soccer, donuts and sprinklers.

 The weather has finally warmed up and we are all loving it. I'm not having to live in my long down coat anymore, we walk to school, play in the backyard and keep windows and doors open during dinner. It's amazing!!! I had a friend realize the other day she is a completely different person when the sun comes out and honestly, I think I am too. We are all a bit happier when the weather improves after a long, dark winter.
Simon and I can often be found at our local park playing baseball, football, soccer or frisbee. He's the most athletic 2 year old I've ever met!

 Lucy is doing so great with soccer and I love watching her play. She has her game face on when the time is right but during practice, it's all smiles and giggles!

 Last week I was able to chaperone her field trip to the zoo. 65 kindergarteners and 50 parents headed down to Seattle. The only problem? The district mixed up the bus requests and only delivered 1 bus for all of us! So....parents had to carpool and meet them all there. I felt bad for these sweet kids who were SO excited to have their parents ride on the bus with them but it all worked out in the end. Plus I got to have some fun mom time with 3 other great friends of mine and best of all.....no one got lost!

 Last weekend Matt left for another business trip. He hasn't had to leave for a while now so we really shouldn't complain but it's still so hard on the kids. Lucy was especially bummed so I surprised them with a visit to the local donut shop in the hopes of cheering them up. Yes, I totally bribed my kids with sugar and...it worked! Until the sugar crash that came a few hours later but you can't win 'em all, right?

 Her donut was ridiculous. But don't worry, she barely ate half of it before realizing it was WAY too sweet.

Meanwhile...Matt is loving life with this view. Rough week in Vegas, huh?

 We spent the rest of the afternoons playing sports in the backyard, eating popsicles, running through the sprinkler and playing dress up. Typical week but always fun with these little ones.

 This weekend we finally get to start sports games after a few weeks of just having practices. Can't wait!

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a little bit of everything.

Now that our transition month is behind us we are fully engulfed in spring activities. Sports, fields trips, school activities, work. You name it and we probably did it last week at some point. Thank goodness for my outlook calendar on my phone to keep everything straight!

Monday was an extra preschool day for Simon complete with show and tell! Of course he brought his  new baseball glove he'll be using for t-ball this summer. The 3 times he's had show and tell this year he's brought a football, a football helmet and now a baseball mitt. Pretty sure it's easy to tell what the kids likes to do. 

 While he was at preschool I chaperoned Carter's field trip to a local wetlands preserve. It was a beautiful day and we saw so many cool animals! Turtles sunbathing on logs, a baby bald eagle, blue herons and more. Such a fun way for the kids to experience more of what they've learned in the classroom. And now we've added another item to our summer bucket list - a family picnic at the wetlands to see some beavers and other birds.

 It's hard to tell but those are all turtles resting on those logs!

 Later that night Carter started flag football. Matt is coaching once again and he has a great group of boys, mostly from his school, on his team.  Simon just hung out in the grass, ran around the track and bugged Lucy during practice!

 Later in the week I headed back to the school to teach another cooking class. This time, sticking with the wetlands theme, we made edible birds nests out of coconut, sliced almonds and melted chocolate. A big hit and the kids had fun getting their hands in all the chocolate!

 Since it was a beautiful afternoon, early release from school and Matt had a late work meeting I took the kids to the beach after school to play and then out to dinner. So excited to do more of this all summer long.

 Whew. Then, on Thursday we had work, Simon's usual play time with his friend Natalie, the beginning of spring soccer for Lucy (Matt head coaching this team too!) and then the science fair. It was a LONG day!

 Somehow we made it to Friday and Simon and I hung out at home before picking the kids up from school and enjoying a well deserved, relaxing family movie night.

 Saturday afternoon we went to the theatre for the kids Easter presents. We got them tickets to a local storybook theatre production of Rapunzel. The kids really love experiences and family time so this is always a better option than little toys in their baskets. We all loved it and it was the perfect length to keep them captivated without getting bored.

 We rounded off the weekend with a football birthday party for one of Carter's friends, lots of delicious homemade food and a day of yard work.

 The kids were able to plant part their vegetable garden  - we chose zucchini, carrots, snap peas, kale, spinach and mini watermelons. I'll be amazed if anything actually grows! We'll pick up some starters of strawberries and cherry tomatoes later and plant those too. Here's hoping for some fresh produce right in our own backyard!

 And now the week returns. Another night of football practice in the books and gearing up for a fun week ahead. Happy May Day!

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a week of dates.

Next week it all begins. Spring flag football season and spring soccer season. And guess who is head coaching both teams? Yep, Matt. And who is Team Mom? Yep, me. Throw in a field trip, extra preschool days, cooking lesson at school, board meeting for Matt, school district safety meeting, Rapunzel theatre production, play dates and classmate birthday party and we have a BUSY week ahead! 

So, instead of stressing about that let's just look back at last week and all the fun we had. It included lots of one-on-one time, which is always good for us. 

Simon and I enjoyed a day at home on Wednesday which tends to be his recovery day after a long day at preschool the previous day. We usually read books, eat snacks, clean the house and go for walks. But, he's becoming more independent and wanting to do everything on his own. Like, Cheerios. 

 And then we played a few rounds of Old Maid. He's pretty good too!

 The sun came out so we spent all afternoon at the park after the big kids got out of school. There were about 8 other school friends who happened to show up which was perfect for a huge playdate!

 And then we came home and had homemade banana ice cream for dessert after dinner. This is one of  our favorites! Any extra bananas we have laying around get sliced up and put in the freezer. Then I pull it out at night, blend it with a splash of coconut, cashew or almond milk and it's just as creamy and sweet as regular ice cream! The kids love it and I feel good knowing they are just eating more fruit.

 Matt and I celebrated later that night because Simon finally pooped in the potty! Woohoo!
With all this sunshine we can't help but spend more time outside. A long, long walk for Simon and I with a well deserved trip to the park afterwards.

 And then the weekend came which meant even more dates! Matt and Carter headed out early Saturday morning for a breakfast date and hike at a nearby park. While they were gone Lucy, Simon and I made homemade buttermilk waffles with wild blueberry syrup. I'd say all 3 kids had a pretty great breakfast!

 We spent the rest of the day outside working in the yard. Lucy walked downstairs in this outfit, full accessorized with her necklace and barrette so she could look "fancy" as she worked. Ha! Surprisingly she helped out quite a bit pulling weeds!

And then later that night Matt and I went out for a few hours. Our dinner was awful but walking around afterwards and doing a little shopping made up for it. Definitely won't be returning to that restaurant. I ordered a salad as a dinner entree and ended up with a teeny tiny plate of spinach, cold, under seasoned chicken and an expensive bill. Matt wasn't too happy with his meal either but we made the best of it and enjoyed our time out. 

Guess it looks like our stay in date night with homemade food will be better (and cheaper!) next time!

 Finally, this afternoon I had my final date with Lucy. She had been begging for some girl time so we went out for pizza and pedicures, her choice!

 She is just growing up so fast and any time I can get alone with her I love. While her little toes were getting pained she looked over with a huge smile on her face and whispered, "mom, you're the best!" Love her!

 Oh yeah, besides all the other crazy stuff going on next week we have the science fair too! Sheesh! Carter finished his board today and although it took awhile to finish, he did such a great job working it all out on his own. Off to relax before the crazy Monday begins!

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