Nature table updated for spring

The water fountain in the middle is left over from our Imbolc fire/water theme. But Alex likes it and doesn't want to move it. We have since added a bird collage that Alex made at school. We are working on some wool felted eggs and also hope to be able to find some treasures outside soon to add.

......and this is what happens when daddy gets me dressed

Happy Birthday to Ben!

We took Ben out to lunch for his birthday then walked around downtown and along the river afterwards. Paninis and cake for supper! Happy Birthday!

pictures courtesy of Ben.

3/20 Vernal Equinox/Ostara

We started out with grand plans to celebrate spring with some other families. Then I came down with some awful plague that I didn't think anyone should have to share. So we kept it very simple at home. A few decoration changes and a trip outside in the afternoon to hunt for signs of spring.....we were so excited to actually find some growing things!!
Our decoration changes included the gel window clings and the new spring panels of our calendar. We have one of these Eco-Logical Calendars and have really been enjoying it. It has the year divided into seasons instead of individual months and includes all sorts of little facts about constellations and things happening within the earth as well as moon cycles. It was exciting to pull out the new panels and start reading.
We didn't get to changing over our nature table yet on friday. Alex had a vision in his mind that included a yellow drape and we didn't have a yellow playsilk or other fabric at that point and I just didn't have it in me that day to find the white silks I had and the stuff to dye it.

Getting to be a big girl

Maya is showing interest in potty learning already! Only problem is that she wants to take ALL of her clothes off to use the potty (and it's really not that warm in the house!) and then it's quite a struggle to convince her to put anything back on.
It's exciting though - she has gone in the potty a few times and is getting some naked time to see how everything works (which means lots of cleaning up for me). I am looking forward to some warm weather so we can do some of this outside!

Her other "big girl" move recently is that we made a little bed for her on the floor in our room. We figured that crib mattress might as well get used for something because it certainly wasn't getting slept on in the crib! Like Alex, she is a very active sleeper so even with a queen size bed Ben and I were getting pushed around all night. She's doing great in her little nest.....however crib mattresses are very small so I end up getting up several times to put her back on her bed. We will have to budget for a bigger one for her soon if we want this to be a permanent move.

Empire town park

Maya's first playground experience and first time walking in the sand!

How did we not know this?!

There is sledding allowed on the dune climb. How could WE not realize this?

"Secret" Beach in the winter......

Monday Matt, Amy, Alex and Maya and I headed out exploring. Alex was very excited to see the secret beach and the dunes to see if there was still a lot of snow and if he could see the sand.
We went to the secret beach first. There we saw our first growing sign of spring - tree buds!

As it began to thaw again

Matt and Amy came to visit! We headed out last saturday to walk along the Boardman River. Maya slept for a while but once she woke up she really wanted DOWN! She is much more insistent about exploring on her own than Alex was at this age.