Daddy Daughter Dance

This past Friday was the Daddy/Daughter Dance.  Eve has been looking forward to it since the moment they left last year!  She was so excited!

 She was so patient with me while I curled her hair, and we had lots of fun; although, I have to say neither one of us is ready for toddlers in tiaras.

 We painted her toenails and fingernails.  New shoes special for the dance.

 I found her dress and shoes a good while back, but didn't show them to her until the night before (just in case they didn't fit).  They were perfect!  And fun to spin in!

 We got a special flower for Eve to give to Daddy.  She was so excited to surprise him with it.

 Sweet nothings..."Daddy, you look handsome, and I love you, and thank you for taking me to the dance."  (only a little...ok, a lot...of coaching involved, but still very sweet)

 Daddy surprised Eve with a special flower, too.

 These are just so sweet to me.  Both looked wonderful.

 And a little sass before getting into the car.

And she danced until she dropped.  She fell asleep just before they got to the neighborhood, and was so dead asleep when she got in that changing her into a pull-up and pajamas didn't even wake her up.  They started off the evening with supper at Red Robin, then off to the dance for a chocolate fountain, all sorts of treats, playing on old railroad tracks, and of course dancing.  They even had a special time to talk just with each other and each dad gave their daughter a special necklace.  They had such a very special time.  A time I know they will both cherish for a long time.

Field Day / Field Mouse

We started off a fantastic Friday with field day.  I was asked to help in a separate room, so I didn't get to see much of it, but the kids sure enjoyed it.  They each got a medal and were very proud.

 Bean bag toss

 Obstacle course

 Ellie helped too!

 Then we got to sit with John for lunch and watch him take his turn for "All About Me" (that's when he got to share the poster about his lego hobby that I posted about previously.  THEN, we got to bring Phineas and Ferb home!  Everyone has enjoyed it...

...even Bo.  Disclaimer: no mice were hurt or even seemed scared in the making of this photograph.

Jammin'

With all the yummy strawberries we picked, I decided to take my first stab at jam.  My friend Suzie came over and we had a fun girls' night.

 Again, how fun (and yummy) to go from the field to the table!

My QC department approved.  We made 24 jars, but something tells me they won't be around for long.

Mmmmm, Strawberries!

With the increase in available child labor, comes an increase in yummy strawberries!  I don't think we could've picked a better day to pick.  The berries were perfect and plentiful, super sweet, and it was a cloudy unseasonably cool afternoon.

 For a good while Ellie didn't want to try the strawberries.  I finally forced one into her mouth...then couldn't get her to stop.

 Everyone always says John looks exactly like Buck.  I don't typically see it, but it certainly can't be denied here!  He did a great job picking.  He was really on task...to the point I had to remind him to try some!

 Eve and Ellie spent their time filling their bellies, emptying our baskets, and cracking each other up.

 There was an awesome tractor back in the field.  I'm not so sure we were supposed to be on it, but we sure had a good time!

All done...sort of.  Even after we packed into the car to leave I had to keep slapping at their hands to keep them out of the bucket (figuratively, of course)!

Bountiful Harvest

Our first harvest of  the year!  We've gathered quite a few peas.  John, Eve, and our neighbor enjoy eating them straight from the vine.  We've got 2 full ziplock sandwich bags of them in the fridge, and plenty more on the plants.  Last year the aphids got to them.  This year I've only seen one, and a ladybug nearby (I cheered her on).  It's so fun to plant, harvest, and eat.  Yum!

John's Work

Since we can't keep all of the kids' artwork, a picture will have to do for some.  This is the official start of my new camera.  I have lots of playing around and experimenting/learning to do.

 John wrote this as school all by himself.  Translation: John wants to learn about dinosaurs.

Cool palmetto flag!  Apparently John traced too many fingers on one hand and had to cut a few off.  I think he was just getting artistic and making it look more like the flag.  Well done, Son!

Resurrection Rolls

For the first time we tried Resurrection Rolls.  A neat, hands-on model of Jesus burial and resurrection.

 First we discussed that like a marshmallow, Jesus was pure and white.  He had no sin, unlike us, but he died and took the consequence of sin, death, for us so that we could live with him forever.

 After he died, they poured oil on him (we rolled the marshmallow in melted butter)

 Then they embalmed him with spices (sugar and cinnamon in our case)

 Then they wrapped him in a burial cloth (we wrapped ours in crescent rolls)

 Afterward they put him in a tomb.  We placed our rolls in the oven (according to the crescent roll baking instructions if you happen to be interested in trying it).  This is where our theology started going south.  Eve asked, "Why did they put Jesus in the oven?"  My children take things so literally!

 When the rolls came out of the oven, we cut them open, and "Jesus" was gone!  He had risen!  "No," John said, "the marshmallows melted.  They didn't disappear.  They're made out of stuff that melts and that's what happened."  No matter how much I tried to argue or convince them that this was just a picture of what happened to Jesus, we couldn't get past the childhood theology.  Jesus was put in the oven by some bad people and melted.  Upon this truth we base our faith.  One day maybe we'll make the jump that Jesus was killed in our place, defeated death, and is alive...the sweetest treat of Easter (although, as you can see, the resurrection rolls were rather sweet themselves).