Catching up

Well, catching up would be impossible. This year is flying by so fast and I haven’t had any time to keep up on the blog. But here are a few things from the last couple of months.

Here is a picture from Christmas. Everyone was healthy for Christmas but since everyone had been sick before and after, I don’t have a picture of Butterfly’s birthday. She turned 11. We had to do birthday cake for her after Christmas. 

The kids made a breakfast for B for his birthday- everything they cooked they did in the shape of a 40 and they put 40 pieces of tofu on the plate (he doesn’t particularly like tofu, so the kid ate that I think).

In February B took me to see Carousel. It was so much fun to go and see a play with him. We dressed up, went to dinner, and then went to the play. I think Butterfly took this picture for us.

 

Strawberry earned her purple stripe in February. She was really excited.

Butterfly and Pumpkin Pie had roles in our co-op’s play this year. Strawberry also had a small part. Here is Butterfly playing an old woman in the scene depicting the Aesop’s fable story of the miller and donkey.  And here is Pumpkin Pie the rich merchant in the same scene.

 

March meant 13 for Tiger complete with birthday muffins for breakfast (frosted in peanut butter and honey frosting),

and a surprise birthday party at the park with his friends. Thanks to some dear friends for putting it together!

A week later Little One turned 2. I suppose he really needs a new nickname on the blog as he is getting to be not so little. He is full of silliness, love, and two-ness. Here he is “fixing” or “pssshhhh”ing or possibly doing magic on Daddy’s shoes. And of course when he sleeps he is always sweet.

We celebrated “Bunny Day” the week before Easter. The kids decorated their eggs very carefully.

The tulip festival started a few weeks early this year so the kids and I went to see the tulips. It was a bit windy but the fields were beautiful.

 

This is how Little One smells- mouth open…

We took a little tractor trailer ride around the field. That was Little One’s favorite part- the “dgoo dgoo.”

At the beginning of the month, our co-op put on a formal family ball. We had a great time. I did the girls’ hair fancy.

Butterfly is supposed to have a butterfly in her hair.

Father daughter dances

Learning to waltz

More water!

Mother son dance

The sons presenting their mother…

The presentation of the daughters…

 

This year I decided that Easter, although the most holy day of the year doesn’t get enough recognition or tradition. Since Jesus was celebrating the Passover before his crucifixion, I took elements of the Passover and we talked about the symbolism and how it played into Christianity. We then had a Jerusalem dinner after the Passover.  We started by ridding the dining room of all leavened breads. I had the kids hunt for some bread pieces. Then, as the Jewish people do, we burned it.

Then we had our Seder plate and talked about why the Jews celebrate Passover and what it means and how the symbols are also symbols of Jesus and his teachings.

Then we made our Easter Cookies with the story of the crucifixion.

Here is Strawberry “sealing” the tomb (the oven) before heading to bed.

Easter morning the tomb was empty and this sweet treat awaited the family.