beautiful weather, walks, park playing, a little surprise and more...

The is my birthday present. I have been wanting one for awhile and I was excited when my hubby actually remembered and surprised me with it for my birthday. It weighs a ton and is fun to cook in.

The kids with whip cream sprayed into their mouths. 

My birthday candles. 

I have never liked cake and as a little girl would always ask for strawberry pie. The last few years I have asked for strawberry shortcake. And boy was this good!!

Daddy reading to Mac. 

Oak after a bath. 

Daddy reading to Oak. I love seeing moments when daddy takes the time to read to the kids before bed. 

This girl can make some silly faces. 

Mac drew these birds. Although I don't think he drew the big one. I think daddy did at one time and Mac copied and did the rest. But I was still impressed with Mac's drawings. 

This girl wins pretty much every game of Memory we play. 

Mac loves to play Chess. Good thing daddy likes to because I don't.

The middle of february we found a cacoon in the field next to our house. We decided to bring it home and put it in a jar. After a bit of research I thought that maybe it was a moth. I actually thought that maybe it was dead and nothing would come of it. Then this last week I looked at it and saw some little bugs. Then looked closer and it was baby praying mantises. We were so excited! We started researching them and figuring out what to do to take care of them. And because we live in a small community with the next biggest place being and hour and a half away, we couldn't find any supplies to take care of them and they were starting to die. So we took them back out to the field. 

We took an awesome evening walk along the path behind our house. The sunset was beautiful and the kids were tired enough to fall asleep the instant their heads hit the pillow. 

Grandma (who lives with us) left on the train and will be gone for at least a month while she travels the US with her siblings. So fun for her! Oak keeps saying, "It just doesn't feel the same here without grandma."

I hate Chess and I have NO interest in learning or playing it. But Mac is always begging to teach me. He loves to teach people everything he knows. So one day this week I dug deep inside of me for the patience to let him teach me. 

We got this cool magnetic sand. And Mac mad a creature out of some and as a last minute  thought told him to write a short story about it. Just to try to sneak in some writing. 

His little story. 

Oak wanted to write her own. So she told me what she wanted it to say and I would write it down for her to copy. 

Some pre quiet time snuggles and giggles.

And Mac throwing a fit because I asked him to help with some chores before he went outside to play. He ended up throwing a fit the whole time and didn't help so he had to stay in the house.

We started a read-a-loud book with the kids. Daddy always has one going with them, but I rarely do. Trying to be better about it. Because these kids of mine could sit and listen to someone read a book to them for hours. Seriously!

One evening it was too nice to be at home so as soon as dad got home, we ate quickly then hurried to the park. It was awesome. And they put the swings back up. They take them down during the winter and its annoying.

Mac had spent a few days having a bad attitude when he didn't have enough. Like wanting more donuts after having two for breakfast instead of enjoying the rare treat. Or getting to play on the iPad for 30 minutes and not thinking that was enough because once again it is a rare treat. So we had a little heart to heart about people who have very little and the little things they would be grateful to have. Then I had him write down ten things he was grateful for. 

A little reading before heading to the park to play with friends. 

Cute, silly girl. 

We went on a field trip to a wildlife area. The parking lot had some huge MUD puddles. And my kids were playing near them with all the other kids before we got started on the tour. I know my kids well enough to know that if there is water or mud or anything like that, that they will end up in it. I warned my kids and then Mac comes up to me with an entire leg and both feet covered in MUD. Ugh! I told him he couldn't go back over and play near the mud puddles with the other kids. And then he through a fit. (Does anyone else see a pattern here? He is going through quite the stage lately) Thankfully the tour started not long after and then he forgot about it. 

It was so beautiful there. You can't see it because it is covered in snow and because of how the light is for the picture but Mt. Shasta is right behind those dark hills. 

There were thousands of geese there. We learned all about them. 

Then when the trip was over the kids played red rover. So cute and fun. 

So the kids earned a trip to jump n jax for reading 25 books. We just now got to it and Mac is half way done with another reading log. 

We dyed easter eggs which is my least favorite holiday tradition. But the kids actually did really well this year with it. 

Sunday morning we had dad all to our selves and everyone was dressed and ready for church early so we this was the scene I caught of these two. Daddy holding and trying to put Oak's bear to sleep and them making goofy faces at each other. They were like this for 30 minutes. 

Then I got a turn. Mac was busy playing with a new lego set he got as a gift.