the only day of the week without some sort of liquid falling from the sky. Our friend Connor was on spring break too that week, so he came along with us to Point Defiance. It didn't rain or snow on us, but it was pretty windy and cold. Guess we can't be too picky! The kids all had a great time, but we were all ready to sit in a warm car and thaw out when were were done.

Leprechaun Trap!

Owen's latest project for kindergarten was to create a leprechaun trap. The goal was to try and trap a leprechaun (obviously) and write about the process of making it and trapping him in their scientific journal. Owen had a great time planning it out. We wrapped the shoebox in paper, then cut a hole in the top of it. Then, we made a pot out of a paper cup wrapped in black paper, cut the bottom out of the cup, and stuck it in the hole. Owen taped gold coins to the inside of the shoebox, "So when the leprechaun looks into the pot he'll see the gold, but can't get it out because it's taped." He didn't want the leprechaun to have an easy time accessing the pot of gold, do he made a maze of shamrocks that the little guy had to weave through first. The night before he had to take his trap and journal to school, we set up the trap in the middle of the living room floor, hoping the leprechaun would pay us a visit in the night. The next morning, Owen bolted down the stairs to see. There was a trail of magic green dust leading from the patio door to the trap, through the shamrocks, and all around the pot of gold. There was even some inside the pot, but no sign of the leprechaun. Owen wasn't the least bit disappointed though and said, "Yeah, I've heard that leprechauns are really hard to trap...sneaky little buggers! I'll get one next year!"

Northwest Trek with Gramma and Grampa

For the past few years, Abe and I take a weekend and get away once basketball season is over. Trust me, we both need it...me, because the kids and I go to at least 40 games over the course of the season, and Abe, because it's one LONG season of late nights. This year we took a weekend trip to our old stomping grounds up in Bellingham. We had a great time: hitting all our favorite restaurants, driving by our first home, meeting up with friends, and going on an impromptu sailboat ride (thanks John and Cynthia!) On the way home on Sunday, we went to the last showing of "The Lion King" in Seattle, my Christmas present from Abe. It was a good show...the costumes were amazing!

While were were gone, Gramma and Grampa watched the kids...and they didn't miss us a bit. It was a few days before St. Patrick's Day, so they had a "green" lunch...St. Patty's Day plates, napkins, cups, and green food. They also took a trip to Northwest Trek. Amazingly, the weather cooperated (you never know this winter!) and the animals were out in full force. Of course, the gift store was the first stop, and Gramma and Grampa couldn't say no to 2 new stuffed animals!

When will it be spring?

A few weeks ago I noticed my bulbs were starting to pop out of the ground...which means spring is just around the corner, right? We have had a crazy winter with all sorts of weather, and the kids have been antsy to pull out their bikes. The other day the sun graced us with its presence and we had a warm, sunny afternoon. Owen and Lauren made the most of it, spending a few hours riding around the cul-de-sac on their bikes and playing "rock contest." What is rock contest? Actually, I have no idea which one of them came up with the idea, but they both shoved as many rocks in their pockets as they could, then lined them up along the garden wall. I was the judge and had to choose which group of rocks was the coolest. Amazingly, the results were a tie, and they asked if they could have an Otter Pop for their trophies. They also asked if they could run through the sprinkler, but I could only go so far...it's not springtime quite yet!

Little Trojan Fans

Auburn High School's biggest little fans getting ready to cheer the team on against the Ravens...