Welcome Spring

We had a glimpse of lovely warm weather yesterday. We spent the day outdoors...preparing garden beds and boiling more maple sap. Yes, we threw ourselves in to making syrup again this year. After last year I wasn't certain I'd attempt it again considering the investment of time and effort required to get just a bit of syrup. But, oh well it's just too delicious to resist. And we do have several mature maples only steps from the house. And now we have nearly two gallons of syrup for the upcoming months!

And with our wonderful weather, Lilla had the opportunity to wear her new outfit Grandma brought back from India. She just loves to jingle the bells attached to the skirt:
And investigate all the sparkly mirrors attached to the shirt.
But now she says enough with the photos, Mama. Put this lens cap back on please!

Chess with a six year old

The other afternoon Rowan and I played a casual game of chess. Or so I thought.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly for me, until...
Suddenly Rowan had me in checkmate.
Hmm. Looks like I ought to crack into those chess books.

Greetings from Lego land

Not too much going on. Here we are in March and the weather is very lion-esque. So we're indoors a lot: stoking the fire, eating too much and living in the midst of toy land:


Legos, anyone?

Indoors

A little green:
And a little yellow:

Ah...that's better. Outdoors a mass of gray and swirling white greets me. Still. But my head is beginning to buzz with Springtime possibilities and dreaming about that seed catalog.

The aftermath

First there was an yummy ice cream cake brought over by my lovely sister and brother-in-law, then there was some sugar induced silliness:
I've heard of the theory that sugar doesn't have a direct impact on behavior, but somehow I just don't believe it.

Lilla

Lilla's post nap time hair was looking wilder and wilder each day.
But after a little snipping she's got a sweet little cropped 'do.

When I figure out where my time has been going these last weeks...I'll fill you in.
Lately, I haven't been accomplishing much in the crafting realm. I attempted a shirt for myself but ended up with a disappointingly bad fit- an extra large bodice coupled with tiny sleeves. Hmmm...maybe I'll gather the courage to salvage it later. Oh and then I knit a cap for myself (wow all these -Me- projects sound a little greedy!) but it ended up Rowan sized. Oh well, for After these misshapen "experiments" crafting has been replaced lately by more sleep and yoga.

Scaling new heights

Here I am- camera in hand- holding my breath as I watch Rowan navigate and strain to reach each rock. Although he's tethered and secure, he is a little uncertain at first about this whole rock climbing business. The first few tentative tries don't seem to do much for his confidence. But on the third or fourth attempt he finds his footing and all of a sudden nears the ledge, the entrance to the "cave" that has become the goal for all the children climbing that day. And then I see it, just a corner of the smile that has crept across his face- that slightly shy smile of recognizing one's own success. Lilla too is becoming a little climber at home, wanting to go "up, up, UP!" those stairs all by herself. And I'm trying not to hold my breath too much as I follow behind her, ready to catch her.