Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter.  The secret?  We skipped church!  (Don't tell.)  We headed out to World's End in Hingham.  Wonderful, wonderful.

We started with a picnic (biscuits and ham, naturally).

Then we flew our kite.

Egg hunting with green eggs that are actually hidden is a lot more work than picking up bright, plastic eggs from a mown lawn.  The girls adapted nicely.

Then we flew our kite.

This was cool, a sort of mirrored spiral.  The girls thought it was brilliant.

I persuaded Chandler not to get wet so we wouldn't be hauling a miserable child on the long walk back to the car.  An Easter miracle!  (I'm not kidding either.  She's been an ornery little critter the past couple weeks.  Throwing stuff, shrieking, stamping.  So very pleasant.)

Queens of the Castle:

Then we flew our kite.

A really successful Easter.  I doubt we'll let ourselves skip Easter services two years in a row, but maybe we'll learn to embrace the Easter vigil?  Five year olds like the Easter vigil, right?

Eggs and Cabbage

We made egg dye with cabbage this year.  The girls took turns helping me chop up the cabbage.  And Chandler wore her ball gown, as one does when chopping red cabbage.

Frances, dear, was not at all sure about this process, but she humored me.

The results were not as advertised.  After a night in the dye, we found green eggs where we expected to find blue!  Perhaps we left them in too long?  It is unclear.

But they were intriguing all the same.  I told Frances they looked like jade, and she seemed pleased with that.

Someday the kids are going to discover and demand Paas, but we've made it one more year with our wacky experiments.

Good Friday, indeed

Frances had Good Friday off of school, so our to Drumlin Farm we went!

Frances has been studying bees in school, so she was pleased (sorta) to find and pose near a bee hive.

And, boy. don't those girls love sorting wooden eggs?

I'm always tempted, after a Drumlin Farm trip, to buy them their own wooden eggs and baskets, but I just don't think they'd be that inspiring in an apartment instead of on a farm.  Lord knows we don't need more toys to sort through.

Moving on: the tractor is also always a hit.

And we finished up with the season's second round of ice cream novelties. 

It wasn't quite warm enough, but that didn't stop us.

First Ice Cream of the Season!

Frances is learning the power of money; she bought those ice cream novelties herself.

We talk a lot about when Frances will start walking places unaccompanied.  I bet the first time she works up the nerve, it will be to get herself ice cream.  Whatever it takes.

Egg Hunt, Again

Jamaica Plain's egg hunt was on Palm Sunday again this year.  That always feels a little off, celebrating Palm Sunday and then going to an Easter egg hunt on the same day, but my bet is maybe only ten percent of the crowd actually attended a Palm Sunday service. We're the oddballs.  The day was beautiful and not too cold.  Not one snowflake!  Ah, the little things.

Chandler found a golden egg, which entitled her to a gift certificate at the local toy store.  She was thrilled with the egg, but tried to give away the gift certificate.  I suppose gift certificates are too abstract for four year olds to grasp, at least this four year old.

The kids made short work of their haul.

Everyone has made note of Chandler's green, shiny dress, right?  Some might mistake it for a Christmas dress, but some would be wrong.   It is a Palm Sunday dress.  I don't care what the kid behind us in the Communion line thought.  

Back to the egg hunt.

All five weapons of mass destruction: Chandler, Frances, Peanut, Darby and Adler.

Eighty-Nine Months of First Grader Frances

Eighty-Nine Month Fun Fact:

• Physical Prowess:  Frances has decided to complete our annual Mother's Day 5k under her own steam.  I couldn't be more thrilled that she is volunteering to walk/run 3.1 miles rather than be pushed around the course in a giant double stroller, as long as I'm not the one responsible for coaching her through.  I need to concentrate on getting myself around.  Luckily, Mark has volunteered for that job.  In preparation of this blessed event, Frances has been practicing walking around the Jamaica Pond twice, a good three miles.  She also stops to stare at the water and contemplate her folly, but never mind.  Good fun will be had by all.

Fifty Months of Preschooler Chandler

Fifty Month Fun Fact:

• Literary Loves: Chandler, with Mimi's help, has discovered Winnie-the-Pooh.  That's him, in the light blue book tucked up under Chandler's chin.  I am thrilled.  We've read the first two sets of stories.  I believe We Are Six is next.  So preferable to so much else these girls have asked me to read.  Parenting is not without perks.