Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful Easter Weekend, starting with a play date on Saturday at Maddy's friend Carson's home.  Maddy, Steve and I had made Easter cut-out cookies including hopping bunnies, bunny heads, flowers and letters (C for Carson, J for James - Carson's brother, M for Maddy, Marnie and Malena - Carson's mom, G for Graham - Carson's dad,  and S for Steve) and we brought them over as a treat.  Maddy, Carson and James played and played downstairs, and Steve and I had a nice time catching up with Malena and Graham.

That afternoon we also decorated eggs, which was lots of fun, then Maddy extended play time by experimenting with the colors and using her science kit once again.  A budding scientist perhaps?

On Easter Sunday Maddy hunted for the hidden eggs, which she found pretty quickly with very little help this year (Easter Bunny may need to hide them better next year!) as well as her Easter Basket, mine and Steve's.  Lots of goodies, and Maddy also received play-doh, a Frozen coloring pad and a princess kitty in a purse, which she named "Princess Kitty Peanut".

We went to brunch at the Holiday Inn in Wilsonville, OR, where there was a nice buffet, an Easter Egg hunt for Maddy (= more candy) and the Easter Bunny made a showing as well.  Steve asked Maddy if she thought it was the "real" Easter Bunny and she said no - she thought it was a bunny dressed up as the Easter Bunny...until she saw skin between the Bunny glove and the rest of the bunny suit...then she decided maybe it was a person pretending to be the Easter Bunny.  Can't pull a fast one over on that girl!

After a bit of rest time, Ray and Marcia Brown (Christy's parents) and little Luella joined us for Easter play-time and dinner.  Christy and Andy were vacationing in the Bahamas celebrating their 10 year anniversary (congrats again!) so Ray and Marcia were in town from Iowa caring for Luella.

We made ham, the Faust family special: mustard ring, scalloped potatoes and rolls, and Ray and Marcia brought jello salads which were a delicious addition!  After dinner we had more Easter cookies for dessert.  We all enjoyed the yummy food, good company and lots of play time for Maddy and Lu.  Best game of the evening: Maddy and Luella ran to Maddy's room and we decided on an animal, then Maddy and Luella ran into the living room where Ray, Marcia and Steve awaited the animal role play...lots of fun guesses before choosing correctly!  Luella and Maddy even created an octopus by sitting back-to-back on the floor and waving their arms and legs.  FUN!!

Easter Cut Out Cookies!

 

Looking for Eggs and Easter Basket

Found the Eggs!

Found the Easter Basket!

Mommy and Maddy

Daddy and Maddy

Luella, Ray and Marcia joined us for Easter Dinner

Happy Easter!

Maddy Hatching

The other day I went to pick Maddy up from school and she was playing in a crate next to her friend Karina. They were both extremely excited to tell me that Maddy was a little chick hatching out of her shell. Here's the visual...imagine Maddy saying excitedly: "I'm a chick!" over and over.

Evolution of a Toaster Robot

Birthday Celebration at Rockaway Beach

Melissa and Steve - the new 40 year olds!

We had a great weekend at Rockaway Beach to celebrate the 40th birthdays of both Steve and Melissa.  The house was fantastic, right on the beach with an outdoor hot tub facing the ocean.  We had wonderful food the whole weekend through including Daynia's famous "Dump Dinner" which includes crab legs, scallops, shrimp, potatoes and corn.  Yum!  And a keg of beer kept our thirst quenched (oh and lots of juice boxes for the kiddos).  The weather was beautiful and sunny all weekend and the kids all enjoyed the sand and water.  It was a great way to celebrate more of our fold entering the next decade of life!

Playing with Bubbles

Maddy and Luella

 

Our House at the Beach

 

Daynia's Famous Dump Dinner

Bath Time! (aka de-sanding the kiddos)

 

Fun with Science

Maddy and I spent an evening learning about density using the awesome science kit from Uncle Jon, Aunt Amy, Benjamin and Gabi. Maddy added blue food coloring to a flask of water, then filled a test tube half full. She used a dropper to add oil, then shook it up and learned that the oil floats to the surface.

It was a fun evening for both of us!

First Hike of 2015

We chose Lacamas Park for our first family hike of 2015 (at the end of January...I'm a little behind on posts) and it was wonderful to get outside and enjoy nature. The trail was nice and Maddy walked/ran quite a bit before going into the carrier (which she loved). I only carried her a short distance and quickly realized she's getting too big for me. She's growing up- no longer the little pipsqueak I carried home from "school" in the baby bjorn every day.

At the end of the hike we hit the play structure, conveniently located next to the parking lot, then headed to Camas town center. We had a very yummy lunch at a small restaurant specializing in crepes/German food. After lunch we took a walk around town which of course meant I had to look in the cute little shops, where I found a great new pair of shoes for me, and some new clothes for Maddy. It certainly was a wonderful day, all around!

Theater, Music, Tumbling = Winter Fun!

We have been busy over the last couple of months! We went to a theater production of Skippyjon Jones, a play based on the Skippyjon Jones book series by Judy Schachner which Maddy very much enjoyed as a toddler. That was lots of fun and Maddy did well with the hour long production, staying pretty well focused and enjoying the show.  More theater to come in the future - hooray!  It helped that it was a very kid-focused show, complete with crafts before and after the show (seen below = making "Skippyjon Jones ears" with pipe cleaners, markers and construction paper). Fun for all of us!

We went to the Crystal Ballroom to celebrate the venue's 100 year anniversary.  They had a free all-day-most-of-the-night party that was quite kid-friendly during the day.  Maddy enjoyed the face painting and the balloon butterfly wings the best, and the music came in a close second.

Maddy has also been keeping busy with her tumbling class at the local community center. She loves running around, doing somersaults, pencil roles, balance beam walking, jumping (a lot), playing "freeze dance" and playing with the parachute.  Steve and I have fun participating (some) and watching her have lots of fun!

Making Skippyjon Ears

Skippyjon Maddy!

Kid friendly Rock at the Crystal Ballroom

Portland Seafood & Wine (and Face Painting!) Festival

Balance Beam Pro

Teacher Kelly helps with the bar

Playground at the Community Center

First Flowers (January)