Mother's Day

After a week of being sick and the weather being crummy, I was more than ready for sunshine and Mother's Day. My main goal for the weekend was to plant flowers, which we accomplished. Bring on summer! Jeritt and the kids treated me to some homeade gifts and very sweet cards, including a new tradition where each kid listed their favorite things about me. Ella's list was: she loves us, she's very nice, she's kind to others, and she's a loving person (I cried). Jack's was: she vacuums and cleans, she makes us dinner, she makes coffee for her, and she makes us hot dogs (I laughed). Maeve was too young to communicate her favorites this year, but I'm guessing at the moment they'd include that I read her books (her new favorite activity) and that I allow her to enjoy all of the sweet treats that her siblings receive. It was a great Mother's Day weekend, and I couldn't be more blessed.

With this ensemble, Maeve was happy about the rainy week!

A stop at Starbucks before we ran errands.

After I exhausted my little shoppers, I treated them to a stop at the pet store.

Jack was most interested in the cats, of course.

He sat outside the kennels and begged me for a "Gary cat" (Abby and Brian's cat, whom he loves dearly).

During another errand run, Maeve found a comfortable spot to wait for Mom.

She calls cars and trucks "beeps."

This guy hosted me at his preschool for a special Mother's Day tea. He was so excited!

Maeve isn't into sharing lap space.

Jack and his friend, Hazel, at preschool.

Each child finished the sentence, "My mom loves me because..." This was Jack's.

A little picnic time.

Ella was determined to create a parade, and really wanted to pull Jack, who was going to throw candy. It didn't quite work out that way, but she sure tried!

She ended up riding the "float" herself, donning her "parade leader" hat.

Fun at the park

Maeve and Poppy. 

A Mother's Day gift from Ella.  A place to hold my phone. 

All three gifts: phone holder, necklace, bracelet. Jack also gave me some of his straws, which may sound strange, but is a very generous gesture from him:)

Jack may have broken a pipe during his drain pipe investigation.

But Liz did a pretty good job of fixing it. 

We found a mini house at the nursery. 

It was a whirlwind of a week! Tuesday was jam-packed with appointments, including Maeve's 18-month checkup. True to form, our peanut tipped the scales at a whopping 20 pounds, 12 ounces, putting her at 24% for weight. Long and lean, she is 31.75 inches tall, which is 47%. Later that afternoon, Ella and Jack had dentist appointments. Both did great, as usual, but Jack was a little more chatty this time. When the doctor mentioned that she was going to use an instrument that is "like a straw-shaped vacuum," Jack was very interested. As straws and vacuums are two of his most favorite items these days, he had quite a few questions for her! Thursday brought Ella's kindergarten showcase. Each grade gets to invite their parents to attend a night of "showcasing" what they've learned in a special arts partnership program. Hers was titled, "We Are Engineers," and featured songs, experiments, art, and science. I honestly think she was the most excited student that night, and Jeritt and I were so proud to see all of her hard work and enthusiasm on display. She truly loves school, and has blossomed both academically and socially this past year. To wrap up a great week, Aunt Erin came to visit! Though we missed Uncle Martin, we very much enjoyed having Erin around like old times. Aunt Kristin and the kids also hung out with us on Saturday morning, and it was so nice to have us all together. Ella and Jack had some great suggestions as to what Erin and Martin should name their baby, and Jack even said, "Maybe Martin will be the Dad." We can't wait until July!

Ella is so comfortable at the dentist office that she took off her shoes this time when she got in the chair.

This guy was excited! 

No cavities!

My favorite handy man doing some work on the fireplace.

Ella showing off her projects during her Kindergarten Showcase.

Conducting an experiment to see how many paperclips it takes to sink a piece of wood.

She had to come up with an example of "push" and "pull."

Ella's pendulum painting.

Modeling her pose, which is the green one above her.

We celebrated with ice cream afterwards!

I took Maeve solo to a concert at the library. Since we rarely do "fun" things while the big kids are at school, she had no idea what to think! We need to do more of this stuff together:)

She wasn't quite sure what to do with the egg shaker.

Dinner with Erin, just like the old days!

We sure miss her!

Doing a little spring cleaning.

Ella and Finley hugging, so sweet!

What buddies:) 

A ride to the park.