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.

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.

It 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 cleverThe Easter Bunny was good to us.
The trip there and back was peaceful.
And back at home, our Egg Tree held down the fort.

Some thoughts on the Royal Wedding...

Sigh....

Little Tree Studio

Traditionally, early in the year we take the boys to get their pictures taken.
This year, I got the brilliant idea to take Noodle along for family portraits.
We tried out a darling studio in Old Worthington that a friend told me about.All I can say about the experience is - never have my children behaved so atrociously.
Soren cried. Will cried. At one point I'm pretty sure the photographer wanted to cry. Neither of them wanted to sit next to the other and they both refused to sit next to the dog. Speaking of the dog, he was the only good one and the only one we wanted to take home that day.Despite the chaos, Kyle and Steve did a wonderful job and captured some great shots.
I ordered an album of some of the goofier shots and we're calling it
'The Last Time We Ever Had Family Pictures Taken'.

Though I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time.
Maybe next year we'll take just the dog.

Reach high, Think big. Work Hard. Have Fun!

At the beginning of April we took the boys to see the Imagination Movers.
At first I thought we had lucked into front row tickets, but as the usher was seating us smack dab in front of an enormous speaker, I started to wonder when the wine was going to be served.It was actually a very entertaining show.
And we got to go an after-party and meet the Movers. They were very gracious and thanked us for coming to the show.
To be honest, it was kind of a thrill,
especially meeting my favorite Mover:
Mover Rich