Sunday, May 22, 2011

Right To Read Week

Last year we were on vacation during Right to Read Week at school, so I had no idea what a big deal it was. Luckily Will only goes to school 3 days a week or the whole thing might have been a little overwhelming. The theme this year was 'Flight' and some of the highlights were the display of a replica of the Wright Brothers' Airplane and a visit from a Tuskeegee Airman.

Monday was a family cake decorating contest.
Will and I spent the weekend before slaving over a cake decorated like the Mo Willems book 'Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly'. Rick managed to get it into the school on that rainy morning. Sixty-four other cakes were entered in the contest and we won 4th Place!
On Wednesday, Will's class performed a skit based on Eric Carle's 'The Very Lonely Firefly' in front of the whole school. Will made his acting debut as an awesome lightbulb.
Also that day every grade dressed in a different color to represent birds. The preschool students were penguins.
The activity on Friday was to dress up as your favorite book character.
Whether he realized it or not, Will's favorite character was Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter books,
mostly because we already had the costume.
Whew! What a week. I wonder if they know the theme for next year.
I need to start planning.

Wonders of Nature

In between rain storms last month, I wandered in the yard, wondering where to begin with the spring yard projects and I noticed that the water iris that lives in our pondspawned a land iris that lives in the flower bed next to the pond.Huh.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Wedding of the Century

With apologies to Will and Kate, that same weekend we attended another pretty awesome wedding:
Rod Stewart's Wedding


Rod and Anna were married at the Taylor Mansion directly behind our house. The gardens there are beautiful. And though it had rained every day for a month, the weather that day was lovely.

Align CenterIt appears that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were invited but were unable to attend as they were honeymooning.
Totally understandable

There Went Peter Cottontail

This year we celebrated Easter at Grandma's house again.
It was all the more festive that we got to take the new car on its first road trip. Look at all that luxurious room:Clearly some kind of genius designed the car where children sitting side by side can't touch each other. And I'm sure it goes without saying that the backseat DVD players are pure magic. Why did I not know about them until recently? I guess I knew they existed. I just didn't know that they are... pure magic.

I was a little concerned when we got to Pennsylvania on Friday and it was 39 degrees and sleeting. But things were looking better by Sunday: about 60 degrees and only a little cloudy.
After church, the Annual Egg Hunt on Grandma's PorchIt turns out Soren is an awesome egg hunter!

Uncle Ed arrived with more Easter goodies. Will's basket was a tackle box for fishing this summer with Grandpa. And Ed tucked in a couple of those single-use tooth brushes already loaded with toothpaste.
So clever
The Easter Bunny was good to us.
The trip there and back was peaceful.
And back at home, our Egg Tree held down the fort.