easter stuff {2014}

Wouldn't it be nice if I had snagged a family photo including my ginormous officially full term belly on Sunday when we were all snazzed up?  Shame.

Our Easter was lovely.  Bob has been extremely excited, with no reminders or encouragement of any kind.  Last year when he woke up in the morning there were eggs hidden around the house with peanut m&ms inside, and without be told so he presumed they were left by the Easter bunny, and this year -- he remembers.  He remembers it well.  Mostly the whole bit about hunting for brightly colored treasure eggs and munching down twenty or thirty peanut m&ms before breakfast.  So, he's been waiting and waiting for the Easter bunny to arrive and telling Owen all about it.  And in the meantime he was happy to do other "Eastery things" like making cards, dyeing eggs, playing with the Playmobil nativity set, and of course "nailing Wooden to the cross" -- his, and now Owen's -- favorite Easter game.  He is still all about the crucifixion and to be honest it's funny and weird and feels just a little sacrilegious all at the same time.

We went out to Pop Pop's on Easter Sunday and enjoyed a beautiful day on the farm.  The kids hunted for more eggs in the orchard, did some scavenger hunting and exploring, we ate, and Bob ended up nude in the creek flowing from the pond.  I miss the days when I was that cool.

Our egg dyeing fun and mess...

Like last year, we ended up with a lot of broken eggs.  Ben had to leave when they started getting ripped open and eaten.

I can't even tell you how many times last week I witnessed this scene of my two sons crucifying each other...

Easter morning -- Bob woke much earlier than O and waited and waited for him and finally we went to wake the sleeping cutie.  Here's big brother getting little bro pumped up for the day...

 Later on, hunting for eggs at Pop Pop's with Vianne and Novelyn (and the chickens)...

Owen on this little garden wall: "This is my bed.  Are there any rocks around here that I can sleep with?  Yes, there are!"  And he picks up a handful of gravel and uses it as a pillow.  Goofball.

And crazy Pupper, who cannot resist getting wet, ever.  It was a nice day, but not that nice.  We're talking about air in the 60s and water in the 40s probably.  But there he was, ripping his clothes off and hopping back and forth across the stream like a little motherless Appalachian boy.  Wooden started trying to remove his clothing as well, but I told him he wasn't old enough to catch pneumonia yet, and he conceded.

That was a bit of a photo overload, I'll admit.  But when I only make it here twice a month I've gotta make it count, right?

Peace!

winterspring mood swings

And... winter is back -- already.  Spring, summer, fall all condensed into three short days.  Saturday, Sunday, Monday -- we were living life like this...  Pupper disappearing for a moment then coming around the corner disrobed and arms outstretched singing, "Spring is over, spring is over!"  Little boys picking weed flowers for their mama.  ("Mom, none of these flowers are for us.  They're all for you.")  Motorcycle dudes following the chalk-drawn rules of the road.

And then today we woke up to this:

There were a good three inches of powder on the deck.  And truth be told, as much as my spring spirits were crushed, I not-so-secretly relished the freshly fallen crystals and ate as many hand and cupfuls as I could today; and the sun was out and most of the white melted away by late afternoon and so I'm hoping winter's not really back.  Oh, New England spring and how it toys with us.

the first signs of spring

Is that all I can talk about -- the change of seasons?!  Yes, it is.  The cold has been that consuming, and the sun and warming weather are that welcome.

We're out playing ball and riding bikes and picking up sticks and playing amongst the trees again, and it feels so. damn. good.    Of course, the past couple of days have been back to cold and rain (and yesterday, hail).  It seems we've still got a bit of a haul before spring actually arrives.  There is, I suppose, a virtue or life lesson to be gained by these dark months, but it's mostly lost in thoughts of, why not just move someplace warmer?

The only thing I'm having trouble saying goodbye to this winter is my snow-eating obsession.  I still haven't quite quit digging cupfuls out of the former snow fort piles -- although I think I've finally reached the end of my reserve.

Cherishing the sun (even if it barely touches our skin) every chance we get.  Swinging and running and climbing with a renewed vigor.  Exploring places unseen for four months.  Eating pink and yellow donuts with peeps on top.  These are the first signs of spring -- appearing before anything green arrives.

I haven't appeared in front of the lens lately; this is the closest thing I have to any kind of belly shot, other than an old black and white polaroid.


Ahh, "spring."